Taman Ayun Royal Temple was the first temple we visited in Bali on our day of touring the island. this was one of our "surprise" stops on our tour. we knew nothing about it before we arrived, and it was not a place we had requested to visit. but it certainly wasn't a terrible place to spend an hour in the morning sun...
the entire compound is surrounded by a moat. inside that are gardens, with the main area of the temple guarded by a wall and another moat. on the grounds there are several smaller buildings and shrines, and one tower that is open to the public [of course we had to climb it!]
atop the tower we found large wooden bells, a bit of shade, and a view of the main temple area. the wooden bells look like solid logs, but are actually hollow [though not open on the bottom like a metal bell.]
like most other temples in Bali, tourists are not allowed to enter. but you can still get a great view of the grass-roofed pagodas and intricate stone carvings from outside the wall.
Taman Ayun isn't on a lake [or in the sea] but it is part of a series of temples dedicated to the water systems of the island and keeping the evil spirits away from Bali. it may not be as famous, but all the blue sky and orange stone [and low crowds] made it one of my favorite sights.
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