ONE of the things Bali is popular for is its temples. The religiousness of the Balinese are deeply rooted in them and is evident with the presence of temples in every village that we visit or pass by.
Tanah Lot is among the popular tourist sites in Bali, Indonesia. It is the location of the iconic Pura Tanah Lot, which sits atop a rock formation.
Pura Tanah Lot is an offshore temple that is separated by the sea from the mainland when the tide is high. It is among the seven sea temples in Bali. When you visit Tanah Lot, you can appreciate the beauty of the temple up close during the low tide but you are not allowed to get inside.
Nearby is the much smaller Pura Batu Bolong sitting on top of one of the rock formations in the area.
While looking around the area, we noticed a group of surfers off the shore near Pura Batu Bolong. It was entertaining and amusing watching them surf and do flips off the coast.
Being a tourist spot, there is a huge number of souvenir shops and food establishments in the area.
If you want to buy some souvenirs and pasalubongs to bring back to the Philippines, this would be a good place. Magnets, keychains, t-shirts, hats, bags, and Balinese puppets, among many other things, can be bought from the stretch of shops between the temples and the parking area.
It was quite hot that day and I was looking for something cool and refreshing.
One of the shops that instantly caught my interest was the Tanah Lot branch of Black Eye Coffee and Roastery, a local coffee shop. The coffee shop just looked so relaxing from outside.
From the heat outside, I was finally able to take a couple of minutes rest at the cool comfort of the coffee shop.
I ordered an Iced Americano while relaxing here. I also bought grounded Bali Kintamani Arabica to take back here.
After taking a break, I continued my stroll at the souvenir area. I spotted a gelato shop called Gelato Secrets and decided to buy myself a cup of gelato. I had their salted caramel and dragon fruit flavors, which were really good.
It was almost time to head back to our tour bus. I decided to return to Black Eye Coffee and Roastery and buy one of their cold brews. I got the Bali Coffee cold brew, which was really good and surprisingly refreshing for the hot weather. The staff was also kind enough to present to me the other cold brews they have -- Aceh Gayo, Java, and Sumatra.
On my way back to the bus, I spotted one of our hosts, Vernon, standing outside a restaurant selling grilled corn. He was buying some for the group and later asked me to pick one. I chose the spicy one. It was a filling snack to end the sightseeing at Tanah Lot.
Our October 2018 trip to Bali, Indonesia was drawing to a close. Tanah Lot was the last tourist spot we visited. The trip here was memorable in a way that despite our short stay at the island, I was able to try Indonesian coffee at a Balinese coffee shop and even try a local gelato brand.