Located just a short drive from Lovina in North Bali, Brahma Vihara Arama is Bali’s largest Buddhist temple and the one you definitely have to add to your itinerary.
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HOW TO GET TO BRAHMA VIHARA ARAMA?
The temple is located just a 15-20 min drive west of Lovina. To get to it, you can either rent yourself a scooter for around IDR 50k-60k a day or get a GoJek (slightly cheaper) or a Grab (both Indonesia’s scooter taxis) to take you there. The drive is entirely on the main road so it’s nice and straight and without any major bumps which makes it pretty easy to DIY.
Alternatively, you can arrange this at the hotel you’re staying at but it’s likely to cost you a little bit more than if you sort it out yourself. Either way, the drive is so short that you shouldn’t be spending more than IDR 15k for a return journey.
When you arrive, there isn’t really a designated parking space as the temple is sort of on the side of the road but you’ll notice that in Bali, you can almost park everywhere without causing trouble. Just park somewhere outside the temple and head over to the little kiosk outside the temple where you can make a donation and take a sarong before entering the temple grounds.
BRAHMA VIHARA ARAMA ENTRANCE FEE
The entrance is donation based so you can donate as much or as little as you wish but please be nice and give at least IDR 10-20k. Also, this temple really is worth the entrance because it’s simply beautiful!
BRAHMA VIHARA ARAMA THE EXPERIENCE
Upon entry at the temple, I was given a sarong to cover up my legs. When you visit make sure to have something covering your shoulders as well. This is a sign of respect and is expected upon entry in any temple in Indonesia.
When I visited it was right before sunset, and the temple’s closing time, so it was only me and a few other people roaming up and down its terraces which was perfect. When I entered I saw a pretty impressive statue with a beautiful lotus-filled pond, surrounded by stone guardian figures.
From here I headed to the temple’s meditation room which featured a Thai-styled Buddha. Here one can take a moment to meditate or just admire the beautifully decorated space and continue exploring around.
I couldn’t help but notice a remarkable golden pagoda in a bell shape which was something I had not seen ever before. It looked mystical yet so impressive and inviting with its intense golden colour. I later found out that this was a traditional Nepalese-styled pagoda which probably explains why I had not seen anything quite like it.
Just next to it, there was another pagoda, very different yet equally mesmerizing. It was a three-tiered Chinese-styled structure which was an active temple where a local lady was giving her prayers just as I was passing by. Unlike Borobudur, it was really amazing to actually see that this temple was active and people were fully immersing themselves in their religion and their prayers. It truly felt like a holy place to the point where I didn’t even enter the pagoda to give the lady space to conduct her prayer undisturbed.
As I was making my way onto the next terrace, I could see colourful decorations, various statues of Buddha and perfectly arranged gardens giving the place both a beautiful look and feel.
Just when I thought that I had seen everything, I literally remember freezing for a bit because I couldn’t believe there was so much more to this temple. There, right in front of me, was a gorgeous mini replica of Borobudur. I was blown away by the detail, the similarity, the colours of the sky right behind the temple as the sun was starting to set. It was the most beautiful temple view I had ever seen, and at point, I had already visited both Borobudur and Prambanan.
Not only were the views captivating but people were actually using the space to serve its purpose as a holy place. A group of yogis was just finishing their practice right in front of the temple and the sight of that reminded me again of the importance of this place for the religion and rites of the local community. It truly was special. I just wish I knew about this earlier so I could join them.
After I marvelled at the temple for a good few minutes I headed down towards the temple gates on this upper terrace. Here just as the sun was setting, I got some of the most amazing sunset views over the North Bali sea. The temple is actually located on a hill so standing up here really was opening up to some pretty phenomenal landscapes. It truly was a special moment! And with that I headed down the stairs and hopped back on my scooter, allowing the locals to close up for the day.
WHERE TO STAY IN LOVINA
Lovina is one of my most favourite places in Bali. It’s quiet, authentic and the ratio of Indonesians to tourists is surprisingly in favor of the locals 😀
Angsoka Hotel (value) – regardless of whether you’re travelling solo, with a friend or family, this place is just perfect. This was the first place I stayed at in Bali and I just couldn’t believe how tropical, authentic and good it was for the money. The location is ideal, just a few minutes from the beach and main area, and the staff was super sweet and friendly. For some reason, this property is no longer listed on Booking.com but you can browse for other deals HERE.
Gede Homestay (budget) – located right on the beach, this is a very nice budget friendly option to base yourself out of whilst venturing in and around Lovina for a few days. Being a homestay, this place is run by a local family so it guarantees to give you a very personal local experience.
For more places to stay in Lovina you can check the latest prices here.
Looking for more articles on Indonesia?
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Thank you so so much for taking the time to leave me a comment and thank you for stopping by the blog! I’m really pleased that you enjoyed the post :))