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My Bali Tour Guide

By Michèle · Updated on

Visiting temples in Bali and what to wear

In a Balinese temple you wear a sarong and a sash, men and women alike. Cover your shoulders and knees, and don't step on the offerings on the pavement.

An older man in a sarong with an offering at a temple gate
An older man in a sarong with an offering at a temple gate

In short

  • In a temple you wear a sarong and a sash around your waist, men and women alike.
  • Cover your shoulders and knees.
  • By Balinese custom, women who have their period do not enter a temple.
  • Don't step on the small offerings (canang sari) on the pavement, and don't stand or sit higher than the priest.

Michèle and Dek Leonk

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Dek Leonk in English or Indonesian, Michèle in Dutch or English.

Bali is the only mainly Hindu island in Indonesia. Every village has at least three temples, every house a family temple. Temples are not sights that happen to be sacred; they are places where people pray every day. Tourists are welcome, as long as you keep to a few rules.

At the big temples you can borrow or rent a sarong. It is easier to have your own sarong and sash; Dek Leonk always has a few in the car. If there is a ceremony, you can sometimes watch, from a distance and without flash. Don't walk in front of people who are praying, and don't point your feet at an altar.

Outside the temples Bali is relaxed. Shorts and dresses are normal. In villages in the east and north it is nice to cover up a little more, but nobody will say anything.

Rather have someone figure it out for you?

Michèle designs your trip around what you want and Dek Leonk drives you around the island. Ask your question in the chat.

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You chat with Michèle (Dutch or English) or with Dek Leonk (English). Real people, not a chatbot. During the day in Europe you usually get an answer within a few hours.