Bali Tips: Heaven’s Gate

The temple is located in the eastern part of Bali so we hired a driver for the day to take us on a day tour: US$50 (IDR705,000 or PHP2,650).

Send me an email if you want to hire our driver. He is honest, nice, knowledgeable, and more importantly, a super safe driver.

It took us 2 hours to get there from Ubud. We arrived around 10:30AM and there was a long line of people waiting for their turn to have their photo taken already. That was the start of our very VERY long day.
Fees & Dress Code
There is no entrance fee. The temple accepts donations. IDR10,000 (less than a dollar/ less than PHP40) per person will suffice.
Everyone — male and female — must wear a sarong. You can bring your own or rent one for IDR10,000. Ladies, your shoulders can’t be exposed so either you wear a shirt or anything with sleeves to cover it. I didn’t know (plus it was super hot) and so I was wearing a tank top. Not to worry, they will give you a nice thin shawl to cover your shoulders.Other things you Need to Know

1. Don’t whip out your camera just yet. There is a 5 minute walk up the temple.
2. Look for the end of the line. Line up and wait. People watch or make some new friends. You’re going to be there for a long time so might as well get to know the other folks who are crazy enough to wait in line for a photo.

Long line at Heaven’s Gate. That’s the hubs in a white tee and green sarong, patiently waiting with me. Awwww…

https://youtu.be/zYNIrJfEkBs
https://youtu.be/zYNIrJfEkBs
3. Drones are not allowed.

4. Do practice your poses while waiting in line. It’s a long wait so don’t worry… you’ll have time.

5. No kissing and yoga poses allowed. It’s a temple so kissing is considered scandalous. We tried a simple lift pose and that wasn’t allowed either. You will hear a whistle and the guards there say, “No, not allowed!” Oops!

6. We waited in line for 3 hours. The ladies at the temple said that the best time to go there is around 5am-6am. Not a lot of people plus you get a beautiful sunrise in your photo too. The temple is open for 24 hours so come as early as you can.

7. Bring water and snacks. We weren’t able to bring, so we just bought from the small store outside the temple.

8. Someone from the temple will be taking your photo.

9. You cannot use A DSLR camera or any other camera other than your cellphone cam. Hand your phone to her and you will be allowed to do around 4 different poses as a couple/family and another 4 for solo shots.

10. There really isn’t some kind of body of water in front of the gates. The photographer uses something that she puts under the lens of your camera phone to achieve that “reflection” effect. I think it’s a mirror.

Zoom in and you’ll see how “ate” does her magic.

So, after 3 hours waiting in line, here are our photos at The Gates of Heaven in Pura Lempuyang — with the clouds and the majestic Mount Agung (the biggest volcano in Bali) in the background. Stunning, isn’t it?

Was it worth the long wait? Are you kidding me? I’m totally framing these!