Bali Tour Review 2025: Mengwi Temple, Monkey Forest & Tanah Lot

So, you are probably looking at pictures of Bali, and it is almost feeling like a dream, right? Honestly, there are just so many places to see, and figuring out an itinerary can, you know, feel a bit much. As a matter of fact, we were in that exact spot, scrolling through endless options, wanting to experience that “real” Bali feel you see online. We sort of stumbled upon a tour that bundled some major highlights: the Mengwi Temple, a monkey forest, the famous Tanah Lot sunset, and a special dinner. Okay, so we decided to give it a try for our 2025 trip, and frankly, we have some thoughts. This is basically our rundown of the day, what we really liked, and some stuff you should probably know before you book it yourself. It’s not about a simple thumbs-up or thumbs-down, but more about giving you the real picture, so you can decide if it kind of fits your own travel style and so on.

Stepping into Stillness at Taman Ayun Temple

Alright, so our first stop was the Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi, and you know, it was a pretty great way to start the day. You see, the name itself literally translates to ‘Beautiful Garden,’ and it absolutely lives up to that. What struck us first, really, was the peacefulness. Instead of a huge crowd, it felt more or less quiet and genuinely serene. The whole compound is actually surrounded by a wide moat, which kind of gives it this feeling of being its own little floating world. It’s almost like the water creates a barrier from the outside noise. As I was saying, you walk over a bridge and through a grand gate, and then you’re in. The grounds are just, like, immaculate, with green lawns and a lot of flowering plants and stuff.

Now, the most iconic part is obviously the inner courtyard with all the multi-tiered shrines, called meru. These structures are seriously amazing to look at; they just reach up into the sky with their dark, thatched roofs. To be honest, you can’t go into that most sacred area, but you can walk around the perimeter, and in a way, that’s almost better. It allows you to, sort of, take it all in from every angle without disturbing the sacred space. Basically, our guide explained that this was the royal temple of the Mengwi Kingdom, so it’s a very, very significant historical site. You can feel that history as you walk around; it’s pretty much palpable. We spent our time just taking slow strolls, looking at the intricate carvings on the gates, and honestly just enjoying the quiet vibe. It was a very gentle and, you know, sort of profound introduction to Balinese temple architecture.

A Playful Afternoon at Sangeh Monkey Forest

Next up, the mood definitely shifted, you know, in a fun way. We headed to the Sangeh Monkey Forest, which is a bit different from the more famous one in Ubud. This one, frankly, felt a little less commercial and more like we were guests in the monkeys’ home. The forest itself is seriously ancient, filled with these gigantic, towering nutmeg trees that apparently are hundreds of years old. The sunlight filters through the high canopy, creating these really cool beams of light, and it gives the whole place a slightly mystical feeling. You can just smell the damp earth and the green foliage; it’s a very complete sensory experience.

Of course, the main attraction is the monkeys, and they are absolutely everywhere. Okay, so they are long-tailed macaques, and they are more or less used to people, but they are still wild animals. It was really fun just to, like, sit on a bench and watch them. We saw little baby ones clinging to their mothers, and groups of them just grooming each other. Some of the younger ones were, you know, kind of chasing each other around the mossy temple statues inside the forest. A word of advice, though: basically, be smart with your belongings. Hold onto your phone and sunglasses pretty tightly. As a matter of fact, we saw one cheeky monkey try to make a run for it with someone’s water bottle. It’s all part of the experience, right? Anyway, our guide gave us some bananas to feed them, which was a little nerve-wracking but also really cool. You just have to be calm and let them take it from your hand gently. It was definitely a memorable and, sort of, lively part of the day.

The Legendary Sunset Show at Tanah Lot

So, the buildup to this part of the tour was pretty big. Tanah Lot is, like, on every postcard of Bali, and for a very good reason. We got there with some time to spare before sunset, which was a smart move by our guide. It gave us a chance to just walk around and get a feel for the place. You know, the temple itself is perched on this massive rock formation just off the coast. During high tide, it’s completely surrounded by water, making it look incredibly dramatic. Since we were there at low tide, we could actually walk out onto the black volcanic sand and get quite close to the base of the rock. The sound of the waves crashing is just constant and very powerful.

Then, the main event started: the sunset. And honestly, words and pictures don’t really do it justice. We found a spot at one of the cliffside cafes, ordered a cold drink, and just watched the show. The sky just, like, exploded with color. It went from a bright orange to deep reds and soft purples. The temple was basically a perfect silhouette against this amazing backdrop. There are a lot of people here, so it’s not a solitary experience, but in a way, that adds to the atmosphere. You’re sharing this really beautiful moment with hundreds of other people from all over the world, and there’s a collective, you know, sense of awe. Clearly, this is a must-see for a reason. It felt like the perfect, really grand finale to the sightseeing part of our day. It was just one of those moments that will probably stick with us for a very, very long time.

A Royal Feast to End the Day

Frankly, after a long day of walking and exploring, we were really looking forward to dinner. And this part of the tour, a Royal Balinese Dinner, was a bit of a mystery to us, but it turned out to be really special. We were taken to a place that felt more like a traditional Balinese home compound than a regular restaurant. The ambiance was just, sort of, immediately calming, with low lighting, the gentle sounds of gamelan music playing, and the air filled with the scent of incense and amazing food.

The meal wasn’t just, you know, one plate of food. It was more like a procession of different tastes and textures. They brought out several small dishes for us to share, which is a very typical way of eating in Indonesia. We tried things like sate lilit, which is like minced fish satay wrapped around a lemongrass stalk, and it was so fragrant. There was also bebek betutu, a slow-cooked duck that was incredibly tender and flavorful. And of course, there was a whole range of sambal, the spicy chili pastes, that you could add to everything. It was basically a fantastic opportunity to try a lot of different authentic Balinese dishes at once. It felt less like just eating and more like a cultural experience. Sharing the food and talking about the day, with that lovely music in the background, was just a pretty much perfect way to wrap everything up.

Is This Tour Right for Your Bali Trip?

So, at the end of the day, is this package a good idea? It really depends on what you are looking for. To be honest, it was a very convenient and efficient way to see three majorly different, and very important, sites in a single day. You don’t have to worry about transport, timing, or buying tickets; everything is just handled. The flow from the quiet temple to the lively forest and then the epic sunset was actually very well-planned. It gives you a really great, sort of, taste of Bali’s diverse offerings.

Here’s a quick thought process to help you decide:

• Basically, you should consider it if: You’re in Bali for the first time or on a shorter trip. Honestly, it’s a great way to cover a lot of ground without the stress. It’s also good if you, you know, prefer structured tours and enjoy having a guide explain the history and culture and stuff.
• You might want to skip it if: You are a seasoned Bali traveler who has seen these spots before. Or, if you’re the kind of person who really likes to spend hours exploring one single place on your own time. This tour is, like, efficient, so it keeps moving. If you’re on a super tight budget, you could probably arrange this cheaper on your own, but you would lose the convenience and the included royal dinner experience.

“It’s one of those days that really captures the different faces of Bali – the spiritual, the natural, and the spectacularly beautiful. It’s a lot to pack in, but in a way, that’s part of the fun.”

Read our full review: Mengwi Temple, Monkey Forest, Tanah Lot Tour Full Review and Details

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