As I already mentioned in my Yogya Palace review: I think Indonesia deserves a couple more WHS. Bali certainly can be one of them, and it might be in reach after a 2008 deferral. ICOMOS advised the Indonesians to "reconsider the choice of sites". They suggested including at least one site representing the subak system of water management. And a water temple such as Tanah Lot would be nice too.

I spent 4 days in Bali, basing myself in central Ubud, and liked it a lot. One day I went on a wonderful bike tour near the Batur volcano, ending at Lake Batur. They took us through a lot of little villages and past rice paddies. Each village is littered with temples, every family having its own, plus at least three for the general community. Hinduism is so alive here. It brought back my best memories from Nepal and India (Bali looks a lot more prosperous compared to those countries, by the way).

I also visited the water temple Tanah Lot on my way back to the airport. This one is so close to Kuta that it is overrun with tourists. It has a pretty location on a rock just off the shore. The tide was low during my visit, so I could just walk across. The temple itself is closed to visitors however, you can only see a cave.