Two temples in Karangasem. Pura Goa Lawah (Bat Cave Temple) has 1 ticket or tour to book; Pura Besakih (Mother Temple) has 20 tickets and tours to book. The table and the two notes below put them side by side; the full pages have what to see, the ticket and the timing for each.
Pura Goa Lawah is not ticketed online. Visitors pay a modest entrance fee at the gate, which normally includes the loan of a sarong and sash, and local guides at the entrance may offer a short explanation for a tip. Most people come by car with a driver, since the temple lies on the main coastal road through east Bali and is easy to fit into a longer day.
The organised option sold online is a day out of a different kind: a snorkelling trip in the Blue Lagoon near Padang Bai, combined with a stop at the temple and lunch. These usually include hotel transfers, snorkelling equipment, the boat, the meal and the temple entry, and they suit travellers who want a light taste of the sanctuary alongside a morning in the water.
Besakih lies high on the slopes of Mount Agung in eastern Bali, about two hours by car from Ubud and more from the southern beaches, so most visitors come on a full-day car tour with a driver. Entry is paid at the visitor centre at the bottom of the hill; the fee normally includes a sarong and the short shuttle ride up to the temples. Official local guides are available there, and you should hire only from the official desk.
The tours sold online are almost all east Bali circuits with Besakih as one major stop. The most common combine it with Lempuyang temple and its famous framed gateway, the water palace of Tirta Gangga and sometimes the royal water garden at Ujung.
