Gumang Temple — Attraction in Kecamatan Karangasem

Gumang temple is absolutely breathtaking but be prepared for the hike up. It’s approximately 2.5k up a steep set of steps. We went on a hot day and we’re fairly fit, it floored us by the top!

You’ll be greeted by some lovey and helpful locals who will rent you a sarong and sell you bananas for the monkeys if you like. They may well bless you and your vehicle too. It can be courteous to offer them some payment for this.

The monkeys seem intimidating but they will move out your way if your confident. They don’t bite. However they do know the sound of zips and bags opening so keep things closed.

We spent about 30 mins chilling with the monkeys though and after their initial excitement, they calm right down.

The views from the top are staggering. And we’ll worth the hike. It’s vertically empty and a definite must if you’re...

This experience was cheap at only 10,000 IDR ($1 AUD) to enter. It was an amazing hike up to the top, which we were not expecting. You will need to wear a sarong, and they hire them at street level for 10,000 ($1 AUD) but I recommend taking it off for the hike as it is HOT and sweaty otherwise. Over 700 stairs to climb along with rough patches so this is not for the faint of heart. You do get to see plenty of monkeys along the way, but if you are not fit, it will be a case of "are we there yet" along the way. But, once you arrive at the top, the views are simply amazing, and it feels tranquil and satisfying. It is a great place to sit and meditate and ponder life. Be careful of the Monkeys at the top as we were almost attacked by one of the larger males!! The trip back down was...

We thought its just a small temple with the gates and such what you can see for the first glance. We couldn’t have made a bigger mistake though. This is an advanced hike to go to the top. Its worth the struggle and its a beautiful experience to see the sea from the top and the monkeys in their natural habitat too. Make sure you bring water because its tough and there is no water up there. It was almost empty when we visited, a very...