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You will need to enter via the temple pathways. This area stretches
out on the rim of the cliff for a couple hundred feet, but the
prominent rock outcropping on which the temple is built is very
distinctive. Go carefully since it is a long drop down.
Luhur (heavenly) Ulu (head) Watu (rock) is where one of the six sea
temples of Bali is located. It is a unique place with a marvelous
view from the high cliff edge.
In the 11th century, the Javanese priest Empu Kuturan first
established a temple on the outcrop of rock. It was added to by
another Javanese priest called Niratha in the 16th century. He
constructed 6 sea temples, each was intended to be in sight of
another on the southern exposures of Bali. It is here that Niratha
si supposed to have finished his earthly life and attained
“moksa” or freedom from his earthly desires.
This temple is on the southwestern-most point of the island, also
making it one of the 9 directional temples found in Bali. Therefore
this one temple high on the cliff holds a pre-eminent importance in
the temple systems of Bali. These temples are deemed to belong to
all of the people in Bali, not any specific group of people or
governmental organization. (From Lonely Planet Travel Guides
– Bali and Lombok).
The somewhat soft sandstone/limestone of the cliffs has eroded away
so that it is a precipitous drop directly to the crashing surf
below. Off to the west, you will see many surfers. Ulu Watu is a
top spot for surfers in the world. There are almost always good
waves, and they run in different directions depending on the place
and tides.
Geologically, Java and Bali are very similar since they are only
separated by a few miles of ocean. The basic lithology of the area
including Ulu Watu is that of young, mixed-volcanic and calcareous
marine sediments lying on the southern flank of the series of young
volcanic piles aligned in the center of the islands. There are some
intrusions of older volcanoes, but most areas have been uplifted
and tilted to the south. You can see this in the cliff lines facing
the ocean. Folding is not an important issue in the geology of this
area. (The Ecology of Java and Bali by Whitten, et al.)
Volcanoes have played a crucial role in the geological and human
history of Bali. Their impact has been largely positive because
they create land through lava flows, ash deposits, and mud flows
(lahars). Natural erosion carried volcanic material as alluvium to
the plains forming thick layers of fertile sediment. The volcanoes
in Bali produce primarily basaltic lavas. The benefits are not
limited to the immediate vicinity of the active volcano, however,
because fine ash is transported great distances from the erupting
crater, providing a top dressing of soil-enriching material over
wide areas.
The landforms on Bali are varied by all the non-alluvial plains and
hilly areas are crossed with a fine pattern of streams. The
southern tip of Bali is much drier than the rest of the area due to
percolation into the limestone rock. This causes the surface to dry
out faster which results in a unique vegetation not seen over most
the rest of the island. The limestones of the small eastern
subregions are impure and exhibit the usual features of raised
reefs and atolls.
There are two access points to the cache coordinates, but you need
to go by the “kantor- office” to obtain tickets for
entering and paying for a sash that must be worn by all visitors
that have partially exposed legs. Long pants and long skirts to the
ankles are deemed acceptable and don’t require coverage.
Tickets are only Rp. 3,000 ( about US$0.40.
In order to claim this cache, you need to email me a few
answers.
1. What is the elevation of the highest point accessible to the
general public on this rock? Do not go into the private temple
area.
2. When at the coordinates, read the sign that says “Do not
enter……………” and finish
what it says.
3. You will need to do some geological sleuthing to find out how
most surfers access the waves below this rock promontory.
Enjoy, be careful, and don’t let the monkeys get your
glasses, hat, earrings, pens, food, etc.
Additional Hints
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Current Time:
Last Updated: on 2/3/2012 4:03:23 AM (UTC-08:00) Pacific Time (US & Canada) (12:03 PM GMT)
Rendered From:Unknown
Coordinates are in the WGS84 datum
