Buleleng Regency · ID

Pura Melanting

Tucked in the forest at the foot of Pulaki hill in northwest Bali, Pura Melanting is one of the island's most striking and least crowded temples. Far from the grey stone of the south, it blazes with colour—candy-bright shrines, an emerald tower and a grand staircase flanked by coiling dragon carvings that lead up to a set of ornate split gates. It has the look of a temple you might expect in China or Singapore rather than rural Buleleng, set among layered green hills with a glimpse of the Javanese Sea in the distance. The temple is dedicated to Dewi Melanting, the goddess of prosperity and trade, and Balinese merchants, shopkeepers and business owners travel here from across the island to pray for success. A designated kahyangan jagat (universal temple), it welcomes worshippers of every community and caste—and visitors are genuinely welcome too. Arrive outside the big ceremony days and you'll often share its calm courtyards with little more than a handful of locals making offerings.