Hindu temples of Southeast Asia

The journey in one line

9 stops in Indonesia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Vietnam and Singapore so far. The first rung is 4 of them, and the list keeps growing.

Hindu ideas travelled east by sea from about the fourth century and were taken up by courts in Java, Cambodia, Champa and the Malay peninsula. Those courts built in stone and brick on a scale India itself rarely matched. Some of what they built is now archaeology. Prambanan and My Son are ruins that have been pieced back together. Angkor Wat turned Buddhist and stayed in use. Bali is the exception where the tradition never broke. Its temples are not monuments; they are booked solid with ceremonies.

These places show Hinduism as something that moved, mixed and changed rather than something fixed in one country. Balinese Hinduism is not Indian Hinduism, and the Champa towers are not Khmer temples. Singapore's Sri Mariamman adds a later layer: temples built by people who came as labourers and traders in the nineteenth century and stayed.

Prambanan pairs naturally with Borobudur from Yogyakarta. Angkor Wat and Banteay Srei share one pass from Siem Reap. My Son is a half day from Hoi An. Bali's temples are spread across the island and Besakih is a long drive from the south. Dry seasons differ: April to October for Java and Bali, November to March for Cambodia, February to August for central Vietnam.

Where it goes

The stops, in order

What a visit means here. A visit means being in the authorised visitor area. At Balinese temples the inner courtyards are for worshippers and are not part of the visit.

1. 1

   Prambanan

   Candi Prambanan

   Sleman, Indonesia

   

   Prambanan is the largest Hindu temple compound in Indonesia, built in the ninth century. Three tall shrines face east for Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma, with the Shiva shrine in the centre carrying the Ramayana in relief. Much of the compound fell in earthquakes and has been rebuilt from its own stones.

   What counts as a visit

   The central compound of shrines, entered on the park ticket.

   Access

   Sarongs are issued at the gate. Some shrines close after earthquake damage. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

2. 2

   Angkor Wat

   អង្គរវត្ត

   Siem Reap, Cambodia

   

   Angkor Wat was built in the twelfth century by Suryavarman II as a temple to Vishnu and as his own funerary monument. The moat and the five towers model Mount Meru. It became a Buddhist temple later and has never been fully abandoned.

   What counts as a visit

   The Angkor Wat enclosure itself, which is one temple inside the wider Angkor park.

   Access

   Shoulders and knees must be covered for the upper level, which has its own queue and closes on some days. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

3. 3

   Pura Besakih

   Pura Agung Besakih

   Karangasem, Indonesia

   

   Besakih is the mother temple of Bali, a complex of more than twenty temples climbing the slope of Mount Agung. The central Pura Penataran Agung has six levels of terraces. Lava from the 1963 eruption passed the temple on both sides.

   What counts as a visit

   The public walkways and terrace views of the complex. Inner courtyards are for worshippers.

   Access

   A sarong and sash are required and are included in the entry ticket. Inner areas are closed to visitors. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

4. 4

   Batu Caves

   பத்து மலை

   Gombak, Malaysia

   

   Batu Caves is a limestone hill north of Kuala Lumpur with a Murugan temple in the main cavern, reached by 272 painted steps. A gold statue of Murugan stands at the foot. It is the focus of Thaipusam, when hundreds of thousands walk here.

   What counts as a visit

   The Temple Cave at the top of the stairs and the forecourt shrines.

   Access

   Knees and shoulders covered, with wraps available at the base. Macaques take food and bags. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

5. 5

   Banteay Srei

   បន្ទាយស្រី

   Siem Reap, Cambodia

   

   Banteay Srei was consecrated in 967 to Shiva and was built by courtiers rather than a king. It is small and cut from pink sandstone, which holds detail that larger Angkorian temples cannot. The carving of the pediments is the finest surviving Khmer relief work.

   What counts as a visit

   The temple enclosure, about thirty kilometres north east of the main Angkor group.

   Access

   Inside the Angkor pass area. Barriers keep visitors out of the inner sanctuaries. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

6. 6

   Mỹ Sơn

   Thánh địa Mỹ Sơn

   Duy Xuyên, Vietnam

   

   Mỹ Sơn was the religious centre of the Champa kingdoms for about a thousand years, a valley of brick towers dedicated mostly to Shiva. The brickwork was laid without visible mortar and has never been fully explained. American bombing in 1969 destroyed the largest group.

   What counts as a visit

   The temple groups on the marked paths inside the sanctuary.

   Access

   Unexploded ordnance clearance means visitors keep to marked paths. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

7. 7

   Pura Luhur Uluwatu

   Pura Luhur Uluwatu

   Badung, Indonesia

   

   Uluwatu stands on a cliff seventy metres above the sea at the south western tip of Bali. It is one of the island's six sad kahyangan, the temples held to be its spiritual pillars. A kecak performance is staged on the clifftop each evening.

   What counts as a visit

   The cliff path and the outer courtyards. The inner temple is for worshippers.

   Access

   A sarong and sash are required at the gate. Monkeys take glasses and phones. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

8. 8

   Tanah Lot

   Pura Tanah Lot

   Tabanan, Indonesia

   

   Tanah Lot sits on a rock offshore and is one of the sea temples that ring Bali. It is linked to the sixteenth century priest Dang Hyang Nirartha. At high tide the rock is cut off and the temple can only be looked at from the shore.

   What counts as a visit

   The shoreline viewing areas and, at low tide, the base of the rock. The temple itself is for worshippers.

   Access

   The temple building is not open to visitors. Access to the rock depends on the tide. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

9. 9

   Sri Mariamman Temple

   ஸ்ரீ மாரியம்மன் கோவில்

   Singapore, Singapore

   

   Sri Mariamman is the oldest Hindu temple in Singapore, founded in 1827 by Naraina Pillai. The gopuram over South Bridge Road was added in the 1920s and is covered in tiers of figures. It is a national monument and still the main temple for the city's Tamil Hindu community.

   What counts as a visit

   The temple's public prayer hall and courtyard during opening hours.

   Access

   Footwear is left at the entrance and modest dress is expected. A photography pass applies inside. Checked 2026-09-17.

   Check access · last checked September 17, 2026

Respect and access

Balinese temples require a sarong and sash and these are usually included in the ticket. Menstruating women are asked not to enter Balinese temple grounds; that is the host's rule and it is posted at the gate. At Angkor the upper level of the temple has its own dress code and closes on some days. At Batu Caves and Sri Mariamman footwear comes off. Monkeys at Uluwatu and Batu Caves take glasses, phones and bags, and that is a practical warning rather than a rule.

Opening times, prices, permits and eligibility change. Nothing on this page is a statement about today. Follow the Check access link on a place before you plan around it.

Sources

• whc.unesco.orghttps://whc.unesco.org/en/list/642 · checked September 17, 2026
• whc.unesco.orghttps://whc.unesco.org/en/list/668 · checked September 17, 2026
• whc.unesco.orghttps://whc.unesco.org/en/list/949 · checked September 17, 2026
• malaysia.travelhttps://www.malaysia.travel/explore/batu-caves · checked September 17, 2026
• smt.org.sghttps://smt.org.sg/ · checked September 17, 2026
• indonesia.travelhttps://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/destination/bali-nusa-tenggara/bali/pura-agung-besakih/ · checked September 17, 2026
• indonesia.travelhttps://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/destination/bali-nusa-tenggara/bali/pura-luhur-uluwatu/ · checked September 17, 2026
• indonesia.travelhttps://www.indonesia.travel/gb/en/destination/bali-nusa-tenggara/bali/tanah-lot/ · checked September 17, 2026

TravelDay selected and grouped these places. Naming a custodian, a government agency or UNESCO as a source is not a claim that any of them endorsed this journey.