08° 48′ S, 115° 07′ E
Overview
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1. Balangan Beach Viewpoint
Balangan Beach is a beautiful white sand beach, well-known among surfers and sunbathers. On the northern tip of this beach, you find the Balang beach cliff, from where you have a stunning panoramic view of the beach and the ocean. It is the perfect spot to enjoy a beautiful sunset with a drink!
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2. Suluban Beach
To our opinion, Suluban Beach was one of the most unique beaches we’ve seen in Uluwatu. This beach is tucked away between the limestone cliffs and narrow caves. It is also known as Blue Point Beach and is a very famous place for surfers.
To access this beach, you have to descend via a staircase past various warungs, shops, and bars to finally reach the beach between the limestone cliffs. Due to its unique properties, it is a popular beach so it can get a bit busier during the day.
3. Karang Boma Cliff
Ah, the Karang Boma Cliff, probably our favorite place in Uluwatu. This impressive 70-meter-high cliff is also known as the Uluwatu Cliff and is a famous spot to watch the sunset.
For the best view and experience, we advise you to navigate to ‘The Copy Cart‘. Here, you can enter the viewpoint for free and you will find a nice little food truck that sells coffee and beer, ideal for a drink during sunset. If you navigate to Karang Boma Cliff and follow the signs indicating ‘Karang Boma Cliff’, you end up at the place where you have to pay 10.000 IDR to access the viewpoint and an extra 150.000 IDR if you want to fly a drone.
4. Padang Padang Beach
Padang Padang Beach is probably one of the most famous beaches in Uluwatu. This beach gained international fame after being featured in the movie “Eat Pray Love” starring Julia Roberts. It is also the beach where the Rip Curl Surf Competition is held every year. It’s a beautiful beach with white sand and clear blue water, perfect for swimming and sunbathing. To access the beach, you have to pay a 10.000 IDR entrance fee.
Because it is such a well-known beach, it can get quite busy. But we have found a nice alternative. A little further north of Padang Padang Beach, you will find Dreamsea Uluwatu, where you can enjoy a small, quiet, and free beach, at least as beautiful as Padang Padang Beach.
5. Pandawa Beach
Pandawa Beach is one of the many beautiful beaches with white sand and clear blue water. The beach itself is gorgeous and perfect for relaxing and sunbathing, but the main reason this beach made it to our list is because of the unique road that runs here. This road runs through a gigantic gorge carved into the cliffs and seems to go straight into the sea.
Also, the entrance to Pandawa Beach is unique and impressive, featuring large statues carved into the cliffs. The statues represent the five Pandawa brothers from the Mahabharata and are considered a cultural and artistic landmark.
On top of that, compared to some of the more popular beaches in Bali, Pandawa Beach tends to have a more secluded atmosphere. It’s the perfect place if you are seeking a quieter and less crowded beach day.
Practical
Entrance fee: 15.000 IDR per person
Daily: 7.00 am - 7.00 pm
6. Uluwatu Temple
Uluwatu Temple, also known as Pura Luhur Uluwatu, is a famous sea temple perched on a high limestone cliff, approximately 70 meters above the Indian Ocean. Because of this location, you have some impressive panoramic views of the surrounding ocean and coastline from this temple. It is also famous for its traditional Kecak Fire dance performances that take place against the backdrop of the setting sun. We’ll tell you more about this below.
Tip: Like many Balinese temples, the Uluwatu Temple is home to a population of monkeys. You have to be cautious with your belongings, as these monkeys are known for being mischievous and may attempt to snatch your stuff. They especially like cell phones, sunglasses, and hats, but will happily grab anything that is loose. They are not even afraid of pulling your cell phone out of your hands when you’re not paying attention, speaking from experience.
Practical
Entrance fee: 50.000 IDR per person
Parking: 1000 IDR
Daily: 7.00 am - 7.00 pm
Uluwatu Temple is a sacred place. It is appreciated that you cover your shoulders and knees. When you enter, you will be given a sarong and/or sash.
7. Kecak Fire Dance
One of the best things to do in Uluwatu is to watch a traditional Kecak Dance. This dance is also referred to as the Kecak Fire Dance and is a traditional Balinese performance, that is distinct from other traditional Balinese dances, as it does not involve the use of musical instruments. Instead, the performance relies on a large male choir, usually consisting of dozens of men, who create a rhythmic and enchanting soundtrack using their voices, creating this typical ‘chack-chack-chack’ sound.
This Kecak Dance is performed in several spots around Bali, but the most famous one takes place in Uluwatu Temple.
The original performance takes place during sunset, from 6 to 7.00 pm, offering a beautiful backdrop with stunning colors. Due to its popularity, there is now also a second performance from 7.00 to 8.00 pm. By then, it is already dark, but still very spectacular to see the performance.
Practical
150.000 IDR + 50.000 IDR entrance to the temple
First performance (sunset): 6.00 pm - 7.00 pm
Second performance: 7.00 pm - 8.00 pm
The Kecak Dance is a very popular experience in Bali. It is recommended to get your tickets well in advance, or be at the ticket counter at least one hour before the performance if its not sold out yet. Sometimes, your accommodation might be able to arrange tickets for you, if you ask in advance.
8. Nunggalan Beach
Nunggalan Beach is a beautiful and a bit more hidden beach in Bali. It is several kilometers long and there are barely any tourists. What really makes this place unique is the shipwreck on this beach. Enjoy a few hours of sunbathing and release your inner Jack Sparrow for a cool photo on the wreck.
Tip: Keep in mind that you have to do a long descent to this beach. This also means that you have to do a steep climb back up. Be sure to bring enough water with you to the beach and avoid going back up during the hottest time of the day.
9. Surfing
You may have noticed throughout this blog post that Uluwatu is the place to be for surfing in Bali. It is world-famous among surfers and it’s a true surfing paradise with multiple beaches for both experienced surfers and beginners. You can rent surfboards and take lessons in many places here.
Practical Information
Best time to visit Uluwatu
The best time to visit Uluwatu is from April to October, during dry season. You can expect dry and sunny weather. The waves are more consistent for surfing and the sea is calmer for activities such as snorkeling and diving. Know that the months July and August are high peak tourist season. Therefore, we recommend visiting Uluwatu in the shoulder seasons April to May, or September to October.
How to get around
The best way to explore Uluwatu is by motorbike. You can often rent a scooter at your accommodation or you can find various scooter rentals in the center. Prices vary from 60.000 to 100.000 IDR per 24 hours.
Uluwatu is a quiet area to drive around yourself. If you prefer not to drive yourself, other options are Grab, Go Jek, or hiring a local driver to get you around.
How many days for Uluwatu
Because there are so many beautiful beaches in Uluwatu, you can easily spend days here. If you want to see the most beautiful beaches and sights, we recommend that you stay at least 2 to 4 days, depending on how much you want to relax between exploring and whether you want to do other activities such as surfing or snorkeling.
Where to stay
There are plenty of options to stay in Uluwatu for every budget. You can choose to sleep in the bustling center, or you can stay a little bit out of the center where you can enjoy the peace and quiet. Nothing is really very far in Uluwatu. If you prefer to stay a little further away from the hustle and bustle, we can highly recommend White Tortoise Eco Villas. It’s a beautiful secluded stay with 5 hilltop villas, offering the most beautiful views of Uluwatu and still close to all the sights.
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Win-Win for everyone
Did you know that, if you buy or book something through our links, we receive a small commission?
However, you still pay the same and therefore have no extra costs! So a win-win for everyone. This way, we can continue to add even more travel inspiration and tips to this blog for your next adventure. Thanks a lot!
