Uluwatu area is the most famous area in the Bukit Bali region. Here, you can find many luxury villas and resorts perched on high cliffs with views of the Indian Ocean. Also, in the Uluwatu area, there are many hidden beaches, such as Nyang Nyang Beach and Suluban Uluwatu Beach. But the waves at the Beach in Uluwatu are quite big and suitable for surfing.
Apart from the beaches, Uluwatu is also very famous for its temple called Uluwatu Temple. In the afternoon, there will be a performance of Kecak dance at Uluwatu Temple.
Getting to Uluwatu
It takes about 45 minutes to get to Uluwatu from the Ngurah Rai International Airport. From the areas of Kuta, Canggu, and Seminyak, it takes around 1.5 hours. Taking a taxi or online taxies like Grab or Go Car is the best way to get to Uluwatu. It only costs about IDR 175,000 from the international airport.
1. Getting around Uluwatu
A motorcycle is the best vehicle to get around Uluwatu. You can rent a motorcycle at the price of IDR 60,000/day and you can explore the whole area of Uluwatu. Since Uluwatu is rather quiet in comparison to other areas in Bali, so getting around in Uluwatu won’t be so much hassle. If you use a motorcycle, you will need to pay not more than IDR 5,000 for parking.
If you don’t ride a motorcycle, you can choose online transportation like Gojek and Grab or taxi. However, there are some areas in Uluwatu that don’t allow these online transportations to pick up people at the major tourist attractions sites. Another option will be renting a shuttle at an affordable price. More Bali transportation guide is here.
Top Tourist Attractions in Uluwatu
Walking is not favorable here since Uluwatu is too big for you to explore on foot.
1. Uluwatu Temple
Pura Luhur Uluwatu is located on a hill cliff that juts into the sea. The place is very unique and looks so beautiful. Around the temple, there are towering cliffs that border directly with the sea. Every corner of the area offers an amazing natural panorama, especially during the sunset. The enchanting view of the sunset is a treat awaited by tourists when visiting Uluwatu. Every evening the Kecak dance is performed in the area.
Image By traveltoe.com
Getting to Uluwatu Temple
There is no public transportation to get to Uluwatu Temple. However, you can use a taxi or rent a car with a driver to get to this tourist destination.
Entrance Fee
You will need to pay the entrance fee to visit Uluwatu Temple. The price of the ticket for local tourist is IDR 15,000 and for foreign visitors IDR 30,000.
You also need to wear sarong together with a sash. Remember to wear proper clothes when entering the temple.
The temple is open every day starting from 09.00 am until 07.00 pm. However, it is open 24 hours for worship purpose.
2. Suluban Beach
Suluban Uluwatu Beach or Uluwatu Beach, also known as Blue Point Beach, is located adjacent to Uluwatu Temple. Suluban Beach offers a fairly narrow white sand beach. The beach itself is surrounded by beautiful cliffs and looks more like being in a cave. The natural charm of this beach is indeed different from most of the beaches in Bali. Its beauty becomes an amazing photo spot. Suluban Uluwatu Beach has high and elongated waves. If you go to the seashore, you will be greeted by a spectacular view of the sea.
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Getting to Suluban Beach
From the Capital of Bali Province Denpasar, it is about 31 km. It takes about 79 minutes via Jalan Raya Uluwatu or Jalan Labuan Sait. From BTDC Nusa Dua tourism area, it is about 22 km and it takes about 25 minutes by driving.
At present transportation that serves the route to Suluban Uluwatu Beach is still a bit difficult. It is recommended that you use a rent motorcycle and car.
Visiting Suluban Uluwatu beach requires extra effort to reach the shoreline because you have to walk approximately 200 meters from the parking area. You need to take the stairs. On the way down, you will see many cafes, stalls offering you culinary tours combined with the beautiful view of the Blue Point Beach.
Entrance Fee
You will not be charged to enter the Suluban Beach area. You only need to pay a parking ticket of IDR 5,000 for motorbikes and IDR 15,000 for cars.
3. Padang-Padang Beach
The popularity of this beach has been increasing recently after becoming a shooting location for Hollywood film starring Julia Roberts, Eat Pray Love. Padang Padang Beach is located on Labuhan Sait Street, so it is also known as Labuhan Sait Beach. This beach in Uluwatu offers the beauty of clean white sandy beaches, the beaches are also sloping so it is ideal for relaxing or bathing in the sea. The waves in the middle of the beach are quite high, making them a popular surfing destination in the Uluwatu.
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Getting to Padang Padang Beach
If you are from Bali Ngurah Rai Airport, to get to Padang Padang Beach, it will take around 50 – 60 minutes with a distance of approximately 20 km to arrive at Padang Padang Beach. If you take a car, it takes 36 minutes. You can check Google Maps to know the names of the road that you will pass to get there.
The best way to get to the Padang Padang beach is to use private transportation, whether motorcycle or car. There are not many public transportation options in the vicinity of the Padang Padang coastal area, only meter taxis.
Access to this beach, you have to pass a small alley that is located between the cliffs, continue to walk down dozens of stairs, and then you will arrive at the location.
Entrance Fee
The entrance fee for a domestic tourist is IDR 5,000 and foreigners IDR 10,000. If you use a car or motorcycle, you will need to pay a parking fee. For motorcycle, the fee is IDR 2,000 and car is IDR 5,000
4. Nyang Nyang Beach
This beach is behind a hill. Nyang Nyang Beach is still rarely visited by tourists probably because to walk to the location is quite far. But that is the special thing from thing beach, Nyang-Nyang Beach feels peaceful, calm, comfortable with fewer visitors. It feels like a private beach.
There is a golden yellow sandy coastline, cliffs full of plants, green meadows, blue oceans with waves suitable for surfing to be the hallmarks of this beach. The location of Nyang Nyang Beach is before Uluwatu Temple.
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Getting to Nyang-Nyang Beach
From Ngurah Rai Airport and want to go directly to Nyang Nyang Beach, take the Dharmawangsa access to Ungasan. From there, you can enter Jalan Toya Ning 1 to get to the Uluwatu Pecatu highway. Next, you take Jalan Batu Nunggalan to reach the location.
Located in South Kuta, Badung Regency, Nyang Nyang Beach is situated in a rather hidden place. The distance is only one kilometer from Uluwatu Temple making this beach accessible by motorized vehicle.
If you want to use public transportation, there are public buses from Denpasar that stop at the South Kuta Terminal. After that, you can use a motorcycle or village transportation to get to Nyang Nyang Beach.
Access to Nyang Nyang Beach is difficult. Because of the location of the beach under the cliff, tourists have to walk down hundreds of stairs with a fairly extreme slope.
To get to the location, you have to walk down the hill cliff. It does take extra effort to this place but the natural scenery offered is amazing. You will be greeted by white sandy beaches and blue seas.
Entrance Fee
There is no entrance fee but if you come by vehicles, you need to pay a parking fee. For a car, it costs IDR 5,000 and motorcycle is IDR 2,000.
5. Karang Boma Cliff
Boma Pecatu Reef is a tourist attraction that jutted into the sea and has a historical side. According to residents, the name Karang Boma is the name of the temple in this area, while the cliff jutting into the sea is called Tanjung Mebulu.
From Karang Boma Cliff, you will be able to see high coral cliffs that are directly adjacent to the Indian Ocean. For those of you who like taking a photo, Karang Boma Cliff will be an interesting place, with an instagramable natural background. This beach is still rarely visited by tourists different from the tourist attraction of the always crowded Uluwatu temple. If you want to take unique and challenging photos, you need to be careful here because the cliffs are very steep and without borders.
Getting to Karang Boma Cliff
If you are traveling from Denpasar or the Airport, just go point your vehicle to the Uluwatu Temple then enter the Uluwatu area from the main Uluwatu highway. There is an entrance to the left, right after the entrance to Nyang Nyang Beach (left of the road), that is the access to Karang Boma Cliff.
An important tip is that renting a motorcycle or car to travel to Karang Boma Cliff is the best way. For those of you who don’t want to be bothered getting off the vehicle, nearby locals provide shuttle service for IDR 20,000.
The road to the cliff is steep enough so you have to be careful. There are many-branched paths on the road to the top of the coral reef, making you have to pay attention to the signposts so you don’t get lost.
Entrance Fee
The entrance fee to Karang Boma Cliff is around IDR 10,000. This price also includes the fee for parking.
6. Balangan Beach
Balangan Beach is included in Ungasan Village, Jimbaran Village, South Kuta District, Badung Regency. This beach is indeed fairly quiet. Stretching along approximately 1 kilometer and flanked by two rock cliffs, this beach looks like an exotic private beach.
Set against a row of neatly lined up coconut trees with clean but quite rough sand, Balangan Beach is becoming the most sought after beach by the foreign tourists who are very fond of hidden places to be explored, especially for surfing. The waves here are quite high and elongated, making it an ideal place for surfing.
If you want to spur your adrenaline, you can take a short course on how to surf that is right on this beach. There is the Balangan Wave Surf School that will teach you how to surf. If you are not interested in surfing, just relax and enjoy the sunset. A walk along the beach feels good, calm, and free because there aren’t many visitors. On the coast, you can find neatly lined up tents and benches for sunbathing or tourists sheltering from the sun. It is better to enjoy Balangan Beach before the afternoon. The sun is leaning to the western horizon and it’s even better for taking pictures since you will get a beautiful view.
Image By Bali-Indonesia.com
Getting to Balangan Beach
This beach is 21 km from Denpasar. From the airport, it only takes 15 minutes by driving. The ease of access does make this place visited by many tourists.
If you use a rental car, just use Google Maps to guide you to this beach. About 2 km after the Garuda Wisnu Kencana, you will find a crossroads. If you take the route towards Uluwatu, you just need to turn right towards Balangan Beach. After parking your vehicle, you have to walk down quite steep stairs because Balangan Uluwatu Beach is located behind a cliff.
Entrance Fee
There is no entrance fee but you need to pay for parking. Visitors are required to pay IDR 2,000 per motorcycle or IDR 5,000 per car.
7. Thomas Beach
Thomas Beach is located between the Suluban and Padang Padang beaches in the Uluwatu region. Thomas Beach is a hidden beach that has not been visited by many tourists. Only foreign tourists visit this beach. Meanwhile, local tourists seldom visit the beach since the access is quite difficult and requires extra energy to reach the beach.
The name of this beach is also relatively unique “Thomas Beach”, which is more like a person’s name. It is said that the beach was discovered by someone of a foreign nationality named Thomas. To make it easier, people call it Thomas Beach.
This beach offers the natural beauty of the white sand beach and lies hidden behind a steep hill cliff, challenging access to the beach, making it rarely visited or even known to people and the new destination for those who love adventure and beautiful beach. You can do various activities here such as surfing, swimming, snorkeling, playing with sand, and relaxing.
Image By JetsetChristina.com
Getting to Thomas Beach
It is about 30km from Denpasar to Thomas Beach. It takes 1.5 until 2 hours to get to Thomas Beach from Denpasar. From Canggu, it takes 1-hour driving. You can rent a motorcycle which is more recommended because you won’t need to walk to get to the beach. If you don’t know how to drive a motorcycle, you can rent a car. If you choose to take a car, you need to park your car on the highway because the road is small and it is a dirt road.
It takes around 5 minutes to walk down to the beach and the walk is quite easy because the stairs are made of concrete. While walking down the stairs, you will see a beautiful view of the beach.
Entrance Fee
It is free, so you won’t need to pay any entrance fee
Things to Do in Uluwatu
- Surfing
- Swimming
- Sunbathing
- Exploring the beaches
- Watching Kecak dance performance at Uluwatu Temple
- Visiting Uluwatu temple
- Having a romantic dinner at a beachside restaurant
- Relaxing at spa
- Exploring the cave in Suluban Beach
- Catching the sunset
- Enjoying your day at Single Fin
Popular Things in Uluwatu
The popular tourist attraction in Uluwatu is the Uluwatu Temple and its Kecak dance performance. Uluwatu itself is well-known for its clifftop view and home to a lot of great beaches. Another thing that famous in Uluwatu is surfing spots. Its beaches are known for having great waves for surfing.