Uluwatu

Southeast Asia · Indonesia

Uluwatu, Indonesia

Clifftop temple, surf breaks and sunset fire dances

Plan this trip

Getting there

By air

Ngurah Rai, Denpasar (DPS), ~25 km

Best time to visit

April to October — dry season, the best surf on the west side

Don't miss

Pura Luhur Uluwatu

Padang Padang Beach

Melasti Beach

Garuda Wisnu Kencana

Things to do

The Kecak fire dance at sunset

Surfing Padang Padang or Uluwatu

Clifftop beach clubs

Where to eat

Seafood on the sand at Jimbaran Bay at sunset

Warungs along the Bukit

Sources: Photo: GeoffClarke · CC BY-SA 3.0

What to pack

Swimwear, reef shoes, a sarong for the temple

A quieter corner

Nyang Nyang Beach, a long empty sweep down a steep path

Questions travellers ask

When is the surf best in Uluwatu?

April to October: the dry season brings the best surf on the west side.

What should I bring for a day in Uluwatu?

Swimwear, reef shoes and a sarong for the temple.

What should I do at sunset in Uluwatu?

Watch the Kecak fire dance at sunset, or head to Jimbaran Bay for seafood on the sand as the sun goes down.

Is there a quieter beach near Uluwatu?

Nyang Nyang Beach is a long, empty sweep at the bottom of a steep path.

About Uluwatu

Coastal

Where it is

Uluwatu lies at the south-western tip of Bali's Bukit Peninsula in Indonesia, where limestone cliffs about 70 m high drop into the Indian Ocean, south of Jimbaran and the airport.

History

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali's nine directional temples (kahyangan jagat); tradition links it to the Javanese priest Mpu Kuturan in the 11th century and to Dang Hyang Nirartha, who is said to have attained spiritual liberation here in the 16th century. Surfers first rode Uluwatu's reef break in the early 1970s, as recorded in the 1972 film Morning of the Earth.

People

Uluwatu's people are Balinese, speaking Balinese and Indonesian, and the temple's anniversary ceremonies draw worshippers from across the island. Villages on the dry Bukit once lived by farming and fishing and now also run surf schools, warungs and guesthouses.

Known for

Pura Luhur Uluwatu on its clifftop
The Kecak dance at sunset
Reef-break surfing at Uluwatu and Padang Padang
White-sand coves below the cliffs
The temple's long-tailed macaques

Did you know?

The Kecak performed beside the temple uses no instruments: a circle of dozens of men chanting interlocking rhythms accompanies dancers acting out a scene from the Ramayana.