In just one hour, you can go from bustling Seminyak to the dramatic and Instagrammable landscape of Uluwatu. This beachside region is dominated by towering cliffs, breathtaking beaches, amazing surf, impressive temples, cosy cafes and even an abandoned aeroplane. If you don’t have time on your trip to stay in Uluwatu, then we highly recommend a day trip to check out all of the Instagrammable spots on offer. The following itinerary is jam-packed however totally achievable as everything as quite close by. Albeit it depends how long you allocate to each spot as it can be easy to hang around the beaches all afternoon! You can easily hire a car and driver for a full day (10 hours) which usually runs at about $50 AUD for the day.
The Ideal Route To See The Most Instagrammable Spots in Uluwatu
The Most Instagrammable Spots To Visit In Uluwatu
A. Balangan Beach Viewpoint and Cave
Balangan Beach is a stunning beach known for its epic surf break. The beach is an idyllic 200m stretch of sand surrounded by towering limestone cliffs dotted with trees and shrubs. Even better than hanging out on the beach though, is looking down on it from above. When heading to the viewpoint the road will disappear and you will be faced with a large area bare dirt field of sorts. Drive across the dirt just a hundred metres and you will reach the edge of the cliff. You will be spoilt for choice for views as you can look out to either the West or East. Honestly, this is an incredible sunrise spot, especially when you get those sunrises that light up the whole sky!
If you continue walking to the end of the spit of land, you will reach a small stair going down. Follow down just a few metres (don’t worry we promise there’s something down there!), and you will reach a small hollowed-out cave with a natural window overlooking the Indian Ocean. It was absolutely insane to watch the sunrise from as the cave filled up with vibrant orange hues.
B. Dreamland Beach
Just fifteen minutes from Balangan you will find the previously secret beach hideaway – Dreamland Beach. This isolated beach is rapidly expanding as tourists cotton on to just how dreamy Dreamland Beach is. Yet another great surf beach, this is a very popular beach both locals and tourists. It’s clear once you arrive how this beach got its name, the shades of blue in the water are incredible!
Photo Credit: au.hotels.com
C. Nalu Bowls
By now your probably getting hungry, we know we definitely were! Faced with a few nearby options we chose the popular Bali ‘smoothie-bowl’ chain, Nalu Bowls. This honestly isn’t sponsored we had just heard good things about the place, and it didn’t disappoint! Sure the bowls are slightly more expensive than other places but they tasted awesome and we felt instantly refreshed.
Plus it’s not just the food that’s Insta-worthy. Nalu Bowls has a modern beach shack vibe with astroturf, a white thatch-roofed hut, loads of outdoor seating and a cute little swing. There was also a few hula hoops for you to get your hula on, and a great coffee place on the same grounds.
D. Bingin Beach
Nalu Bowls is super close to another beach, Bingin Beach. And yep, you guessed it, it’s another surf beach! It felt like we were arriving at a well-kept secret. A rough dirt carpark and a few scrawled sites saying >Beach. We followed a cobbled path that was photogenic in its own right, with a vine-covered wall flaunting vibrant pink flowers. Then you will be faced with quite a few steps, nothing too drastic but be prepared that is is quite a lot more effort coming back up, especially if carrying a baby and camera gear!
When you finally arrive down to the beach you will notice quite a few shack style properties and bars built into the cliffs overlooking the beach. This place had an awesome vibe and we would love to have stayed there for a few nights. It really reminded me of many similarities of some of the beach bars and accommodation in Goa, India. Apart from the beach itself, you have a few cool spots here.
Walking left along the beach you will find there is a small stone shrine sitting on the beach, decorated with Balinese umbrellas and a sarong. Continuing further along, you will find a rocky outcrop jutting out of the sand. If it is low tide, you are able to walk around this and find a rock rising out of the water, bearing a lone tree.
E. Uluwatu Temple
Although a high profile tourist destination in it’s own right, Uluwatu Temple is actually one of Bali’s most sacred temples and it dates back to the eleventh century! Locals come to Uluwatu Temple to pray and worship the Rudra God, the god of storm and wind. As a sacred spot, visitors are required to wear a sarong to show respect to the gods. The temple area has dramatic sweeping clifftop views over the Indian Ocean and is one of the most stunning sunset destinations on the island. If there during the day though you will be wowed by the colour of the water below. Just watch out for the cheeky monkeys who have been known to try and steal tourists possessions in exchange for fruit!!!
E. Karang Boma Cliff
Basically around the corner from Uluwatu Temple is the clifftop viewpoint known as Karang Boma Cliff. You would barely know it is there apart from a small sign and track. Upon reaching the viewpoint you can see another cliff jutting out close-by, many daredevils get a zoom shot of them standing on it from the first viewpoint. Not a place for those with a fear of heights that’s for sure!
Photo Credit: Locals Bali
F. Nyang Nyang Beach
Ok, so we didn’t actually go here because the walk down is a bit treacherous with a baby. But… it is meant to be incredible. It’s apparently well signposted, however you need to trek down to the beach on a fairly slippery gravel trail. James’s sister has done it in the past and said it was fairly difficult even with shoes on, so just be careful.
The reward for the trek however is a pristine stretch of insanely beautiful beach where you will feel genuinely secluded. Even better though you will find a handful of abandoned boats that are now covered in constantly changing graffiti art. So enjoy the art, enjoy the beach, and prep yourself for the big climb back up!
Photo Credit: Flickr/Viktor Zacek
G. Infinity Pool at oneeighty°
You have likely seen this infinity pool plastered all over your Instagram feed, and for good reason. The pool at oneeighty° is 162 metres above the ocean, seriously..above the ocean. The final six metres of the pool extends out over the cliff edge and is made entireley of glass, giving one heck of a view! And the good news? Anyone can visit the pool, for a fee of course.
The dayclub general admission costs Rp 450,000 (AU$45) per person and this includes AU$35 of credit to use towards food and beverage (kids are cheaper). There is also the option for a VIP admission package.
Photo Credit: The Edge Bali
H. Melasti Beach
By now you’ve probably realised the whole Uluwatu coastline is dominated by towering limestone cliffs. Melasti Beach is no different in that respect. In fact the drive down there you can see that the road has been blasted out of the cliff to give access. You do have to pay a small fee to access the beach but in our eye’s it’s totally worth it, as Melasti Beach is like no other we visited in Uluwatu. We’re talking powdery white sand, insanely blue water, flat water with no waves. It’s the ideal beach for frolicking in the sea getting your tan on. There are also beach chairs under umbrellas available for rent if you decide to stay awhile, which would be totally understandable. We seriously could have come to Uluwatu just for this one beach.
I. Abandoned Aeroplane
You might be wondering what an earth we mean by abandoned aeroplane. We did too when we heard about it. But yes, there is indeed a full-sized passenger plane in the middle of the Uluwatu fields located in dugout area of cliff. Totally bizarre and nobody seems to know the real story, but apparently some rich person intended to turn it into a restaurant which never eventuated. You can’t actually access the plane or go down to it, however you can walk across a farmers land and get a birds-eye view down over it. The entrepreneurial landowner seems to be quite on the ball and has set up a drinks stall out the front, so maybe buy something off her as a ‘donation’ of sorts for entry! This has to be high on everybodies list of Instagrammable Spots to visit in Uluwatu, its so random!
J. Gigantic Statue at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park
The main attraction of GWK Cultural Park you will probably spot when you are miles away in Seminyak. The GWK Park is home to the tallest statue in Indonesia, the world’s tallest statue of a Hindu god and if you count the base, it is the fourth tallest statue in the world! The fact it sits at the top of a hill means that this prominent statue is visible for miles. The statue is of Hindu god Vishnu riding a mythical bird called Garuda. It sits an enormous 21 stories high (121 metres/397 feet), but don’t worry there are lifts to take you up and down!
The GWK park is enormous at 60 hectares and has much more than a large statue with many Instagrammable spots. Whilst there you will also get a good dose of cultural learning from the many displays, plazas and gardens. There is a shuttle loop service that makes it easy to get around to all of them. Additionally being on such high ground, the park gives a good vantage over Bali.
Photo Credit: The Jakarta Post
Hopefully, with this itinerary, you will have an amazing day trip in Uluwatu and that you will manage to visit some of the most instagrammable spots in the region. Whilst your planning Bali why not prepare for travelling Bali with a toddler!
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