Uluwatu Temple

Pura Luhur Uluwatu

A sea temple perched on a 70 m cliff above the crashing waves of the Indian Ocean. Watching a hundred-man Kecak fire dance at the clifftop amphitheater at sunset is one of Bali's most thrilling experiences.

Uluwatu Temple sits on the southwest tip of the Bukit Peninsula, at the southernmost point of Bali, on a limestone cliff about 70 m above the Indian Ocean. It is one of Bali's six “directional temples” (Sad Kahyangan), founded in the 11th century by the Javanese priest Mpu Kuturan. The 16th-century priest Nirartha is said to have attained nirvana here. Visitors cannot enter the inner sanctum, but they can walk the paths on both sides of the cliff (each about 500 m) to various viewpoints, looking back at the three-tiered shrine on the cliff's tip and the white waves crashing below. Hundreds of macaques live along the paths, and they're notorious for snatching glasses, hats, and phones in exchange for food, so keep your belongings in your bag. Every day at sunset (about 18:00–19:00), the clifftop amphitheater stages a Kecak dance: 50–70 men sit in circles chanting “cak-cak” as accompaniment, retelling the story from the Ramayana in which Hanuman rescues Sita. The fire dance at the end, set against the setting sun, is spectacular. Tickets cost IDR 150,000. During peak season, arrive before 17:00 to buy tickets and secure seats (advance booking is available online). Entry to the temple grounds costs IDR 50,000 for foreign adults and IDR 30,000 for children, including sarong and sash rental. Nearby, Uluwatu is also a world-class surf spot. Suluban Beach (Blue Point) below the cliffs, along with clifftop bars such as Single Fin and Ulu Cliffhouse, are alternatives for watching the sunset. Padang Padang Beach is also nearby. Visiting tips: arrive at 16:00 to walk the paths and take photos, enter at 17:30 for the Kecak dance, and after the show, head to Jimbaran for seafood or to a clifftop bar for night views. Getting there: it's about 45 minutes from Kuta or 30 minutes from Nusa Dua. Hire a car or use Grab. Grab rides back are hard to get, so it's better to have a car wait for you. Tips: the monkeys can be aggressive, so don't tease them. Be careful where the cliff paths have no railings. When the show ends, thousands of people leave at once, and the parking lot can be jammed for over 30 minutes.

Uluwatu Temple

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