Uluwatu Temple Excursion - FREE WI-FI

Our first stop will be Pantai Mengiat - the best beach of Nusa Dua. At this beach, you can chill, rent sunbeds, swim, or simply enjoy the beautiful view. You can also walk along the coast to the Water Blow (to left of Pantai Mengiat), or head over to Geger beach (to the right). Take this time to relax and enjoy the scenery, but be sure to notify the driver when you'll be coming back. Driver will wait for travelers in the parking lot, and if you would like more free time, simply let the driver know and they will be happy to accommodate your request. It is certainly an option to skip travel stops, but better arrive at Uluwatu Temple at 5pm, as the amazing Kecak dance show starts at 6pm.

To reach the beach, head up along Jalan Raya Uluwatu. Around 30 minutes’ drive past the Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park, a junction with signs that clearly read ‘Jalan Labuan Sait’ leads you along a hilly but smooth 3.5-km asphalt route. This region has developed a lot with its rise to fame as a surfing destination. It’s now lined with shops, surf lodges and neat, western-style cafés targeted at the surfing crowd.

Beach access is down the slope across the road from a large parking area. Before this is a bridge that connects the 2 sides of the limestone cliff, offering a glimpse down to the beach from up high. Halfway down the flight of stairs is a temple that overlooks the surf, and you’ll occasionally see playful grey long-tailed macaques playing around the stairs on the Balinese gapura gate or high up in the acacia trees. A fun fact: Padang Padang Beach was featured as a romantic setting in the 2010 big-screen adaptation of Eat, Pray, Love.

GWK is the cultural park is devoted to the Hindu God Vishnu and Garuda (the mythical bird who became his companion). The giant statue of Lord Vishnu riding his mount Garuda is 120 meters tall, making this a landmark and famous mascot of Bali.

This temple (pura in Balinese) is built at the edge (ulu) of a 70 meter high cliff (watu) projecting into the sea. Though a small temple was claimed to have existed earlier, the structure was significantly expanded by a Javanese sage, Empu Kuturan in the 11th Century. Another sage from East Java, Dang Hyang Nirartha is credited for constructing the padmasana shrines and it is said that he attained moksha here, an event called ngeluhur ("to go up") locally. This has resulted in the temple's epithet Luhur. The temple is inhabited by monkeys all around. Definitely a view you will enjoy from the cliff.