Most Beautiful Beaches in Bali
Indonesia is known for having some of the world’s most dramatic beaches - ranging from soft powder white sand and electric blue water to sheer cliffs so massive you have to see them to believe. Bali and its surrounding islands are no exception, and arguably hold some of the most beautiful beaches of them all. That being said, the island of Bali has countless picturesque beaches to choose from.
This is our list of the seven MUST SEE beaches in Bali (in no particular order) with tips you need to know about each spot!
Uluwatu Beaches
Kelingking Beach
Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong
Crystal Bay
Diamond Beach, Atuh Beach & Thousand Island Viewpoint
Gili Islands
Gili Meno Statues
Uluwatu Beaches (Bukit Peninsula)
The Uluwatu area of Bali has some of the most stunning beach views that Bali has to offer. The dramatic cliffs and clear blue water leave little else to be desired. Bukit Peninsula is also home to some of the few white sand beaches on the main island of Bali itself.
As it is a peninsula, this specific area of Bali offers the unique possibility to have incredible sunset and sunrise views over the vast ocean (depending on where you go). We spent a couple days down in this region, but could have easily spent a week enjoying all the different beaches and cliff spots. We rented a motorbike to find our way around and stopped at different beaches along the western coast. Almost all the beaches are completely free (unless attached to a resort/beach club) but you may have to pay a few dollars for parking. Here were our favorites:
Pentai Tegal Wangi Beach - We loved this beach because it has an incredible view from the top and bottom of the cliffs. You just park in the parking lot next to the temple walk along the cliff ridge. A trail winds down to the beach if you would like to be closer to the ocean. The hike itself is 2-5 minutes. The beach area is quite skinny (depending on the tide) but wasn’t crowded on the day we went. It felt more like a local secret type spot and off the beaten track, which was perfect for us.
Balangan Beach - Our favorite view of this beach was from the top of the cliff looking down. You can get a really nice panorama from the edge, or you can go all the way to the far right and to see the entire bay. This is also an amazing spot for sunset which makes it popular for engagements and even weddings! But really, the engagement photo crowds at sunset are something to consider.
Bingin Beach - This is a popular spot for surfers with a quick pitching left. Even if your not a surfer, the beach can be nice to hang out on and has a unique tree growing on top of a rock. If you want an interesting photo with the rock, try to come at high tide, else there will be mostly seaweed/moss surrounding the rock.
Padang Padang - This is a famous romantic spot in the movie “Eat Pray Love”. The surf here is also quite good, but the beach is lovely to spend time on with little nooks and caves you can tuck into. It is a hike of about 10 minutes down to the beach from the parking lot.
Uluwatu Temple - This is probably one of the most famous surf spots in Bali for its amazing left break. You can catch amazing vistas from Uluwatu Temple high up on the cliffs. Visiting this temple is a must, as the views are so stunning. Be aware that the monkeys like to mess around here, so keep your gear close and don’t let them grab anything!
Pools at The Edge “OneEighty” Beach Club - The infinity pool at The Edge really is unlike any other we have experienced in Bali. It is right along a sheer cliff and has a glass bottom allowing you to look straight down into the ocean. Even if you don’t stay at The Edge resort, you can still come for the day starting at 10 am to enjoy their incredible pools (this is actually 1 of 3) and enjoy the food at their Seas restaurant.
how to get there
Getting to Uluwatu is not hard, but you will want to keep traffic in mind if you are coming from another part of the island. Because of the shape of the island of Bali, the roads are limited connecting the southern peninsula (which contains Uluwatu) with the rest of Bali. This can lead to traffic bottlenecks depending on the day and where you are coming from. If you are able to avoid rush hour, you should be just fine.
There are a few options in how you can access these beaches:
Motorbike: As mentioned we decided to rent a motorbike and drive around to multiple beaches in a day. This was perfect because it allowed us to spend as long as we wanted at the beaches and move onto the next one with ultimate freedom. We just asked our hotel to help us in renting one for the day and they were able to bring it right to our place. Most hotels in Bali will be able to provide this service or at least tell you a shop close by that you can rent from. There is no need to set this up prior to arriving in Bali.
Hire a Driver: You could also hire a driver for the day but it might be hard to gauge how long you want to spend at each beach. Some beaches were amazing and we spent a few hours, others weren’t as we expected so we left pretty quickly.
Note: Though Uber and Gojek are services gaining popularity in Bali, we would not recommend you use these for going to beaches in Uluwatu. There are still many areas of Bali restricted from using these services (aka they may be able to drop you off at a location but will not be bale to pick you up) including Uluwatu. Though they can be great for transfer to hotels and popular restaurants, it’s a risk to use these when traveling to to the beaches. Many are in more remote part of the peninsula, so even if you do find a beach that is within this service boundary, there will likely not be many people passing by on a regular basis to provide the ride back. Which means being potentially stranded for a few hours.
Where to stay close by
Since there is so much to do and see in Uluwatu we strongly recommend staying here for at least a few nights while in Bali. Uluwatu is known for having the full range of accommodation from simple surf shack style to high end luxury villas. If you were planning to splurge on somewhere in Bali, Uluwatu just might be that place. There are really some incredible resorts here perched along the cliff with infinity pools, roof top bars and gorgeous sunset views.
We decided to stay at The Edge (see blog post), not only because their infinity pool is amazing, but they have some really incredible villas overlooking the cliffs. Staying at The Edge also allowed us access to their main pools earlier in the morning so we could enjoy a peaceful moment taking in the views all by ourselves and not fight the crowds for a few photos. Keep in mind, if you want to fly a drone here, you will need special permission from the resort.
2. Kelingking Beach
Located on Nusa Penida’s east coast, Kelingking Beach is one of the most stunning beaches we have ever come across. We actually planned our whole trip to Nusa Penida because of this beach specifically. There are a lot of other fun things to do and see on the island, but Kelingking should be up there on your list. It is sometimes called “T Rex” beach because the cove looks like a dinosaur mouth opening up.
We decided to arrived at Kelingking at sunrise. We were the only people there and got to experience the magic of the place surrounded by nature sounds (instead of tourist chatter). We hiked down the ridge, crawling at some sections (it’s part of the trail, but this is not a hike for the faint of heart), to get to the sandy beach below. This hike is about 45 minutes but is very difficult and steep. At some points we were on all fours maneuvering down backwards. There are ropes along the side to hang on and steps cut into the rocks making it quite the adventure getting down to the bottom.
We got down to the tranquil beach while the sun was still rising, but keep in mind this means the bay is entirely in the shade because it’s west facing. We decided to wait a few hours for the sun to peak over the cliffs and light up the whole bay because the higher the sun, the bluer the water became. The waves were massive and fun to watch crashing on the beach, though do be careful as they are very powerful. We would not recommend swimming here unless you are a very strong swimmer.
Because of the intensive hike, the beach below is relatively quiet compared to the throngs of tourists at the top of the ridge. We were glad to spend the morning down here and soak in some sun. Make sure if you do come, you bring plenty of water and a snack because there isn’t much you can buy down at the bottom.
We hiked back up in the noonday sun, which was hot, but also not intolerable. We also did this hike in sandals, as we do pretty much 99% of all our hikes in sandals. We say this so you know its not IMPOSSIBLE to do in sandals, but we recommend sturdier shoes if you have them.
Worth the visit? Definitely. It is said to be the most photographed beach in Bali. We can see why.
how to get there
Nusa Penida is located on an the largest of three Nusa islands to the east of Bali. You will have to take a boat leaving from docks at either Padang Bai or Sanur on Bali - we preferred Padang Bai because you can actually take your luggage straight from the dock and load it onto the boat. At Sanur you may have to walk out through the water up to the boat which is not as ideal. The trip will take anywhere between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours (depending on if you go straight to Nusa Penida first, or drop off at Nusa Lembongan or Nusa Ceningan) and cost ranging from $20-$40 USD (depending on how nice of a boat you take).
Many tourists leave Bali in the morning and come to Nusa Penida for the day. They buy a round trip boat ticket that gets them back to Bali in time for dinner. If you are strapped for time, then you have no other option than to do the day trip. But if you can, we would recommend spending at least 2-3 days on Nusa Penida. This allows you to catch sunrise at a spot or two and skip out on some of the noon crowds. And if you have more time, loop in Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan.
Once you arrive you will have 2 options for getting around:
Hire a motorbike - Nusa Penida actually recently repaved their roads, making motorbike transport a viable option. Previously, roads were riddled cracks and potholes, but now are very smooth, with the exception of a few rough patched here and there. It’s really nice having the freedom of the motorbike because it allows you to drive right up to your destination instead of battling it out for spots in the parking lot. A motorbike will likely cost $5-$7 USD for the day. And always keep in mind, the roads are narrow can get busy as the day goes on.
Hire a driver - if you hire a driver be sure to hire for the whole day. If you feel less confident in your motorbike skills, this is another great option but will likely cost you $30-$50 USD for the day.
We did both hired a driver and rented a motorbike at different times while we were on the island. We hired a driver to take us from the dock to our hotel and also between hotels, but then rode the motorbike on all our adventures out to the beaches/viewpoints. We used Explore Nusa Penida to set everything up! It was so easy because they helped us in arranging all transportation seamlessly, even boat transfers. They gave us great tips for mapping out the best places to go when and knew all the best restaurants to try including Nusa Penida’s beach club The Chill.
Where to stay close by
We chose Toro Cottage to stay closer to the west side of the island in order to access Kelingking and Crystal Bay. Otherwise, you are looking at an hour to hour and a half ride across the island to see these beautiful spots. It’s a winding drive and can be taxing if you are on a motorbike coming from the main port. Toro Cottage was a nice clean budget bungalow but had all the essentials we needed: a bed, a fan, and a place to shower. They even had a pool though we didn’t much use it because we were out all day. There are tons of hotels on Nusa Penida and a lot of new ones being built as this island has quickly gained a lot of popularity in the recent years for their incredible picturesque coastlines.
3. Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong
Located on the western side of Nusa Penida, Broken Beach and Angel’s Billabong are usually wrapped in with Kelingkling due to its proximity. Broken Beach has a gorgeous arch that waves come crashing through. It’s a pretty serene spot, and looks most interesting from a birds eye view. We were unable to swim here because the waves are pretty strong.
Broken Beach is located right next to Angel’s Billabong. We scooted over to Angel’s Billabong, because we did not want to walk. If you are feeling like moving your legs a bit, you can opt to walk along the trail that follows the coast up to the Billabong. Unfortunately, when we visited, Angel’s Billabong was closed and we were unable to capture photos with it. Manta mating season and high of tide can be reasons they close it off to swimming in the Billabong. But it did look very peaceful and different from anything we had seen before.
One of our favorite parts about visiting this area was watching the power of the ocean crashing against the cliffs. It is a fun spot to visit and definitely worth stopping by if you have the time in your schedule!
How to Get there
You can reference above with Kelingking for information on how to get to Nusa Penida Island. Broken Beach may look close to Kelingking on a map, it actually takes about 1 hour to get to here from Kelingking Beach. Keep in mind the roads are not as direct and traffic can be tough to navigate, especially during busy times. The roads also did turn to gravel for the last 5-10 minutes of the drive, so be extra cautious if you plan to come during rainy season
Where to stay close by
Since Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong are also on the west side of the island, we hit this in the same day as Kelingking and stayed at Toro Cottage hotel as mentioned previous. This made the whole day much more doable and possible to hit multiple beaches because they were all conveniently located on the same side of the island.
4. CRystal Bay
Crystal Bay on Nusa Penida is perfect for sunsets. Mainly because the sun is setting right behind the island in the bay, but also because sunset is the time when the crowds are already leaving. We were surprised at how popular this beach was and actually came back 3 different times to see it in different lighting and times of day. During the middle of the day, the parking lot was so crowded, that they started actually parking on the beach. That being said, the little island out in the bay made for an incredible view and the water during the day is incredibly bright and blue. There is also a fun road lined with palm trees behind the beach to the rear of the parking lot that is worth taking a look at if you come.
Note: Unfortunately due to this popularity they have also had to turn the picturesque grove of palm trees looking onto the beach into more parking with sheets of metal wall blocking the view of the beach.
To be honest, this beach has a lot of hype, but it felt less magical because of how many people are visiting it. If you come during the daytime, we would recommend heading to the left (south) and finding the trail that leads to the next bay over. It is much quieter and tranquil if you are looking to spend the day there.
How to get here:
See above for information on how to get to Nusa Penida Island from Bali and transportation on the island.
Of all the beaches on the island, Crystal Bay is probably one of the easier ones to get to, especially if coming from a port. Be warned, the road to Crystal Bay is very steep and narrow. in some cases only 1 car can pass at a time. This can lead to some pretty massive traffic jams. We went around 3 pm on the first day and a drive that should have taken 10 minutes actually took us 40 minutes, but sunset had no traffic, so plan accordingly.
Where to stay close by:
We stayed on the west side of the island when coming to Crystal Bay. We loved being only 10 minutes away while staying at Toro Cottage but even from La Roja, where we stayed on the east side of the island for the remainder of our Nusa Trip, it was still only 40 minutes drive to Crystal Bay.
5. Diamond Beach, Atuh Beach & Thousand Island ViewPoint
Diamond Beach, Atuh Beach, and Thousand Island Viewpoint are all located on the southeast side of Nusa Penida. It’s quite convenient because all three of these beautiful viewpoints are within the same general vicinity (5 minutes apart). Our favorite was definitely Diamond beach, followed by Thousand Island Viewpoint and finally Atuh Beach. Though they are all gorgeous and worth visiting, there was just something magical about the way the view with all the diamond shaped rocks at Diamond beach.
The hike down (15 minutes) to Diamond Beach is not as difficult as Kelingking by any measure, but it is still steep enough to make you break a sweat. The main picture spot that everyone captures is halfway down the top of the trail, aka the first 100 yards or so along the staircase. You can tell by everyone else who is setting up to take pictures there ;) Also, at the bottom you will find a dreamy swing where you can also snag some shots. They do charge you to use the swing though, so be sure to bring cash if you plan on that. This was one of the most expensive swings we saw in Bali at $30 USD for a photo, but the view was one of a kind.
The beach itself is stunning with the sheer white cliffs pushing right up against the water and that incredibly blue water Nusa Penida is so famous for. This was one of our favorite beaches (2nd only to Kelingking) and would recommend adding it in to your itinerary if at all possible!
How to get there
As mentioned above with Kelingking, Nusa Penida is an island off the coast of Bali. You can reference above with all the information on how to get here and transportation within the island.
Again if you plan to come to Nusa Penida for 1 day only, you will spend a lot of time in a car to make it to all the beaches. these are on the opposite side of the island (about 1-1.5 hours from the port and about 1-1.5 hours from Kelingking), and it will likely be pretty crowded by the time you come. As always, we recommend arriving at the beaches in the morning before 10am to have a quieter environment to enjoy. Regardless though of what time you come, the beach is stunning and worth the visit if you can make it out.
The roads are very accessible and only turned to gravel for the last half mile of our journey. The roads around the entire island of Nusa Penida are beautiful and journey through hills and rice terraces with gorgeous vistas at every turn. When planning to come to these beaches be sure type in DIAMOND BEACH PARKING LOT (not Atuh Beach) to your map app. Otherwise you will have to take a long walking detour to get to Diamond Beach. If you park at Diamond Beach lot, then you can access both Atuh and Diamond with the same ease. The access to Thousand Island Viewpoint is just about 2 minutes up the road to the right of Diamond Beach but you will need to drive to a separate parking lot.
Where to stay close by
In total, we spent 4 days in Nusa Penida - the first two days on the west side closer to Kelingking and the last two days on the east side closer to Diamond Beach. We stayed along the coast about 45 minutes away from Diamond Beach at some really nice bungalows called La Roja. We loved staying here because there was a nice town surrounding with cute cafes and beach clubs to hang out. The scene is really starting to pick up here in Nusa Penida, feeling more similiar to places like Canggu in Bali, and we felt the commercialism especially strong here along the eastern side of the island.
6. Gili islands
The Gili Islands are a group of islands just off the coast of Lombok. They are known for having the white sand and paradise blue water that you picture when someone says “Island Paradise.” There are 3 main islands in the Gilis: Gili Meno (smallest and quietest), Gili Trawangan (more night life and excitement) and Gili Air (laid back, hippie vibe). There is no wrong choice when going to the Gili Islands, and luckily they are only about 15-20 minutes boat ride away from each other so you can hop between them easily!
We chose to stay on Gili Trawangan. It is known as the “party” island, but we actually found it quite charming. We are not “party” people by any definition, usually we are “in bed by 10pm to get ready for a sunrise adventure” type people. Our main draw to Gili T was to do a freediving course. We heard the Gili Islands are supposed to have some of the best diving in the world. We quickly fell in love with the island and thoroughly enjoyed the 3 days we spent here. We had planned to go to some of the other islands but ended up spending all our time on just Gili T and diving in nearby waters.
For us, Gili T ended up being the perfect choice! We loved seeing the stunning mountain range of Lombok on the horizon. And as it is the western most island of the Gili Islands, it gets the cleanest sunsets. One of our favorite evenings here we spent on the south western side of the island where we found a local walking his horses back along the beach at sunset. We were able to talk with him and he let us enjoy the horses for a moment as we watched the sun go down.
If you do come to Gili T, we suggest visiting beaches on the east side of the island. They are closer to the port so can be a bit busier, but we thought the water shimmered a bit more turquoise and you had the great view of Lombok as mentioned previous. The west side is quieter, and the reef out in front creates more of a “clear” water look than deep blue. You’ll find the best beach swings on west side of the island, though you can really find swings along any coast on any of the islands!
Even though the Gili Islands are not very large, they have a lot of great cafes, beach clubs and you are bound to find either an outdoor movie or live band playing somewhere almost every night. You could easily spend a week here and have plenty to do.
How to get there
The Gili Islands are easily accessible from Bali by a boat or ferry. Times are more limited than Nusa Penida because the charters typically run a circuit from Bali - Gili Trawangan - Gili Meno - Gili Air - Lombok - back to Bali. Keep this in mind too as you allocate time for the boat trip. It’s safe to plan for 1.5 - 2 hours of transit.
You have options to depart Bali from either Padang Bai or Sanur docks - but we prefer Padang Bai because you can walk directly onto the boat (versus wading through the water to board the boat).
The interesting thing about the Gili Islands is that there are no cars on any of the islands. That means you will either walk, bicycle or take a horse drawn buggy (though we didn’t like this option because it looks like they run the horses pretty ragged). We loved this no car policy because it encouraged us to take it slow and really embrace the island lifestyle. The whole island of Gili T is only about 1 hour bike ride end to end, so every thing is very accessible.
Special note: When considering luggage, try to bring luggage that you can either easily carry on your back or has wheels. All our bags have wheels which meant the 15 minute walk to our hotel was not bad at all. The roads are smooth and so as long as it isn’t raining it’s very easy to transport your bags even without car or motorbike.
Where to stay close by
Probably one of the reasons we loved Gili Trawangan so much is because we stayed on the southeast portion of the island which is quieter and we thought had the island’s very best beaches. We stayed at Pondok Santi (see blog post) which was right on the beach. We could walk straight out in the morning to enjoy the sunrise on their hammocks or beach cabanas. The bungalows here were very island chic with elegant outdoor showers, spacious high ceilings and offer private plunge pools in some. They also have a large pool in the center of the property in case you want a break from the salt water. Even if you don’t decide to stay at Pondok Santi, you can still come and enjoy their beach club and cafe for the day or for a romantic dinner in the evening.
No matter where you stay on any of the islands, you will have pretty great access to the beaches, and are bound to have a relaxing time!
7. Gili Meno Statues
Before we travel anywhere we love to research online and get excited about certain areas or viewpoints. This helps us wrap our mind around the types of photos we want to get and experiences we want to seek out. To be honest, the underwater statues here at the Gili Islands were one of the places we were most excited for in all of Bali, and actually one of the main reasons we just HAD to come to the Gili Islands.
We had seen quite a few photos of the statues, but they seemed so unique that we couldn’t wait to see them in person. One thing that actually surprised us was that the statues are not actually that deep under the surface. They are only about 5 feet underwater! We didn’t have to hold our breath long too long to dive around and experience the statues with all the marine life.
If you have time, we suggest also exploring along the Gili Meno coast, which is known for it’s sea turtles and abundance of fish. We went to a few other spots along the reef and because we had taken a freediving course, we were excited to try out some of our new skills! Even if you don’t have any diving experience, the waters are pretty calm and you can see quite a bit snorkeling at the surface.
How to get there
We visited the statues around 7am coming from Gili T. When we arrived we were the only ones there, but we understand this place can get pretty packed as the day goes on. So if possible, we would recommend coming as early as possible to experience the beauty by yourself!
We booked our boat tour with our hotel Pondok Santi. They have a really beautiful long boat that included a covered bottom area as well as an upper deck for lounging and sun bathing. If you want to go early to beat the crowds we suggest arranging this at least one day ahead of time to make sure you can get out there right after sunrise and have the most peaceful experience.
Where to stay close by
The statues are easily accessible from any of the islands, but we chose to stay on Gili Trawangan with Pondok Santi (see blog post). It was great because they could arrange the boat for us and had bikes on site so we could ride down to the port in the morning. They also offer this same boat as a sunset cruise which could be another nice option for less crowds and a chance to see the sun setting from out on their long boat.
Before you go:
Beaches will be least crowded in the morning or late afternoon because the tour buses tend to arrive in the middle of the day.
Renting a motorbike gives you the most freedom to travel and visit the beaches at your leisure, but be sure to carry an international driver’s license.
Always carry a little bit of cash on you in the event you need to pay for parking or get hungry/thirsty along the way!
Photography tip:
Underwater Photography: If you plan on taking photos underwater you’ll need to make sure you have special gear for it. Though there are special “underwater bags” you can put your mobile phone in, the quality really suffers. We suggest considering a GoPro. You can see all our underwater gear we use, including Dome for getting the best half and half shots. Check out what we use HERE!
Blue Water: Though we love sunrise and sunset for the soft lighting, if you’re looking for the bluest water we actually suggest photos in the middle of day (10am-2pm ish) when sun is most overhead. Surprisingly, at some of the places on Nusa Penida the water was pretty blue when shooting from the cliffs at at sunrise.
We hope you enjoy the beaches of Bali as much as we did! If you have any questions or something to add leave us a comment! We’d love to hear from you!