Things to Do in Uluwatu

Why Uluwatu

Uluwatu is the southern tip of Bali — a wild limestone peninsula that ends in cliffs sixty metres above the Indian Ocean. It is quieter and more dramatic than the rest of the island, and in our view, the most beautiful place to spend a week in Bali. Here is what we recommend.

1. Watch the Kecak fire dance at Uluwatu Temple

The Kecak dance is performed each evening at sunset in the open-air amphitheatre at Pura Luhur Uluwatu, with the cliff and the ocean as the backdrop. It is one of the great cultural moments in Bali. Arrive an hour early for the best seats; our concierge can reserve them for you. After the dance, we recommend a quiet dinner back at the resort rather than at one of the temple-adjacent restaurants.

2. Sunset at Single Fin or Suluban

Single Fin is the cliff bar where the surfers gather. It is busy and not particularly elegant, but the view at sunset is one of the great views in Asia. For something quieter, walk down the steps to Suluban Beach (locally Blue Point) and find a small warung serving cold beer at a plastic table on the sand. The light there at golden hour is extraordinary.

3. A morning at Padang Padang or Bingin

Padang Padang is the small, perfect cove a five-minute walk from Velora. Get there by 08:00 — by 10:00 it fills with day-trippers from Seminyak. Bingin is a longer, quieter beach a fifteen-minute drive away, with a string of low-key warungs serving banana smoothies and grilled fish. Both are best in the morning.

4. Surf with a local

Uluwatu and Padang Padang are world-class waves for advanced surfers; Bingin and Balangan are gentler and good for intermediates. We work with a small surf school run by a Padang Padang family — the head instructor learnt to surf at Uluwatu in the 1970s. He will read the conditions and send you to the right break for the day.

5. A day in Ubud

Ubud is a 90-minute drive north — long enough that it is a half- or full-day trip, but worth it. We arrange a private guided morning of the rice terraces at Tegalalang, the water temple at Tirta Empul (where you can join the purification ritual if you wish), and a quiet lunch at one of the open-air restaurants in Sayan. Skip the Monkey Forest unless you are travelling with children.

6. Quiet days at the resort

Honestly? The thing our most-loved guests do most is nothing. They take breakfast on their pool deck, swim, read, sleep, eat at Senja, swim again. A week in Uluwatu is a chance to slow down. We will be very happy if you spend most of it never leaving the cliff.