The Story Continues: Balangan, Padang & Ulwatu Temple

July 13, 2015

No Matter Where Or Why You Travel, There’s Always Something Wonderfully New To Be Found

Today was all about exploring brand new territories. We have been in Bali for about three weeks now and after checking through our Lonely Planet book, we knew our time on the island was limited and there was still a heck of a lot to see!

You do really need to spend as much time here as possible to fully appreciate what this beautiful place has to offer and we didn’t want to waste a second of it!

Our first stop of the day was at Balangan beach, one of Bali’s best kept secrets, previously only shared amongst the surfers. Even today, this beach remains very iscolated and the drive down was quite the experience in itself…

The roads were far more remote leading down to the beach. We scooted through many different streets homed to locals and there were far less shops and amenities around. At one point we thought our google maps were playing tricks on us as we were going around in circles within a little balinese cul-de-sac, with no beach in sight!

We drove down a narrow country road until at last we came to a sign for Balangan beach. After parking up, we strolled down some steep steps while taking our time to inhale the fresh sea air and absorbing the fantastic views that stood before us.

The beach was beautiful and felt so faraway and secretive. There were a few people sprawled out catching the rays and only a couple of places to eat. The rocky beach was very difficult to walk across especially being as clumsy on foot as I am, but there was a small sandy area just passed the rocks if you fancied setting up base for the day.

We stopped and had some lunch at a little beach shack, Tee’s cafe where I ordered my usual fav, Mie Goreng Ayam (slowly getting there with my knowledge of Indonesian cuisine) which is basically a chicken and veg noodle stir-fry. The waves were really spectacular to watch and we sat back and gazed at the surfers taking on the waves. I definitely need to master this talent if I return to Bali!

We moved on to explore another little beauty, Padang beach. What should of only been a few miles drive turned into a bit of an adventure as the road to the beach was closed. We turned back and really took ourselves off the beaten track and ended up driving through wooded dirt tracks (not so fun on the back of the scooter) until finding a main road again. At least I had the beautiful views of the ocean poking through the tree’s to distract me from the bumps and grinds in the road (surely will find a bruise or two later).

We made it to Padang beach thankfully in one piece! The beach is located in Uluwatu and unlike Nusa Dua (Located on the opposite side in the East of the peninsula) the beaches here are far shorter and isolated within their hilly and limestone cliff surroundings.

After parking up next to the bridge we were overwhelmed with just how far down this little place was and wondered how we actually would get down. We walked through the entrance and were greeted by a massive steep set of rocky stairs which took you down though a dark single passage track through one of the cliffs. Definitely one of the most unique and memorable entries to a beach I’ve ever taken.

The beach itself was a miniature paradise with no beds and only a few people. The only shelter provided were from the cliffs that stood high above with many people resting underneath. The water is very still here and very peaceful to cool off from the blistering sunshine. A few luxurious villas are nestled within the cliffs which overlook the beach (It would be a dream to stay in one of those) You feel very remote here as giant boulders corner the beach off from the other side which makes for a very nice location to spend your day.

A couple of market stalls and warungs also cater for beach guests so you are not completely isolated (I would not like to chance those stairs every time a drink or loo was needed) We lay on the beach and enjoyed some ice cream and felt truly content for our afternoon. The Go-Pro was of course whipped out and we took some great shots of our surroundings and bathed in the warm peaceful sea. We even managed to get some fish pictures during our attempt at snorkelling… (we only had one pair of goggles!)

To finish of our day, we decided to go explore Bali’s famous Uluwatu Temple which was again just a short drive away. Entrance was only 20,000 IDR (95p) so was a great little activity for us to do. The Uluwatu temple is far less commercialised than Tanah Lot and you are asked to be properly dressed. Sarongs and sashes are provided for guests upon entering.

The temple is built upon a 70m high cliff which boasts the most spectacular panoramic views of the Indian ocean, a real sight to behold. This magnificent space is also inhabited by monkeys who are definitely not shy in trying to steal from you, anything from your bag or your camera to the sunglasses on your face!

There are plenty warnings around and they say you can get your belongings back in exchange for food (however this will only encourage the little creatures more). Thankfully, we were spared from a monkey mugging and we actually found them to be quite pleasant. Funnily, the majority of the monkeys were actually seen outside the temple in the car park, with one little guy even enjoying a bottle of sprite!

There are gorgeous walks to do within the temple and you can stroll right along the cliffside which stretches right along the ocean tide. The actual temple itself is not as spectacular as you would think and tourists are not actually allowed inside the central courtyard except during special rituals. The views are what really draw you in and many go to watch the Kecak Dance which happens at 6pm during the sunset.

Tip for visitors: Overall the experience is very worthwhile if you are looking to spend a couple of hours away from the beach. Sadly though we missed the choreographed sunset dance so if you are looking to go, time it well to not miss it.

Once home, we went to a great little place near our apartment we had been meaning to try, Ithaka for dinner. It was so good we have even been back since writing this post! We had an epic feast there as the prices are so reasonable and I had probably the best carbonara pasta i’ve ever tasted! The restaurant is small but perfect for a cosy dining experience. Their garlic bread was incredible and tasted so fresh and homemade. We had chicken skewers to start which were equally delicious.