Uluwatu Bali - Our Guide The Best Things To Do
- Fletch
- Jan 2
- 19 min read
Updated: Jan 20
25 Amazing Things To Do In Uluwatu Bali
Grab a cuppa because this ones long. What started off as a quick guide to Uluwatu, ended up getting big as there was so much I just couldn't leave off. So I ummed and I ahhhed until I thought sod it - these guys need to bloody know this stuff.
If you're thinking of visiting Uluwatu for your next trip to bali - Here’s our list of the best things to do in Uluwatu, Bali’s clifftop paradise known for surf, sunsets, jaw-dropping views and lot's or natural beauty.
Not from an AI generated list or with stock photos but from a real family that live there and like doing good things. We know all the best spots and that's no lie. Whether you’re in the mood for adventure or relaxation, Uluwatu has plenty to offer.
We have lived here for the last 2 years and as expert guides on what to do around this beautiful slice of paradise - we share the hidden gems in Uluwatu and the Must Do's so you can collect memories over things on your next Ulu trip! This post includes affiliate links that we may receive a small commission from at no extra cost to you. Thank You for supporting our blog!
Btw, If you're interested in Our Story of how we went from living a Depressed and Disconnected life in the UK to living the life of our dreams travelling the world, worldschooling our kids and building our dream home in Uluwatu, Bali then I've linked some blog posts above that you may like.
And if not, Let's jump in to todays blog: The lowdown on literally the best things to do in Uluwatu. To Save for your next Bali Holiday! We're not influencers faking it, we only share the best things that have stood out for us and that we know you'll love.
And btw if you have kids, check out our Best Things To Do in Uluwatu with Kids Guide, Uluwatu but specifically with kid friendly things, activities, cafes that help keep the kiddo's entertained. Because we have 2 kids and made this life changing leap with them in mind so are always on the look out for nourishing things for them as well as our own spiritual journey and couple goals. Because first and foremost we're a couple. Happy Mum & Dad = happy well rounded kids = happy life.
The Ultimate Guide to the Best Things to do in Uluwatu Bali:
⛱ Relax on one of Uluwatu's Many Stunning Beaches
Obviously this comes first in our Uluwatu guide because Bali's BEST beaches are in Uluwatu. We're a family of beach lovers are love a good beach.
Uluwatu is home to some of Bali’s best beaches. Check out Our Ultimate Uluwatu Best Beaches Guide that Si has put together for his Uluwatu Beach Series for full detailed info on every beach in Uluwatu! This took him months to compile... bless him - He's nothing but thorough!
But below here's a few of what we think are The Best Things 'Must Visit' Beaches for your next Uluwatu trip:
Padang Padang Beach – Made famous from the movie Eat Pray Love with Julia Roberts which I have to admit I haven't actually seen yet! Should I? Comment below to let me know. You have to watch out for the monkeys at Padang Padang Beach BUT the walk down in-between cliffs is breathtaking, very dramatic and really rather beautiful.
Thomas Beach – Secluded and quiet.
Bingin Beach - Currently in a state of disrepair. The Government evicted all existing tenants and it's now fully bulldozed down and rumours speculating that a big hotel complex is to be built there. It's really quite sad as Thomas beach was so quaint and beautiful. Reminded me of a Spanish or Greek type of coastal town that led to a beautiful beach.
Balangan Beach – Great surf and casual laid back beach cafes and shacks. When the tide goes out at this beach you can see the rock pools and enjoy chilling in one to cool down. A very hot beach with no breeze. We love to grab a coconut at The Coconut Shack here and by gosh do we need it - it gets HOT at Balangan.
Dreamland Beach – A wide, sandy beach good for sunbathing and people watching. Gets an amazing sunset with dramatic whipped up pink clouds. The waves at the shore line are insane here so watch out. Expect to see many that enter get skittled over.
Melasti Beach - Oh my goodness this beach is a total dream. This beach is accessible by road and framed by limestone cliffs, making the drive down a must do activity in itself. If you're on a scooter get your phone camera ready - this drive is one to record! Come for sunrise or sunset as you get the sun side by side. It’s perfect for families, photo shoots, and a more relaxed beach day. It's picturesque and has calm waters perfect for kids and if you like to get into ocean. Crystal clear waters, soft sand. So beautiful we dedicated a full Melasti Beach blog post to it and a section below.
Pandawa Beach - A Long stretch of sandy beach, popular with locals
Jimbaran Beach - A long sandy stretch, famous for it's seafood restaurants and more night time activities.
If you're short on time check out this Uluwatu based beach tour with a local guide that takes you to 3 beaches (Melasti, Padang Padang and Pandawa with sunset seafood meal on the beach at Jimbaran) - all in one day.
Blend Your Own Signature Fragrance at La Tribu
We love making memories rather than just buying things. More stuff that you stuff away in a drawer when you get back home. We had a life changing spiritual awakening in 2024 where we sold everything that we owned and so getting rid of stuff and stopping consuming and buying was out motto.
And so we collect memories rather than things. If you can relate you'll love the activities we do and share in this best of Uluwatu guide. Discover the art of fragrance in this 2-hour perfume-making workshop at La Tribu, where you'll blend and craft your own signature fragrance!
Guided by a professional perfumery expert, you learn the secrets of scent composition while creating a perfume to take home with you that reminds you of your Uluwatu trip to soothe those holiday blues.
🚲 Explore Uluwatu by Scooter
Rent a scooter (don't forget your International Driving Permit to be legal) to explore quiet backroads, hidden beaches, and clifftop viewpoints — Uluwatu is best enjoyed at your own pace.
The main roads can be quite busy but once you get off those the drives along winding roads can reveal so much beauty. Look out for pot holes in the rugged roads!
Watch out for the magnificent cows in the road around Balangan and Melasti back roads (btw cows are scared in Bali and you'll see lot's of them with their beautiful big eyelashes and big dangly bells around their necks) and stop off by a roadside local shop for a coconut.
Make a Day of It at Garuda Wisnu Kencana Park GWK
Visit one of the worlds largest statues at The Kencana Park. The massive 121 metre tall Hindu God Vishnu Statue that you can sometimes see when flying into The main airport in Bali at Denpasar.
This magnificent statue depicts the Hindu god Vishnu riding the bird-like deity Garuda dominates the skyline in southern Bali and is the largest statue in the whole of Indonesia.
Set within a cultural park with other statues within it and grounds to walk. Enjoy a day there as a cultural day learning about Balinese culture, art within the museum based there. You can also see a Kecak Fire dance there and combine the 2 activities. Grab your tickets here and choose your options.
Make Your Own Balinese Pot at a Pottery Throwing Workshop
Join La Tribus weekly Wednesday pottery throwing workshop will teach you everything you need to know to make your very own Bali pot to take home.
Note: Firing will take 1 week so only suitable for longer stays. I'll be joining this one soon as we decorate our Bali villa and so I want to make a piece that we can keep in there. You'll already know how we're in our "memories not things era"? Well, this hits both as it's a thing with memories.
A take home memento our Bali. And Uluwatu is very rustic kiln fired ceramics and pottery in it's decor! I can't wait to show you my creation.
Visit a Balinese Kecak & Fire Dance Show at Uluwatu Temple or Melasti
Pronounced 'Ke-CHack' - This mesmerising performance takes place every evening in Uluwatu with 2 choices of dramatic backdrops and unreal settings. We watched one at The Uluwatu Temple but Melasti Beach looks beautiful setting every time we drive past it.
Either way for a setting with either you won't be disappointed. Sells out so you must Book your Uluwatu Temple Kecak Show tickets.
Take in Some Culture and Take a Visit to Uluwatu Temple
Not just for the Kecak Fire Dance, you can also just visit the temple grounds and soak the energy up. Please ladies note: you are not allowed in if on your period, which was why I couldn't attend the Kecak Dance at Uluwatu Temple when Si and the kids visited recently.
This day tour is the one you'll want to fit in a private Uluwatu temple tour plus the Water Blow at Nusa Dua (something worth seeing) and GWK Park mentioned above for a very busy Full Uluwatu Day Tour.
See the Cheeky Monkeys at Padang Padang Beach
There is no Monkey Forest type place in Uluwatu like the ones in Ubud. But as this part of the island is more undeveloped that places like Canggu and Seminyak, monkeys are still living in the area and if you know where to go you will see monkeys all the time.
We have adopted a Balinese Himalayan Persian Kitten that the vet warned us about keeping her indoors because monkeys are stealing cats all the time around Bali. But, if you are looking for best monkey spots in Uluwatu, the best spots to safely spot a monkey are on Padang Padang Beach - On the walk down to Padang Padang Beach, within the amazing cliffs you may spot a monkey or two (so beware of loose items as they do steal).
But later on the beach as it cools and the sun starts setting, watch those cheeky monkeys as they come down to the beach from the cliffs. My best tip: sit in the middle of the beach and not at the sides as they are buggers and those sat close to the cliffs get their bags snatched.
A safer spot to my mind - When it starts cooling after 3pm along the roadside on the road to Melasti Beach you will spot monkeys sat on the side railing and side walls. Quite often you'll see families of monkeys walking together holding tails in covoy along the walls. It's very cute. My Top Tip: Pull over on the scooter to watch them pick and groom each other and go about their day.
Another good monkey spot is on the drive into Greenbowl Beach. Take a scooter and ride down to Greenbowl beach to do a little monkey spotting on the go. Greenbowl is virtually empty of people and tourists and so even the drive to it is pretty much deserted. As such you'll definitely see monkeys in their natural habitat there. They are quite often in the road all along the drive, so take care and keep moving if you're a scaredy cat like me ;)
🍽 Eat The Best Indonesian Nasi Gorgeng or Indonesian Food at a Local Warung
There are many local warungs throughout the whole of Uluwatu that you should try. Enjoy a nasi goreng, mie goreng or my favourite nasi campur.
Some warungs are very local extremely cheap and some are catered more towards the tourist. For Bali Belly purposes we avoid really local warungs just because we have kids and take precautions. If it's just myself & Si we're a little more freer in terms of stopping by a local stall on our scooter to grab a quick nasi.
Here's our pick of our favourite warungs to eat cheap, delicious, fresh local food.
Warung Local
When in Balangan you must try Dapur Balangan for really delicious local food by our friend Tison, who was a chef all over the world until he settled back in his home country and opened his own warung. Guys you must try the Beef Rendang there. For amazing prices and truly some of the best local food in Uluwatu. We've not had better!
Dine at Cliffside Cafes & Restaurants
There's a wide abundance of restaurants in Uluwatu, catering for budget (lot's of local warungs) where you can get a delicious nasi goreng for 50k (£2.22 | US$2.99 | Euro 2.55 | AUS$4.49 above. Mid range restaurants where you can enjoy Western food for 75k per dish as well as lot's of high end restaurants.
There's just so much variation. And food is amazing in Uluwatu to be fair. I can't list everything here, but here's some of our stand out places and favourite places to eat in Uluwatu:
Wet Plate Kitchen in Balangan - for a restaurant with a vibe. Sit by beautiful wooden open shutters with draping vines and flowers whilst enjoying Asian style food incl. yakitori BBQ, tuna tataki, beef tataki, black cod, Korean noodles, assam scallop curry, Pad Thai and signature cocktails. Theres an open kitchen to watch the hustle of the kitchen and often a live DJ playing vinyl. I personally recommend the black cod, the squid skewers and their take on the famous Northern Thai Koh Soi for when I'm missing Chiang Mai (my favourite place and favourite dish ever).
Peyia for Eastern Mediterranean Mezze style dishes and very nice cocktails and decor. We leave the kids at home for this one. This is purely a date night place for us ;-). 📍 Peyia Bali on Maps
Single Fin (legendary for sunset drinks)
Sundays Beach Club (with a private beach)
El Kabron (for Spanish food and infinity views)
Tusk Bar and Grill for steaks. We've visited before but actually had our Christmas dinner here and it was bloomin delicious. Excellent cocktail menu and the decor, yep you guessed it... gorgeous!
Speaking of steaks if you really enjoy good steak at a great price, we love the Wagyu steaks from Surfers Bar & Grill. This place is easily one of the best steaks you'll have in Uluwatu. It's a small place and not fancy but the steaks speak for themselves and the owners are local and lovely. They really know good steak and how to cook it. A must go for steak lovers above all other places we'd say, for authentic tender very good steak📍Surfers Bar & Grill on the map
The best steak in Uluwatu. For price and quality you will not get better For a good breakfast bakery and brunch try Itujua Bakery. They sell amazing cakes and sourdough bread that you can take away.
For a good Italian try Pizzeria Italia 2 (in Ungasan) they also have one in Uluwatu. For authentic Italian food by 3 Italian boys wanting to bring a love of their home to their beloved Bali.📍Pizzeria Italia on Maps
For good burgers try The Temple Bar and Grill in Pecatu.
For sweet treat cinnamon rolls try Sinamon in Uluwatu or Jimbaran.
For a very good takeaway Indian curry try Annapurna in Uluwatu. We've never eaten inside the restaurant but order from here every Friday and it's delicious. You can request dishes from mild, medium, spicy.
For takeaway Mexican and Tacos try Juanita Tacos for fresh and zesty Mex food.
For authentic fresh Thai try Kats Kitchen.
And for a super fancy most breathtaking restaurant for a date night or special occasion it has to be The Cliff in Uluwatu for a restaurant in a cliff. Up there as one of Bali's top restaurants.
Tip: If you enjoy fresh seafood and panoramic ocean views head to Jimbaran rather than Uluwatu itself.
I'm currently working on The Best Food Guide because we LOVE our food around here and there really are too many amazing places to eat in Uluwatu that it needs a guide on it's own to cover each area within Uluwatu and it's best places in eat area that you will not want to miss! Subscribe to hear when that launches.
🏄♂️ Take a Beginners Surf Class at Padang Padang Beach
Uluwatu is a surfer’s dream and many of the beaches are not suitable for beginners. But there are calmer waters, that are perfect for a beginners class. Padang Padang is one of the best beaches to take a surf lesson because it's sheltered cove usually with calmer breaks.
Even if you don’t want to surf, watching from the cliffs is an experience in itself.
Depending on weather conditions instructors may change the beach for your beginners surf class to a more suitable beach on the day.
Not suitable for children under 9 usually.
Be warned with Padang Padang beach however: there are a lot of steps down to the beach that strong dads carrying prams might struggle with or little leggies might struggle. It' a spectacular walk down through the rocks and well worth it. Check out our Padang Padang Beach Blog here.
See The Manta Rays at Nusa Dua
It's not far to get to Nusa Dua from Uluwatu and this Manta Ray Nusa Dua Day Trip picks you up from your base in Uluwatu then onto a full day to see the spectacular sights of Nusa Dua including Kelingking Cliff, a day of snorkelling with the manta rays in the blues seas of Nusa Dua aboard a private yacht.
A must do whilst in Uluwatu. For a basic snorkel trip to see the Manta Rays check out this tour cheap as anything without the yacht and all the fancy bells and whilstles but with the stars of the show: The Manta Rays!
We recently stayed in Nusa Dua for 3 days whilst our Daughter did her Padi Diving Course and share details about that on the blog soon including where we stayed - an amazing villa overlooking the ocean where we ate breakfast looking at the rays!
🌅 Watch a Sunset at the many sunset spots in Uluwatu.
This is our top picks of the most beautiful sunsets in Uluwatu.
Uluwatu temple (Pura Luhur Uluwatu) is a breathtaking spot for a sunset. Perched on a dramatic cliff edge, this sea temple offers one of the most stunning sunset views in Bali. Stick around for the Kecak Fire Dance.
Dreamland Beach gets very beautiful sunsets from right on the beach.
🛍️ Visit Sundaze Sunday Market at Hatch
Uluwatu has some great market spots. If you're a fan of a market, be sure to visit Sundaze at Hatch Bar for their pop up local community market every Sunday inside the beautiful Hatch bar location (which is very pretty for photos) and shop from local stalls selling jewellery, clothing, trinkets and souvenirs, local produce etc.
Enjoy Uluwatu's Coffee Culture
There's no shortage of absolutely gorgeous coffee shops in Uluwatu serving up amazing coffee.
Around 2 x per week we head to one to work from as we are all remote workers / digital nomads in this travel family and we usually visit one per week as a treat with Boo (our 9 year old who loves a weekend cake outing). Here's a pick of some of our favourite coffee spots:
Ula - our local - head there for dreamy Bali meets Cali decor, big wide open windows and clean healthy food and pressed juices. Plus pretty awesome fresh roasted coffee. Plus lot's of space to do a little online work. 📍Ula on Google Maps
The Pregnant Coconut - In Balangan, Uluwatu Bali This swoonsville tropical rustic interiors serving health-focused tropical café offering fresh, natural, and plant-based food. Tip: Pick up your fruit from their mini market whilst you're there. 📍 The Pregnant Coconut on Google Maps
For more kid friendly coffee shops in Uluwatu check out our Things To Do in Uluwatu With Kids Guide instead as it's still possible to get your coffee hit whilst keeping the kids happy too. These are coffee shops in the Uluwatu area that are really good for families with kids with playgrounds, workshops and activities to keep the kids entertained..
🐚 Laze in the refreshing rock pools at Balangan Beach
When the tides out at Balangan Beach you will find vibrant green sea moss and gorgeously refreshing rock pools for you to cool down in. Check out this YouTube Short of Si cooling down in the Balangan Rock Pools. And our full Balangan Beach video here >
Take a Helicopter Flight over the Sights of Uluwatu
Ok this is a bit fancypants! And we haven't actually done this... yet. But it's something I've always wanted to do and my daring, adrenaline junkie cousin will be visiting us in 2026 and she's suggested taking this helicopter ride in Uluwatu. You can pay by seat or have a private ride depending on budget. A really special thing to do when next in Uluwatu.
🥥 Grab a kelapa dingin (cold coconut) at one of the many beach warnings.
At Balangan Beach we recommend the Coconut Cafe Shack - a rustic beach shack offering local food, cold coconuts, milkshakes and ice cold beer, perfect for a an afternoon refresher.
And by the way if you've been impressed by My Bahasa Indonesian lingo throughout this blog, download my language guide here. We did a language class in Ubud and I wrote everything I learned from that in there so nab it here and make your next trip flow with ease and grace.
Visit A Beach Club
The South part of the island is famous for it's many beach clubs. Take a pick of your favourite vibe and spend the day at a beach club during your next Uluwatu trip.
The main beach clubs in Uluwatu are along the Melasti Beach coast (the very bottom of Bali, where the best beaches are ;-)) and Balangan. We have a comprehensive full guide to Bali's best beach clubs. Here are the best beach clubs in Uluwatu:
White Rock Beach Club
Karma Kandara Beach Club
Tropical Temptations - On Melasti Beach with that instagram infinity pool
Savaya Beach Club
Klive Beach Club
El Kabron
Watch a Movie on the Beach at Sundays
A memorable experience, that you shouldn't miss. Watching a movie on a beach with the waves lapping in the background as the sun sets. I mean come on! Join Sundays on one of their Movie On The Beach Nights where you bring your own headphones and watch a movie on the big screen with a beautiful beach backdrop. Book your movie tickets here
🏝️ Take a Photo with a Shipwreck at Nyang Nyang Beach
Taking a photo with the shipwreck is fun at Nyang Nyang Beach. The beach here is a long stretch of sandy beach, made up of two beaches, Nyang Nyang and Nunggalan, that has plenty of open space for you walk, play frisbee or enjoy a bit of sunbathing, although there is coral here, which means it’s only possible to do shallow dips in the sea.
And take water shoes for the kids.
The eastern end of Nyang Nyang (Nunggalan) is where you’ll find the remnants of a shipwreck just sitting on the shore.
🌙 Experience Uluwatu’s Nightlife
Uluwatu’s nightlife is more laid-back than Canggu or Seminyak, but you’ll find live music, beach parties and big name DJ's as some of the following famous Uluwatu Beach Clubs:
Party at Savaya
One of the most expensive hangouts in Uluwatu but a spot that has won the title of being up there as one of the top 10 best clubs in the world. That also pulls in a big name DJ. Probably the biggest names.
El Kabron
Sundays Beach Club, Ungasan
Live music, watersports, spa treatments and their Movie On The Beach Night.
Karma Kandara Beach Club
For more laid back beachy vibes and beautiful Mediterranean decor.
🍕 Stop for Disco Pizza's
For pizza lovers and those that are a fan of a disco ball... we have found the best places on the island to eat pizza! Take a trip out to Disco Pizza in Pecatu, Uluwatu for delicious sourdough pizzas cooked in a disco ball oven and disco balls and sparkle everywhere.
💆♀️ Pamper Yourself at Spa
Book a massage or spa treatment with ocean views—perfect after a beach day or surf session. The Uluwatu Spa and Alila Villas Spa are stunning options. And for an authentic Balinese massage I can recommend and personally love Shiki Spa on the Dreamland Road which do 3 strengths of Balinese massage. A must when in Bali. Btw I have medium and I hear the strong is extremely strong here.
🧘 Take a Morning Yoga Class
Start your day with a morning yoga session in the beautiful grounds of La Tribu. Check out all their other offerings as they do many different types of workshops too. I can also recommend Alchemy Yoga too.
Do a Water Purification Melukat Ceremony
Taking a Melukat Water Purification Ceremony is one of the most life changing things you can do whilst in Bali.
Even though Uluwatu isn't really the place to have a Melukat as a foreigner, because you need a water temple and Ubud is the place for that! But because it's such a moment I really think every Bali holiday should include one. And as the island is very do-able I could not leave this memorable thing off.
You can still make a day trip to Ubud easily to enjoy a traditional Balinese Water Purification Ceremony. And this is why I've added this to the Uluwatu Guide. Because to not put it on would be missing out a vital piece of Bali (for us anyway). So I hope you forgive me for this not technically 'Ulu' thing. But Bali is so easy to get around (minus the traffic of course! We mostly do one every full moon or just whenever we feel the pull to do so. To cleanse stagnant energy or renew and re-connect with source energy.
And I really recommend trying to do one (even if you are in Uluwatu just for a short holiday). This Water Ceremony trip here takes you from Uluwatu to Ubud and the Purification Ceremony at the water temple, then back home to Uluwatu again. If pick up from Uluwatu is no longer available you can easily book a taxi via grab or Gojek up to Ubud (costs around £20 but this varies on the app so check days prices) and then you can still do this tour guide.
Make Your Own Silver Jewellery
Book onto a silver making class to make a piece of jewellery to take home and treasure your Uluwatu holiday memories forever. Book your Uluwatu Silver Jewellery Making class here.
As you can see there's so much to do in this little paradise section of Bali Island. I could have made this post double, even triple in size but I've kept it as condensed as possible with only the best places to visit to help make your next trip AMAZING!
I hoped this post helped you.
Let me know in the comments below if you liked this post or if it helped you. I hope you add some of these must see and do things to your 2026/2027 Uluwatu Holiday. Let me know. We can't wait to welcome you to a slice of Bali paradise that we call home.
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