Crystal clear water & cliffside beaches around Uluwatu
Because we have spent this month living up in the rice fields in Bali, we haven't seen as much of the beaches as we'd have liked to (apart from that first week, of course, however that was the beaches of the nearby Nusa Islands). So, we decided that this Saturday we would fill up the scooter and make the ride to the coast. The reason it has taken us this long to even come to the beaches is that it takes roughly 1.5 hours to get from Ubud to the Uluwatu beaches. On a scooter, that can be a big ride (especially if you end up hitting traffic along the way, which is not uncommon in Bali). So, today we finally did it! We have been wanting to see the beaches for a while and spend some time there.
The closer you get to the coast, the more often you see scooters that have these surfboard holders attached to the side of them. They're everywhere. It's awesome. Balinese beaches are world famous among surfers, so we figured...follow the surfers, right? First off, we drove all the way to the famous surf beach, Suluban Beach. We had seen this beach online before, and we were so excited to check it out for ourselves. We found it on the maps app, but did not see a parking area from the main street. We found a little dirt road that seemed to lead somewhere, so we (very cautiously on the loose rock road, so that we didn't pop a tyre) rode down to a cliff section where a bunch of other scooters were parked.
"The sea, the sea, the sea. It rolled and rolled and called to me."
Sharon Creech, The Wanderer
It was next to what looked like a construction site, but the app said to just walk down this little path. So we did. This is the cool thing...this beach has a little hillside area of bars and cafes set into the cliffside above the beach itself. It reminded me of a Balinese version of Cinque Terre (in Italy) kind of vibe, from what we have seen online (we haven't been to Italy yet...but that is definitely on the bucket list!). When you walk down (and it is a bit of a steep climb down...however it is entirely worth it, I promise!), you end up finding your way to these two cafes with decks that arc out over the beach. We got some juices and enjoyed the view for a while, watching surfers and the stunning waves crashing over this beautiful, clear water.
Then we decided to make our way down to the beach itself. Just one staircase away, we found ourselves on Suluban Beach. The rocky cliffs that frame this tiny entrance for surfers to paddle out looks incredible online, and let me tell you, it is even better in person. We sat down under one of the cliffs and watched the waves come in. Josh went for a swim for a while, and we watched surfers come and go in and out of the water. We wanted to see another beach, so we left after a while to make it to the next stop on our day trip to Uluwatu. The walk back up was, as we expected, a steep climb, but even then it was pretty cruisy.
Next, we scootered a little way along the coastline to get to Padang Padang Beach. This beach was busier and there was a big parking lot on the other side of the road, across from the beach. There were monkeys in the parking lot and on the bridge near the beach. By this point, we are very much used to monkeys being around, however it was still pretty cute to see them just hanging out near the beach. We went down some stairs and through literal rocks to get down to the beach. And then it just opened up. Crystal clear water, umbrellas set up and vendors selling beers and snacks.
We got some beers and chips and sat on the beach, taking it all in. The monkeys were running around the beach too, weaving their way through the people. There were a lot of dogs around the beach as well (a big plus for me, anywhere with dogs is a place I love to be). After we had been drinking our beers for a little while, we got in the water for a swim. Padang Padang Beach is beautiful, and the water is so clear and so crisp. Not too cold, it was easy to dip into the water. Taking our beers with us, we got to enjoy the beach from the ocean. Padang Padang is a stunning little spot, and I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to experience the best beaches of Bali. Even with a fair amount of people on the beach, it still had a stunning and peaceful vibe to it.
It is quite amusing to watch the monkeys zip around the vendors, trying to take some food—or even a cheeky beer! When it got to mid-late afternoon, we decided to make the ride back to our villa. Guys, even if you base yourself in the mountains, do yourself a favour and visit these beaches. As I said, Bali is world famous for its beaches, so you definitely want to carve out some time to explore the coast of Bali. We wish we had done more so (maybe before we go we can!). A lot of tourists come to Bali for the beaches, however there is a lot to see up in the mountains too (we obviously love the mountain areas, like Ubud). Wherever it is in Bali that you end up basing yourself, Uluwatu and its surrounding beaches is a definite must-do when you are here. The beaches are some of Bali's most magical places.
