Kelingking Beach is undoubtedly the most recognisable landscape in Bali, known for its striking resemblance to a T-rex. Despite its rise in popularity – thanks Instagram! – Kelingking Beach is our favourite beach in all of Bali, and up there as one of our favourites in the world.
There are a few different ways to enjoy Kelingking Beach, but none as good as braving the hike to the bottom and experiencing the beach up close. We have put together this guide detailing everything you need to know about the Kelingking Beach viewpoint, the beach itself, as well as the secret sunset spot.
Best time to visit Kelingking Beach Bali
Kelingking Beach can be enjoyed at any time of day, from sunrise through to sunset, but keep in mind that the earlier you go the fewer tourists there will be.
If you want to check out sunset from the secret viewpoint, you can hike down to Kelingking Beach in the afternoon, spend a few hours down on the beach, and then hike back up in time for sunset. It’s not recommended that you do the hike in the dark as it is quite challenging.
How to get to Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida
The best way to get around Nusa Penida is by scooter – this island is just not made for cars. Most accommodations will be able to arrange a scooter rental for you, and if you hire for multiple days you can usually haggle down to around 60,000 IDR per day. If you’re not comfortable driving a scooter, a popular option is to hire a car with a private driver.
Kelingking Beach is on the west coast of Nusa Penida, and can be easily found on Google Maps. As you drive across the island, you’ll also notice there are a lot of street signs pointing towards Kelingking Beach.
What to bring to Kelingking Beach
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Entrance Fee
There is a 10,000 IDR entrance fee for Kelingking Beach, as well as an additional 5000 IDR parking fee. A lot of warungs (shops) line the entrance selling snacks to full sized meals like Nasi Goreng, so bring some spare change to fuel up before or after the hike.
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Book a Nusa Penida Tour
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What to expect at the Viewpoint
We arrived at the Kelingking Beach parking lot and made our way to the viewpoint. It’s a short 5 minute walk down to the viewpoint, and we already couldn’t believe just how many people there were.
There were busloads of tourists and guides literally climbing all over the place to get the perfect shot. On a positive note, only the truly committed hike down the cliff all the way to the beach, so even if it’s insanity at the viewpoint, the beach will be pretty quiet.
The hike to Kelingking Beach
After stopping to take photos at the top, we couldn’t wait to get out of the crowds and begin our descent to Kelingking Beach. We’ve become professionals at hiking in our flip flops, but if you’re not used to it we recommend wearing hiking sandals or proper shoes.
As we began our climb down the ridge, there were still quite a few people as the first part of the hike is a cement staircase. Halfway down the ridge it turns to rocks, dirt and a near vertical descent down the side of the cliff. There were hikers coming back up from the beach dripping in sweat, saying the trek back up was gruelling. We were dreading it.
We don’t claim to be the fittest people – in fact, Zowie is an asthmatic with an allergy to cardio – and whilst there’s no denying the hike was tough, it wasn’t that bad. Our biggest tip is to free up both hands so you can pull yourself up using the handrails and trees. The entire hike took around 40 minutes down and just a little longer back up.
What to expect at Kelingking Beach
Placing our feet on the sand was such a rewarding feeling and Kelingking Beach was truly something special. There were only a handful of tourists compared to the chaos of the viewpoint, and the stretch of sand is enormous.
The first thing we did was lay our towels out under the shade of a tree and catch our breath for a few minutes. Thankfully, there were a few locals selling fresh coconuts and cold drinks just behind us. We came prepared with plenty of water, but it was good to know that we could always buy more.
There are two main activities you can do at Kelingking Beach, brave the enormous waves breaking along the shore, or sit back and watch the people brave enough to do it. Kelingking Beach has the most magical blue water, but unless you’re a strong swimmer the waves have the potential to be neck breakers.
If you want to cool off at a safe distance, you can hang out in the white wash. We were content with enjoying the view and taking photos. There were even people with guitars and drinks just having a good time.
What to expect at Kelingking Beach Secret Point
After a couple of hours at Kelingking Beach, we took on the climb back up to the viewpoint. We had made it to the top just in time for sunset and after catching our breath quickly left the main viewpoint. There were still plenty of tourists.
To reach the Kelingking Beach Secret Point you walk along the cliff and through the more upmarket restaurants into the grassy and undeveloped area. The secret spot isn’t much of a secret anymore, so you’ll probably see people heading that way.
From the open area you walk through the trees and there a number of dirt patches overlooking Kelingking Beach. This seemed to be where the content creators were hanging out, flying their drones and taking photos of the T-rex rock. This side offers a different angle to the main viewpoint and is a lot quieter.
If you do visit the Kelingking Beach Secret Point, be very wary of monkeys. Carson was accosted by two monkeys trying to steal his camera, and further along the trail we saw a group of tourists literally fighting off an even bigger group of monkeys. The monkeys at Kelingking Beach Secret Point are by far the most aggressive we’ve met throughout our travels. Our best tip is to carry a big stick with you at all times.
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Where to stay in Nusa Penida
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