A Comprehensive Guide to the Bukit’s Best Beaches

The region known as the Bukit Penisula is home to a coastline of turquoise beaches and these shores are the areas biggest drawcard. Each beach is unique and as a result has it’s own charm. Here we break down where each beach is, what they’re called and what’s so special about each.

Padang Padang

Gaining world wide fame thanks to it’s feature in the Julia Robert’s movie Eat, Pray, Love, Padang Padang is the region’s busiest beach by far. Located about an eight minute drive from Hidden Hills Villas the beach doesn’t have too much reef so swimming in the shallow water is enjoyable as the water is quite calm because it’s protected by a cave. However, further out Padang Padang actually boasts a world class surf break that’s considered to be one of the best there is and has attracted thousands of pro surfers to the area over the years. 

Uluwatu

One of the main attractions of the Bukit Penisula area is the Uluwatu cliff. Ten minutes drive from Hidden Hills Villas, there is a bar perched on the top and then as you walk down the steps of the cliff there’s little warungs (local restaurants), small local shops and bars aplenty. With five different surf breaks, this beach is very popular with surfers, however, at mid to low tide it can be a great time to visit for a swim or to relax! The beach isn’t visible at high tide, but once the tide goes out there’s two large beaches that don’t get too busy, and plenty of tide pools to swim and play in!

Bingin

Rich in charm, Bingin in a must see beach and is right next door to Hidden Hills Villas! Like Uluwatu, it has a cliff to get down to the beach and small warungs, but once you’re down at the beach you won’t want to leave (and not just because the climb back up is steep!). With super cute laid back restaurants like Kelly’s Warung literally on the sand, you can enjoy a delicious juice or meal while watching the local puppies play on the beach and the surfers getting barrelled. Quite a long stretch of beach, Bingin is a great place to spend a day at and explore. There is quite a lot of reef, but this just adds to it’s beauty when the tide goes out, and when the tide is in it’s still very possible to swim. If you head down at sunset you can experience a local beach dinner. Enjoy freshly caught BBQ’d seafood with you feet literally in the sand as the sun sinks into the ocean for another day.

Thomas Beach

Perhaps one of the best kept secrets of the Bukit Penisula is Thomas Beach. Unlike a lot of the other beaches in the area, Thomas beach is protected, sheltering it from the big waves the area’s famous for, making it the perfect place to swim. Much less crowded than it’s famous neighbour, Padang Padang, Thomas is the next beach up and much more relaxing and way easier to find a spot to sit! From the top of the cliff you can see the glowing turquoise colour of the water, just be sure to pack some water because the stairs down to the beach are steep.

Dreamland

Located a little further out towards Kuta, it’s not only Dreamland’s name that’s enticing, the beach itself is beautiful too. Unlike the other beaches, you don’t have to climb down a cliff to get to the beach, making it very easy access for families and is located a 15-20 minute drive away. There’s no reef at Dreamland so it’s really enjoyable swimming there. However, be careful when the waves are big as they crash quite close to the shore! After Padang Padang, Dreamland is the second most touristic beach.