Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida – Instagram Famous Viewpoint
Are planning to visit Kelingking Beach Nusa Penida?
Kelingking clifftop offers some unworldly vistas over the Indian Ocean and the iconic rock formation that resembles T-rex head and tail. Yes, it is a tourist hot spot and one of the most popular things to do on Nusa Penida, but also a place that will completely blow your mind.
In this post, you’ll find everything you need to know to have a great experience visiting Kelingking secret point beach.
Where Is Kelingking Beach Located?
Kelingking Beach also known as Pantai Kelingking is located on the eastern side of Nusa Penida island, 15 km from Toya Pakeh ferry port.
Nearby points of interests include:
Peguyangan Waterfall
Broken Beach
Angel’s Billabong
Check out my full post on most incredible Things to do in Nusa Penida.
How To Get To Kelingking Beach
From Bali
Boats leave 9 times a day from (Sanur Ferry Port) Bali to Nusa Penida and are run by two companies: The Marlin Fast Boat and Crown Fast Cruise. Getting to Nusa Penida takes 45 minutes and arrives at Toya Pakeh Harbour. You can buy your ticket online before departure or arrive early in Sanur port and buy your ticket there. Expect to pay around 100k IDR.
By scooter
For those already staying on Nusa Penida, the easiest way to get to Kelingking Clifftops is by hiring a scooter and driving there yourself.
Motorbike rental on Penida is a little pricier than in Bali mainland so expect to pay around 75k IDR for a full day. Remember to ask for a helmet and check breaks and lights before you set off.
Also, the roads in Nusa Penida are poor, narrow with many bumps and potholes. If you’ve never ridden a scooter before, then this is not the place for your first time. However, if you’re an experienced driver you may find it strenuous but you will be fine. And a lot of visitors choose that option so you definitely won’t be alone.
From the main harbour area, it should take around 40 minutes to get there. If you’re already on the island, try to leave before the ferries arrive with day-trippers. I’ve witnessed some crazy traffic from the ferry port at ‘rush hour’.
With a driver
If you don’t feel comfortable to ride your scooter, you can hire a car with a driver. A full day should cost around 600k IDR. The advantages of hiring a driver are you don’t need to worry about driving and navigating steep, bumpy roads that often turn into dirt tracks. Also, it is nice to relax in the air-conditioned car while getting to your next location.
This is the option that I’ve used. I rode a motorbike in Uluwatu, which I found ok, but didn’t feel confident enough to do it in Nusa Penida.
Nusa Penida Day Trip
Only have one day but still want to experience Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida? Don’t worry that’s entirely doable! Take one day Nusa Penida tour from Bali. All the logistics including ferry and transport will be arranged for you. You will also be able to see other top places all in one day.
Where To Stay – Best Hotels In Nusa Penida
Luxury – Le Royale Tropical Bamboo Exotic Sunset Villas
Le Royale Villas are situated in between Crystal Bay and Toya Pakeh. This property looks like a perfect Instagram photo! It offers an open living concept in a wooden villa with a large terrace to soak on the epic sunset views. It’s got a hot tub and a private pool, a big-screen movie in the communal area, and offers a free BBQ service.
Midrange – Penida Bay Village
Penida Bay Village is situated 10 minutes’ walk from Crystal Bay Beach in a traditional local village with good proximity to a few little shops and local warungs. The bungalows are clean and spacious and include free wifi use and toiletries in a private bathroom. There is an onsite restaurant that serves a good breakfast that is included in the room price, but also lunch and dinner for an extra charge.
Budget – La Roja Bungalows
La Roja property is also one of the best Nusa Penida hostels that offers private and shared rooms. It is located within 20 minutes’ drive from the harbour on the western coast, a minutes’ walk from shops and small, local restaurants. The hotel boasts a pool area with white decking and a well-kept garden. There is a choice of older bungalows and newer ones situated around the pool, simple yet very tastefully designed. La Roja is an excellent option for solo travellers and budget travellers.
What To Expect At Kelingking Beach
When you arrive at Kelingking, someone will direct you to a car park. If you walk to the right from the parking area along the cliff, you will see some wooden boats, nests and different platforms. These are built by the locals and offer some additional photo opportunities for an extra charge.
You can come back to this place after you visit the main viewpoints. Also, you don’t need to pay for the photo setups. Just take a walk along the cliff in that direction to explore some great views.
On the main road, there are many warungs and different stands selling souvenirs, snacks and drinks. This area gets really busy from late morning to early afternoon when people arrive from the ferry port.
There are toilets but expect to pay 5k IDR to use them.
If you keep walking to the bottom of the cliff, turn right. This is where the queue normally starts. People are waiting in the line to take photos, but if you don’t want to take any pics, you can just go down to the beach without queuing.
I arrived before 9 am, and there were only a few other people and no queue.
The second time round I visited in the afternoon and there was more people at this time.
Kelingking Viewpoints – Kelingking Most Instagramable Places
There are 3 main areas where you can get some incredible views of the T-rex shaped rocks.
The main area, to the right from the road. The main, photo spot is sitting on a piece of concrete with your legs down like the photo below. This is where most people will be queuing if you arrive between late morning and early afternoon.
The next photo spot is slightly further down with a different angle of T-rex and wooden fencing showing a steep path down.
The third photo area is left from the main road. Follow the edge of the cliff away from the path down to the beach and where the crowds are queuing. There will be fewer people and you can find your perfect spot. From this angle, it is possible to capture the head of T-rex and its tail.
When I visited, there was a place where drivers and tour guides where climbing a tree to capture a drone-style image of the shore! Yes, my driver also convinced me to pose for a photo while he took it from a treetop! The result was pretty awesome!
Kelingking Beach
Climbing down to Kelingking beach was the best experience from by Nusa Penida trip!
If you want to do it, prepare yourself for a strenuous hike down. You need to be fairly fit and healthy. Unfortunately, this is not suitable for the elderly, people with mobility issues or young children.
The path down to the beach
It is very important that you wear sturdy shoes like trainers or trekking sandals with straps. Flip flops are a big no.
Before my visit, I read many blogs and the impression I got is that not many people go down. This is so outdated now and simply not true. On my visit, I arrived before 9 am and was descending practically alone. But on the way back at 11 am, there was a continuous line of people going down.
With so many people climbing down at once, the path that is already tricky and not the safest gets even less safe. My advice would be to arrive early if you’re planning on climbing down. It will be safer and you will have a better experience.
The path down is very steep. At the start, there are some concrete stairs but as you go down, the path gets trickier to navigate. There is a wooden railing along most of it with robes to hold on to. At the very end, there was nothing to hold on to, so I had to literally slide down on my bum using bushes and tree roots for balance. In the end, there is a ladder, which was missing a few steps.
The hike took me less than 30 minutes and I’m not a gym bunny but maybe a little over-excited when it comes to a good adventure.
The beach
The beach was absolutely gorgeous! White soft sand and perfectly turquoise water were a big treat. Unfortunately, it wasn’t possible to swim as the waves were roaring and barrelling and crashing with a great force against the beach.
It probably depends on the sea conditions on the day, but it was fun to just play with the waves (mostly running away from there and trying to stay alive).
TIP: Leave your belongings far away from the sea, somewhere on the rocks so that they won’t get washed away with a crazy wave.
The beach is not very big, you can walk along it but don’t get too close to the water. There was a local guy with a whistle warning people from getting to close when a big wave was approaching. The waves are so strong, I got knocked off my feet once and nearly taken away with a wave!
If you walk left, there are some small, cute caves to explore. Also, a man was selling some drinks (don’t ask me how he managed to bring those drinks down to the beach).
I felt like an ant on this beach with powerful waves and massive cliffs surrounding me and that was a surreal experience worth every effort of going down.
Kelingking Sunset Experience
Another great time to visit Kelingking viewpoint is at sunset time. Arrive an hour before sunset and look for a perfect spot, where you can sit down. Try going right from the main road.
You can bring a little picnic with you. Don’t climb down to the beach. There is no view advantage being all the way down beside, the path down is a little dangerous by the day and I can’t imagine navigating it at night!
Best Time To Visit
Like with many tourist spots around the world, the best time to visit is before the crowds, meaning early in the morning. So, arriving in Kelingking between 7 and 10 am will be ideal, the earlier the better, especially if you’re planning to go down to the beach. Arriving early will mean that you will be alone on the beach. How cool is that?
Another great time to visit is late afternoon or just before the sunset. It should be way less busy as the day-trippers from Bali will be gone by then. Also, you can stay and watch the sunset from the cliffs, which is pretty epic!
In terms of the time of the year. The best time to visit will be during the dry season which is between May and October. The rainy season lasts between November and April. The busiest times to visit are the school holidays between June and August and Christmas time.
What to bring with you
Day Backpack – for this adventure and many other ones, you’ll need a day pack. My favourite one is the stylish and minimalistic Kanken. It is made of durable materials and it’s super simple and super comfortable.
Mirrorless camera – I love Sony cameras! If you’re looking for an entry-level, compact camera that takes awesome photos, go for Sony Alpha 6400, I’ve used it for years and took some excellent pictures with it. For a more advanced selection, I recommend Sony A7iii, I can’t be more happy with it, and I know lots of professional photographers and creators who use it too.
Power bank – power bank to charge my mobile phone saved my life a few times, no kidding. It is handy if you’re using Google maps which is a drain on the phone’s battery. I recommend choosing a lightweight one
Raincoat – I know you’re probably thinking I’m crazy, but trust me, the raincoat is essential, especially if you’re scootering your way through the island. When it’s rainy, it actually gets cold on the scooter, and during the rainy season, which is between November and April, it rains buckets!
Reusable water bottle – water flask, especially thermal ones, is so practical here in Bali. Many hotels and restaurants let their guests refill the bottles for free in an effort to reduce plastic use on the island.
Sun cream – this is another essential to carry with you and frequently reapply. Choose an eco-friendly and vegan one to do your part for the environment.
Adventure sandals – sports sandals with straps are the best type of footwear for any Bali adventure. They dry quickly and are sturdy enough to keep you safe on your hikes. I use North Face sandals, I’ve had them for years and they never let me down.
Opening hours
The area doesn’t get closed off for the night so technically the place is open 24/7. The people that collect entrance fees arrive around 7 am and leave when it gets dark.
Entrance fees
The entrance fee is 10k IDR and additional 5k IDR for parking. The parking fee is covered by your driver if you hire a car.
Is Kelingking Beach Worth A visit?
The short answer is: hell yes! Kelingking Beach is one of the most unworldly, jaw-dropping beaches I have ever seen. A trip to Bali would not be complete without seeing this Nusa Penida beach. It is a tourist hot spot, but there is a good reason why! Also, it is still possible to enjoy this place without crowds.
You may also like:
14 Epic Things to do in Nusa Lembongan
18 Incredible Things to do on Nusa Penida
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