Kelingking beach is one of the most famous tourist spots in Bali, its beauty often featured in tourism advertisements for Bali and of course Indonesia. The most distinguished feature of this beach is its unique rock formation resembling a giant pinky finger, hence the name (kelingking is Indonesian for pinky finger).
Kelingking beach is considered to be the ultimate hidden gem of Bali not because of lack of popularity, but because of its location. If you want to visit this spot, you need to know that its located in Nusa Penida which is a whole different island located off the southern coast of Bali.
So in order to reach Kelingking Beach, you need to put some effort into it by taking a 50-minute boat ride from Sanur. But don’t worry, all that effort and time will be definitely worth it once you see and experience the beauty of Kelingking Beach. Here are the reasons why you should visit Kelingking Beach, the ultimate hidden gem of Bali.
Kelingking Beach, One of The Top Beaches in The World
Kelingking beach totally deserves its popularity because of the view of heaven on earth it offers to everyone who is visiting it. A hidden beach covered with clear white sand, with beautiful deep turquoise blue water, surrounded by steep, towering cliffs will make you gasp.
Most people come to this spot to see the famous ‘kelingking’ or for some people dinosaur’s back bone rock formation first hand. To reach the secluded beach itself, you need to get down about 400 m through a rugged Cliffside.
The magnificent view of the Kelingking Beach is proven to be an incredible attraction for anyone who’s traveling to Bali. According to Instagram, in 2018 approximately 30.000 pictures have been uploaded with the hashtag #KelingkingBeach, and that number skyrocketed to 400.000 pictures in 2023.
Knowing this, the locals are getting creative and creating unique platforms made from bamboo to help tourists capture the beauty of Kelingking Beach. Some people, usually couples, also hire professional photographers and some people even use drones to capture the breathtaking beauty of the famous spot.
People who have visited this beach are truly amazed of the incredible beauty, that in the 2019 Traveler’s Choice Awards by TripAdvisor, Kelingking Beach is considered to be one of the top 25 beaches in the world, sitting on the rank 19, above Elafonissi Beach in Greece and Bournemouth Beach in England.
All of this popularity makes Kelingking Beach almost always packed with tourists from all over the world. It could be a little inconvenient to take a perfect picture or just enjoy the view when there are so many people. So, a little advice, try to get away from the crowd by heading up the cliff a bit, and go to the right where you will face the sea.
What to Do There?
After taking so much effort to go there, taking beautiful photos for Instagram, and taking in the breathtaking view, what else can you do? Like said above, you can hike down to the beach itself but it is not recommended for people with heart issues or any other medical conditions.
This is because not only is the hike down really steep, but the infrastructure is not good enough for you to get down. The cliffs lack clear walking paths, even handholds, and are also full of rocks. There are stairs and railings but only made from bamboo so it is not very safe to use.
If you are determined to get down because you want to take all the experience you can get from the Kelingking Beach, the ultimate hidden gem of Bali, make sure you are completely fit, healthy, and extra careful on the way down. Once you’re there, you can take all the time you need to enjoy it including swimming because the water is swimmable, depending on the tide conditions.
But you have to know, that even though the water can be pretty safe to swim in, the undercurrents could be unpredictable. And because the beach is remote and secluded, you can’t rely on lifeguards because there’s none around, so please be extra careful. The journey down could take 60 minutes and even two or three times longer to get back up.
For you who don’t want to take the risk, you can wait for the sunset or sunrise time and enjoy it on Kelingking Secret Point Beach. You don’t have to do any hiking, just walk along a worn path on the edge of the cliffs and you can take it all in. Just so your trip here isn’t ruined, try to go to Kelingking Beach between March and November so you don’t have to deal with the rain.
Snorkeling at Kelingking Beach
You’re already on Nusa Penida Tour, so why not try another great thing to do here which is snorkeling. What makes snorkeling Nusa Penida is quite different, is that in here you can dive and swim with the humble underwater giants, the Manta Rays.
There are two options if you want to do this. First, from Toya Pakeh Bay to Manta Bay, boat tours operate on a daily basis. There are many tourist offices in Toya Pakeh, you can pick one and ask them to organize a Manta snorkeling trip for you. This will cost approximately IDR 250.000.
If you already planned to snorkeling with the Manta Rays and it is one of your main reasons to go to Bali, then while planning your trip to Bali a complete tour would be so much easier. They will pick you up in your hotel, take care of the boat trips, and then drop you off back. Usually besides the Nusa Penida Manta Point, you will be taken to Gamat Bay, Toya Pakeh Wall, Crystal Bay, and more.
There are also numerous eateries around these locations, so while on your tour, you can always refresh yourself with coconut drink, and refuel your energy that has been spent on the trip with delicious food made by the locals.
Those are everything you need to know about the Kelingking Beach, the ultimate hidden gem of Bali. Extra tips, peak visiting hours are from 11 AM to 3 PM, so try not to go at those hours if you want to avoid the crowd. If you want to go down to the beach, 3 PM is perfect because the sun wouldn’t be too hot. And if you only plan to stay at the top, try to be there at 4 PM to 5 PM so you don’t miss the sunset.
