Nyang Nyang Beach

Nyang Nyang lies on the south coast of the Bukit Peninsula, a few kilometres east of Uluwatu Temple, and it feels a world away from Kuta. From the top of the cliff the view takes in a long sweep of pale sand, a band of trees at the base of the cliff, and an exposed reef shelf running the length of the shore.

The descent is the price of admission: a long, steep path and stairway down, and a tiring climb back up in the heat. Bring water and food, as facilities at the top are basic and there is little or nothing at the bottom. Monkeys roam the cliff top, so don’t leave bags unattended.

Nyang Nyang is a beach for walking, sunbathing and solitude rather than swimming. A shallow, sharp reef shelf separates the sand from deep water, the backwash off it is strong, and there are no lifeguards. Experienced surfers come for powerful, clean waves with few people in the water, mainly in the dry season. The road to the cliff top is easier than it once was, and villas have begun to appear on the plateau above, but the beach itself remains undeveloped.

Immediately east of Nyang Nyang, Nunggalan Beach is a similar wild shore, one of the largest and least visited on the Bukit. At the cliff foot a wide shelf of earth and trees gives way to a band of sand, then to a coral shelf some 50 m wide before the reef drops off into deep water.

It is reached by its own track and trail down from the clifftop road, and the reef makes it unsuitable for swimming. The surf is a challenging reef break open to the full force of the southern Indian Ocean swell, best left to experienced surfers; any injury out here is a long way from help. For everyone else, the view along the coast from the top of the trail is reason enough to come.

Both beaches are signposted off the main road toward Uluwatu Temple on the southern Bukit, a kilometre or two before the road drops down to the temple. You need your own transport to reach the cliff top, then it is a walk down. Don’t attempt the path in the dark.