Balangan Beach, Bali: Our Review & Visitor Guide

Balangan Beach is a lesser-known white sand beach that stretches over 500m along the northwest coast of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula.

While the beach itself is somewhat of a peaceful little gem, the Balangan Cliff at the northern end is a popular spot for wedding photoshoots, offering panoramic views over the coastline and a great vantage spot for sunset.

After our first visit to Balangan Beach, it quickly earned a spot as one of our favourite beaches in Bali. We’re not ones to keep hidden gems to ourselves, so here’s our full review and some tips for visiting yourself.

Quick Summary

Our Review

If you’re looking for a quieter beach along the northern coast of Uluwatu, Balangan Beach is an excellent option.

Often overshadowed by its more famous neighbour Dreamland Beach, there tends to be fewer crowds at Balangan. During our last visit, we shared this small stretch of paradise with just a handful of other beach-goers. But hurry - the hidden gem is gaining more attention, so make sure you visit before it becomes a hotspot.

Despite being more secluded, we were still impressed by the beach's good facilities which included sunbeds, several places to eat and drink, and even a tiny beach club (more on this at the end).

Balangan is famous for the cliff at the northern end where many couples have their wedding photoshoots. This cliff offers a good vantage point for sunset which can't be seen from the beach itself.

The beach is a good spot for surfing as the break is long and uncrowded. Several vendors were offering board rental and a few schools were advertising beginner surf lessons, although we didn't try ourselves.

However, the beach isn’t an ideal swim spot as the coral bottom can be uncomfortable on your feet. Nothing a pair of water shoes can’t fix - we recommend some great ones in our Bali packing list.

How To Get There & Parking

Balangan Beach is in a less-developed area so the roads to get there are narrow and very quiet.

There are two parking areas for Balangan Beach, one at either end. The beach isn’t particularly long, so it doesn’t matter which one you choose.

The northern parking area is the larger and more official parking lot, closer to the famous Balangan Cliff. It’s suitable for scooters (5,000 IDR) and cars (10,000 IDR) but is a few minutes’ walk from the beach, including around 50 or so steps.

The southern parking area is slightly less official and only suitable for scooters as it’s down a narrow gravel track.

We parked here as it was much closer to the beach - just a few metres from the sand. It's also be closer to the warungs (local restaurants) and beach club.

Parking here is donation-based. We used this entrance and gave a donation of 2,000 IDR ⓘ, which is the going rate for many beaches in this area.

Can You Get Online Taxis Here?

Yes, online taxis such as Grab and Gojek can drop off and pick up here. They will drop you off on the main road which is about a 100m downhill walk from the south parking area

Visitor Information

How Much Does it Cost?

There is no admission fee to visit Balangan Beach, although there are parking charges as outlined earlier.

What Are the Crowds Like?

Balangan Beach is one of the quieter beaches on the Bukit Peninsula, with few crowds compared to other beaches in Uluwatu. There were only one or two other beachgoers when we visited during the middle of the day.

Although quiet, it’s not completely undiscovered so there are still good amenities here including sun loungers, places to eat, and somewhere to use the toilet.

Swimming at Balangan Beach

As inviting as the crystal clear water may be, Balangan Beach is not an ideal spot for swimming. The coral bottom and random rock formations along the sea bed can be uncomfortable on your feet.

However, the waves are relatively gentle so some people still choose to swim here.

If you're planning to go in the water here, we'd recommend using a pair of water shoes.

Is Balangan Beach Good for Sunset?

Balangan is a north-facing beach with a large headland at the western end so unfortunately you don’t get a good view of the sunset from the beach itself.

However, the cliffs at the northern end are a popular sunset spot and are easily accessible from the north parking area. This is where many couples have their wedding photoshoots.

You could consider moving to nearby Dreamland Beach which is the only beach along the north coast of the peninsula with a good view of the sunset. However, it's usually quite a bit busier than Balangan.

Is it Good for Surfing or Water Sports?

Balangan Beach is good for surfing. It has a long reef break so surfers can spread out along the coast to prevent overcrowding.

There are several places you can rent a board from and a few surf schools offering beginner lessons such as Malibu Surf School and Dawn Patrol.

Balangan Beach Amenities

Cafes, Restaurants & Shops

We were surprised by a good selection of places to eat and drink lining the back of the beach (towards the southern end). Some that we recommend are:

Balangan Beach has only started to gain popularity in the last few years so most of the food and drink venues are new.

Before visiting, we had seen many reviews suggesting there is no food or drink here, but these seem to be older comments from when the beach was more undiscovered.

Toilets & Showers

There were no public toilets at Balangan Beach but many of the cafes and restaurants have toilets that customers can use.

If you’re not a customer, they'll usually let you use them for a small fee of about 5,000 IDR ⓘ.

There were no showers as far as we could tell.

Sunbeds

Balangan Beach is very exposed to the sun so there’s little natural shade throughout most of the day.

You can hire a sunbed and umbrella from some of the restaurants on the beach. We asked around and the going rate seemed to be around 150,000 IDR ⓘ for two beds, but you can always try and negotiate a lower rate.

Beach Clubs

Next to Balangan Beach we found Mazu Beach Club, a lesser-known venue with a small infinity pool overlooking the ocean and a variety of indoor and outdoor seating areas.

We loved that the club was free to visit and had no minimum spend, even for a day bed - which is almost unheard of in Bali these days!

The vibe here was very low-key and relaxed. There were just a handful of people when we visited so the service was quick and attentive. According to reviews, the bar gets busier in the evenings and sometimes they have live music around sunset.

The prices were affordable for a beach club and card payment was accepted. See their Instagram for the latest menu.

Visiting Balangan Cliff

The Balangan Cliff at the northern end of Balangan Beach offers panoramic views across the Indian Ocean. You can reach the top of the cliff directly from the northern parking area without any steps.

The combination of its beauty and accessibility is why it’s a popular spot for professional wedding photoshoots.