Pandawa Beach: Our Review and Visitor Guide

Pandawa Beach (Pantai Pandawa) is a curved white sand beach that stretches for almost 800m along the southern coast of Bali’s Bukit Peninsula, making it one of the longest beaches in Bali.

The beach used to be inaccessible, with towering limestone cliffs standing in the way. But an ambitious project cut straight through the cliffs, paving the way for a road that now leads directly to the sandy shores.

We visited Pandawa Beach to see what all the fuss was about. Here’s our honest review and visitor guide.

How To Get There

There are two entrances to Pandawa Beach. The main entrance is via the road called Jalan Pantai Pandawa, past the Pandawa Hill Resort.

If you come in this way, you can admire six statues from the Hindu epic Mahabharata which are linked to the beach's name (find out more).

The scenic entrance is down a newly created road that cuts through Batu Barak Cliff. This impressive road has become somewhat of an iconic photo spot and is worth going out of your way to see.

The main parking area at Pandawa Beach is suitable for scooters, cars, and buses.

There’s also a smaller parking area for scooters and a few cars at the eastern end of the beach near Oka Warung. This area is better suited for people looking to escape the tourists and aren’t bothered about amenities or kayaking.

If you’re also planning to visit Timbis Beach and Batu Barak Beach as we have suggested, each of these has its own parking area too.

Can You Get Online Taxis?

Although online taxis such as Grab and Gojek can drop off at Pandawa Beach, they are not allowed to pick up.

If you want to catch an online taxi here, you’ll have to walk outside the entrance gate to meet your driver. This is about 500m or so from the main parking area at Pandawa Beach and should take you 5-10 minutes.

Visitor Information

How Much Does it Cost?

Once you have paid entry, you can park anywhere along the beachfront for free. With one ticket, you can move between Pandawa Beach, Timbis Beach, and Batu Barak Beach.

What Are the Crowds Like?

Pandawa Beach is popular with tourists, especially big Indonesian or Asian tour groups. It's not uncommon to get asked for a photo or two – we felt like celebrities on one of our visits!

Being one of the longest beaches in Bali, there’s more than enough space to accommodate everyone so it never felt too crowded for us.

The western half is the busiest section. This is where most of the amenities are including the dedicated area for kayaking and swimming.

The eastern half, around Oka Warung, is much quieter and you’re unlikely to be disturbed by large tour groups.

If it’s a quieter experience you’re after, neighbouring Timbis Beach might be a bit more up your street. It’s more of an untouched gem that’s popular with surfers. There were just a handful of people here when we visited.

Swimming at Pandawa Beach

Pandawa Beach is good for swimming with moderate waves and clear water.

There’s a dedicated swimming area on the western half of the beach between the two red-yellow flags which is the safest swim spot as it has a lifeguard.

Here, there’s a smooth rock bottom to the sea bed that’s easy to walk on but you’ll have to watch out for kayaks entering the water, often uncontrollably.

Other spots along the beach are also good for swimming with a mostly sandy bottom.

Is It Good for Sunset?

Pandawa Beach faces southeast so it’s not the best sunset spot. But, like all beaches in Bali, you’ll still get to witness the incredible colours that fill the sky around sunset.

If you want a beach that has a direct view of the sunset in Uluwatu, consider Dreamland Beach.

Is it Good for Surfing or Water Sports?

The crystal clear water at Pandawa Beach makes it a great spot for kayaking. Almost every beachside vendor has kayaks for rental with prices around 50,000 IDR for a two-person kayak (you may have to negotiate).

It’s great for all abilities and very safe as long as you stick to the dedicated area before the reef breaks. We saw lots of locals helping newbie kayakers to learn the ropes and get out past the first waves which is always the hardest part.

You can surf at Pandawa Beach. But in our experience, most surfers were opting to head out around neighbouring Timbis Beach instead.

Pandawa Beach Amenities

Cafes, Restaurants & Shops

There are loads of vendors lining the beachfront promenade at Pandawa. Some offer snacks and cold drinks, while others serve basic hot food, such as nasi goreng and sandwiches.

The prices are very reasonable (perhaps because it attracts more Indonesian tourists than foreigners) with coconuts costing 25,000 IDR and nasi goreng (fried rice) costing 35,000 IDR.

Most of the vendors will only accept cash, but there is an ATM in the beach car park.

Toilets & Showers

There are plenty of toilets available at Pandawa Beach. But you will have to pay 3,000 - 5,000 IDR to use them.

There are free outdoor showers dotted at various points along the beach. They are very quirky as they have been designed to look like giant iced teas, although they are right next to the promenade so you won’t get much privacy.

Sunbeds

Pandawa Beach doesn’t have much natural shade. But it is lined with plenty of sunbeds that you can hire for the day. The sunbeds are very affordable, costing just 50,000 IDR for two beds.

You can also get a massage at Pandawa Beach for just 100,000 IDR for an hour (we didn’t try these).

Beach Clubs

Pandawa Beach is home to Roosterfish Beach Club.

This is a family-friendly beach club with a large ocean-facing pool and DJ. It’s part of the 5-star Marriott Renaissance Hotel in Uluwatu, although the hotel is actually a 15 minute drive away.

If you want to sit in the restaurant area, there is no minimum spend and you can freely use their pool facilities. The bean bags, loungers, and cabanas have a minimum spend starting at 350,000 IDR per person.

More About Pandawa Beach

Bicycle Rental

Pandawa is the only beach in the region to offer bicycle rental.

Located in the main car parking area, there's a variety of electric scooters, bicycles, and ride-ons for children available to rent.

You can cycle on the Pandawa boardwalk (just be careful of other people) or along the coast to the other two beaches; Timbis Beach and Batu Barak Beach.

The Pandava Statues

Pandawa Beach gets its name from the Hindu epic Mahabharata. The Pandavas was the name given to a group of five brothers who were central to the story (source).

If you enter Pandawa Beach through the main entrance, you’ll drive past six statues carved into the cliff. These depict the five Pandavas and their mother Kunti (also known as Dewi Kunti).

In the order you’ll pass them on the way in, there is; Kunti, Yudhishthira, Bhima, Arjuna, Nakula, and Sahadeva.

Pandawa Lighthouse

Almost at the central point along Pandawa Beach is the 20m tall octagonal Pandawa Lighthouse called Rambu Suar Pandawa.

It’s one of few lighthouses in Bali that are still operational, with the main lamp flashing twice every 6 seconds to warn boats about the shallow reefs just offshore.