Last Updated on February 28, 2023 by Tina
One of my goals during my first trip to Bali in 2019 was to visit Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida. Kelingking Beach, also known as T-Rex Beach because the cliff’s shape resembles a Tyrannosaurus Rex, is one of the most famous tourist spots in Nusa Penida.
I was able to accomplish that goal. However, I wasn’t very satisfied because I wasn’t able to go down to the beach. During that trip, I joined a West Nusa Penida tour, which was a day trip from Bali. We had a limited time for each tourist attraction included in the tour. And for Kelingking Beach we were only there to admire the beauty of the beach and the cliff from the top, and queue for a picture with the T-Rex as the backdrop.
That day I told myself that the next time I go back to Bali, I will stay for a few nights in Nusa Penida and make sure I get to go down that beach. And that’s exactly what I did two weeks ago. I spent three nights in Nusa Penida and was able to go down to Kelingking Beach. (My original plan was two nights in Nusa Penida but I decided to extend for another night because I love my accommodation, Innora Jungle Resort and Spa so much.)
In this post, I’ll share my Kelingking Beach hike experience. It wasn’t an easy one, but I can assure you that it was so worth the sunburn and three days of body pain that I experienced after.
Where is Kelingking Beach?
Kelingking Beach is located in the western part of Nusa Penida. It is one of the destinations you visit when you do the West Nusa Penida Tour from Bali along with Broken Beach, Angel Billabong, and Crystal Bay. Nusa Penida is a small island southeast of Bali (island). Nusa Penida is a different island but is still a part of the province of Bali.
How to Get to Kelingking Beach
There are several options on how to get to Kelingking Beach, and it is possible to go there even if you are traveling solo and do not know how to drive a motorbike or scooter.
By going on a day tour (join-in tour) from Bali
If you want to go to Kelingking Beach from Bali on a day tour (meaning you are not staying overnight in Nusa Penida), you can book a join-in tour from Klook. The tour costs Php 2267 (US$ 40.95 / IDR 625,000) This is perfect if you are traveling solo because it is more pricey if you hire a private car with a driver. This package already includes admission to attractions, lunch, bottled drinking water, round-trip transfers from meet-up locations in Ubud, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Seminyak, and Kuta to Nusa Penida, basic English-speaking driver/guide, local tax (IDR25,000), shared transfer on Nusa Penida and round-trip fast boat ticket from Sanur Harbor and Nusa Penida (worth IDR250,000-IDR300,000). However, with this tour, you are visiting other spots too so you won’t be able to hike down to the beach.
Renting a car or scooter
If you know how to drive a car or a scooter and you have a driver’s license, and you want a flexible tour, then the best option would be to rent a car or scooter. You can book a scooter online and it will be delivered to you at the agreed location on the island.
By booking a private car with a driver
If you prefer a private car with a driver, it is possible to hire one too. This is what I booked when I visited Kelingking Beach. I booked a private car charter and it costs Php 2076 ( US$ 37.49 / IDR 572,289). The car is good for five passengers. The package includes an English / Bahasa Indonesia-speaking driver, fuel fees, insurance provided by the operator, and an 8-hour private charter service. It is not inclusive of parking fees, personal expenses, tips, gratuities, and tour guides. However, my driver Made was very nice. He accompanied me in the places I visited and took pictures of me too, except for the hike down to Kelingking Beach because that would be too exhausting for him.
I was picked up at my accommodation in Nusa Penida and was dropped off there at the end of the tour. Aside from Kelingking Beach, I was also able to visit Diamond Beach, Atuh Beach, and the Rumah Pohon Tree House. But I had to pay an extra IDR 100,000 because Kelingking Beach is on the west and the rest are on the eastern part of Nusa Penida.
If you are coming from Bali, you can avail of this too. Just tell the operator to pick you up at the harbor.
Kelingking Beach Cliff Height
When I told the receptionist in the resort I was staying at that I am planning to go down to Kelingking Beach, she told me it would take around 30 minutes to go down. You must be wondering, how high exactly is the cliff of Kelingking Beach. While doing some research on the internet, most of the articles I saw say it is around 150 meters high. Some say it is 120 meters. I don’t know the exact figure and it would have helped if I recorded my hike in Strava. Unfortunately, I forgot to turn it on when I went down. One thing is for sure though, it is high.
Best Time to Visit Kelingking Beach
Because Kelingking Beach is a very famous tourist destination in Nusa Penida, it gets very crowded. And the busiest hours are from 10:00 AM to around 2:00 PM because this is the time when the day trippers arrive. Also, it gets really hot during midday so best to visit and do the Kelingking Beach hike either early in the morning or late in the afternoon.
Also, it would be very unsafe to go down when it is raining because the trail will be slippery. The rainy season in Bali is from October to March. I was lucky because it didn’t rain at all when I visited Kelingking Beach.
Kelingking Beach Hike
So now we go to the exciting part, the Kelingking Beach Hike. From the viewpoint, it seems like going down to the beach is very easy. Trust me, it is not. And if you ever plan on going there, you have to make sure you are wearing the proper footwear. Flipflops won’t do when you reach halfway to the bottom.
From the parking lot, walk towards the stairs. The stairs at the first part of the trail are nice, concrete stairs with wooden handles. Then at some point, you will reach the ridge. Continue walking until you reach the end of the wooden handles. From there you need to turn right. This is now the start of the difficult trail. You need to be extra careful here, and make sure both hands are holding onto the wooden handrails. Do not rush when going down, because one wrong step and you might fall.
What makes the hike even harder is that along the path you will meet people going up, so you will have to move to the side to give way to them. When I went down it was past 3 in the afternoon. It was still super hot. The wooden handrails were hot too, but I had to hold onto them for safety reasons so I had to endure the heat.
I think it would be easier to just check out some photos I took of the trail to give you an idea of how it is. I think it took me around 30 minutes to reach the bottom.
Down at the Kelingking Beach
There are not too many people down at the beach. I was surprised to see that there are people selling snacks and drinks below. Like how did they take down the goods with that kind of trail? It must be very hard.
I was super exhausted when I reached the bottom, so I decided to rest for a bit under one of the trees. The view down there was so beautiful. The beach was clean, with fine white sand, and the water was so clear. However, the waves are big and the current was strong so I didn’t dare go swimming. I just stayed there to regain the strength I lost going down, and took some videos and photos, though the actual view is a lot more beautiful than the photos.
I think I stayed there for about 30 or 40 minutes then I went back. Going down was hard, but going up was like two or three times harder.
What to Wear When Doing the Kelingking Beach Hike
I managed to go down to the beach wearing a long dress. But I don’t recommend it. Going up, I had to take it off because it was really hard. I was just wearing my swimsuit. It was a lot easier with that outfit. I think the best outfit when doing the hike is a t-shirt and shorts.
For the footwear, as I have said, flip-flops won’t do. You can probably go barefoot. However, if it is midday, then the path would be too hot to step on. I recommend wearing hiking shoes or aqua shoes. I wore aqua shoes. It had a really good grip on the rocks.
Also, don’t forget to wear a cap. As for the bag, you’ll need both hands to hold onto the handrails, so it’s best to use a backpack.
What to Bring When Doing the Kelingking Beach Hike
If you are planning to go down to the beach, make sure you bring enough water. The hike going down and up is extremely exhausting so you need water to keep you hydrated.
Also, bring sunblock, especially if you are doing it midday so you could reapply once you reach the beach.
The hike going down to Kelingking Beach is difficult but worth all the body pains. Will I do it again? Probably… but maybe next time I will do it early in the morning. If you are planning to do the hike, be extra careful, especially when taking pictures along the trail. There were tourists who died there in the past already.
If you have questions about this activity, please free to write down your question below. You can also send me an email or a DM on my social media accounts. More Bali and Nusa Penida posts in the coming days! Subscribe to my blog if you don’t want to miss any of my posts. And please follow my Facebook page @iwentanyways and like my Instagram accounts @iwentanyways and @tnadeperalta for updates.
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