You’ve almost certainly seen pictures of Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida while scrolling through your Instagram feed. The well-photographed view looking down over the towering limestone cliffs in the shape of a T-Rex jutting out into turquoise waters is one of the most Instagrammed spots in the world.
Instagram portrays a magical place of remote tropical beauty, idyllic beaches and unique rock formations. And let me say right off the bat that Kelingking Beach is all of those things and more. Truly, it is amazing and it’s absolutely worth visiting.
But…Kelingking Beach has changed a lot over the years. What used to be a remote, off-the-beaten path destination is now a mecca for wannabe Instagram influencers, drone enthusiasts, and amateur models.
After visiting Kelingking Beach in 2023, we know that most of the information online is inaccurate and out-of-date. That’s why we’ve put together this honest and up-to-date guide to visiting Kelingking Beach. It might sounds a bit dramatic, but we don’t want you to make the same mistakes we did!
In this article, we’ve provided an honest, accurate, and updated guide to visiting Kelingking Beach.
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Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida
Kelingking Beach on Nusa Penida | At a Glance
- Why you’ll love it | The uniquely shaped T-Rex cliff is even more stunning in person! Adventurous travelers can leave the crowds behind with a thrilling (somewhat sketchy) hike down to Kelingking Beach.
- Estimated Time | Approximately 2 hours if you plan to hike all the way to the bottom.
- Trail Conditions | The trail all the way down to Kelingking Beach is very challenging, requiring slippery stairs, rock scrambling along a steep cliff, and several ladders.
- Getting there | The parking area for Kelingking Beach is located here, and you’ll need to walk a few minutes to reach the viewpoint. Note that if you put Kelingking Beach into GoogleMaps, it’ll try to take you past the parking area. Driving right up to the viewpoint is not possible.
- Road conditions | The roads to Kelingking Beach are narrow and winding (as is the standard on Nusa Penida) but paved and not too difficult to access via motorbike.
- Parking | 5,000 IDR per person parking fee (cash only).
- Fees | There is no entrance fee as of October 2023.
- What to do nearby | Tembeling Forest and Beach, Peguyangan Waterfall, Crystal Bay Beach, Pandan Beach
Highlights
- The stunning T-Rex Viewpoint really lives up to the hype!
- Minimal fees (unlike other spots on Nusa Penida).
- Fun, adventurous hike down to Kelingking Beach.
- You can beat the crowds by going early in the morning.
Lowlights
- The trail down is slippery and feels a bit treacherous in some spots.
- Brutal hike back up in the hot sun.
- You can’t swim at Kelingking Beach.
- Heavy crowds later in the day.
Everything You Need to Know about Kelingking Beach in 2023
1. Arrive as early as you possibly can
Nusa Penida is no longer an off-the-beaten path, secluded destination. The crowds at Kelingking Beach are a clear sign of the recent tourism boom on the island.
The best way to avoid the crowds at Kelingking Beach is to go as early in the day as you can. The busiest hours at Kelingking Beach are from 9:00-3:00 every day. If you want a less crowded and more relaxed experience, you need to show up well before 9:00.
Now, let’s be clear, if you show up at 8:00 or 8:30, there will still be lots of people there. But it won’t be as overwhelming as the middle of the day
We arrived right at 7:00 and there were already a handful of people at Kelingking Beach. When we hiked back up from the beach around 10:00, the place was an absolute madhouse and we wanted to get out as quickly as possible.
2. You need to pay to park
Another thing that you often don’t read about online is that there are now parking and/or entrance fees at every attraction on Nusa Penida.
Luckily at Kelingking Beach, as of 2023, there is only a small parking fee. We paid 5,000 IDR per person to park our motorbike: a small price to pay to visit this amazing site!
However, we had not read anything online about parking fees before we visited. We were definitely confused for a second when a parking attendant approached us, asking for payment.
Insider tip | Similar to most spots across Indonesia, you will need to pay your parking fee in cash. Make sure you are stocked up on rupiah before visiting.
3. The viewpoint area will be absolutely mobbed
This goes hand in hand with our first tip, but the viewpoint area looking down over Kelingking Beach and the T-Rex rock formation is almost always packed with people.
You can arrive early to avoid some of the crowds but there will almost always be people around.
The biggest problem is the hordes of wannabe Instagram influencers, drone pilots, and tour groups from Bali, who all descend on the viewpoint for 10 minutes, squeezing and fighting to get a picture of themselves with Kelingking Beach in the background.
And don’t get us wrong, we love taking pictures and obviously, we post on Instagram plenty. But these tourists are different. They are going to Kelingking Beach solely to take a picture of themselves. They are not there to soak the natural beauty, enjoy the beach, or truly appreciate everything that makes Kelingking Beach so amazing.
4. Few people actually make the trek down to Kelingking Beach
On a more positive note, it’s actually fairly easy to leave most of these crowds behind, simply by hiking down to Kelingking Beach from the viewpoint at the top.
Most people who visit Kelingking Beach are either on a day trip to Nusa Penida from Bali or are only there to snap a few pictures from the main viewpoint. If you are willing to hike all the way down to Kelingking Beach, you can escape most of the crowds.
5. The trek down to Kelingking beach is challenging and sketchy
It is important not to underestimate the hike down to Kelingking Beach. The journey is steep!
Somehow, we hadn’t read anything about the trail conditions to access Kelingking Beach and were not fully prepared for what we were getting ourselves into. Definitely wear a pair of shoes with good traction!
The trail starts with a constant but bearable descent down concrete stairs along the ridge for 10 minutes or so. Then the path cuts sharply back to the right, heading directly down to the beach below.
The sturdy concrete stairs end and are replaced by slick rock, loose gravel, shaky railings, tattered rope, and precarious handholds. On top of all of these obstacles, the path gets increasingly steeper and scarier!
All in all, the trail down to Kelingking Beach should take about 30 minutes to descend and 45 minutes to climb back up. Many people (ourselves included) underestimate the difficulty of the journey because it isn’t very long.
On top of the steepness and obstacles along the trail, remember that it will also be brutally hot, humid, and the sun will likely be beating down on you.
6. You cannot swim at Kelingking Beach
If you make it all the way down to Kelingking Beach, you’ll be treated to a tropical paradise of soft white sand, towering seaside cliffs, and epic views. But after a few moments of savoring the beautiful scenery, you’ll quickly notice that the waves and the current at Kelingking Beach are extremely powerful.
Given the tremendous power of the ocean, swimming is not allowed at Kelingking Beach.
Two tourists were recently swept out to sea and perished because they did not follow the no swimming rule at Kelingking Beach.
Seriously, no matter how hot you are after hiking down and regardless of how enticing the turquoise water looks, your life is not worth it!
Are the rules enforced? We’re not sure how closely they enforce the no swimming rule at Kelingking Beach in particular, but we have seen lifeguards call people out who attempted to swim at Nusa Penida’s Diamond Beach. Don’t be those people!
7. You need to be careful!
While Nusa Penida may seem like a safe, tropical paradise (which it mostly is!), there have been a series of unfortunate accidents and deaths, over the last few years, primarily due to tourists not following local warnings or not paying attention to their surroundings.
Whether you are simply visiting the viewpoint at the top or hiking down to Kelingking Beach, your safety is your responsibility and you need to always be aware of your surroundings and your physical capabilities while exploring Nusa Penida.
8. It’s totally worth it!
Okay, after reading this whole article, you’re probably thinking to yourself, “Crowds, sketchy hikes, and the possibility of death…why would I want to visit Kelingking Beach at all!?”
So let me reassure you – it is absolutely, 100% worth it!
I will never forget the moment I walked up to the edge of the cliff atop Kelingking Beach and caught my first glimpse of the unbelievable views of massive limestone walls, turquoise waters, and lush tropical paradise. The view, quite literally, left me speechless (okay, there might have been a few subconscious “wows” coming out of my mouth, but you get the point).
Like most popular tourist attractions, Kelingking Beach is popular for a reason. It’s amazing! And it absolutely needs to be at the top of your Nusa Penida itinerary.
Nusa Penida Resources
Looking for more to do on Nusa Penida? You may also be interested in these resources!
But, we hope this article gives you a better idea of what to expect when you visit Kelingking Beach! Any questions or thoughts? Let us know in the comments below!
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