Visiting Padang Padang on the Bukit Peninsula Bali

The Bukit Peninsula has an array of great surfing beaches and one of the most famous is Padang Padang, just down the road from Impossibles.

To get to Padang Padang from Kuta I took the Bypass towards Nusa Dua, took the Uluwatu turnoff and then followed Jl. Uluwatu till I got close to Pecatu. After I passed the turnoff for Dreamland to my right I rode for another few minutes and took the next obvious right turn through the row of shops that leads to Bingin. The road going straight carried on to Bingin and I took a left turn to swing round on the loop towards Impossibles an Padang Padang.

The riding is typical Bukit terrain with a narrow asphalt road that has plenty of windy little hills.

Coming to an obvious sign to my left I pulled over and parked next to the ladies selling t-shirts and drinks. The stairs leading to the beach are right there and it’s a 3 minute walk to the sand. Part of the way is through a narrow cave like gap in the rocks.

On the beach I ran into a few vendors who man the ‘warung-like’ places on the sand immediately next to the steps. The ladies were taking it very easy and singing as if at the temple. I added my own ‘naaasi caaaampur’ which got a laugh. I counted 4 places with warung signs.

Padang Padang has a sandy beach which is good for sunbathing and taking it easy. To access the surf you have to walk past large chunks of lava rock and make your way to the right end of the beach. The large coral shelf is uncovered for the most part during low tide and is not recommended for surfing. From what I hear from surfers, Padang Padang has a beautiful wave but you have to be an advanced surfer to come here. The jagged reef is sometimes refered to as ‘the cheese grater’. A friend of mine former Australian professional surfer Paul Callahan told me he has had some scary experiences at Padang Padang.

Swimming at Padang Padang is not recommended at any time because of the sharp reef and strong currents.

Locals still use the beach to make a living outside of tourism. Fishing and making traditional offerings were 2 of the activities I saw while I was there.

The deal with the warungs is they will probably let you crash out there overnight if you buy your meals there. At the top of the stairs a number of better warung and places to stay have cropped up.

Riding around the loop towards Uluwatu I circled round and headed back to Bakung and onwards to Jimbaran. On the way down the hill just past the police office there is a stone sign that offers a greeting in Balinese meaning ‘thank you.’

For a serious surfer looking to spend maximum time surfing the best breaks there are plenty of warungs and decent guest houses in the area around Padang Padang, Impossibles and Bingin from which to make your base.