Bali Travel Forum

Dear fellow travelers,

I am going to Bali soon and i am staying in Kuta area. My question:

1) What is the best way to catch sunset at Tanah Lot? mode of transport? it is adviseable to take package tour? how many hours i should be there?
2) Where can i get 'Kecak Dance' and "barong' performance nowadays?

Help!

Hi , you can hire a driver off the street to take you anywhere in bali ,you can hire them for an hour or for the day and they will take you where ever you wish to go , it will only take about 1/2 to 45mins to get to Tanah lot from kuta I wouldn't bother to take a tour package to it . You can have a look around the small market and walk down to the temple on the water and after that sit in one of the many little cafe order a drink and watch the sunset at most i would say 2hours would be plenty of time to stay ... hope this helps ... fiona : )

Been there, done that. I used a driver/guide to take me and bring me back. I definiely would not use a driver off the street. Who knows what they know. My wife and I have visited Bali 3 times in the last 4 years and we have used a driver who lives in Denpasar (not too far from the airport) He took us to Tanah Lot - email mertagcgt@telkom.net. Merta is very good, trustworth and knows his stuff.
As far as Kecak Dance, I don't know about Kuta but in Ubud there are several places that have dancing and Kecak is done about twice a week at least.

Kuta in my opinion is the most vile place I've ever been to EVER but that's my personal opinion. If you go to Ubud you can see dances every night.They're incredible! Enjoy.

You can check my Bali page for a name of a driver. He's highly recommended and tells you how to avoid some tourist traps. Was there April, 2007 and his daily rate was USD40 for the entire day, that includes gas, water, and sarongs.

Pick-up at your hotel at 8am and until late evening. We're the one who called it a day, around 7pm.

Kecak Dance, is that the fire dance? I think at Pura Uluwatu at sunset. That's what we saw.

Hope that helps.

If your desire is to combine a great sunset view, and a Kecak dance at the same time, then the Pura Ulu Watu is your best choice. This very famous Balinese sea temple is located right at the most southwestern tip of Bali called the Bukit Peninsula. The Kecak dance starts right around 6 PM and although this is a tourist targeted performance, the setting for it could not be better.

The Kecak dance is also called the monkey dance, and it was specifically conceived and choreographed for tourists. The Balinese never put on this dance as part of a temple ceremony for their own purpose. However, that being said, the Kecak dance at Pura Ulu Watu is outstanding, and definitely more than well worth attending.

Serious students of Balinese dance, or even the incidental tourist who wants to experience authentic Balinese dance at its best should consider attending a Calonarang which can generally be found somewhere in Bali during most any time of the year at one of the various Pura Dalem (temples of the dead) to be found in most all Balinese villages. Any good Balinese driver should be able to find out where one is going to be held, but be warned, these begin very late at night and often do not end until dawn.

In my personal opinion, any of the authentic Balinese dances are best seen during a Balinese temple ceremony, and not at any of the stage performance centers scattered about Bali. Dance performances at temple ceremonies employ sacred masks, (called topeng) and the performers are much more serious and engaged in what they are doing...often, in fact, going into trance. At such ceremonies, the dance is to please the Gods, and not we mere mortals. Visitors and guests, (called tamu) are always more than welcome to attend these ceremonies so long as properly attired. Professional Balinese drivers will know what you need to wear, and can easily loan you the right clothing, which is more than just a sarong and sash.

Pura Tanah Lot, which is another of the famous Balinese sea temples is directly west of Denpasar on the south west coast of Bali. The sunset is equally as beautiful from this temple, but it is more commercialized than Oura Ulu Watu. Each are about the same driving time from Kuta and depending on traffic planning on an hour (at the most) should be more than sufficient.

Hello!

I am agree with Melly1234 :-)
Perhaps you could spend your day to visit Ubud or even check in at Ubud. Ubud is wonderful!

There are numbers of 2hrs dance performances organized at every different places/art teaters at schedule time at nite mostly start as early as 6.30pm. Enjoy your watching more by being there early so that you can sit at the front row.

Having said so,you definitely could safe your day time for other activities :-)

hi ,,, try with my friend, http://localbaliguide.homestead.com

Yo all!!!

i came back from Bali and followed all your suggestion... U all are such a great guys!! I enjoyed Kecak very much and of course the sunset too at Pura Uluwatu.

Other dance that i managed to watch: Barong, Balinese, Mask dance...great!