19 Best Things to Do in Bali

What kind of beach are we talking about?
In Bali, the words “south” and “secluded” are rarely uttered in the same sentence, but Nyang Nyang Beach, in Uluwatu, indeed fills the bill. White sands, greenery-lined cliffs, and the astonishing absence of crowds await—if you're dedicated enough to find it. Who knows, you might get lucky and have the spread all to yourself.

How accessible is it?
There’s a reason this beach remains deserted: There are no billboard-sized signs along the road pointing the way, and when you do find the parking lot, it requires a 20- or 30-minute descent down a steep, jungled hillside with some 500 steps. If that hasn’t scared you off, the effort will be well worth it. But bring everything you need; after all, the trade-off for a pristine, crowd-free beach is the absence of loungers and limited food vendors.

What's the water like? The sand?
The big, blue waves here are kinder to surfers than swimmers. You can still take a cautious dip—just mind the sharp rocks and rock pools farther into the shallow waters. Also, there are no lifeguards.

What should we be sure to check out?
There's a half-buried shipwreck decorated by graffiti art that begs to be photographed.

Why would you recommend this beach in particular?
If you’ve lamented how overrun Bali’s main beaches have become nowadays, Nyang Nyang is the respite you’ve been looking for.