Melasti Beach, or Pantai Melasti as the locals know it, is a white sand beach in Ungasan, Bali, near Uluwatu.
For a long time, the road out to Melasti Beach was terrible, but a local construction project has remedied that, and it’s now home to several beach resorts. And Melasti Beach is pretty easy to get to from anywhere in Bali.
Where is Melasti Beach
Where Is Melasti Beach?
Melasti Beach is in Ungasan Bali, which is in South Bali. In fact, Melasti Beach is the southernmost point of the whole island of Bali, which is something of a selling point to tourists looking to have some bragging rights when they get home.
The exact Melasti Beach location/address is Jl. Melasti Ungasan, Ungasan, Kec. Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
The Pantai Melasti Beach should never be confused with Melasti on the other side of the island at Tanah Lot Temple.
How Do You Get To Melasti Beach?
If you’re in Uluwatu, then we’d say you can either get a Grab or Gojek or, perhaps, if you’re feeling brave, rent a scooter to make the drive.
However, we would note (as always) that we just don’t recommend driving a scooter in Bali unless you are an experienced driver and fully road legal (that means a current International Driver’s Permit and a license with a motorcycle endorsement) with insurance.
There are far too many accidents on scooters in Bali to take chances with this.
If you’re coming in from Kuta, Canggu, or Seminyak, then Melasti Beach is quite far away, and you’re going to want to hire a private car and driver (you can see the FAQ section below for how to do this).
When Is Melasti Beach Open?
It’s a beach, so technically, it’s open 24/7 and 365 days a year, but you’re probably not going to hit the beach at 3 a.m.
There is a ticketing booth, and it’s open during daylight hours.
What Is The Melasti Beach Entrance Fee?
The official entrance fee is 10,000 IDR for this beach (that’s less than $1 USD), and you must pay it at the ticketing booth before you park your vehicle.
It’s worth noting that this is a very popular place for people to do wedding photoshoots and to hold special events.
If you want to do this, you will be required to pay additional fees, which are negotiable (to some extent). You probably want to arrange any special terms before your visit.
When Is The Best Time To Visit Melasti Beach?
There is no bad time of year to visit Melasti Beach, and while, of course, the dry season is the most popular time of year to see Melasti Beach, you’ll have a nice time in the wet season, too.
On average, during the wet season, Bali sees 9 hours of sunshine a day! It rains for a few hours at the most.
Just check out the weather forecast before you set off for Melasti Beach if you’re coming from the other side of Bali Island.
There is also no perfect time of day for a visit. We love to stroll along Melasti Beach in the early morning when there’s nobody else about it and just enjoy the feel of sand beneath our feet.
However, swimming and sunbathing can be done all day long, and it’s warm and pleasant for the majority of almost every day on Melasti Beach.
The sunsets are also pretty dramatic and spectacular here, so turning up in the early evening to have a drink is just fine, too.
We would note that it’s at its busiest on weekends and at its quietest in the early morning.
What To Expect When You Visit Melasti Beach
Melasti Beach is your “typical” dream paradise island beach. It has a long strip of soft, white sand and some of the cleanest, bluest waters of the Indian Ocean that you can see anywhere.
It has been recently developed and there are plenty of facilities nearby.
While development often means a huge increase in the volume of people and the waste that they create – we would note that Melasti Beach is one of the cleanest beaches in Bali.
The beach is a wonderful place for photographers too and Melasti Beach is one of the top destinations for wedding parties seeking those perfect Balinese beach shots.
The whole beach is about 2 kilometres (just over a mile) long and about three-quarters of the length is sand.
Keep an eye out for the entrance gate which is an old school Balinese style gate and it also looks great on Instagram.
The Facilities Of Melasti Beach
The development activities on this beach have led to plenty of excellent facilities, and it’s become a great place for beachgoers and, particularly, young families.
You can find:
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Toilet facilities – so, please don’t use the sea as a toilet.
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Shower facilities – get rid of the sea salt before you head home.
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Changing rooms – to protect your modesty and the eyes of other beachgoers.
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Warungs – these are local restaurants and cafes, and they offer better value than the beach clubs here.
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Parking – the parking area is huge, and you can easily find somewhere to park. This is included in the entry fee.
What To Bring To Melasti Beach?
You can buy most things that you need at the beach, but you will pay a huge premium to do so.
We’d recommend that you take:
Towels – because unless you’re staying at a Melasti Beach Resort, you won’t get towels included in your entry fee
Swimming Clothes – particularly if you’re not an average Asian-sized person, it’s hard to find swimming clothes for larger body sizes at Melasti Beach (and, indeed, at most beaches)
Sunscreen, sunglasses and a sunhat – because sunburn absolutely sucks, and we’d like you to have a great day out rather than spend time at the hospital with heat stroke and burns.
Cash – so you can treat yourself to snacks and drinks at the local warungs. These aren’t particularly expensive, so there’s no need to bring snacks and drinks unless you want to. You can also rent beach chairs from the VIP beach services if you want.
A trip to Melasti Beach is really about two things:
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Sunbathing – because this beautiful beach is home to gorgeous soft white sands, it’s lovely to lie down and just enjoy the warmth of the Balinese sun. Please be careful, though, as we’ve already noted, sunburn is no fun – use sunscreen and don’t be shy about it.
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Swimming – the sea here is almost a natural swimming pool. It’s calm and shallow and an absolute joy to spend time in. In fact, many people bring their families to Melasti Beach to learn to swim because the water is so safe to be in.
There are also some very pleasant rockpools on the east of the beach, and you can get great views over the Southern Tip of South Bali from the clifftops.
Interestingly, they have built an arena here, and it’s meant to host local dance performances. So, you may not have to go to Uluwatu Temple to witness a Kecak Dance in the future.
Nearby Beach Resorts
If you’re looking to stay near Melasti Beach, there are plenty of resorts in the area, including:
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Tempekan Hotel
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Mule Malu Tropical Stay
However, one place that is nowhere near Melasti Beach is the misleadingly named Melasti Beach Resort & Spa. This is, in fact, in Legian and is a very long drive from Melasti Beach, Ungasan, Bali.
Other Beaches Near Melasti Beach
If you love white sand beaches and want to spend some time beach hopping when you go to Melasti Beach, you’re in luck because there are plenty of other nice beaches within a short drive.
GreenBowl Beach Ungasan
This is a secret beach, and the ocean views here are absolutely wonderful. It’s well worth a visit just for the Instagram shots.
However, it’s quite a small place, and there’s not a huge amount of room for sunbathers.
At high tide, it nearly disappears completely – so check out the tide forecasts before you visit.
Padang Padang Beach
Otherwise known as Thomas Beach, this is a lovely place, but you have to walk down a lot of steep steps to get to the sand.
That means it’s probably not the best option for young families. However, if you do stick out the steps, it’s a gorgeous place, easy to find a sun bed rental, and it’s never crowded.
Blue Point Beach
Blue Point Beach is on the way to Uluwatu Temple and the other Uluwatu beaches, so it’s a no-brainer to stop here.
The beach gets its name from the Bluepoint Villas nearby, and they’re famous throughout the island as they used to be the backdrop of a series of ads for a drink, and the ads had Miss Universe starring in them.
This is definitely a surfer’s beach, not a swimmer’s beach, and you shouldn’t try to tackle the water here unless you are a strong swimmer.
Suluban Beach
You need to walk down the steps past the warungs, surf shops, etc., to get to the foot of the cliff, and then you pass through a cave to reach the beach itself.
It’s a great place for surfers and sunbathing. However, be warned you should only walk around the beach when the tide is on its way out – otherwise, it can be very hard to pass through the cave.
Bingin Beach
Wear beach shoes for this beach as the reefs can be very sharp. But stick to the left-hand side at high tide, and you can swim all day long here.
It’s a reef break, though, so only surf if you are a very advanced surfer.
Bingin Beach is surrounded by expensive resorts and private villa complexes, but the beach itself has no sunbeds and is quite humble.
Dreamland Beach
As the name suggests, this is a Dreamland, but sadly, it’s marred by the amount of rubbish that is dropped all over this gorgeous beach.
It’s a dangerous place to swim, but the surf break is surprisingly mild, and it’s a good place for beginner surfers to learn the ropes.
Sadly, Dreamland Beach is also under heavy development, with restaurants and beach clubs being constructed at a frenetic pace.
This is an example of how you turn paradise into something much less.
Nyang Nyang Beach
This is one of the least visited and most attractive beaches in Bali, but there is a downside to that – you’re going to have to walk a very long way to get there.
It’s not the easiest of walks either, and little children are going to struggle with the steep path. So, you may need to carry them down the hill.
It is a great place to escape the crowds, but there are no facilities, and you need to bring your own drinks, snacks, sunscreen, etc.
Pandawa Beach, Nusa Dua
It has a horrible entrance because they’re building a huge resort at the mouth of Pandawa Beach, but once you get past that, it’s a very pleasant place.
It’s one of the most local feeling beaches, too, with many Indonesian tourists on the beach.
Check out the tidal pool here, which is lovely for kids to play in.
Other Attractions Near Melasti Beach
There are some other awesome attractions nearby, too, and it’s definitely worth visiting these three places:
Uluwatu Temple
Uluwatu Temple is one of the coolest places in Bali.
There are monkeys galore here, some beautiful classical architecture that provides an uplifting spiritual experience and fantastic cliff views over the beaches and surfers below.
It was also once the best place to see a fire dance, and you can catch one there every evening.
Melasti Kecak Fire Dance
However, we’d recommend you go to the Melasti Beach Kecak Fire Dance instead.
It sees fewer tourists and is a less crowded experience, which makes it easier to get some great photos, too.
Garuda Wisnu Kencana Culture Park
The Garuda Wisnu Kencana Culture Park is awesome. It’s home to the tallest statue in all of Indonesia, and you can enjoy local food and cultural experiences here.
Tanah Lot Temple?
No! That’s the wrong Melasti on the other side of the island! Tanah Lot is nowhere near Melasti Beach, Ungasan. Please don’t make that mistake.
FAQS
Is Melasti Beach Free? How Much Is Melasti Beach?
No, but the entrance fee to Melasti Beach is only a few thousand IDR (less than $1 USD), and it’s even less for children.
That means you’re not going to break the bank if you want to visit Melasti Beach, and the fee shouldn’t deter anyone from visiting this beautiful beach in South Bali.
Is Melasti Beach Good For Surfing?
No, not really. You’ll find that it’s a bit of a shifty wave that’s best tackled by advanced surfers, particularly because it catches a lot of swells.
Most top surfers don’t bother visiting, though, as the poor wave quality on Melasti Beach doesn’t make it attractive to them.
We wouldn’t recommend trying to surf this beach if you’re a beginner because it could be a bit dangerous.
There aren’t many water sports facilities at Melasti Beach, and we’d only recommend visiting Melasti Beach if you’re familiar with its pros and cons.
Can You Swim At Melasti Beach, Ungasan, Bali?
Yes! Surprisingly, while the surfing might not be great, the swimming is excellent at Pantai Melasti Beach Bali.
The water is quite shallow, a long way from the beach, and many tourists visit Melasti Beach, Ungasan Bali, just for the joys of swimming here.
It’s almost like a natural swimming pool, and that makes it a great place for beginners and young families to swim.
Is Melasti Beach, Bali, Worth Visiting?
Yes, we think that Melasti Beach, Bali, is very much worth visiting. Firstly, it’s one of the best of the Uluwatu beaches.
Then, there’s the fact that it’s quite literally the Southernmost point of Bali island, so there are some bragging rights attached to a visit here.
We also think it’s a very Instagram-worthy beach, and it will look awesome in your feed and make your friends envious.
The sand here is very comfortable beneath your feet, and it’s a wonderful place to go swimming, too.
If you enjoy sunbathing, a great sunset view and chilling out on the beach, Melast Beach, Bali, is a great place to do it.
Are There Any Restaurants At Melasti Beach, Bali?
Yes. Melasti Beach Bali has plenty of warungs and traditional beach bars and restaurants dotted around the place.
Prices tend to be about the same as in Seminyak or Kuta, though, so don’t expect any real bargains on Melasti Beach.
However, it’s a great place to have a cocktail and watch the sun go down, and that’s worth a little premium, we think.
Is Melasti Beach, Bali Child-Friendly?
Yes, very much so. In fact, Melasti Beach, Bali, is one of the best places to take a family in Bali.
The beach is very clean. It appears that much of the offshore floating garbage refuses to land here, and it needs much less maintenance than most of Bali’s other beaches.
The waves near the beach are very mild, and there are no strong currents, which makes it an awesome place for swimming, particularly with young children.
The water is also quite shallow, so you can let young children explore by themselves. As long as you keep a watchful eye on them, they’re unlikely to have any kind of accident at Melasti Beach, Ungasan.
How Do I Book a Trip To Melasti Beach?
You probably don’t need a guide to get the most out of Melasti Beach. However, if you travel from most of Bali, you will need a private driver and car to get to Melasti Beach, Ungasan.
We recommend arranging your private car and driver through the Bali Res Centre. It’s a locally owned and operated travel agency that gets the best deals on the island most of the time.
Why not visit Melasti Beach, Ungasan, in the morning and then head to FINNS Beach Club in Canggu for a sundowner? FINNS is the best of the world’s beach clubs, and it’s the best beach club in Bali by a mile.
You haven’t really visited Bali until you’ve spent time at FINNS Beach Club.
Final Thoughts On Visiting Melasti Beach, Bali
If you’re thinking about a trip to Melasti Beach, Ungasan, in South Bali, then it’s a trip worth undertaking as long as you’re not expecting to go surfing or do a ton of adventurous water sports on your visit.
White sand beaches like this, with such soft and comfortable sand, are something of a rarity, and that makes Melasti Beach worth visiting all by itself, but there are plenty of other good reasons to visit, too.
We’d suggest making a day of things if you want to come to Melasti Beach and that you visit a few of the other attractions in the area too.
