Where To Stay In Uluwatu: Our Uluwatu Accommodation Guide

Wondering where to stay in Uluwatu? Uluwatu has stunning white sand beaches, clifftop views, breezy cafes and some of Bali’s best beach clubs. It even has incredible cultural sights like Uluwatu Temple. But its contagiously laid-back attitude is perhaps one of its best traits. You can’t help but feel relaxed here. Not to mention that Uluwatu has some of the most amazing accommodations in the world, from cliff-edge resorts to beachside hotels. In our accommodation guide, you will find the best places to stay in Uluwatu, including our favourite luxury resorts, hotels, and villas, along with the best locations.

Contents

- The Best Areas To Stay In Uluwatu
- How Long To Stay
- Is It Worth Staying In Uluwatu?
- Booking Accommodation
- Accommodation Guide: The Best Places To Stay In Uluwatu
  - Splurge: Luxury Hotels In Uluwatu
  - Luxury Hotels For Less
  - Best Hotels Under $200/night
  - Best Hotels Under $100/night

Where To Stay In Uluwatu? Best Locations.

Uluwatu is a large spread-out area in the south of Bali. Although it’s a great place to stay in Bali, the main thing to keep in mind is that you may be fairly isolated in some areas. You will either have a long walk or need some form of transportation to get to a cafe, beach or beach club.

The main areas of Uluwatu and the Bukit Peninsula are Padang Padang, Uluwatu Beach/Suluban Beach, Bingin Beach, Balangan Beach/Dreamland Beach, Nyang Nyang and Ungasan/Melasti Beach.

So which side of Uluwatu is best to stay in?

Padang Padang

If you don’t have your own transport, then the best area to stay in Uluwatu is in Padang Padang. More specifically, in accommodation located along or near the main road of Jalan Labuan Sait, preferably around the middle or closer to the beach end of the street. Keep in mind, this is a long, hilly road, so obviously, the closer the accommodation is to the beach end, the easier it is to walk to the beach if you don’t have transport.

This area is home to some of our favourite cafes and restaurants, as well as stunning beaches. Some of our favourite places to eat are Drifter Cafe and The Loft.

You can walk to Padang Padang Beach, which is known for surfing and can be good for swimming as well. Thomas Beach is nearby but you would need to organise transport to get here, as a bonus one of the best cafes in Uluwautu, Suka Espresso is near Thomas Beach so you could do both at the same time. You can also walk to Bingin Beach in about 20 – 30 minutes from Padang Padang, depending on exactly where your accommodation is.

So as you can see, you have quite a lot of walkable options in Padang Padang. And you can arrange a driver for when you want to visit other areas, restaurants, beaches or beach clubs.

Bingin Beach & Suluban Beach

If you do have your own transport, then the best location to stay in Uluwatu is Bingin Beach or the area around Suluban Beach/Uluwatu Beach. Again, these areas have amazing places to eat, beautiful beaches and a great laid-back vibe.

Bingin Beach feels like a cosy little beachy community. You can have a casual dinner on the beach at one of the seafood warungs. There are some great places to eat like The Cashew Tree, Gooseberry, Banana Lounge, and Kellys Warung. It’s one of our favourite areas in Uluwatu.

The area around Suluban Beach (also known as Blue Point Beach) & Uluwatu Beach feels a little more spacious. It’s home to a great beach club with incredible food, Ulu Cliffhouse. Another restaurant we absolutely loved in the area is Mana Uluwatu. And of course, this is where you will find the iconic clifftop bar, Single Fin, one of the best spots for sunset views. In the area, you can also visit Uluwatu Temple and see the Kecack fire dance.

Ungasan & Melasti Beach

Ungasan and Melasti Beach area can be quite isolated, so we would mostly recommend staying in this area if you’re staying in a luxury resort that has most of what you will need for your stay.

The area is also home to some of the best beaches in Bali along with many beach clubs where you can spend the day, like Sundays Beach Club, Karma Beach Club & Palmilla Beach Club.

Balangan Beach & Dreamland Beach

This area is home to some beautiful beaches, but perhaps slightly more isolated in terms of what else is in the area. If you have transport and don’t mind using it to get to most cafes and other things to do in Uluwatu, then Balangan Beach and Dreamland Beach might be great picks.

If you don’t have your own transport, I would give these areas a miss, unless you’re staying at a luxury resort.

Nyang Nyang

The area surrounding Nyang Nyang Beach can also be quite isolated. Although the hard-to-get-to beach is beautiful, we think Nyang Nyang is best if you’re staying in a 5-star hotel and planning on spending a lot of your time there.

Which Area To Stay In Uluwatu For A First-Time Visit?

For a first-time visit to Uluwatu, the best areas to stay are Padang Padang or Bingin Beach. Both of these areas are in a prime location with plenty of dining options and are near some of the most popular beaches. They have a great vibe and you will get a nice introduction to Uluwatu.

Beach Or Inland?

Even within each area mentioned above, the areas can be quite spread out. We would recommend staying close to the beaches rather than more inland, as often the inland options can still be quite remote in terms of what’s surrounding them.

Some hotels in Uluwatu have access to their own private beach, some are near beautiful public beaches, and some are clifftop hotels with ocean views, which you may still need to get transport to a beach.

So when deciding on Uluwatu accommodation, for easy access to beautiful public beaches, the best areas would be those near Bingin, Balangan and Padang Padang Beach. For access to beautiful private beaches or beach clubs, our pick would be the Ungasan area, and hotels like Alila Villas Uluwatu, Ungasan Clifftop Resort and Bulgari Resort Bali.

How Many Days Do You Need In Uluwatu?

We would recommend at least 2 – 4 nights, but you could also spend much longer and have a really laid-back holiday. The beauty of Uluwatu is how relaxed it is, and you can’t really experience that in just one night.

Two nights is ok if that’s all you have time for, or if you just want to see what it’s like. But four nights is a great way to spend your days at the beautiful beaches in this area, eating your way through the delicious cafes, spending the day at a beach club and exploring the area. When deciding how long to stay in Uluwatu, keep in mind you will either need your own transportation or to arrange private transportation when needed.

Is It Worth Staying In Uluwatu?

It’s absolutely worth staying in Uluwatu. Although you can take a day trip here and still enjoy some of the beautiful beaches, laid-back cafes, and beach clubs, the real beauty of Uluwatu lives in being able to slowly soak up the laid-back atmosphere and let each day unravel. Uluwatu is best enjoyed over time, not rushed.

Not to mention the incredible accommodation options in the area, from clifftop resorts to luxury villas and thoughtfully designed beach shacks.

Booking Accommodation

Booking.com

We love using Booking.com, it’s one of our favourite ways to book Uluwatu accommodation and they have a great range of options, from luxury hotels, boutique hotels, villas and homestays.

Uluwatu Accommodation Guide

We have had the opportunity to stay in some incredible hotels in Uluwatu, and have spent quite a bit of time in the area as it’s one of our favourite places in Bali.

We believe where you stay can have a huge impact on your holiday, whether you stay in 5-star hotels with incredible views, boutique hotels with an unforgettable design or more affordable places to stay that are clean, friendly and in a great location.

Our picks for the best places to stay in Uluwatu below are based on our favourites that we have stayed in, knowledge of the best hotels and their specific locations, lots of research, reading reviews, hearing from you and putting this all together with our own experience.

So here are our favourite picks for where to stay in Uluwatu Bali…

Please note: Prices are per night in AUD and were accurate at the time of this post.