Having done Nusa Penida (read here), it was now time to visit South Bali. For this, we decided to base ourselves around Pecatu for 2 nights. The main place that we wanted to visit was the Uluwatu Temple and watch the famous Kecak Dance. The most famous show is the one held around the Uluwatu temple complex.

The Uluwatu Temple is perched on a 70-metre cliff and is considered one of Bali’s sacred sea temples. We went to the complex in the late afternoon. You can see the temple behind us on the cliff in the pictures below.

We spent time walking the path on the cliffside to take in the views. Uluwatu is also infamous for its naughty monkeys. They snatch objects including glasses and phones, if you are not careful. And then getting it back can be tricky. So be careful of them.

Next we went to see the Kecak Dance. It is a traditional Balinese performance that features around 50 bare-chested men sitting in concentric circles, rhythmically chanting “cak-cak-cak”. It dramatizes scenes from the Hindu epic, the Ramayana. The show focuses on Prince Rama’s quest to rescue his wife, Sita, from the demon king Ravana, aided by Hanuman.

The performance at Uluwatu temple are done in two shows; one around sunset and one after that. We chose to see the one at sunset, as we imagined the set with the setting sun would be grand. And it did not disappoint, to say the least. Here are some photos of the show:

The show is interactive in parts. According to me, the character Hanuman steals the show with his energy and presence. Be ready to have him run into the audience stalls as part of the show.

The show we caught was from 6PM. Each show is roughly 1 hour. Given the popularity of the show, one will need to get there atleast 30 to 45mins before the show starts to get your desired seats. It is best to book your seats online earlier. We had booked through GetYourGuide.

The next day, it was time start our journey back home. They had a funky art piece at the airport that we could not resist clicking.

Our hearts were content with all the wonderful experiences we had in the 2 weeks. We had thoroughly enjoyed our stay in Bali!