Uluwatu Kecak Dance & Jimbaran Bay

Our trip to the southern part of Bali brought us to the famous cliff-hanging Uluwatu temple, a Kecak Fire dance and a seafood dinner at Jimbaran Bay.

Monkey, no swiping!

My girls got a bit nervous about going to Uluwatu and it was all because of monkeys! Roaming freely around the Uluwatu Temple, these monkeys were notorious for snatching visitors’ belongings like spectacles, cameras, and bags. Tour guides were seen shooing away the monkeys. Luckily, none of our stuff got swiped.

Look at how mischievous the monkey looked. It was probably trying to figure out how to take my camera away from me. Thankfully my camera had a strap that slung across my body.

Tip for families: Don’t let your kids carry anything, or wear loose items like a cap or hat. Don’t put on spectacles if possible. If you can’t survive without spectacles, consider fastening it to a strap.

Uluwatu Temple

After walking through the temple and past the “monkey obstacle”, we got to see the Uluwatu Temple from afar, perched on top of the cliff.

The view of the cliffs overlooking the Indian Ocean was far more impressive than the tour of the temple itself.

Can you see the red umbrella in the photo below? That was the venue of our next stop – the Kecak Fire Dance.

Kecak Fire Dance at Sunset

One of the popular tourist attraction at Uluwatu was to watch the Kecak Fire Dance that took place every evening from 6 to 7pm. We were lucky we arrived early and got good seats with a perfect view of the sunset. The place got so packed that many tourists did not even get seats.

The Kecak Fire Dance, also known as a Monkey Dance, was performed by about 50 men sitting around a circle, sounding a special rhythm “cak cak cak” in acapella style, while the rest of the performers staged a drama. No musical instruments were used. The monkey prince was a bit cheeky and leaped amongst the audience. Poor hubby got a “lap dance” from him.

I enjoyed the outdoor setting with the fire dance in the foreground and a stunning view of the temple and the Indian Ocean at dusk in the background.

The show got more exciting at the end when the monkey prince leaped over blazing hot fire.

Overall, I must say that it was the most dramatic show amongst the three traditional Balinese shows that we watched (The other two being Barong & Kris Dance and Legong Dance).

Dinner at Jimbaran Bay

After the show, it seemed like everyone who watched the Kecak Fire Dance headed for Jimbaran Bay. It felt like hours getting there via a barely-moving single-lane road. When we arrived, my youngest had already gone into slumberland.

Jimbaran Bay is another tourist destination famous for its seafood dining on the beach, with sand beneath our feet and thunderous waves crashing so close to our table. Bus loads of tourists packed the line of restaurants at the bay.

We got a set meal with a selection of seafood and a tiny lobster.

To be honest, the food was just average. I was particularly disappointed with the sambal chilli that lacked the punch I expected from an Indonesian eatery.

I was especially shocked when I got the bill. It was twice the price I would typically pay in Singapore! Definitely not value-for-money. I suppose we had to pay a premium for the location, the ambience, the balinese dance, and the musicians serenading diners with everlasting songs.

Next day: Bali Safari and Marine Park