Kelingking Beach is one of the most famous beaches, not only in Indonesia but in the whole world. The beautiful T-rex-shaped beach lies on the small island of Nusa Penida, just a short ride from Bali.
The surrounding tall and steep cliffs make this place one-of-a-kind. The crystal-clear turquoise waters only add to the charm of this whole place.
We often felt disappointed when we visited some of the beautiful beaches only to learn that the color was photoshopped. It’s not the case with Kelingking Beach! It looks incredibly stunning with no filter at all!
A lot has changed since we visited this place. Soon, this won’t be an untouched natural attraction, due to the construction of a glass elevator by the Chinese. That makes now the perfect time to enjoy the paradise while it’s still pristine!
In this guide, we’ll talk about Kelingking Beach, the entrance fee, getting there, how to climb down and provide many other useful tips for your visit.
The famous T-rex Beach – Kelingking Beach
Kelingking Beach is one of the most famous beaches, not only in Indonesia but in the whole world. We’ve seen it on the internet many times before coming here. But nothing can compare to standing atop the cliff and witnessing this beauty with your own eyes.
It looks even better than we could ever imagine! Towering cliffs, turquoise ocean, and waves crashing along the shore… It felt like we just found a paradise.
I was surprised to learn that the beach was only discovered recently in 2003 by foreigners. Thanks to Instagram it quickly gained its fame. Now you’re probably wondering how is it possible that no one really noticed this beach before.
The answer is closely related to the history of Bali. The legend says that Macaling, a demon king practicing black magic was exiled from Bali to live on Nusa Penida with his demon army.
Many locals fear him and believe his spirit still dwells over the island today, bringing illnesses and misfortune. That’s why many Balinese did not wish to inhabit Nusa Penida island.
Where does the name come from?
Most people know Kelingking Beach as T-rex Beach. The place got this name from tourists because the shape of the peninsula resembles a Tyrannosaurus rex.
However, Kelingking actually translates to pinkie, like the pinky finger on your hand. Locals gave it this name.
Kelingking Beach Entrance Fee
Surprisingly, Kelingking Beach has no entrance fee. However, you will have to pay a small parking fee. For motorbikes, it’s around 5,000 IDR. I’m not sure if car parking is more expensive.
Is swimming allowed?
From reading older blogs, it seems like it used to be allowed to swim on the beach a few years ago. If I remember correctly, during the time of our visit, there were signs prohibiting swimming.
While there’s no guard (at least there wasn’t one when we went down) I would recommend following this rule for your own safety. The waves and currents are too strong in the area, and unless you’re a confident swimmer, it’s not safe.
Very often strong and high waves are clearly visible from the coast, scaring off most tourists. However, the real danger comes when the water is calm. Despite looking so inviting, the undercurrent is extremely strong and can easily pull you away.
This brings us to another important topic.
Staying safe on Kelingking Beach
As long as you use common sense and respect the rules, visiting Kelingking Beach can be perfectly safe.
However, some tourists take their need for the perfect Insta photo too far, risking their lives. I’ve read in the news that a Russian girl fell off a cliff when trying to take a photo.
But more common than that are the accidents caused by the strong currents and waves. Lots of tourists underestimate the power of nature, which resulted in many injuries and deaths over the years.
In 2024, a group of three friends from Qatar entered the water only to be quickly swept away. This led to a search and rescue mission. While two of them were only injured, one lost his life.
This is just one of many similar cases happening every other month. Keep this in mind and respect the local rules.
Recent fires on Kelingking Beach
In 2023 a huge fire broke out at the cliffs surrounding Kelingking Beach. It left 25 tourists stuck down at the beach, as the trail leading back up was burned, too. Fortunately, the fire was put out within a few hours and tourists were unharmed.
However, it left a still-lasting mark on the whole area. If you look at the older photos of Kelingking Beach, you’ll see the cliffs covered in lush green. Today,it’s clearly visibible where the fire took place. The ground is brown, orange, and black instead.
The possible cause of the fire is a cigarette disposed of while still burning. I hope this sends a clear message to all the smokers out there.
Best hotels on Nusa Penida
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Things to do on Kelingking Beach
Despite being just a beautiful beach, the area offers a few different activities to enjoy during your visit. We easily spent the whole morning exploring all that Kelingking Beach has to offer.
TIP: Don’t have too much time and need to decide between Thailand and Indonesia? Make sure to check out our comparison of the two!
Explore different viewpoints
Most tourists stop at the first viewpoint, which you’ll reach upon arrival. As we came very early in the morning, we were almost alone and could enjoy the views all to ourselves.
But if you come later in the day, it rather looks like a fight for the spot along the cliff. In order to escape the crowds, we recommend walking along the coast and exploring all the different “hidden” viewpoints.
We walked along the coast up the stairs and followed a dirt path, taking us towards the left. As we kept walking through the bushes, occasionally, we could glimpse views of the T-rex shape.
Soon, we reached wide openings with incredible views of the beach from above.
Climb down to the beach
Climbing down to Kelingking Beach is not an easy task. In the past, there were just simple bamboo railings and steps in the mud. Today, a cemented staircase is present in the first part.
The stairs are tall, narrow, and irregular. We held onto the railing on the side. Once we reached the bottom of this section, the path took us down the hillside to the beach. This was the toughest section.
The stairs disappear, and the whole path consists of rocks and mud. Luckily, a few ropes and unstable railings helped us descent. It only took us around 15 – 20 minutes to reach the bottom.
Keep in mind that return is easier technically and mentally. But it certainly requires a lot of energy in the heat. We made it back to the top in 20 – 25 minutes. Don’t forget to bring plenty of water with you.
Definitely don’t plan your hike for the noon, when the sun is at its strongest.
If you’re a hiker, you’ll love the even more challenging Mount Rinjani trek on Lombok island.
TIP: If you plan to climb down, make sure to wear steady shoes. Trainers would be the best choice. We both had sandals on and managed to survive but it was slippery. Flip-flops are a no-go.
Walk along the ridgeline
If climbing all the way down seems too demanding or scary, we recommend climbing at least a few stairs and getting to the ridgeline. It also offers incredible views and it’s not as demanding.
If you’re traveling with kids, you can also do it! Thanks to the path not being too narrow, the stairs, and the railings it’s the safest part of the climb.
Visit Kelingking Beach cave
If you managed to get all the way down to the beach, bravo! Once at the bottom, there’s not much to do. Swimming is prohibited, so you can only walk around or sunbathe.
An attraction not to be missed is a small cave at the beach. Not only it’s an amazing hide from the hot sun, but it’s also a great photo spot.
Watch Manta Rays
Nusa Penida is famous for the possibility of diving or snorkeling with Manta Rays. They are all around the coast, but you can meet them more often in certain places.
While Kelingking is not such a spot, you might have the luck of seeing Mantas floating underwater. We could see a group of three of them swimming in the waves while enjoying the views from the top of the cliff.
Bungee jumping
Did you know you can also go bungee jumping near Kelingking Beach? A newly opened Extreme Park Bali offers an unforgettable experience of free fall from a 130-meter tall cliff.
Operated by experienced jumpers who even hold a few different records, you don’t need to worry about your safety. The price of one jump is around 150€. I recommend taking a look at their Instagram to see what you can experience.
Kelingking Beach elevator
You might have heard of an elevator being built by the Chinese. We, as well as locals, are devastated that the local government would allow such a thing.
Kelingking Beach is regarded as one of the most beautiful beaches in the world. But its natural beauty will soon be compromised by a controversial 180-meter tall glass elevator. In addition, several glass viewing platforms and similar structures will be installed.
The first stone was already laid in July of 2023. The construction has already begun, and you can see a huge yellow crane on the cliff.
Kelingking Beach photography tips
If you’re a photographer looking for the best conditions to photograph the famous Kelingking Beach, this paragraph is for you.
If you’re chasing the best light, the obvious choices are sunrise or sunset. As usual, sunrise usually means fewer people.
Due to the orientation of the beach and cliffs, the sun doesn’t shine directly on the beach in the morning hours until early afternoon. Keep this in mind when planning your photoshoot.
If you have a drone, you’ll be happy to hear that you can fly in the area. Play around with different angles to get unique shots, too.
Best time to visit Kelingking Beach
Best time of day
When it comes to the best time of the day, the earlier you come, the better. We planned our visit right after sunrise and came as the first guests. We only shared the main viewpoint with two or four other tourists for more than half an hour.
This gave us plenty of time to take as many photos as we liked and enjoy this place in its quiet atmosphere.
At around 8 am, people had already started to arrive. We climbed down to the beach where we spent some time. When we returned to the top at around 11 am or 12 pm, the amount of people shocked us.
So in order to enjoy the beach the most, recommended times would be before 9 am, or possibly after 4 pm when most day tours have already gone.
If you plan to hike down, make sure to avoid the hottest hours of the day.
Best time of year
As long as you’re after the perfect weather and don’t mind slightly higher prices and more crowds in return, the dry season between May and October is the best choice.
If you’re willing to have flexible travel plans and don’t mind some rainy days, you’ll like the monsoon season. January is usually the wettest month.
Packing essentials
In order to get the most out of your Kelingking Beach visit, we recommend to pack following items:
- proper shoes if you hike down (sneakers are the best, but sandals will do)
- a lot of water
- snacks
- cash
- quick-drying towel
Our favorite photography equipment includes:
How to get to Kelingking Beach
From Bali
If you’re staying on Bali, you’ll first need to catch a speedboat to get to Nusa Penida. Most speedboats depart from Sanur port and the journey takes between 30 minutes and 1 hour.
The seas are often rough on this route, so prepare for it properly by taking the sea-sickness pills. The rides between Gilis, Nusa Penida, and Bali were definitely the craziest we ever experienced.
While there are many choices available, we decided to go for Axe Stone and were happy with their service.
We always prefer using 12Go for any train, bus, and ferry tickets in Asia. It’s a reliable company with great prices and you won’t get scammed easily.
From Nusa Penida
Rent a motorbike
Renting a motorbike is our favorite choice whenever we’re exploring the tropics. If you’re okay with driving a scooter yourself, this is the cheapest and most flexible option.
We recommend Doel Hadi Rental, whose prices start at 80,000 IDR. Their shop is right near the pier, which makes it a convenient choice.
I found that many blog posts about Nusa Penida emphasize how bad the roads are, and don’t recommend renting a scooter. I believe these must be older posts as during the time of our visit the roads were in great condition, with only a few holes.
However, I must admit they can get narrow at times.
Hire a private driver
If you don’t feel like driving the scooter, hiring a car with a private driver is also a great choice. Obviously, it’s gonna be more expensive than a scooter unless shared with a group of friends.
Our recommendation is the GetYourGuide offer, which starts at 50€ per group per day.
Join a tour
For a completely hassle-free experience, there’s an option to join a guided tour. With multiple options either from Nusa Penida or Bali, it’s really easy. We recommend this Nusa Penida highlights tour to see all the best attractions on the island.
Best Nusa Penida tours
Nusa Penida Highlights
The perfect tour to choose if you want to see all the most beautiful highlights of Nusa Penida island in one day with no hassle. The tour offers options for pick up both on Bali and Nusa Penida. It’s the best-reviewed option available.
Included stops:
- Kelingking Beach
- Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong
- Diamond and Atuh Beach
- Rumah Pohon Treehouse
- optional add-ons
Private Snorkeling Tour
If you prefer to go on a tour more focused on snorkeling, this Nusa Penida private snorkeling tour is by far the best option. After the pick-up in Sanur port on Bali, you’ll sail to some of the best snorkeling spots on Nusa Penida.
You’ll also get free underwater GoPro photos and videos! How awesome is that!
The tour includes:
- Manta Bay
- Secret Bay
- Wall Bay
- Mangrove Point
- Nusa Lembongan
- Kelingking Beach
Where to eat
- Warung Madeva – A local restaurant with incredibly delicious meals.
- Warung Pengkolan Klingking – Homemade local food made from fresh ingredients.
- Melt Kitchen – Apart from local food, they also serve pizza, burgers, and some Japanese meals.
Nearby attractions
Broken Beach & Angel’s Billabong | Some of the most popular attractions in Nusa Penid’a. Angels Billabong is a tidal infinity pool, where you can watch huge waves crashing on the cliffs. Broken Beach is popular for its unusual shape.
Tembeling Forest | Another less-known spot perfect for relaxation in nature. You ride a motorbike through an enchanting forest to the coast. There’s a beautiful natural pool built right on the beach, with incredible views.
Peguyangan Waterfall | I’d say this hidden gem deserves a place on the list of top Nusa Penida attractions. After climbing down the cliff by the infinite stairs, you’ll find a small temple with three sacred infinity pools overlooking the ocean in which you can swim.
Frequently Asked Questions
Kelingking Beach became so famous due to its unusual shape, reminding people of a T-Rex. It’s also known as being a place of untouched natural beauty.
The beach is certainly worth a visit! Together with Broken Beach and Diamond Beach, it’s one of the most beautiful attractions on Nusa Penida Island! Despite a lot of effort required, I also recommend climbing down to the beach.
Drones are allowed in the whole area, giving you a perfect opportunity to capture some stunning photos!
Kelingking Beach lies below a cliff that is approximately 150 meters high.
Due to strong unpredictable currents and huge waves often present, it’s not possible to enter Kelingking Beach by boat.
Final thoughts on Kelingking Beach
Kelingking Beach is certainly one of the most beautiful beaches we’ve ever seen. It’s a pity one can’t swim in this pradise. The beach is yet another proof how dangerous Nusa Penida’s beaches are.
Other than that, we had an amazing time exploring the area and enjoying the sunny day. I hope this article will be of great help to you when planning a trip to the famous T-Rex Beach.
Let us know in the comments what are your thoughts on the recent construction plans and whether you look forward to the new elevator.
