While the familiar tourist spots of Bukit gather crowds daily, there are still places where you can feel like a pioneer. However, such places are becoming rarer. Gunung Payung Beach, hidden behind Kutuh's limestone cliffs, is no longer a secret.
During the long Id-al-Adha weekend, up to eight hundred people visited each day, and even on weekdays, the number of visitors doesn't drop below two hundred – one and a half to two times more than a year ago. The director of the management company BUMDA Kutuh, Ni Luh Hepi Wiradani, highlighted that the demand is growing specifically for a more "quiet" type of vacation, where there is enough space for everyone.
This surge of interest was also aided by the recent trail reconstruction: the once daunting steep staircase, which lacked handrails, is now decorated with natural wood and covered by a thick canopy, making it both aesthetic and cool. Shuttles also run from the parking lot – you can enjoy a windy descent for 25,000 rupiahs per person.
The beach maintains its reputation as a "spot for your own." During the dry season, the reef in front of the water's edge forms a solid wave for intermediate surfers, and from April to October, tandem paragliders take off from the nearby cliff. Those who prefer less adrenaline-packed activities take a canoe or go snorkeling to the small caves at the southern end of the bay.
The day's budget here remains symbolic: admission costs eight thousand rupiahs for foreigners (four thousand for KITAS holders and locals), motorcycle parking is two thousand, and car parking is five thousand. Warungs sell coconuts and simple Indonesian dishes, so it's best to have cash ready.
You can combine a visit to the beach with other attractions in the south: Gunung Payung is just a twenty-minute drive from the cultural GWK park with its 121-meter Garuda statue, and a little further is Melasti Beach, where the sunset kecak dance begins at six in the evening.
Considering the growing popularity of the "secret" beach, it's best to leave by eight in the morning – then, for the first couple of hours, the turquoise waters and white sand will be virtually yours alone.
Gunung Payung is no longer a secret, but it remains a place where you can capture the rare feeling of solitude in the south of Bali. If you want to experience this balance, hurry up.
Source: nusabali
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