As someone that lives in Bali and has been to nearly everywhere on the island, I am constantly fielding enquiries from friends, relatives, and readers about the best places to stay. As a long term resident of Nusa Dua, many of those enquiries are, is Nusa Dua or Uluwatu better? This is a simple question to answer, but also one with a lot of follow up questions. Because both places, while beautiful and recommended for a Bali holiday, are also totally different.
So what are the differences that make either Nusa Dua or Uluwatu better? A lot if it comes down to geography, and what you can do in both places. There is also a big difference in access and travel time from places such as the airport. The vibes and general area that you will stay are different. Below, I will do a deep dive into a few of these things and more.
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Table of Contents
- Nusa Dua or Uluwatu – An Overview
- Nusa Dua – Pros and Cons
- Uluwatu – Pros and Cons
- Getting to Nusa Dua or Uluwatu
- Where to stay if…
- Summary
Nusa Dua or Uluwatu – An Overview
Nusa Dua is better for families or couples searching for a resort vacation on a beautiful beach. Uluwatu is better for outgoing types that enjoy surfing, staying in a private villa, and eating out at hip cafes and restaurants.
There is a lot more to it than that, but in a nutshell, that’s the quick answer I would give to most people upon first enquiry.
On a map, Nusa Dua and Uluwatu appear to be very close. They are both on the Bali Bukit, a small piece of land that sort of hangs off the bottom of southern Bali. The coastline is different at both though, with Nusa Dua being mostly flat, with beaches right out front of the string of 5 star resorts. Things are classy and more expensive in Nusa Dua, as the incredible scenery and easy access comes with a price tag.
Not far out of Nusa Dua, the coastline ramps up into massive, high cliffs skirting the brilliant beaches far below. Uluwatu is famous for these cliffs. The viewpoints are incredible, and adorned with cafes, restaurants and beach clubs with views. Resorts are not as popular here, with villas the go to accommodation. Surfing, and surf beaches are the way of life, but in Uluwatu they are a lot more difficult to access than Nusa Dua, with stairs down cliffs, narrow gangs weaving between villas and cafes, or even a trek down into a cave that opens onto a beach.
When it comes to choosing Nusa Dua or Uluwatu, there are a lot of things to take into consideration. In the end, you have to answer the simple question – what type of holiday are you looking for?
Nusa Dua – Pros and Cons
As with anything there are pros and cons, and when deciding is Nusa Dua or Uluwatu better for you to stay, it’s a really good place to start. So let’s look at Nusa Dua first.
PROS
- The ITDC – this closed, gated and security conscious parkland area is home to the majority of resorts in Nusa Dua, and is probably the safest, cleanest and most maintained area in Bali.
- Inclusive resorts – get full packages for your entire stay, with everything included.
- Best for families – as comes with resorts, they are fantastic for families with things like babysitting, kids clubs, variety of pools, and the beach areas.
- The beach – with no doubt, the beaches at Nusa Dua are the very best on the island. Golden sand and glorious water that is safe to swim with no big surf, rips or currents.
- Quiet and exclusive – You won’t get harrassed at Nusa Dua like you might in Kuta or Legian. Enjoy the beach with no pushy sellers, and staff that are polite and courteous.
- Great for exercise – the wonderful beach walk along the front of the resorts runs for 6 kilometers, so put the shoes on and check out some of the other resorts along the way.
- Easy access – Nusa Dua is in a great area with easy access to the toll road, airport, Sanur and beyond.
CONS
- Can be expensive – the resorts in Nusa Dua include the Grand Hyatt, Sofitel and Club Med. They are high end resorts, offering exclusivity, and a price tag to match.
- A long way from restaurants and cafes – if you want to leave the resort to eat, then you better catch the taxi, even to the local shopping center at Bali Collection. Unless your resort is right next door, of course.
- No real market shopping – if you are coming to Bali to shop, Nusa Dua doesn’t have it right on your doorstep like you will find in other areas.
Uluwatu – Pros and Cons
So now, let’s look at Uluwatu.
PROS
- Great surf – Uluwatu was built on the back of the world class surf, and nothing has changed. Even Kelly Slater chooses to stay in Uluwatu when he is on the island.
- The Villa life – if you love staying in villa style accommodation, then you will love Uluwatu.
- Hip restaurants and cafes – the surfing and nomad community would accept nothing less, with some of the best restaurants and cafes in Bali. Especially if you like good burgers and pizzas, or prefer acai bowls and smoothies. They specialize in it all. Some of the coffee shops are so good people come for miles away to check them out.
- Beach Clubs – there are some great beach clubs around the Uluwatu area, as well as neighboring Jimbaran and Pandawa Beach areas.
- Views – arguably the best views and sunsets in all of Bali are at Uluwatu. I personally rate my top 3 sunsets as being from several Uluwatu cliff locations.
- Uluwatu Temple and Kecak Dance – The temple is iconic in Bali, and the Kecak Dance famous for a good reason. It’s simply unmissable.
- The Beaches – Different to Nusa Dua, but just as good. Not as safe for families with the surf getting quite large, but if you surf, are a good swimmer, or just love having a cold drink at the beach, they are perfect.
CONS
- Everything is a bit spread out – Staying in a villa means going out for breakfast, lunch and dinner on most days.
- The access – Honestly, it’s terrible. Uluwatu is difficult to get to on the best of days. But if you are only staying there and not going far, it could be perfect for you.
- Traffic – One road in and out of Uluwatu can make the traffic bank up in peak periods. Although Uluwatu is very laid back and casual, getting around can sometimes be a chore. Only sometimes though.
- You need transport – you really need your own scooter or transport to make things economical in Uluwatu. Depending of course on where you stay and what you want to do.
Getting to Nusa Dua or Uluwatu
One of the things that you have to consider when deciding is Nusa Dua or Uluwatu better, is the access to both.
Firstly, from the airport.
To get to Nusa Dua from Ngurah Rai International Airport, you will travel via the Toll Road across the harbour. On a late arriving flight, you can be in the resort area (ITDC) at Nusa Dua within 15 – 20 minutes. I have actually done it in 10 minutes before, but that was with NO traffic at all. The toll road makes traveling from the airport to Nusa Dua very fast.
Then, once you are within the ITDC – the private resort enclave in Nusa Dua – you are at your resort within seconds.
This fast travel from Nusa Dua helps if you are going on daytrips too, as the toll road is right on your doorstep. It can shoot you right across to Sanur in minutes, and give you a kick start to your day away from Nusa Dua.
Getting to Uluwatu from the airport
Uluwatu is another story altogether.
To get from the airport to Uluwatu, you will take the Ngurah Rai Bypass, and then turn off to travel in and through Jimbaran. The road up past the GWK Cultural Park is always busy, and unless you are traveling later at night, your trip can take up to an hour, depending upon where you are going.
Basically, there is only one major road into and out of Uluwatu. There is a back road across to Nusa Dua, but this would make your trip from the airport even longer, with Nusa Dua 20 minutes away on a good traffic day.
So if you are choosing between Nusa Dua or Uluwatu, keep in mind that if you are planning daytrips on your holiday AWAY from your resort/Villa to other parts of Bali, Uluwatu will make that a lot harder.
The new ring road
Something that locals on the Bukit are watching apprehensively is the new “ring road” that has been in the planning stages for some time.
This road will come into Nusa Dua off the end of the toll, and cut straight through to the tops of the cliffs, where it will skirt the cliff for a while and then dive down to the bottom of the cliff, traveling to Uluwatu via a “sea bridge” not unlike the one south of Sydney in Australia. Once at Uluwatu, the road will come back to the tops of the cliffs, and travel back in a loop to Jimbaran.
How this will change traffic is yet to be seen, but two things are clear.
The advent of the ring road will open Uluwatu up to a lot more people, tourists, and tour groups. Nusa Dua, however, is likely to remain a little pocket off to one side, and may benefit as a result, maintaining its lazy, resort lifestyle ambience.
Where to stay if…
Here are a few scenarios that may assist you when trying to decide is Nusa Dua or Uluwatu better for you?
You are a family
Nusa Dua. Hands down.
Nusa Dua has the resorts that offer everything neatly bundled in a package. It may be more expensive, but the ease of having it all in one spot outweighs everything else. Try checking out places like the Westin Resort, or the Merusaka for more affordable resort options.
You love surfing
Uluwatu.
Not that Nusa Dua doesn’t have surfing. There are some good little breaks right out front of some of the resorts, and if you get a local boat to take you out to the reef, the Nusa Dua break is wonderful at the right time of the year.
But Uluwatu is world famous for surfing for a reason. Try heading down to Suluban, where you access the break by climbing down through the famous cave and paddling out. For beginners, Dreamland is perfect, with places like Bingin and Balangan offering something for everyone.
You just want to lounge in a resort
Once again, Nusa Dua.
The beaches front right onto the resorts here, and the resorts give you everything you could want in spades. Beautiful pools, Idyllic beaches, beach bars and even beach clubs. You don’t have to go far from your room to find a spot to soak up the sun, put your head into a book, or just laze by the pool with a cocktail.
For a good summary of where to stay in Nusa Dua, check out THIS article.
You love being close to cafes, restaurants and surf beaches
This is Uluwatu.
In Nusa Dua, you will find everything in your resort. Sure, you can catch the taxi down the road to some good restaurants and a café or two, (like THIS location) but that isn’t what staying in Nusa Dua is all about.
In Uluwatu, you have an endless supply of classy restaurants and Cafes. Everyone who is anyone can be found every day in places such as Nourish, or BGS, seeking great coffee, lunch or dinner. At times, dining out in Uluwatu can be a who’s who of famous surfers, bloggers, or local legends just kicking back and enjoying the laid back Uluwatu vibes.
Summary
When deciding is Nusa Dua or Uluwatu better for you, take a lot into account. Both places are very different, and choosing between them shouldn’t be hard if you know what sort of holiday you are looking for.
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