Uluwatu Temple & the Kecak Fire Dance

Pura Luhur Uluwatu is one of Bali's six great directional temples, the sad kahyangan believed to protect the island from evil spirits, and it has one of the most dramatic settings of any sacred site in Asia: a narrow headland of pale limestone at the south-western tip of the Bukit peninsula, rising sheer out of the Indian Ocean. The temple is associated with the sixteenth-century Javanese priest Dang Hyang Nirartha, who is said to have attained enlightenment here, though its origins are older. Visitors cannot enter the inner sanctum, but the walk along the cliff-top paths is the highlight: the walls drop straight to the surf far below, frangipani trees frame the temple gates, and the long views up the coast catch the evening light beautifully. The forest around the temple is home to a troop of long-tailed macaques famous for snatching sunglasses, phones and hats, which they often trade back for food — keep everything in a closed bag. Then comes the Kecak. Every evening, in an open-air amphitheatre on the cliff, a chorus of around fifty bare-chested men in checked sarongs sit in concentric circles and chant a hypnotic, interlocking cak-cak-cak, while costumed dancers act out an episode of the Ramayana: Prince Rama, his wife Sita, her abduction by the demon king Rahwana, and the rescue led by the white monkey Hanuman. Kecak in this form was developed in the 1930s from an older trance ritual, and in Uluwatu it is staged with the sun setting into the ocean behind the performers. The finale, when Hanuman is surrounded by burning coconut husks and kicks his way out of the flames, is pure theatre. It lasts just under an hour and is not easily forgotten.

Tickets and timing: there are usually two Kecak shows each evening, an earlier one timed for sunset and a later one when the fire is more dramatic in the dark. Show tickets cost around one hundred and fifty thousand rupiah for adults and are sold in cash at the counter, but they sell out on busy evenings, so pre-booking is wise. The Tiqets ticket is for the Kecak and fire dance show only: you redeem your voucher at the Kecak counter for a paper ticket that tells the story, and it offers free cancellation up to a day ahead. The temple entry fee is separate, a modest cash charge paid at the gate, and you need it to reach the amphitheatre. Arrive an hour before the show to walk the cliff path in the golden light; seats are unreserved benches, and every row has a view.

Getting there and back: Uluwatu is at the far end of the Bukit peninsula, around forty-five minutes from Seminyak or Canggu and an hour or more from Ubud, and the narrow roads become badly congested at sunset when every show-goer leaves at once. Book a driver who will wait, or take a sunset tour that includes the temple, the show and transfers. If you are staying on the Bukit, the clifftop beaches below Uluwatu and Bingin make a perfect afternoon before the show.

Dress and etiquette: a sarong and sash are lent at the entrance and must be worn, even for the show. Do not climb walls or lean over the cliff edges for photographs; the drop is real. In the wet season, an outdoor show may be shortened or affected by heavy rain, so bring a light rain jacket and check conditions on the day.