GWK and the Kecak fire dance at Uluwatu
An afternoon at GWK Cultural Park and its dance show, then Uluwatu's clifftop temple and the Kecak fire dance as the sun goes down over the ocean.
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The places you visit
In the order we visit them, each with its photo and what happens there.
Stop 1GWK Cultural Park
Garuda Wisnu Kencana is the statue you see from the plane — 121 metres of the god Wisnu riding the eagle Garuda, on a hill above the airport. The park around it is cut from the limestone of the Bukit: wide plazas between cliff walls, a lotus pond, and a terrace with a view across the south of the island. You walk the plaza, climb the steps to the statue, and see the carving of the base up close.
Stop 2Balinese dance at the GWK amphitheatre
The park's amphitheatre runs a programme of Balinese dances through the day — the Barong, the Legong, short pieces in full costume with a live gamelan. It is the easiest way to see classical Balinese dance: seated, in the shade, with the guide explaining the story before each piece. The performance you see depends on the time of your visit; the guide will tell you what is on that day.
Stop 3Uluwatu Temple
A sea temple on the edge of a cliff seventy metres above the Indian Ocean, at the south-western tip of the island. The path runs along the clifftop with the waves below it the whole way, and the temple itself sits at the end. The monkeys here are famous for taking sunglasses and hats — the guide will tell you what to put in your bag. A sarong is required and is lent at the gate.
Stop 4The Kecak fire dance at sunset
The Kecak is performed in an open-air arena on the cliff beside the temple, timed to the sunset. There is no gamelan — the music is a choir of fifty or more men chanting "cak" in rhythm while the story of the Ramayana is acted out in the circle they form: the princess Sita, the demon king, and the white monkey Hanuman, who ends the piece among burning coconut husks. It is the performance most families say was the highlight of the trip.
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Rather plan the day yourselves? Take the car and the driver-guide on their own: eight hours for 500,000 rupiah or $30, and you choose where the day goes. Ask about the driver service How the driver day works
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