Kecak Fire Dance in Uluwatu
1 / 5
Kecak Fire Dance in Uluwatu - by Sifrianus Tokan on Unsplash
Description
The Kecak Dance taking place in Uluwatu is the most famous such show on the island. It is based on the story of the Ramayana (one of the two major Sanskript epics of ancient India) and is performed in local temples and villages as a dance and music drama particular to the Balinese Hindu culture. It is staged with up to 100-150 people (mostly men) wearing checked cloths round their waist and has its roots in exorcism practices. The fire comes into play for the burning of Hanuman (the Hindu monkey god).
Access & Transport
The show takes place next to the Uluwatu Temple situated on Jl Pura Uluwatu, 14km southwest of Jimbaran beach, 20km west of Nusa Dua and 25km from the Kuta/Legian/Seminyak area.
Instructions & Recommendations
Make sure you arrive before 17h30 so you can get a ticket (starts selling around 16h30 or 17h00) and have time in hand to visit the temple (separate entrance fee). We advise visitors to keep all food, water and sunglasses in a bag to avoid having them stolen by monkeys (this is a very common problem).
Environmental & Social
Environmentally neutral. Tourism helps local Balinese culture to flourish in some sense, but this is a crude commercial exploitation.
Conclusion
Any tourist to Bali should watch a Kecak dance once in our opinion, and the one held daily in Uluwatu provides the assurance of good quality and a unique setting. But it can be crowded and expensive for what it is, so don't feel like you are missing out if you have the opportunity to watch the dance elsewhere on the island.
Key positive
Visually impressive performance
Expensive
Key negative
Can be very busy
Some will find it boring
Suitability
Suitable for all ages but better if children are over 6yrs old. There looks to be a few stairs to access the show area so wheelchair users may require some assistance.
About this Rating
TYPE
Desktop
RESEARCHED IN
June 2024
PROVIDER
Koreval
av. transport time:1h
est. visit time:1h 30m
Monday17:30 - 19:00
Tuesday17:30 - 19:00
Wednesday17:30 - 19:00
Thursday17:30 - 19:00
Friday17:30 - 19:00
Saturday17:30 - 19:00
Sunday17:30 - 19:00