Uluwatu Is Shaping Up To Be Bali’s Hottest Destination For The Festive Holidays

Share The Article

Bali’s Uluwatu is busier than ever right now. The once quiet surfing retreat is now a hustling, bustling resort that welcomes thousands of excited holidaymakers every day.

As the Christmas and the New Year holidays approach, the resort is bracing to host its biggest festive season yet. 

Uluwatu is a destination known for luxury beach clubs, exceptional surf beaches, gorgeous boutique accommodations, and stunning clifftop temples.

Tourism attractions and tourism businesses across the resort are getting everything ready for a huge influx of tourists in December. 

The latest travel data recorded at the resort’s biggest cultural attraction, Uluwatu Temple, shows that tourists are eager to explore everything the Bukit Peninsula has to offer, whether cultural, historical, or simply for leisure. 

@maddyslatt Top things to do in #uluwatu! Save this for your trip to #bali 🫶 #uluwaturecommendations #uluwatubeach #uluwatutemple #uluwaturestaurants #uluwatukecakdance #baliguide #balirecommendation #balirestaurant #balitravel #visitbali #thingstodouluwatu #thingstodouluwatubali #balibible #balitravelguide ♬ Kho Gaye Hum Kahan Lo-fi – Dj Atmos

The Manager of Uluwatu Temple, Wayan Wijana, told reporters that Uluwatu Temple is currently welcoming between 4,000-6,500 people a day.

Naturally, weekends are busier and these figures are way higher than even this time last year, when the average daily visitors sat between 3,000 and 4,500 people.

Wijana said, “Because the current conditions are in the mid-season in October.”

“We hope that in November-January it can increase further.” He predicts that by the end of the year Uluwatu Temple alone will have welcomed over 1.5 million visitors.

@evie_hudson A day of surfing, coconuts, scooters and sunshine 🌞 #bali #uluwatu #balivlog #indonesia #thingstodoinbali ♬ Originalton – ˚₊‧ 🎧 ‧₊˚

He added, “Astungkara [with faith and hope] in the first semester has reached 600 thousand visitors. “Hopefully, our target can be achieved.”

Currently, Uluwatu is most popular with tourists from Australia, India, China, and France in that order, followed by visits from neighboring countries in South East Asia and across Europe. 

Keen to ensure that all 1.5 million visitors have a positive and memorable experience at Uluwatu Temple, Wijana and his team have been investing in improving facilities at the leading tourist attractions.

Wijana explained, “Additional facilities have been included in the master plan of our Badung Regency government, including the expansion of the parking area which was previously limited. We are preparing 2.5 hectares which were purchased by Pecatu Village officers.”

@miaandtheworld Make sure you save these places to your bali Uluwatu itinerary #bali #balithingstodo #baliitinerary #baliitenerarytrip #balihiddengem #baliresort #ulu #uluwatu ♬ Just How You Like It – K.A.D & Kak Hatt

With the peak vacation season just around the corner, room occupancy rates across Bali are increasing.

It’s clear that if tourists planning their visits have their sights set on specific hotels, guesthouses, and even tourism experiences, booking as far in advance as possible will help prevent any disappointment.

Just across the Bukit Peninsula in Nusa Dua, room occupancy for the Christmas and New Year holidays is already hotting up.

Between July and September, the main high season for travel in Bali, room occupancy across the resort town sat around 85%.

Over the Christmas and New Year holidays, experts anticipate room occupancy soaring further.

Both Uluwatu and Nusa Dua are far more popular with international tourists than domestic tourists; the Christmas holidays in Bali typically see over one million arrivals over the two weeks between 18th December and New Year’s Day.  

The Head of The Nusa Dua, I Gusti Ngurah Ardita, told reporters “We are optimistic that the occupancy rate for the fourth quarter of 2023 can be maintained above 80% in line with the busy agenda that will take place and the Christmas and New Year holidays.”

Though Bali is a majority Balinese Hindu island, and Indonesia is a majority Muslim country, Christmas is a festival that is honored and celebrated across the province, largely due to the strong influence of international tourism over the last 60 years and the slowly increasing Christian population across the archipelago.

There are hundreds of festive events held across the island, and all hotels celebrate the day with their guests in ways that blend the international traditions of Christmas and the tropical influences of the Island of the Gods.