Work Begins On Controversial Cliffside Elevator In Bali’s Nusa Penida

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It has been a big week for Nusa Penida, especially the clifftop overlooking their world-famous Kelingking Beach.

Work has begun on the new 182m glass elevator and viewing platforms that will be built on the cliffside, and foundations have been set for a new housing project overlooking the bay too. 

The Nusa Penida Glass Elevator is a project that was first tabled in 2023. The announcement of the project garners a whole host of mixed emotions from Bali lovers with many local communities, and tourists openly voicing their dismay at the idea.

Many local leaders gave their backing for the project, citing economic development, employment, and tourism development as the reasons for their support. 

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The first stone for the project was laid in late 2023 and was attended by regency leaders, the local community, and the private investors behind the project.

The construction will see an 182m glass elevator shaft installed, traveling from the very top of the Kelingking Beach Viewing Point down to the beach itself.

While designs show that the elevator shaft will be constructed in one 182m shaft, there will be several viewing platforms built into the cliffside, the walkways, and lookout points at various stages down the cliff face. 

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Many Bali lovers have been vocal about their fears about the environmental impact of this initiative and the impact installing such high tourism infrastructure would have on the island of Nusa Penida.

As construction on the project is starting seriously now, these concerns have been renewed, especially in light of the recent construction landslide at Pemutih Peactu Beach in Uluwatu.

The cliffside at the Mirah Development Group construction site for the new Amali Luxury Residence collapsed into the beach below, destroying the ancient cliffside and temporarily blocking access between the iconic Bingin Beach and Impossibles Beach. 

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The Nusa Penida Glass Elevator is being developed as a partnership between Karang Dawa Traditional Banjar in Bunga Mekar Village and the Chinese investment company PT Bina Nusa Properti (PT BNP).

Only a few details of the project were shared with the press during the initial press conferences in July of last year. It was revealed at the time that the construction contract dictates that PT BNP employs a construction team that is made up of at least 50% local labor.

Some critics of the project said that the economic benefits of the development cannot be outweighed by the potential negatives of the environmental damage the project may lead to in the long and short term. 

Leaders in Bali and the central government have assured us that the project will be completed with strict adherence to the rules and regulations of Indonesian law when it comes to construction and development.

The Head of the Bali Tourism Office, Tjok Bagus Pemayun, told reporters in July 2023 “We hope that the Klungkung Regency Government will closely monitor the glass elevator construction process. Ensuring the stages of development are in accordance with applicable regulations.”

He added, “Regarding the construction of this glass elevator, we hope that the supervision will be even tighter so that it doesn’t have a bad impact on Bali’s image.”

This work is getting underway at Kelingking Beach at a particularly sensitive moment in Bali. Just under a year has passed since the first announcements for the Nusa Penida Glass Elevator, and the conversation around tourism development in Bali Province has continued to evolve.

For the last few weeks, even more leaders and tourism stakeholders have been coming forward, voicing their concerns about rampant tourism development and spatial planning issues on the island. 

Kelingking Beach also has already hit the headlines this week as it became clear that work has started on a new housing development that overlooks the world-famous panorama.

The permits for the development were first lodged in 2019, and images published on citizen journalism social media accounts show how the land has been cleared, and the first round of landscaping has been undertaken, with the clifftop leveled appearing ready for foundations to be poured in the coming weeks.