Tourists Scammed Into Paying Entry Fees At Free Bali Beach

Share The Article

Tourists traveling to Bali should always be aware of scams and cons. While Bali is one of the safest tourist destinations in the world, with more than 7 million international visitors arriving on the island every year, opportunistic crime and scams do occur from time to time.

Here at The Bali Sun, we keep a close eye on crime reports and keep our readers up to date with the latest happenings so that a safe and enjoyable vacation in Bali is guaranteed.

There is currently a huge conversation happening online over the alleged extortion of tourists at Uluwatu’s Dreamland Beach. This iconic white sand beach is popular for surfers and sunbathers alike. Dreamland Beach is one of the most famous beaches in Uluwatu, a destination that is seeing an exponential increase in demand from international tourists. 

Earlier this week, video footage of tourists being charged to enter Dreamland Beach went viral, and the conversation around the issue is fraught. The video has caught the attention of local officials who have issued formal statements on the matter to help ensure that both locals and tourists are clear on the rules.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Ivan Zhylak | Remonty | Wykończenia | Warszawa (@budu.love)

In the video, tourists could be seen walking along the lane from the parking spot at Dreamland Beach towards the beachfront. Tourists were stopped by a small group of local people and told to pay IDR 10,000 to enter the beach.

The group has installed a bamboo pole as a barrier to entry and had an old-looking wooden box into which they were collecting the cash. There was no official-looking signage, receipts were not being issued, and they were not accepting card payment. 

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Wonderful Indonesia (@wonderfulindonesia)

Head of the South Kuta Sub-District, Ketut Gede Arta, told reporters, “We actually coordinated on Sunday afternoon regarding the extortion issue after it went viral on social media. We don’t yet know the facts. On Monday, village officials went to the location to check, but no one was there.”

Adding “Because we haven’t directly witnessed the illegal levies, this is still a guess. However, regulations must be followed in tourist areas. We hope everything goes according to plan.” He called for the community to slow down with speculation online and hoped that the issue would not escalate further.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by BALI (@explorebali)

The Head of the Pecatu Traditional Village, Made Sumerta, gave further clarification to reporters regarding entry fees for Dreamland Beach. He confirmed that Pecatu Traditional Village, who oversee the management of Dreamland Beach, does not impose fees. He confirmed that in the past, a pay-what-you-can system, known locally as punia, was in place for parking and vehicle security, but no entry fees. 

Sumerta explained, “Regarding the extortion, I’m not sure if it’s true. In the past, guests’ belongings were often broken into or stolen, such as motorcycle saddles being pried off. At the request of visitors, their motorcycles were kept safe, and then they were given a small service in the form of a small gift.” 

He added, “Essentially, the traditional village doesn’t have any regulations regarding ticket fees; it’s just a donation. Whoever wants their motorcycle guarded? And that’s purely to protect the guests’ belongings, and as far as I know, there’s no coercion.”

Sumerta shared, “To prevent incidents like this from happening again, we have already approached the Badung Regency Government to have Dreamland Beach designated as a tourist destination. We have written to them several times.” 

He concluded by confirming that tourists should not hand over money at beaches or parking lots unless an official ticket or receipt slip can be issued. 

Dreamland Beach is one of Uluwatu’s most popular beaches. It is popular with surfers and sunbathers, and is safe to swim. However, tourists should be extra careful about entering the water, especially at high tide and during tidal swells, as the waves at Dreamland Beach are famously high and crash heavily on the shoreline.