Uluwatu lies on the southeastern tip of Bali which is famed for its beautiful cliffs, beaches and of course, surfing too. The rolling waves have consistently attracted avid surfers, since Bali was first discovered by tourists, contributing to its laid-back feel, even to this day. Like many much-loved destinations, development goes hand-in-hand with discovery and unsurprisingly luxury properties are now found in Uluwatu atop the cliffs, where the million-dollar commanding views are at their best.
The name Uluwatu comes from ulu, meaning 'lands end' and 'watu' meaning rock. The region is very open and spread out. It is not dominated by wall to wall boutiques and local warungs hawking standard tourist wares to take home. But there are great cafes and bars and restaurants. You just have to drive a bit to get to them.
Location
Uluwatu is on the southeatern tip of Bali and 34 kms or about 30-45 minutes from Ngurah Rai International Airport. It lies just below Jimbaran.
History
The history of Uluwatu can be traced back to the 11th century when the Pura (Luhur) Uluwatu temple was built as the edge of a 70 metre high cliff. The temple (or pura in Balinese) was dedicated to Achintya (also known as Sang Hyang Widhi Wasa, the Supreme God of Indonesian Hinduism on the Island of Bali. According to folklore, the temple sits on a rock that juts out from the cliff which is said to be part of a petrified ship that belongs to the hindu water goddess Dewi Danu, one of the supreme deities in the Balinese traditon.
It was many years later, in 1972, before Uluwatu was truly discovered for tourism, somewhat by accident. This was due to the prodution of the surf film Morning of the Earth by Alby Falzon and David Elfick , considered a classic amongst surf enthusiasts. Though the film was meant to showcase surfing around Kuta beach, they stumbled upon Uluwatu a few days into production. No roads existed then. Everything had to brought with them, even past the temple and down the cliff. When the film was released on 25 Februry, 1972, the surfing world saw Ulutwatu for the first time. And the rest...as they say...is just history.
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