Green Bowl Beach
Uluwatu, Bali, Indonesia
Green Bowl Beach sits at the base of a cliff on Bali's Bukit Peninsula in Indonesia, near Uluwatu, named for the moss covered rocks that appear at low tide and give the bay its color. A long flight of stairs is the only way down, and the beach itself all but disappears at high tide, so the whole visit depends on timing.
The tide pools and surf make it worth the climb when timed right, but the steep stairs and tide dependence mean it's inconsistent enough that locals treat it as a special trip rather than a regular stop.
Check the tide chart before you go. At high tide there's barely a sliver of sand left at the bottom of the stairs, while low tide opens up tide pools and a proper stretch of beach worth the climb.
There's a small parking area at the top of the cliff near the stairway entrance, with a modest entrance fee, reachable by scooter or car from Uluwatu.
Getting down means a long, steep staircase cut into the cliffside, several hundred steps, with no alternative route and no accommodation for strollers or limited mobility.
The dry season from April through October brings the best surf and the clearest water, while the wet season from November through March brings more rain and less predictable swell.
More Asia Pacific beaches
Sanom Beach
Koh Lipe, Satun, Thailand · Asia Pacific
Sanom Beach sits at the far southern end of Pattaya Beach on Koh Lipe, Thailand, reached by a wooden walkway over the rocks once the main beach runs out. The sand is quiet compared to Lipe's busier strips, backed by shade trees, and the resort here is run by local Urak Lawoi sea gypsies rather than an outside chain.
Bamboo Bay
Koh Lanta, Krabi, Thailand · Asia Pacific
Bamboo Bay, also called Ao Mai Phai, is the last beach before Koh Lanta's national park boundary, a two kilometer curve of sand at the island's southern tip in Krabi province, Thailand. Big boulders break up the shoreline in places, the water stays clear enough to see your feet, and by evening the day trippers have mostly cleared out.
Sunset Beach
Koh Kradan, Trang, Thailand · Asia Pacific
Sunset Beach is the quieter western shore of Koh Kradan in Trang province, Thailand, a short walk across the island from the long main beach that gets most of the attention. There's less wave action here than on the east side, the swimming stays calmer, and as the name promises it's the spot locals and the handful of resort guests head to for the evening light.