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Uluwatu is known is its epic cliffside landscape, making it a hot destination for sunset. There are two popular cliffside bars that many other visitors recommend during their visit to Uluwatu. One of them is called The Rock Bar and the other is Single Fin. As a solo traveler, going to bars isn’t really my thing, but I figured I might as well see what all the hype was about. So this is my experience at both bars, the good and the bad.

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The Rock Bar

The Rock Bar is part of The AYANA Resort and Spa. It is reviewed as the top spot for sunset in Uluwatu, so naturally I went to this spot first. The pictures online looked really good, and it looked like a cool place. Very promising.

From my hotel, I took a Grab motorbike taxi to The AYANA Resort. At the entrance, before you even enter the grounds, there is a gate with a security check. After passing through security we got lost because there isn’t any clear path to the actual hotel. So we drove around and eventually someone told us which way to go.

When I got dropped off at the entrance, I noticed that everyone had their own vehicle and I was literally the only one that came on a motorbike taxi. And that everyone was very well dressed. The concierge checks your bag again before you enter the hotel. Apparently you can’t bring umbrellas inside or any large camera equipment. After all that, I finally got to walk inside, and the first thing you see are the stairs that lead down to the waterfall walkways.

This path is like a fountain pathway that eventually leads to the entrance to the bar. But there are also shops thrown in, in case you want to buy stuff along the way. There’s no way of getting lost because places you aren’t supposed to go into are roped off. There is a clear distinction between being a hotel guest and just coming for The Rock Bar.

Sunset Hour

Once making to the bar, the host will ask for a reservation. I clearly didn’t have one nor did I know that was thing. So I was given a number. This number is a queue to go to the bar. I know, that doesn’t make any sense, I didn’t know it at the time either, but there’s two different levels of The Rock Bar. The first level is higher and like a waiting area to go to the actual bar which is at a lower level on the cliffside.

This higher part also has a bar where you can ‘pre-game’ if you will and watch the sunset. Also warning, there are a ton of people here doing the exact same thing. The Resort is popular with Chinese tourists so there were a ton of different Asian groups all trying to take selfies, because we know how those Asian tourists are…

The staff was nice and helping others take pictures, asking if they wanted anything to drink. I spent the time taking some pictures and wandering around the grounds. There isn’t much to do while you’re waiting. I seemed to be the only one that came alone, so it was quite boring since everyone else was with their family or partner.

After Sunset

Once the sun went down, the bar queue started to form. I was confused on to where to go because I didn’t know where the actual Rock Bar was. It was all a very confusing layout. I showed someone my number, which apparently was already call, so I was ushered into the line to take the incline elevator down to the bar.

I spent another 30 minutes waiting in line. The elevators are slow and small. They can only hold 10 people at a time and there’s only one to go down and one to go up. I somehow made my way to a table overlooking the ocean and sat down. And waited. And waited some more. Before I eventually just decided to leave. No one came up to me to give me a menu. I was disappointed that the entire time was just spent waiting. I didn’t drink anything and it wasn’t that exciting or top notch as the internet was making it sound.

Evening

So I got up and queued again to go back up the elevator, and back up the winding path to the hotel entrance. I asked the concierge if a taxi would be able to pick me up from here and he said they aren’t allowed past the gate. So…this was the reason why everyone had their own vehicle at the beginning. I thanked him and just started walking along the road to the gate, in the dark with my phone as a flashlight.

Then a guy in a golf cart came up beside me and offered to drive me the rest of the way to the gate. Turned out he was the General Manager of the whole resort. His name is Clive and he asked me how my experience was, so I told him is wasn’t that great and that’s why I was leaving. He apologized and even offered to set me up with a reservation for another night. I accepted, but I never went back because the first experience was more real than having everyone know you had a bad time the first time.

Single Fin

Single Fin is a restaurant by day and party place by night. They offer booths that you can rent for large parties in the evening and bottle service. It has a very surfer chill vibe and I think it appeals more toward the younger crowd. It’s also situated above the best surf spot in all of Bali, so you’ll see a ton of surfers and all their equipment along with surf shops set up within the cliffside.

I decided to check out Single Fin for lunch and skip the whole sunset in Uluwatu thing here. Again I took a motorbike taxi to this bar as well, which again was probably not a good idea, because there wasn’t any service on that side of the island. And Bali just isn’t a walkable place.

At the gate, there is a small fee to enter (5,000 IDR) and another fee for parking (2,000 IDR) which I didn’t have to pay since I was on a taxi. The Blue Point Hotel and Spa is the largest hotel near Single Fin and Suluban Beach which explains the gate. The charges are fees for the beach. There’s also smaller home stays and boutique hotels all geared toward the surfer.

Lunch

Once making it inside Single Fin which was a short walk along the cliffside. The host will take all drinks you have with you like water. You’ll see a large collection of water bottles on his table from people already inside. I sat at a bar overlooking the ocean and ordered food within 10 minutes. I decided to try the Chicken Tacos and cold pressed juice called the Single Fin Sunrise. In my opinion, I thought that the portions were small and there were only two tacos served with the order.

The service was quick, and the restaurant was crowded and full. I was in and out in a short time, because there were more people waiting to get in. Sometimes it’s a big benefit to travel alone and eat out because you don’t take up much space.

Single Fin has its views going for it because there isn’t anything blocking the ocean which would make it a great place for sunset in Uluwatu. After I finished lunch I went down to Suluban Beach and walked over to the hidden Thomas Beach.

Read about my beach guide to Uluwatu to find out what those beaches were like.