Bali: The Hidden Green Bowl

We made a mistake when we arrived and started our Bali trip: we traveled at the start of the rainy season.

Well it was not entirely our fault. The rainy season was due to start and we live in a different island. Moreover, according to comments from our friends who live in Bali, the weather forecast can’t be trusted as the weather tends to drastically change, but they did warn us about possible rain in the evenings.

Our particular fourth day in Bali was the least blessed, but we still feel blessed to be able to still enjoy it 🙂 Our day started with clouds covering the sky, which explains why our Garuda Wisnu Kencana photos are so dark. After that visit, following our original plans, we headed south towards Green Bowl beach.

Green Bowl is a hidden beach in Bali, located under a steep cliff that can only be accessed by descending 200 steps of stairs. As it directly faces the Indian Ocean, it is known for its strong waves if you swim further from the shore, which makes the beach quite popular among surfers. However, as it is hidden, it is not yet popular, hence the low number of visitors.

Descending the stairs towards the beach

We squealed with excitement and joy as this was the only planned moment to go to the beach. We loved the fact that there are almost no visitors in this beach.

The sand was white and the waters were a murky shade of blue. In the photos we found online, the waters were blue. We looked up to the sky and found the reason of the murky color: the skies were grey and rain was to fall in no moment. The waves were particularly strong, as it seemed a storm was approaching. But we decided to just enjoy our stay and hang around.

Adding brightness to the photo revealed how the sea and beach would look like on a sunny day

As these were beaches located under a cliff, they were sure to be quite rocky, despite the picturesque colors. Rocks piled up on one side and revealed marine life. Lines on the cliff and rocks reveal the height that the sea could reach during tide. It felt like a biology lesson on the spot.

Rocks and cliffs

Under the cliff were small caves where, according to what we found online, were home to bats. These caves provided shelter for the visitors. In one of the caves, there were offerings dedicated to the spirits of the caves. Bali is known to be a very religious island and Hindu is its main religion. In this island, offerings can be found in a lot of places, even by the roadside. In this case, as people come to the beach, offerings are placed in one of the caves: to protect the visitors of this beach.

The caves

The offerings were located on several rocks in this cave

As Fi and I changed into our swimsuit, we felt light rain falling and we looked up again. It was getting darker. But it had been days since we last been at the beach, so we went ahead. Strong waves immediately hit us and the sea was getting restless. A huge shell came from the sea with a strong wave, and it hit my ankle and left it with a scar. We both decided to bathe for a few minutes before taking cover in the caves, as rain started falling even harder.

When we went up to our rented car, rain fell so hard we were soaked. Luckily, we brought an umbrella.

Getting soaked in the rain while at the beach isn’t bad at all, you know.

xoxo,

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Green Bowl Beach
Jalan Pura Batu Pageh, Ungasan, Kuta Selatan,
Kabupaten Badung,
Bali 80361, Indonesia

Tips: So much depending on the weather. Best time to visit would be in the late afternoon but depending on the tide, it could get very dangerous. So stay alert on the weather forecast!