Melasti kecak: worth it?

The short answer

Book it if you are staying in the south of Bali and want one clear look at the kecak with the sea and the cliffs as the set. It suits couples, friends and families, and children under ten go free. It does less well for anyone who cannot manage stairs, anyone whose plans for that evening might still change, and anyone hoping for a temple visit thrown in. You are buying a seat at a beach performance, nothing more, and that simplicity is the appeal: drive down, find a bench, watch the light go, drive back.

What you see in the hour

A kecak tells part of the Ramayana, the Hindu epic in which Prince Rama, with his wife Sita, faces the demon king Ravana. The men of the chorus sit in rings and chant in interlocking rhythms, and their voices are the only music: there is no gamelan orchestra. Inside the circle, dancers in costume play Rama, Sita, the golden deer, Ravana and the monkey hero Hanuman, moving in the gestures of classical Balinese dance. The story is told without spoken dialogue, through movement, expression and the shifting sound of the chorus. Which scenes appear on your night is for the company to decide.

The chorus, voice by voice

The wall of sound has parts. The chorus has set roles: one chanter keeps the beat with a steady "po-po-po", a leader who calls the chorus in and out with sharp shouts, a singer who weaves a melodic line over the top, and a narrator, the dalang, who tells the story, usually in Balinese and Sanskrit. Everyone else chants the "cak" that gives the dance its name, swaying, raising trembling hands and switching from one side of the drama to the other as the scene demands. Watch the circle as much as the soloists; it is the main instrument.

The fire scene

Fire belongs to the kecak's Ramayana, and the Melasti performance is sold as a kecak and fire dance. In the Ramayana, Hanuman is captured in Ravana's city of Lanka, his tail is set alight, and he leaps across the rooftops setting the city ablaze. A kecak stages that moment with real flames. In some performances the dancer playing Hanuman is blessed by a priest and enters a trance for the fire-kicking dance that follows. Sparks can travel, so keep children seated and bags clear of the front.

The setting and the light

Melasti Beach lies in Ungasan, in the South Kuta district of Badung regency, on the Bukit Peninsula at the southern end of Bali. It is a white-sand beach framed by limestone cliffs, and the regency's own tourism pages call it one of the best places on the island to watch the sun go down. The performance is staged on the beach itself. On a clear evening the sky does a good share of the work, turning the cliffs gold behind the dancers; on a cloudy one you still get the chorus and the fire, just with a greyer backdrop.

Inside the price, and outside it

The ticket is an entry ticket and nothing else. It gets you into the kecak and fire dance for the date you choose, it is valid for that date only, and it is sold to visitors of every nationality at the same terms. There is no guide, no transport and no meal attached; one reviewer who booked it points out exactly that, so nobody expects a pickup. Everything that gets you to the seat sits outside the price. Plan for these before you set off:

• The Melasti Beach entrance fee, paid separately at the gate
• Parking for your car or scooter, also paid at the gate
• Transport there and back, which you arrange yourself
• Food and drinks, bought at the beach if you want them
• A passport or ID card, which you need to bring

Why the sale is final

This is the point that catches people out. Most activities on GetYourGuide can be cancelled for free until the day before. This one cannot: once your booking is confirmed it cannot be cancelled, changed or refunded under any circumstances, and the ticket works only on the date you picked. If rain, illness, a late flight or a change of plan keeps you away, the money is gone. Fix your south Bali evening first, check the weather outlook if you can, and book the show last, for the night you are surest of.

Seats, stairs and crowds

Seats are not numbered, so the best benches go to whoever arrives first. Visitors on busy evenings describe a full house and latecomers standing, so come well before the start time shown on your ticket, which also leaves time to pay at the gate and find your way down. Wheelchairs and pushchairs can reach the venue, but stairs lead to the show area itself, so anyone who cannot manage steps should weigh that before booking. If you are carrying a small child, a pushchair will not help you on the final stretch.

Mosquitoes, ID and what to bring

The show runs into dusk by the sea, and mosquitoes are the complaint that comes up most in recent reviews, with one visitor noting that people left before the end because of them. Repellent is the most useful thing you can pack, and long, light clothing helps. A passport or ID card is required too, so keep it with you rather than locked in your room. Beyond that, bring:

• Insect repellent, applied before you sit down
• Your passport or ID card
• Your ticket on a charged phone
• Money for the beach entrance fee and parking
• A light layer and a torch or phone light for the walk back

Getting there, in brief

Nothing in the ticket takes you to the beach, so sort the journey before you book. Indonesia's tourism ministry suggests a private or rented vehicle from Uluwatu or Jimbaran to Jalan Melasti in Ungasan, and a driver hired for the evening is the simplest choice, since the show ends after dark. The paved road down to the sand winds through the cliffs and narrows in places. If you ride a scooter, parking at the gate covers motorbikes too. Whatever you choose, agree how you will get back before the chorus starts, because the whole audience leaves at once.

Read next: Getting to Melasti Beach

Who this isn't for

Skip it if your date is uncertain, because nothing about the booking bends once it is made. Think again if anyone in your group cannot manage stairs, or if a full evening of tightly packed benches and insects at dusk sounds like hard work. If you want the kecak as part of a temple visit, with a driver handling the roads, a sunset tour to Uluwatu Temple suits you better. And if you are looking for a quiet, ritual performance for a local congregation, this is not it: it is a show staged for visitors.

Read next: Melasti hour or Uluwatu night?