On my previous posts 5 Tips to enjoy Bali not as a tourist and My 5 Favorite Beaches in Bali, I mentioned several times why I don’t like Dreamland Beach anymore that now has a new baptized name : New Kuta Beach. Located on the Bukit Peninsula, Bali – only 10 minutes motorbike drive from my Jimbaran house, Dreamland Beach was once spotted and found by some western surfers back in the 70’s. They’re the ones who love to discover the hidden beauty of the island, to find great surfing spots even locals didn’t know about. The beach provided basic accommodations (really basic in a hut shape, local style bath room, no aircon, just a hammock and magnificent ocean view) and cafes for surfers and day trippers. One of the most beautiful beaches on the island, it is also renowned for its dangerous shorebreak.
It is the site of the failed Pecatu Graha development, planned by the youngest son of the former President Suharto. As of 2008 this is an active building site with all the previous Warungs having been levelled for a hotel complex (source:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dreamland_Beach). Here are some photos that thankfully I had a chance to document them before the hotel and the new leisure spot contractor did their abracadabra to my magical Dreamland.
Dreamland Beach in 2004
Dreamland Beach in 2004
Yes, it used to be some good looking tanned skin italiano girls and surfers who came to this place. Sometimes, we’re the only locals wearing full cloths among the sun bathers. To get to the beach (no pain no gain, in finding beautiful hidden beaches in Bali!), you have to hike down a narrow stairs, and on the last couple of stairs, usually Ibu Wayan from Surya Cafe would greet me and she’s the only parasol hire and warung owner I love to chat with.
Ibu Wayan from Surya Cafe who used to greet me and let me use her bathroom, where is she now…
To get your way back, you need the strong legs and the right breathing technique (my husband, Benny is a marathon runner and a mountain climber, he didn’t seem to lose his breath walking back the crazy stairs!)
And today, the new investor has ‘darely’ changed Dreamland into NEW KUTA BEACH with a golf course, a condotel operated by Best Western, and this what made me upset the most! To get to the beach you have to access it through KLAPA, an event venue (more like a failed KU DE TA wannabe to me!) and pay Rp 15,000 for car parking and an entry fee to the club at Rp 75,000 per person!!!..Back then on the Dreamland era you only had to pay Rp 5,000 if you come by car, and free for motorbike riders, and the money went for the village community.
The New Kuta Beach aka lost dreamland..
Now those glowing topless skin of italian girls and gorgeous surfers have gone, they’ve probably moved to another deserted beach I know where :), Dreamland..I mean, New Kuta Beach is now a hang out place of Jakartans, big student tour buses from Java and other part of the country, and a commercial place to do a video clip shooting of Indonesia’s singers or movies.
It is no longer a dream. It is a game-changing reality, at least that’s what the KLAPA owner is proud of. The place is also designated for some tourists who are willing to pay overly priced food and beverage (Jemma & Chris, thank you for the drinks, the bitter lemon soda was a thirst quenching, and spending time with you is priceless!).
So sad to see developments like this.
Mike’s last blog post..Bali Spirit Festival
First time I saw this beach in 2001, its amazing view that I’ve got … there are no building over there 🙂 ..
Agree! Dreamland = Lostdream.
Robin’s last blog post..Awkward Family Photos
@Mike, @bartcatapult, @Robin, thanks so much for your comments. It is absolutely a disaster to Dreamland and to Bali as well. I wonder how far those investors would go to the so called ‘development plan’ in Bali. They should hand in hand build a better Bali, NOT build IN Bali…
I too have enjoyed Dreamland beach for years pre concrete jungle – sad to see times change but with a bit of searching other very nearby gems can be found 🙂
Sad to see these new “developments” leaning to western styles also – the Warongs were just fine.
I shall be back to Bali again this year for my 4th year visit (my girlfriends 15th!) and looking forward to returning to my favourite place on earth. I have some more pictures of Dreamland if you want a glimpse of the past
just as kuta & legian beaches back in 1978…… when only nature ruled – to reach these beautiful God given beaches one took naturally set sandy pathways surrounded by swaying coconut n banana trees….. it was so beautiful -& to hear them sway…. sea breezes stroke your face….. hmmm….
… but now – shops ‘n more shops, resorts n more resorts, not to mention ppl more n more of them.
it’s sad — there are things that should simply stay the same…. guess they do so only in our hearts..
Very sad. There are still nice places to visit in Bali, but there are less of them now. rgds.
.-= Tempo Dulu´s last blog ..The expat guide to Indonesian women =-.
I am sitting at KLAPA right now using their free internet, and as the only bule’ here on the deck chairs at 11.30 am on a Saturday morning (I am waiting for my boyfriend to finish surfing) I fee like a circus elephant with heards of Indonesian tourists 10cm from my face taking photos with their Blackberries and filming me typing on my computer! What the…..?!?!
Definitely not the relaxing, high end location I thought it would be. In fact the staff are letting the screaming children and heards of families cause a ruckus and out of the 100 or so people lazing around, approached ONLY me with a menu, to try and persuade me to buy an overpriced bevarage.
The venue is gorgeous, but the clientele do nothing to add to the serenity, and the gentle Indonesian flute drums and bird music is being drowned out by screetching Ibus and their disobedient children.
Next time I will stay downstairs at the warung.
Dear Hollie,
I am so sorry that you’ve experienced this in Bali. Yes, Dreamland or..should I say New Kuta Beach is a tragedy for me. The way the investor renamed this beach revealed the intention of having the same scene we see every single day in the Real Kuta Beach : domestics tourist filming ‘bule’/foreign tourists in bikini, as for them – you are a ‘spectacle’, a show…
I hope this situation will not deter you from exploring more of beautiful hidden beaches in Bali, you might want to read my blog post about My 5 Favorite Beaches in Bali for your reference 🙂 http://www.risanto.com/beeamazing/my-5-favorite-beaches-in-bali/
Coming to klapa on the weekend equals to what you’ve experienced today. Yes, next time, if you still want to enjoy dreamland (because the beach is so beautiful indeed), just hang out at SURYA CAFE warung with Ibu Wayan as the owner (pictured on this blog post) or others warungs as it will give you more insights on Bali than you could ever get from just enjoying the overpriced food ‘upstairs’.
Enjoy your stay on the sunny island!
Thanks Bee.
I had actually been to Dreamland before and only stayed downstairs at the Dreamland warung – and it was very relaxing! It was also on a weekday, so I didn’t experience tour bus after tour bus of people flocking in and filming the bule spectacle!
I used to live in Jakarta, and had heard from a Javanese friend that Klapa was the ‘latest place to be’, so I should have known what he meant by that, being Javanese!
Despite Tommy Soeharto’s attempt at ruining the natural landscape, it’s good to see the beach is still glorious, and no one can take that away, not even him!
I think it only adds salt into the wound that it has been renamed ‘New Kuta Beach’ – as if Kuta Beach is a development that needs to be replicated!
I live in Bali now and there are many amazing places in this beautiful island, and it does not deter me from thinking any less of the Balinese people- it just makes me respect them even more for their resilence towards the centralised Javanese-centric government.
Surya cafe is definitely on my list for next time!
Cheers,
Hollie
after staying in jogja for 6 year, i finally came back to Bali ~ and the first beach i go to is dreamland… but when i see it, really dont like it any more–the building, the dirty river, the expensive parking lot, the crowd;) lot of local seller offering sun glasses, shirt, surf course, surf board…sighhh
but at least the beach is still clean^^
@Vidya : and so the new ‘owner’ od the land called this place “New Kuta Beach”…Their magic spell did work..:(
setujuu,,
sangat berbeda jauh saat pertama kali (sekitar 6 taun lalu,pas SMA) dan sekarang,, area publik jadi area komersil,, yg sekitarnya dulu alami sekarng penuh dengan beton2,,huhu,,sedikit tidak rela,,tapi memank begitulah yang tampak,,
maaf comment dengan bahasa indonesia ya mbak gabby,,tak bisa berenglish ria,,haha..
Hi Nyoman, thanks for your comment. Dreamland has changed too much, yes, I understand you got very dissapointed with the current situation so called ‘development’ in the area. Back in the days when you and your high school friends used to come to this place for a quite time, this beautiful beach was haven!..sad..
Hi Bee,
I just arrived in Bali yesterday and booked a night in Seminyak – but I don’t like it here! The beach is AWFUL. COuld you please tell what your SECRET BEACH is? I’m desperate to go somewhere with white sand and clear waters, with bungalows/ villas on the beach!
THANKS!
My email is sarahrlink@gmail.com
Sarah.
Hi Sarah, you can go up to Uluwatu area where you will find some beautiful white sandy beaches along the coastal line : Suluban Beach, Blue Point, Padang Padang Beach. But you came right in the middle of the peak season where Bali is packed with tourists, even the quite beach can be occupied with national tourists from Java, Sumatra etc…
Last year, I was at Bali.. But, to short.. a few days.. Today, i miss Bali alot! 😳
gutted.. my wife and i stayed at wayann and mannies(surya) warong for three weeks in 2002/3. we had the double room next to the kitchen. living on wayanns chickin and mayo toasties and noodles, waking up to the surf. incredable. she had a little jack russle called doggie, the only clean dog on the beach.
apart from the kids being born, they are without a doubt the best days of my life.
so that is why last time i came there it was like a wreck, i was talking with the people there and there some dispute between the developer and the locals, they somewhat want to get rid of the ‘warungs’
Pity, I haven’t visited the beach when it was still a dreamland ..i’m excited to read about your 5 most favourite beaches though, coz i’m coming this weekend.
This is a great place for surfing but please do not make the mistake I did and try to snorkel the reef further up the beach. It looks a good place to do it but there is a very dangerous rip that is so powerful you have no chance to get out of it. I am only here due to a random stranger hearing me shout and a girl walking past the usually deserted stretch with a board.
I’ve never been to Dreamland beach. Last year I intended to pay a visit but I ended in Balangan beach…haha…and now I’m glad I didn’t get to Dreamland, to think how crowded it is now.
I love Balangan, though I see some villas along the road to the beach, but I believe judging by its totally remote location, it will take quite some time until it is ‘destroyed’ by heartless companies 🙂
Thanks Bee, you have an amazing blog about Bali!
I came here of course because I’ll visit Bali soon and I am thinking to hire a motorbike or a scooter and zip around to explore new beaches!
Do you think is a good plan do to that in February?
Any advice to a friendly italiano?
(btw, why you often speak about italian girls?)
Ciao from Venice!
Tommaso
Hi Tommaso! Come to Bali anytime of the year, as long as you don’t count on Kuta only. Most of italian expats or tourists love to stay in Seminyak, Kerobokan, Canggu – it’s close to the beaches. Sticky Fingers cafe owned by an italian guy in Canggu is one of the hang out place to be for italianos. Why did I love to mention Italiano girls so much, because they are pretty, and they’re the ones we often see at Dreamland Beach, back then…But now they’re all gone because Dreamland has changed and turned into ‘new kuta beach’…Ciao!
Hi,
good article, setelah saya baca beberapa artikel di blog ini kadang2 saya merasa tersinggung, banyak sekali yang istilahnya “blaming” javanese. I am javanese, and sometimes i am not proud of what most javanese people do in Bali. tapi toh ga semua orang jawa bertingkah kurang menyenangkan. Mungkin bisa dikurangi lah kata2 javanese, kok terdengar seperti diskriminasi.
Ya mungkin sedikit saran saja, biar blog yang sudah bagus ini jadi lebih bagus 😀
cheers
Hi Jek, I have received the same response from another reader, and I think you also have taken this blog post the wrong way, I am NOT against Javanese tourists, I’m half javanese myself, but it’s better you read my comment on this blog post because I would say the same thing to you like I did to this guy named “teja narendra”, click this link, and read the comment section : http://www.risanto.com/beeamazing/4-annoying-things-about-living-in-bali/ Thanks for stopping by! Cheers!
Hi Bee,
I was curious to see what Dreamland looks like despite your post about it. I have to say, it wasn’t quite disappointing maybe because I had low expectation of it. Instead, I had a blast there watching the big waves came splashing near us. I’d guess for a first timer like me SHOULD pay a visit to Dreamland and can compare with other beaches yourself. I personally didn’t like Padang-padang beach. But thanks for all your posts, it gives me a great insight what Bali beaches are like.
Hi Sarah, I know lots of people enjoy Dreamland (aka New Kuta Beach) and KLAPA CLub so much these days, the place is always packed every day along the year! It is just my personal experience and personal opinion to the comparison of what this beautiful beach used to be and the today’s reality. Hope you enjoyed your stay in Bali! Cheers! – BEE
I was Dreamlanding years ago. I loved the laid back lifestyle, the awesome meals served up by my hosts and the lack of people there. I once paddled from Ulu to Dreamland. All those spots, Ulu, Bingin, Dreamland, Balangan…. all messed up now. Even Nusa Lembongan is like a downtown experience.
The North Pacific is now the place to be, forget Indo, it’s too busy, too dangerous these days, and the crowded surf is a waste of time.
Sooo disappointing Dreamland or more like Nightmare beach, dirty- neglected- half finished buildings, suggestion pull everything down and return to a natural beach. mar2012
How sad! My friend and I came here years and years ago, hiked down those steps, and stayed in Wayan’s house – a beautiful shack built into the side of the cliff. It is so so sad to see these pictures, what an utter shame.
Yeah we went there today what a disgrace, beautiful cove with excellent surf and the worst concrete monstrosity I have ever seen on a beach anywhere in the world oh yeah and a total rip off at every step. Don’t bother going…… even the taxi driver tried to dissuade us LoL !!!
Great posts have you heard of villa nonas ?
Near Balangan. Appreciate you feedback cheers!
Thank you for sharing your story. My husband and I visit Bali and Dreamland Beach for the first time in September 2012, we loved Dreamland Beach and would love to go again and spend more time on the beach. It is a shame when developers take over and I can well understand how you feel, I can only imagine the true beauty of Dreamland Beach through your story and I can imagine many surfers from here (Qld Australia) trekking down to their surfing spot…..including my son in law. He will notice a huge difference when he returns to Bali.
Thank you Edwina, I still love the New Kuta Beach aka Dreamland without the crowd! And I know that’s impossible…Hope you’ll come back to Bali and explore other beautiful parts of the island. Cheers!
Hi
Sad to read your story -coming back to bali in march and it’s been 7 years, i was really excited to go back to one of my favorite spots! dreamland sounds like a new place…. where should i go now 🙂
Hi Samantha! You can go to the east of Bali, read my latest blog post here http://www.risanto.com/beeamazing/virgin-beach-the-far-far-away-beach-revealed/ or to Bali Cliff aka the Green Bowl Beach here http://velvetescape.com/2009/09/my-velvet-escape-travel-tip-bali/ Enjoy Bali! Cheers Bee
i was there , and almost agree with you.
It’ should be quite place where we were belong.., the developer have to be concern to save landscape heritage in Bali ,..
Be, your blog is so nice preparation with picture and the article and easy to read, but now in this post i really don’t know Bali. Where is it?
n what happened to padang beach :'( it used to be so gorgeousss! and quiet, now it is full of warungs… and stalls.
Padang Padang Beach used to be my afternoon nap beach, and like other beautiful tranquil beaches in Bali, when the place becomes popular, the small and big businesses will follow, end of the story 🙁