Controversial beach plan highlights the bittersweet way Bali is changing

If there was ever a symbol of the dramatic change taking place in Bali — this would have to be it. And despite furious backlash from tourists as well as local groups, the project is well and truly underway.

With the help of a Chinese company, local Balinese authorities that preside over the world-famous Kelingking Beach are erecting a controversial feature at the secluded spot which is known for attracting Instagram influencers in droves.

To date, visitors have had to scale a long, steep and somewhat precarious set of stairs to reach the sand from the top of the cliffside resort above. But now work is underway on a 182-metre viewing platform and glass elevator to provide easy access down to the sand.

The local government expects it to be a boon to the already popular tourist site, considered one of the leading attractions of the island of Nusa Penida. But not everyone is happy about the project.

Online, travellers have expressed dismay about it obstructing the pristine panoramic views of the cliffs that overlook the beaches below, while others have raised fears it will see them overrun with tourists — most of whom currently don't trek all the way down to the sand.

When video was posted online recently, appearing to show that land had been cleared and a foundation had been set for another project above Kelingking Beach, locals slammed the images, urging the government to "stop destroying Bali".

"You could give me $100 million and I still would never ever ride on that elevator," Niluh Djelantik, a newly elected senator and prominent social media activist in Bali told the ABC.

"Kelingking Beach is beautiful the way it is, and for some people, enjoying it means they have to put some effort in to hike down to see the beauty at the bottom," she added.

However, others are supportive of the ambitious project, pointing to the jobs it will create.

The divide reflects the increasingly thorny issue of overdevelopment on the island. Earlier this year, Indonesia’s tourism minister Santiago Uno said he wanted to make Bali "the world’s first choice" for tourism. But at the same time, this week the government flagged a likely moratorium on building any more hotels, villas and nightclubs in certain parts of the island — a ban that could be in place for a decade.

The government has previously said about 200,000 foreigners lived in Bali, contributing to problems such as crime, overdevelopment and competition for jobs.

Government figures show 2.9 million foreign visitors arrived through Bali airport in the first half 2024, making up 65 per cent of total foreign arrivals in Indonesia by air.

There were 541 hotels in Bali in 2023, the figures show, up from 507 in 2019.

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