Filip C
Google
Tempted by the great reviews, I chose Melasti Beach for a family visit.
Upon arrival, we were greeted by an entrance gate charging 15,000 IDR per person. Not cheap, but fine, there was no alternative. Since we arrived by Grab, we were also required to pay an additional 5,000 IDR just for the car to enter.
The beach itself is divided into several sections:
Left side: small, calm, no waves, no facilities, very quiet.
Middle section: waves and strong currents. On the day of our visit, there were no swimming signs, yet people were swimming anyway, near a boat.
Right side (towards White Rock): better swimming conditions and fun waves.
If you want sunbeds, the price is 200,000 IDR, which is quite high.
To be clear: the beach itself deserves 5 stars.
However, I am deliberately giving 1 star to draw attention to the management and local authorities. Maybe when ratings start dropping, someone will finally wake up.
The biggest issue came when we tried to leave. Ordering Grab or Gojek from the beach level is not allowed. Drivers are blocked from entering past the barrier at the bottom of the steep road. We were traveling with a small child and had no cash. The lady at the gate explained that they “support local drivers,” who only accept cash payments from the bottom.
I would have happily used a local driver, but we live in the 21st century. Card payments or phone payments via NFC are standard elsewhere. If that option existed, I would have paid without hesitation. On top of that, local drivers were asking almost double the price compared to app-based rides.
In the end, we had to carry our child up the steep road, where our Grab driver kindly waited for us.
There are many other beaches in Bali that are just as beautiful, cheaper, and far easier to access.