Kecak Uluwatu — Attraction in Kuta Selatan

Formal Complaint – Unsafe, Overcrowded, and Misleading Experience at Uluwatu Kecak Dance

To Whom It May Concern,

I’m writing to formally express my dissatisfaction with the experience I had at the Uluwatu Kecak Dance on [insert date], which I booked through kecakdancebali.com. Unfortunately, the event was disappointing, disorganized, and, at times, unsafe — falling far below what was promised or advertised.

⸻

🐒 No Warning About Aggressive Monkeys

There were no warnings or staff presence advising visitors about the aggressive monkeys in the temple grounds. Multiple tourists had phones, earrings, and glasses stolen, and many were clearly distressed. There were no staff available to assist, retrieve belongings, or provide guidance. This posed a serious safety risk and left many shaken before the event even began.

⸻

💸 Overcharged via Online Booking

We booked online through kecakdancebali.com and later found that in-person tickets and other platforms offered the same show at significantly cheaper prices. We paid more for the same (IDR 676172.84), with no added benefit for booking ahead. It felt like price-gouging aimed at tourists.

⸻

🚶‍♀️ No Line Control, Pushing and Queue Jumping

Despite arriving early and waiting over an hour in line, a large group of tourists pushed their way to the front, upsetting many in line. Staff made no attempt to control the crowd or enforce any kind of order, leading to stress and unnecessary arguments right before the show.

⸻

🔥 Misleading Advertising – No Real “Fire Dance”

The event was advertised as a Kecak & Fire Dance, yet the fire element was barely present or entirely missing. We were expecting a dramatic and engaging fire performance as heavily promoted, but what we experienced did not match the descriptions, videos, or photos online. This was highly misleading and disappointing.

⸻

🪑 Overcrowded & Poorly Managed Venue

The venue was clearly overbooked. Despite arriving early, there were not enough seats, and many people — ourselves included — were left standing or sitting on steps. The environment was chaotic, overcrowded, and frankly unsafe given the lack of ventilation and crowd management.

⸻

👥 Fewer Performers Than Advertised

The event was advertised as featuring a large cast of performers, typically “up to 70 men chanting in unison,” yet the number of men performing was clearly far fewer than advertised. This significantly detracted from the immersive experience and raised questions about the authenticity of what was being promoted.

⸻

In Summary: • No safety warnings or staff presence regarding aggressive monkeys • Overpriced tickets via kecakdancebali.com vs in-person or alternate sites • Chaotic entry with line cutting and no crowd control • Fire performance was underwhelming or nonexistent • Venue was dangerously overcrowded with insufficient seating • Fewer performers than advertised, which impacted the overall atmosphere

⸻

This experience was not only disappointing but also stressful and unsafe at times — and far from the authentic cultural event we expected. I hope your team takes this...

Usually, I’m not one to leave bad reviews but since I’ve watched this show more than 3x over the years with same exact experience every single time shows how appalling this show is.

I’ve watched kecak dances all over Bali, and I don’t know why but the audience demographics in this one has always been the worst. Even if you’ve queued properly and respectfully, you always have groups of people cutting the line and even to the point of pushing you just so they could get into the seating area faster. To make it worse, some groups are cutting the line with the help of their drivers and nobody bats an eye since there’s absolutely little to zero crowd management. It was impossible to enjoy the show since you’ll guaranteed to have plenty of people taking photos/videos with flash, being on the phone/video calling on loud speaker throughout the show, speaking loudly, and other shenanigans.

Tickets are always oversold, so don’t expect to secure yourself a seat even after paying 200K (entrance fee 40K for locals or 50K for foreigners + show tickets 150K). They always let people come in even during the show no matter how late and all emergency exit paths are even crowded with people making it a safety hazard.

As for the show itself, the main dancers are quite good. However, you can hear some of the kecak singers (the men’s choir) making plenty of mistakes, ranging from passable to unacceptable. We also noticed several members who seemed like they didn’t even want to be there with bored-looking expressions or laughing with their friends while performing. There’s also a super cringe bit in the middle in the name of audience interaction that we think should be left out of the show. However, we highly commend the dancer who played the part of Hanoman (thus the extra one star) who is the only entertaining aspect of the performance.

Honestly, apart from the coconut husk fireball kicking by the Hanoman dancer and the sunset over the cliff, this show isn’t even worth watching.

If you want to watch a Balinese kecak dance, better save your time and money and catch one of these shows in Garuda Wisnu Kecana complex or...

It was lovely to watch traditional dance, although there wasn't much dancing involved, it was more story telling about the Ramayana. The music and sound effects were a little repetitive which was created by over 20 men. The Hanuman monkey parts were cool as he got involved with the crowd. We booked our tickets in advance online to see the dance. This is a separate entrance cost to the Uluwatu temple. And you also have to pay an entrance fee of IDR 50k per person which is roughly £2. So you pay separately for both areas, the Kecak Dance and entrance to the Temple and then entrance fee to get in.

You must also cover up your back, shoulders and legs. They will provide a sarong at the entrance or you can wear long sleeves. Be careful of the wild monkeys they can be mischievous. Best to put phones, hats or sunglasses away in your bag or hold them in your hand.

Overall it was okay, enjoyed parts of it, understood the story too, but couldn't hear the voices clearly as they had the masks and outfits on. Sunset time is the best time at 5.30pm. But this does get fully booked out quickly so book online in advance through the official website otherwise you will turn up and see a 1st show fully booked sign and will have to wait until the 7pm show. The sun will be glaring at you directly depending on where you sit so bring sunglasses or a cap to block it until the sun sets.

The theatre seats are just made from cement so if you arrive early to get the good seats your back or legs may hurt as you won't be able to stand up to stretch your legs once the show starts. So avoid sitting for too long prior to the show start time, but do go in as soon as you have passed the ticket counter as it will start filling up fairly quickly and you won't get a front facing seat.

Other than that, enjoy the show and take lots of photos...