The Blue Lagoon is the stuff Bali dreams are made of. Turquoise water, steep fern covered canyon walls and a small cascade creating one of the most magical swimming spots in all of Bali. It’s like stepping into a fairytale.
We had plans to visit several waterfalls on one day and cut most of them out the second we set eyes on that crystal clear swimming hole. This is a spot where you do not want to feel rushed! Access to the lagoon is easy and you don’t need a guide, but only if you know exactly where to go, which is where we come in.
We’re sharing everything you need to know to have the perfect trip to Sambangan’s Blue Lagoon.
The Blue Lagoon
The correct starting location
This bit is crucial as there are two ways to get to the Blue Lagoon (the Secret Garden of Sambangan). One requires a guide and takes around 50 minutes on foot (according to the guide) and one does not and takes a little over five minutes.
The first option begins at Aling Aling Waterfall and is a much rougher track which requires a costly guide. Our preferred option starts from the Warung D’Jurang in village of Ambengan - you can find the spot on Google Maps by clicking here.
Once you’re in the village you’ll see signposts to the start of the trail.
The road into the village is steep at points and quite narrow. It’s paved all the way and no problem on a scooter if you don’t mind windy roads. In a car there isn’t much room to pass but it can be done with care. That is until you reach the final turning towards the lagoon start point.
The final 500m of the road is extremely narrow and you literally couldn’t pass another car. You might prefer to walk this bit.
It’s uphill for the most part but not overly steep and it doesn’t take long. You can drive it but just pray that no one is coming in the other direction!
The walk to the Blue Lagoon
Distance: 640m return
Elevation gain: 70m
Difficulty: Easy but steep
The walk down to the lagoon is paved. It’s very steep at the beginning and would not be fun if wet. When dry it’s not slippery. You’ll quickly come to a series of steep stairs which make quick work of the walk down.
It’s extremely picturesque with dense jungle views and you can even see the ocean in the distance. The path is really well maintained and though steep, it’s easy - again provided it’s dry. If it’s been raining just take it slowly.
After the staircases you have a short 50m stretch of rock hopping. It’s easy enough and within minutes you’ll be standing in front of one of the most spectacular places in Bali.
When it comes to walking back it is a bit of a puff up the hill but it doesn’t take long and it is totally worth it!
Swimming at the Blue Lagoon
The Blue Lagoon is easily my favourite swimming spot in Bali. The pool is huge and deep with very little rocks in the water so you can swim without worrying about bumps and scrapes.
The water has incredible clarity yet it’s also the most sublime shade of blue.
The canyon walls surrounding it are covered in dense foliage which give it an air of seclusion and mystery. A small cascade flows into the pool and there’s a larger waterfall behind which lies further into the canyon.
It’s truly breathtaking and an experience not to be missed. Depending on when you visit and the flow of the falls there is a strong current the closer you get to the cascade, but it doesn’t affect the whole pool.
The water starts off shallow and then becomes really deep quite quickly - which is why they rent life jackets at the start of the trail. Luckily you don’t have to wear one like you do in so many of the water holes in the Philippines!
You can also climb up the rock wall and into the canyon if you don’t mind that it’s quite slippery. I gave it a go but I would definitely have needed a hand from someone more adept than me!
If you can get up there it looks like a fun spot to explore.
Blue Lagoon entry fee and how to get there
The current entry fee for the Blue Lagoon from the start point we used is 20k rupiah per person. You can also get to Aling Aling Waterfall this way which costs an additional 30k rupiah (10k more than using the quicker entrance at Sambangan).
The route is more rustic too and funnily enough it doesn’t require a guide from this side, but does from the other side. We asked a guide what it was like and he said less maintained and even a little dangerous. However if you ask at the main entrance to Aling Aling on the western side they’ll tell you it’s fine!
As we didn’t do it we can’t be sure. If you want to be totally safe and use both easy routes you can just drive the 25 minutes between the two villages and use the well maintained paved trails.
It takes roughly 1 hour to reach the start point for the Blue Lagoon from Munduk. It’s over two hours from both Ubud and Kuta.
It’s close to Gitgit Waterfall (roughly 25 minutes away) so you could technically do the lagoon, Aling Aling and Gitgit Waterfall on one day, but it would feel a bit rushed.
The best time to visit
The best time to visit the lagoon is during the dry season when the water is at its bluest. In terms of time of day, it’s not an especially well known spot yet and we got it to ourselves for quite a while in the middle of the day, but going early will give you the best chance of having it to yourself for a longer period.
In terms of photography, a sunny day shows off the blue water colour at its best, but it does make it a little difficult in terms of shadows. You’ll get lots of light spots which make it hard to edit and can be distracting (like you can see in many of our photos). I actually preferred it when the clouds rolled in and you got even light, even if the blue was a little less intense.
Facilities at the Blue Lagoon
There is a little changing area set back from the pool but no other facilities. Please remember to take all your rubbish with you and keep the area pristine.
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