Balekambang Beach

Balekambang is on the south Malang coast, a long beach facing the Indian Ocean with three rock islets off it, and on the largest, Ismoyo, stands Pura Amerta Jati - a Balinese Hindu temple built in the 1980s and reached by a concrete footbridge running out from the sand over the surf, which is the composition the beach is known for and which invites the comparison to Tanah Lot that everyone makes. The temple serves the Hindu community of East Java and holds Jalanidhi Puja before Nyepi, when offerings are floated from the beach. The other islets, Wisanggeni and Anoman, are not bridged. The ocean here is open and powerful, with a rip record; swimming is restricted to marked areas and often not advisable at all.

What you actually see

• A temple on an offshore rock - Pura Amerta Jati on Ismoyo, reached by footbridge.
• A concrete bridge over surf - the crossing from the sand to the islet.
• Three rock islets - Ismoyo, Wisanggeni and Anoman off the beach.
• Hindu ceremony before Nyepi - offerings floated from the shore.

When to go

May to September; before Nyepi for the ceremony. Half a day.

Honest expectations

The road from Malang is winding and slow. Currents are strong and swimming is often unsafe - obey the flags. The temple is active; dress and behave accordingly. Weekends are crowded.

Nearby

Malang is north; the south Malang beaches run east and west.