This dramatic road to a beach in Bali that cuts through a CLIFF is dividing the internet – some say it’s ‘incredible’ while others declare it a ‘death trap’ in a country prone to earthquakes

• A cliff-lined road to Bali’s Pandawa Beach has sparked a heated online debate 
• The popular tourist spot, which opened in 2012, has been called a ‘death trap’
• READ MORE: The amazing ‘pod’ cabins available on sleek new sleeper train 

This road is driving a major debate on the internet.

Cutting through a cliff face, it leads to the golden Pandawa Beach on the Indonesian island of Bali. 

A dramatic sight to behold, the limestone cliffs on either side of the road soar to heights of more than 40m (131ft). The route is 300m (984ft) long and eight metres (26ft) wide, according to The Bali Sun, and has seen a recent surge in interest after a video of it was posted online.    

The clip begins with an aerial shot above the cliff crevice, with the camera swooping into the gorge to reveal multiple parked cars and beachgoers taking photographs.

Shared by Instagram user ‘Something Incredible Took Place’, the eye-catching footage has caused quite a stir online – with social media users divided over the road’s design. 

The cliff-lined road leading to Bali’s popular Pandawa Beach has sparked a heated online debate, with some social media users criticising its construction and others describing it as ‘incredible’

The route is 300m (984ft) long and eight metres (26ft) wide and was opened in 2012 

Reacting to the video, Instagram user ‘Shevinna1021’ declared the road – which reportedly took two years to construct – ‘incredible’, while another called it ‘absolutely stunning’. 

However, when the footage was re-posted on Reddit, people were quick to criticise the construction. 

User ‘Ozzy_thedog’ wrote: ‘Seems like not a very well thought out idea,’ to which user ‘Smithmonster’ replied: ‘That’s what I was thinking. Why not drive on top, then make a short ramp at the end? Seems very ridiculous.’

A post shared by Something Incredible Took Place (@somethingincredibletookplace)

A dramatic sight to behold, the limestone cliffs on either side of the road are more than 40m tall (131ft) at their highest point

Despite the mixed opinions, the road has become a major tourist attraction, with many travellers capturing selfies and videos between the towering cliffs

Another user penned: ‘Can’t say I love chopping a slice out of the Earth to make a beach a little more convenient.’ 

Others were concerned about what could happen to the road in the instance of earthquakes. Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is home to 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes, charity ShelterBox notes.

User ‘LakerBeer’ wrote: ‘That looks like a death trap waiting to happen next earthquake or tsunami.’

And user ‘SweetTorello666’ echoed: ‘Imagine an earthquake hits and [it gets] smushed. I doubt it would, but I’m way too paranoid to go there.’

The beach itself has been described as a ‘tourist trap’ and costs 15,000 Indonesian Rupiahs (£0.80/$1) to enter 

 One traveller admitted she had long wanted to travel along the road after seeing pictures of it online

Despite the mixed opinions, the road has become a major tourist attraction, with many travellers capturing selfies and videos between the towering cliffs. Instagram user ‘Azlinfarida’, a self-proclaimed ‘travelholic’ who visited the road last month, admitted she had long wanted to visit the site after seeing pictures of it online.

The beach it leads to is similarly a tourist hotspot. 

Local tour operator Bali Ogie tour notes that Pandawa Beach was once a ‘secret beach’ that only locals visited, noting: ‘It used to be super difficult to access because it was located within a deep valley and surrounded by all the white stone cliffs.’

However, when the public access road to Pandawa Beach opened in 2012, it surged in popularity, The Bali Sun reports. It now costs 15,000 Indonesian Rupiahs (£0.80/$1) to enter, according to the Travel Triangle, and has a four-star rating on Tripadvisor, with user ‘Jack H’ describing it as ‘the best beach in Bali’. Another reviewer, Aimee, praised its ‘golden sand, clean blue ocean and fresh coconut water’.

However, some have called it a ‘tourist trap’. Titling his post ‘Paradise Lost’, reviewer ‘Kevin B’ wrote: ‘In 2012 this beach was truly a secret beach; there wasn’t even a car park.

‘Now… there’s people everywhere,’ he wrote, adding that he saw busloads of tourists disembark at the beach. He added: ‘Horrible. ‘[I’m] lucky I visited it before the commercial side of things took over.’

The beach is located in Bali’s South Kuta District, less than two miles (3km) away from the Uluwatu Temple and Nusa Dua area, Travel Triangle reveals. It lies approximately an hour away from Ngurah Rai International Airport. 

Source: Read Full Article