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A glass lift being built into one of Bali’s most photographed cliffs has triggered outrage from locals and travellers after viral photos showed construction piercing through the island’s iconic Kelingking Beach – a site often nicknamed the “T-Rex” or “dinosaur” cliff for its striking shape. The 182-metre-high lift and adjoining 64-metre bridge are being built by Chinese developer China Kaishi Group to replace the steep and often treacherous hike down to the beach on Nusa Penida, a small island off Bali’s southeast coast. The project is valued at more than 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million). But when images of the lift shaft cutting through the iconic ridge began circulating online this week, many Indonesians were quick to denounce the project as a violation of the island’s natural beauty. Captioning a before and after photo of the cliff, social media user pendakilawas wrote: “Honestly, it looks so ugly, it reminds me of a foreigner who said he went to Bali or Indonesia’s natural attractions not to enjoy 5-star hotels or any luxurious facilities, but to purely enjoy the beauty of nature.” Jujur Jadi jeleek banget, jadi teringat ada bule yang bilang dia ke bali atau wisata alam Indonesia bukan untuk menikmati hotel bintang 5 atau fasilitas mewah apapun itu, tapi menikmati murni keindahan alam Kelingking Beach, Nusa Penida, Bali pic.twitter.com/jclM7WSCw6 — pendakilawas (@pendakilawas) October 27, 2025 “It’s a shame that the beautiful view of Kelingking Beach has been destroyed by the lift project,” local resident Made Sediana told the Bali Sun newspaper. “Tourists come to Nusa Penida to enjoy the beautiful panorama, not the lifts.” He questioned the need for easier beach access at all, noting that Kelingking is a no-swim zone where accidents are common. Safety concerns were renewed after an October 15 drowning involving a French tourist who entered the water despite warnings from lifeguards. “Many tourists experience accidents because they go down,” Sediana said. “If it were easier for guests to go down, it would be dangerous too. The coastline is narrow there, and big waves come suddenly. The best way to enjoy Kelingking Beach’s beauty is from above.” Apart from the environmental impact, many also expressed concern about the project’s permits and licences. In response, Bali Governor I Wayan Koster confirmed on Thursday that he would be looking deeper into the licensing and permits situation to see if there are any violations, The Bali Sun reported. “If violations are serious, it’s closed.” Indonesia’s Ministry of Tourism has likewise sought to calm public anger, saying it has been supervising the project in coordination with local authorities since the planning stage in 2023. “The Ministry of Tourism also encourages the lift developers to apply green construction standards during the construction process, and in the future, to utilise technology that uses renewable energy sources to minimise the impact of global warming,” Hariyanto, the ministry’s deputy for destination development and infrastructure, said as quoted by Tempo magazine. He added that the lift could become a new attraction to boost visitor numbers and the average length of stay on Nusa Penida. Thus far, construction had not affected the number of visits to Nusa Penida, he said, citing data from the Klungkung Regency Tourism Office that showed a significant increase in the number of tourists visiting the area – from 714,335 in 2023 to 1,108,791 in 2024. “Looking ahead, tourist visits are expected to remain high, even as the construction of the lift continues. This optimism is supported by Nusa Penida’s global achievements as the best beach in the world, as recognised by Tripadvisor in 2024 and Trip Best 2025 Global Water Fun Attraction by Trip.com,” he said. “In addition, with a daily average of around 3,000 to 6,000 tourist visits, the Klungkung Regency government is optimistic that the target of 1.5 million tourist visits can be achieved by 2025.” Overdevelopment has become a major issue in Bali, especially after flash floods in September caused the Indonesian government to declare a state of emergency on the island. More than 4.6 million foreigners visited Bali from January to August this year, according to Agence France-Presse, outnumbering the island’s 4.4 million residents. The infrastructure catering to them has prompted “land conversion, chaotic urban management and lax enforcement of spatial planning laws”, Made Krisna Dinata, executive director of non-governmental organisation Walhi Bali, told the news agency. In the wake of the floods, Governor Koster moved to curb runaway construction by banning the conversion of agricultural land into commercial developments such as villas, restaurants and hotels, The Jakarta Post reported.
