This path drives a great debate on the Internet.
It cuts through a cliff face and 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 meters (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 over the cliff, where the camera pans into the canyon to reveal several parked cars and beachgoers taking pictures.
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 rock-lined road leading to Bali’s popular Pandawa Beach has sparked a heated online debate, with some social media users criticizing its construction and others describing it as ‘unbelievable’
The route is 300 m (984 ft) long and eight meters (26 ft) wide and was opened in 2012
Reacting to the video, Instagram user ‘Shevinna1021’ declared the road – which reportedly took two years to build – ‘incredible’, while another called it ‘absolutely amazing’.
But when the footage was reposted on Reddit, people were quick to criticize the construction.
User ‘Ozzy_thedog’ wrote: ‘That doesn’t seem like a very well thought out idea’, to which user ‘Smithmonster’ replied: ‘That’s what I thought. Why not ride on top and then make a short ramp at the end? Seems very ridiculous.’
A dramatic sight to behold, the limestone cliffs on either side of the road are more than 40m high (131ft) at their highest point
Despite the mixed opinions, the road has become a major tourist attraction, with many travelers taking selfies and videos between the towering cliffs
Another user wrote: ‘Can’t say I love carving a slice out of the ground to make a beach a little more convenient.’
Others were concerned about what might happen to the road in the event of an earthquake. Indonesia is on the Pacific Ring of Fire, which is home to 90 percent of the world’s earthquakes, notes the charity ShelterBox.
User ‘LakerBeer’ wrote: ‘Looks like a death trap waiting for the next earthquake or tsunami to happen.’
And user ‘SweetTorello666’ echoed: ‘Imagine an earthquake hits and [it gets] smashed. I doubt it, but I’m far too paranoid to go there’.
The beach itself has been described as a ‘tourist trap’ and costs 15,000 Indonesian rupiah (£0.80/$1) to enter
One traveler 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 travelers taking 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 also 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 in a deep valley and surrounded by all the white rock cliffs. ‘
But 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 rupiah (£0.80/$1) to enter, according to 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 ‘gold sand, clean blue sea and fresh coconut water’.
However, some have called it a ‘tourist trap’. Entitled his post ‘Paradise Lost’, reviewer ‘Kevin B’ wrote: ‘In 2012 this beach was truly a secret beach; there wasn’t even a parking lot.
‘Now… there are people everywhere,’ he wrote, adding that he saw busloads of tourists disembarking on the beach. He added: ‘Awful. ‘[I’m] luckily I visited before the commercial side of things took over.’
The beach is located in Bali’s southern Kuta district, less than 3km away from Uluwatu Temple and the Nusa Dua area, Travel Triangle reveals. It is approximately one hour away from Ngurah Rai International Airport.
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