Merese Hill (Bukit Merese)
Grassy clifftops above Tanjung Aan with wide ocean views and a popular sunset.
At a glance
- Entry fee
- No entry fee to walk up. You pay for parking only, reported at around IDR 5,000 for a scooter and IDR 10,000 for a car in cash as of 2025. There is no ticket office and no card payment anywhere on this hill, so carry small notes. Merese was still free and openly accessible at the most recent reporting, but this corner of Lombok is changing fast enough that access arrangements are best treated as provisional.
- Opening hours
- No gate. From roughly an hour before sundown the grass fills with people who have driven out from Kuta, and the best cliff-edge spots go early.
- Time needed
- An hour, or ninety minutes if you come for sunset and want a good spot.
About Merese Hill (Bukit Merese)
Bukit Merese is the run of grassy headlands that divides Tanjung Aan into its two crescents, and it is a ten to fifteen minute walk up from the sand. The payoff is ocean on three sides: the horseshoe of Tanjung Aan below on one flank, and open cliff-edged coast running away on the other. There is no entry fee to walk up. You pay for parking only, reported at around IDR 5,000 for a scooter and IDR 10,000 for a car in cash as of 2025.
It is a sunset hill and everybody knows it. From roughly an hour before sundown the grass fills with people who have driven out from Kuta, and the best cliff-edge spots go early. In the dry season the grass is bleached gold and the walk up is hot and completely shadeless, which is the only real reason nobody comes at midday. After the rains it is properly green and considerably more slippery underfoot.
The clifftops are unfenced and the drops are genuinely vertical in places. Dry grass on a slope is more slippery than it looks, the wind off the sea can be strong right at the rim, and there is nothing between you and the water. Keep well back from the edge, particularly with children and particularly if you are manoeuvring for a photograph.
One thing to keep in mind: the bay below has changed. A five-star hotel development was signed for the Tanjung Aan headland in 2025 and the beach itself was cleared of its warungs the same year. Merese was still free and openly accessible at the most recent reporting, but this is a corner of Lombok changing fast enough that access arrangements are best treated as provisional rather than permanent.
Getting there
From Kuta it is about 15 minutes east by scooter, past Tanjung Aan, where a track leads to a parking area at the foot of the hill. From there it is a 10 to 15 minute walk up open grass to the main viewpoints, with no steps and no scrambling required, just a steady uphill on uneven ground. Most people arrive from the Tanjung Aan sand below rather than driving to the base separately, and the two really are one trip rather than two. Parking is a small cash charge collected by local attendants.
Best time
Late afternoon into sunset is the whole point, with softer light, cooler air and the sea lit from the side. The dry season, roughly May to September, gives golden grass and the clearest skies. Avoid the middle of the day entirely, when the hill is shadeless and unpleasant. If you want the view without the crowd, early morning is quiet and the walk up is far more comfortable.
Good to know
Bring water, sun cover and a head torch, because the walk back down after sunset is on uneven ground in the dark and phone torches run the battery down fast. Stay clear of the unfenced cliff edges, especially in wind. Wear shoes with some grip rather than flip-flops: dry grass on a steep slope is slick, and wet grass after rain is worse. Carry small cash notes for the parking attendant, since there is no ticket office and no card payment anywhere on this hill.
Things to do at Merese Hill (Bukit Merese)
Walk up for ocean on three sides
The horseshoe of Tanjung Aan below on one flank, and open cliff-edged coast running away on the other.
Arrive well before sunset
The good cliff-edge spots are taken about an hour before the sun goes.
Bring small notes
Parking is a cash collection with no ticket office and no card payment anywhere on the hill.
Merese Hill (Bukit Merese) FAQs
Is there an entrance fee for Bukit Merese?+
No entrance fee was in place as of 2025. You pay only a small cash parking charge, reported at around IDR 5,000 for a scooter and IDR 10,000 for a car. Given the pace of development around Tanjung Aan, it is worth treating this as subject to change.
How hard is the walk up Merese Hill?+
It is a 10 to 15 minute walk up open grassy slopes from the parking area, with no steps or scrambling. Heat and lack of shade are the real difficulty rather than steepness, and the ground is uneven throughout.
How safe are the cliffs at Merese?+
The clifftops are unfenced with steep drops, and dry grass on a slope is slippery. Keep well back from the edge, particularly in strong wind and with children, and wear shoes with grip rather than flip-flops. Bring a torch if you are walking down after sunset.
When should I arrive for sunset?+
The hill starts filling roughly an hour before sundown and the best cliff-edge positions go early, so allow time to park, walk up and find a spot. Early morning is the quiet alternative if you want the view without the crowd.
Can I combine Merese Hill with Tanjung Aan?+
Yes, and most people do. The hill rises directly from the bay and the walk up takes 10 to 15 minutes from the sand, so the two are effectively one visit rather than two separate trips.
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