Sunset in Bali lands between about 6:05 and 6:45 pm all year, and it's dark a little over 20 minutes later. So the plan is simple. Be standing in your spot an hour early.
Between about 6:07 pm in May and 6:46 pm in January. Bali sits just south of the equator, so the time barely moves through the year.
| Month | Sunset | Dark by |
|---|---|---|
| January | 6:46 pm | 7:08 pm |
| February | 6:45 pm | 7:06 pm |
| March | 6:33 pm | 6:54 pm |
| April | 6:17 pm | 6:38 pm |
| May | 6:07 pm | 6:29 pm |
| June | 6:08 pm | 6:31 pm |
| July | 6:15 pm | 6:37 pm |
| August | 6:18 pm | 6:40 pm |
| September | 6:16 pm | 6:37 pm |
| October | 6:14 pm | 6:35 pm |
| November | 6:19 pm | 6:41 pm |
| December | 6:33 pm | 6:56 pm |
Calculated for Denpasar on the 15th of each month, Bali time. "Dark by" is the end of civil twilight. Check the exact time for your date before you drive.
The hour before sunset. In June that's roughly 5:10 to 6:10 pm. In January it's roughly 5:45 to 6:45 pm.
After the sun drops you get a little over 20 minutes you can still shoot in, then it's night. That's why it feels like it gets dark early. Near the equator the sun goes almost straight down.
I'll give you the three I shot, because those are the ones where I can tell you what I did.
A dark-sand beach, and sunset is the whole reason to be here. This is where I shot the motorbike frame. Look at the sand in it. Once the sun gets low the wet sand reflects the sky, and that reflection is half the photo.
I shot this at 6:22 pm from the top. The overlook gives you the view, so you don't need the climb down for the photo. It's quiet until about 10:30 in the morning, then it fills up.
Stay behind the barriers and stay out of the water. The waves here are high and breaking. Bring small cash for the entry and confirm the price at the gate.
This one is Sumba, not Bali. I shot it at 6:18 pm with the mangrove trees in silhouette. I'd get there about two hours before sunset so there's time to scout.
Go at low tide. The flats are wet and uneven, so wear shoes and watch your footing. I shoot wide here and use a polarizing filter.
Those are the names every list gives you. They're not in my book, so I'm not going to tell you where to stand there.
What I can tell you is the timing above works for all of them. It's the same sun.
Between about 6:07 pm in May and 6:46 pm in January. Bali sits just south of the equator, so the time moves by less than 40 minutes across the whole year.
Sunset is around 6:46 pm in the middle of January and it's dark by about 7:08 pm.
The hour before sunset. In June that's roughly 5:10 to 6:10 pm. In January it's roughly 5:45 to 6:45 pm.
Near the equator the sun drops almost straight down, so twilight is short. In Bali you get a little over 20 minutes of light after sunset, then it's night.
The one I shot is Pantai Nyanyi, a dark-sand beach where the wet sand reflects the sky. It's in the book's Field Notes with its pin.
Kelingking and Walakiri are two of the 21 spots in Dee Get Busy: Indonesia, my Bali photography guide. Each one has the photograph, how it got made, and a map.
