Three Best Beaches - Bali

Sanur Beach - Bali

2006-08-06T19:13:00.001-04:00

Sanur Beach in Bali, Indonesia, is one long beach - with white/off white sand. As you see in the video, the water is calm and protected. Once home to a great reef, it is mainly gone due to erosion and Indonesia "progress"; silt and pesticide runoff from construction. So for Sanur, lot's of nice sand, but below the surface there are many problems. We were first interested in the beaches of Bali when a user e-mailed asking why we didn't include this beach. Unfortunately, this is one of the better beaches here. For some reason, probably corruption, these beaches do not get the treatment they deserve. There is little enforcement of the few laws Indonesia has for preservation. Feel free to comment.

One of Southeast Bali's gems is Sanur Beach. With its small tourist population, Sanur is a very attractive. The surf is gentler than other areas of the island and the hotels are quite nice. In the past 20 years Sanur has developed into a great resort for tourists, feasting on the sights and sounds of the Indonesian countryside.

There is hardly a beach in Bali that is unappealing and Sanur is no exception. Our most breathtaking experience happens around sunrise. Sanur Beach is about 10 minutes from Denpasar (depending on traffic). After the sunrise, be sure to hire a canoe to sail along the coast with and even to the outlying islands, if you would like an extra enjoyment. Sanur just happens to be surrounded by a large coral reef so snorkeling is very much recommended for the first time visitor. As we said, however, much of the reef is dead. Fish still try to make a home here.

Sanur is a very mellow town. There is an amazing contrast constantly going on here. There are hotels upon hotels, but there are also many aspects of the old village life going on as you will see when you find a place to stay. You may choose to stay in an 11-story hotel or you may choose to stay in a Balinese type resort. Aside from the accommodations, there are also many restaurants to enjoy near the beach. Indonesia is this way. Below is one of my favorite pictures; people relaxing around one of the temples in the area.

What to visit: The Sacred Temple of Ratu Ayu of Singgi, located in the Grand Bali Beach Hotel.

Sanur Beach - Bali - BEACH INDEX:

Sand - Golden, about a km long
Facilities - All included at the nearby hotels. Plus small stands that sell various items such as chessboards.
Shade - mature palm trees
Sports - Parasailing, surfing, snorkeling, touring on glass-bottom boats, canoeing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, sailing and swimming.
Notes - can get crowded around major hotels.

Legian Beach is our next favorite beach in Bali. Let's check it out Right Now! >>

Legian Beach - Bali

2006-08-06T18:27:00.001-04:00

Named the United Nations of beaches, Legian Beach in Bali, Indonesia, is indeed filled with a multitude of "westerners" as well as the native Bali men and women. The difference? The Europeans and Americans are almost completely nude, whereas the men and women of the island are fully clothed from the workday. But here we see a glimpse of what Legian Beach, Bali, looks like on a typical day. It's very different at night. Here you'll see surfers lining up for the perfect wave, and people just hanging out. We enjoyed the thought of grabbing a beach chair and lying here listening to the surf. Isn't that what beach life is all about? This beach has some serious wave action during the day.

There are abundant activities here that are very affordable! However this beach is not recommended for swimming due to some tough undercurrents that will sweep you under - so watch out. The beach is very wide and if the tide is right you can walk a long ways until the water actually comes to your knees. This Indonesian beach is full of people at night; the sunsets are absolutely breathtaking!

To fully enjoy Legian Beach, you must visit all the shops, bars, vendors, and have an amazing amount of fun because this beach is definitely a party beach. Here, you'll forget you're in Indonesia, and you will get away from any worry while you play football in the sand or canoe along the coast all the while watching scantily clad Brazilian women sunbathe on the beach. Or you could lie out yourself on the beautiful brown sand underneath the cornucopia of palms that line the shore.

Legian Beach is one of the more popular beaches in Bali and because of this there will be many tourists, so don't be surprised if you find many a friendly visitor pass you by as you walk along this wonderful beach. And PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE visit the beach during a sunset, you will see nothing else like it!

Legian Beach - Bali - BEACH INDEX:

Sand - Brown, long and wide.
Facilities - All included at the nearby hotels. Plus small stands that sell various items such as chessboards.
Shade - mature palm trees
Sports Parasailing, surfing, snorkeling, touring on glass-bottom boats, canoeing, jet-skiing, windsurfing, sailing and swimming
Notes - can get crowded around major hotels.

All these Bali Beaches making you hungry? Come see the beach where they really know how to break bread - day and night! Spectacular Indonesia Jimbaran Beach is Next! >>

Jimbaran Beach – Bali

2006-08-06T16:06:00.001-04:00

Sit back and simply think of one thing; the most beautiful painting of a sunset dinner-on-the-beach complete with boats slowly gliding along and musicians playing from their souls. Now jump into the painting, you have just arrived at Jimbaran Beach, Bali, Indonesia.

South of the international airport, Jimbaran Beach is safely nestled in between that and Kedonganan Beach to the south. Jimbaran Beach is an extremely tranquil beach and perfectly white. Walking or just sitting and waiting for the sunset are two of the most popular activities to do on this beach. The popularity of Jimbaran Beach has arisen significantly with the appearance of more and more luxury and five-star hotels beachside. Now everyone seems to know about this little once forgotten beach.

The dining spots in Jimbaran Beach are famous for serving delicious sea food with local recipes. Western cuisine is also available in the restaurants. A must is a sunset dinner along one of the many delicious cafes offering the freshest seafood around, lining Jimbaran beach. The breeze from the ocean and the sound of the waves are enhance your total dining experience.

Along the beach there are many opportunities to dine out. Many of the local peoples have opened up various cafes for passersby and tourists. This is very popular because of the enormous selection of seafood that they offer. This, coupled with their special seafood recipes, or even Indonesian recipes mixed with western culture, make for an exquisite dining experience. The fish are supplied by local fishermen who sell their fish pretty much all day long.

With the sunset coming up on Jimbaran Beach you may start to see the sky change beautiful shades of orange, yellow, and red. This is usually when the cafes start to put out their dinner chairs onto the sand overlooking the beach, and all of the action on the beach starts to subside while everything else begins to focus on the cafes.

The locals like to set a romantic mood for the evening so the whip out some fancy candles and musicians begin to play soothing music. It is quite a sight to see. Once the jukungs begin to fill up the coast line is when things start getting really beautiful and picturesque here in Indonesia.

The calmness of the waters makes Jimbaran a perfect place for swimming. Gentle tides, dramatic sunsets, fine seafood restaurants. No water sports available on the beach although some may be arranged with the hotels that provide equipment and boats for snorkeling trips and sea canoe excursions.

Jimbaran Beach –Bali- BEACH INDEX:

• Sand – Soft white sand
• Facilities – Plenty around the hotels and cafes.
• Shade - Several palm trees
• Sports – No water sports available unless arranged by hotels.
• Notes –

Sunday, 12 October 2005
Bali bomb attacks claim 26 lives
Warnings: The blasts come less than two weeks before the third anniversary of massive bomb attacks that killed 202 people - including 88 Australians.

JI, the group blamed for the 12 October 2002 bombings, is also suspected of being behind a suicide bombing at the Marriott hotel in Jakarta in 2003, and a suicide bombing at the Australian embassy last September.

More on Jimbaran Beach, Bali

More on Jimbaran Beach, Bali

2006-08-05T21:43:00.001-04:00

As we had been greeted at the dozens of warungs that we had passed, a team of local Indonesian guys wearing smart "Jimbaran Beach Cafe" polos ushered us to a plastic table about 20 feet from the water. Other guests included a large family of locals and tourists from all over. Jogging is widely practiced sport in Jimbaran beach and is especially tempting in the covered glow of sunset. Jimbaran is also an admired spot for windsurfing and sailing small craft, which are obtainable for rent. The organic salads are perfect for warm, sultry Balinese lunches, or try a fresh catch from nearby Jimbaran beach. Asam Garam is the perfect setting to share the local fare, notably the Balinese Roasted Duck with Water Spinach, an Indonesian Rijstafel (Seafood variety thoughtfully offered as well as a Balinese kind) - a combination meal of various dishes, or the ubiquitous Nasi Goreng.

The pioneer resort on Jimbaran beach, the Puri Bali, originally the Pansea, has stylish, self-contained garden cottages scattered among lily ponds, coconut trees, and Balinese statuary, set back from the beach. All cottages have terraces, shaded by umbrellas, with privacy-providing screens and outdoor deck showers. Jimbaran Beach is a fishing village south of the airport from Kuta beach. This bay is tranquil and affords beautiful sunsets.

The "Jimbaran Beach Front Villas" are set in a spacious landscaped garden with over 50 meters of private beach frontage right on Jimbaran beach. Guests enjoy the ultimate sunset panorama with views across the sea to the Java coastline in the West and the cloudy peaks of Gunung Agung in the North. Each seafood warung on Jimbaran beach has its own fish stall out front, where you choose your fish. Snapper, lobster, prawns, squid etc. Jimbaran Beach is an exclusive area of Bali only 15 minutes from the airport and has the islands best beaches. Known for its mystical sunset it is perhaps the image one has of the Bali paradise.

The seafood is fresh and display in aquariums or packed in ice. Varieties of fish, squid, clams and large prawns are offered here. Many Jimbaran hotels are liked to a beach restaurant where you can enjoy the incredible seafood barbeques that are located right on the beach with fresh fish from the Indian Ocean. These meals are fit for a honeymoon and are both romantic and out of this world in flavor. Only a few up-market hotels and an increasing number of unpretentious but good seafood restaurants right on the water front. Located just a few miles south of the airport.

Almost all the cafe provide special menus of the seafood with local prescriptions or the combination with the western one. Fish are provide by a next village of the fishermen in Kedonganan. The village is popular with families for its gentle tides, dramatic sunsets and numerous beach front seafood restaurants. Jimbaran is a 10 minutes drive away from the International Airport. Fortunately, the resort is directly next to the delightful beachside seafood restaurants of Jimbaran.