Five nice touristic beaches of Bali
Are you dreaming of an island holiday? A quick escape to an island with white beaches, blue oceans and sunny weather? I think everybody dreams about this! In 2014 this dream came true for me and I started a new life in Bali, Indonesia. I worked five days a week at a tour operator and during the weekends I visited the beaches around the island. Here is my list of five nice touristic beaches you can visit when you are in Bali.
1. Virgin Beach
Virgin beach is located in the east of Bali. It’s a hidden paradise and not many tourists know about it. The Balinese call it Patir Putir, but it is also known as Virgin beach or White sand beach. It is a beautiful coastline with a bright blue ocean and white sand. While swimming, you can see the fish around you. It is also an amazing place to do some snorkeling. The reason of the anonymity of Virgin beach, has to do with the road to the beach. The last 600 meters is a bumpy way through mud and via a dirt road with many holes. Exciting, but not really comfortable.
At the beach are some small warungs available where you can enjoy the local Nasi Goreng, Pisang Goreng, fresh coconuts, Bintang or some western snacks. The sun chairs are usually free of charge, when you will use a seat in front of the restaurant where you will also buy the food and drinks. Virgin beach is a perfect beach to escape from the other overcrowded and touristic beaches of Bali.
2. Pandawa beach
Pandawa beach is a very touristic beach located in the south of Bali. The waters of Pandawa beach are perfect and beautiful with all different shades of turquoise and blue. The entrance fee is 10.000 rupiah per person, and 5.000 rupiah per car. The beach is located between high cliffs. The road to the beach is beautiful as you have a great view on the ocean before you drive down the cliffs. You will be greeted by five statues carved into the cliffs beside you. These are the Panca Pandawa, from which the beach takes its name.
The beach contains of endless stretches of white sand. In the early morning, the waters are low tide and perfect to rent a canoe and explore all the beautiful fishes. In the afternoon, at high tide, the waters are perfect for swimming and surfing. It possible to rent canoes, snorkeling material and sunbeds. Moreover, there are plenty of warungs located at the beach, where you can enjoy the local meals.
3. Blue Point beach
Blue Point beach is one of the most hidden beaches of Bali. It is located in the very south of the island, close to the Uluwatu temple. The beach can be reached by steps which are carved into the rock. Therefore, it is already a big adventure to reach the beach. The steps can be quite slippery. While walking down the steps, you cross many local warungs and little souvenir stalls. At high tide you have to walk through the water a bit in order to reach the ‘hidden’ beach. You can also choose to go directly to the beach located in the cave, but obvious this one is more crowded. The ‘hidden’ Blue Point Beach is well worth a visit. The ocean is crystal blue and shows many beautiful colours. The waves are pretty high and makes swimming difficult, but fun. The beach is also very popular with surfers. It is not possible to rent a sunbed or have a meal on the beach.
Next to the beautiful scenery, there is an amazing cafe located on top of the cliff (at the entrance, before walking down the steps). It is an amazing place to enjoy some snacks, a cold bintang and to watch the sunset. The prices are a little bit higher than usual, but definitely worth it.
4. Amed beach
Amed beach is a wonderful black sandy beach. It is located in the North-east of Bali, close to Karangasem. Amed is famous for its beaches, snorkeling and the traditional fishing boats. The beach is located close to Mount Agung and therefore, the sand of Amed is black volcanic sand. As you move further away from Mount Agung, the sand will become lighter.
Most people come to Amed beach as a getaway. It’s another hidden paradise and not many tourists know about it. At the beach you can enjoy cheap massages or enjoy the nature by diving, snorkeling, dolphin watching or just swimming and sunbathing.
On the beach is a wide range of warungs and restaurants available. Next to this, there are some small and intimate hotels located around Amed beach. The average price for a standard double hotel room is around Rp (Roepia) 300.000 to 600.000 (€18,50- 37,00).
5. Lovina beach
Lovina beach is located in the Northern part of Bali and is very well known to spot dolphins in the early morning. The average price by a dolphin cartel is around Rp (Roepia) 50.000 (€4,00). Next to this, Lovina is a great place to snorkel, dive or sunbath. The beach is a long stretch of black sand. The waves are not too high, so it is a perfect beach for swimming. However, the waters of Lovina are less appropriate to surfers. In general this beach is more quiet than the south of Bali. It is a 3 hours drive by car from Kuta and Sanur. Next to this, it is possible to take a shuttle bus to Lovina from Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Chandidasa or Pandang Bai. There are some Warungs located close to the beach, where the menu is very varied.
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