We chose a hotel to introduce children to snorkeling. Travelers usually stay in this part of Bali for 2-4 days, so our planned 2 weeks surprised the local population and even the hotel staff. We also had fears that the lack of infrastructure and the remoteness of the main attractions of the island would affect the quality and dynamism of the rest. We didn’t regret a minute, didn’t even want to leave. Only it is better to change money in Sanur or other cities on the way from the airport, the course in Amed is worse.
The hotel is small and very welcoming, the pool is superb. We lived in a Family Villa - 30 steps from the sea and a stunning sunrise every day. All double villas do not have a sea view.
There is no beach in front of the hotel as such (a small strip of black volcanic sand is almost entirely occupied by fishing boats), but there are sun loungers 20 meters to the right. Since, in principle, they were not needed, we did not even find out on what conditions it was possible to use these sun loungers on the beach. The reefs are beautiful, not bored in 2 weeks. They start right at the coast and you can swim for hours looking at underwater world... A side effect - a couple of times the tide brought mud (bags, diapers, candy wrappers), "rescuers" from local fishermen, going around the reef in a canoe, collected garbage whenever possible.
The villa is clean, comfortable and spacious. The hotel is about 20 years old, but renovated about 6 months ago. There is enough furniture, cleaning daily, bed linen changed every other day. True, the staff asks if cleaning is needed today (do not mind missing the day), but if there is a clear need for us, they never refuse. There is a refrigerator and a kettle in the room. Daily 0.5 liters of water per person. Toiletries are provided (shampoo, conditioner, soap). There are also mosquito repellents, replaceable blocks with a stock. Beach towels are available at the reception. The staff is friendly, although some of the staff are not very competent, but they still try to help.
The territory is well-groomed, the order is kept perfect. There is a small playground. Each villa has its own sun loungers on the terrace and its own hammock next to it.
Mahi-Mahi's restaurant is not bad, almost the only one in the area with a children's menu. Open from 6:00 to 23:00. They cook well. Yes, there is a small vegetable garden in the backyard of the restaurant and also its own chickens. The eggs for breakfast were the freshest. If you get bored with eating at the hotel, there are other restaurants within walking distance. There are few of them; and of those on foot, Mahi-Mahi is perhaps the best. The children rated the quality of the restaurant for the quality of the chocolate milkshake and chicken nuggets. According to the price range, Mahi-Mahi is considered to be expensive by local standards, lunch or dinner for 4 people will cost you about $ 45. However, upon your request, the staff will recommend other places, most of them have free transfer(from the hotel to and from the restaurant). In the same price range, but more interesting in terms of the menu and better in quality, a 3-minute drive away - the Sails restaurant.
An unpleasant incident was the rental of snorkeling equipment. A small counter at the beach entrance, unmarked that this is for rent. The friendly staff (as it turned out later, had nothing to do with the hotel) will gladly select the necessary - life vest for a child or fins and a mask for you. We were sure that all these services are free for hotel guests. And then at the end of the holiday they began to ask for money, and it would be much cheaper to buy all this. We had to enter into negotiations, since we did not use all this equipment every day and no price conditions were announced, we agreed on an amount acceptable to both parties (not according to the price list, which, of course, they had). I hope that the guys will draw the For Rent sign now.
Local fishermen offer boat trips - fishing (we went - we didn't catch anything!), To other reefs, you can snorkel over the sunken ship - the one that is Japanese - there is a very beautiful coral garden (we dived there, there is a strong current, then from mask and scuba diving have to work more)
Of the sights, there is also a lot to see. It's not far in terms of mileage, but because of the relief (narrow and / or mountain roads), it turns out decently in time. The closest trip that I managed to make with children from this part of Bali is the water palaces Tirta Ganga and Udzhung - an hour's drive from the hotel. Also in an hour's drive there is Secret Beach (I don’t remember the exact name), but everyone knows it as a white sand beach (there are also restaurants there). We had a great day with the children. It took us 2-3 hours to get to Kuta and Ubud. And still, it was incredibly pleasant to return to the quiet and cozy Coral View Villas every time. We discovered another part of the island, the east of Bali is quieter, there are much fewer tourists and this part of the island is beautiful, relaxing and peaceful in its own way.

It is much less popular with tourists.

This region is developed just enough so that you can come there for a few days (weeks / months) and not experience problems with accommodation and food, but at the same time not find yourself in the tourist crowd, among the ubiquitous pearl sellers, annoying masseuses, obsessive taxi drivers and other delights more "developed" areas.

At the same time, in combination with stunning nature and magnificent sea, this place can be called truly delightful.

In this article, we will share the beauty of East Bali and tell you about the Amed region - a place where a dozen fishing villages are concentrated in picturesque bays.

The terrain here is hilly, already at the entrance incredible panoramas of rice fields with silhouettes of mountains in the background open

A serpentine road with magnificent landscapes stretches along the coast, in good weather can be seen neighboring island Lombok and its main volcano, Ridzhani, and some of the hills offer such views of Agung and black beaches with clear blue water, which is breathtaking.

There are several successive small villages in the Amed area

The village of Amed of the same name with the region, we did not really like - the beaches are long, stone, and not very clean. But those beaches that are located to the south are located in small coves, where there are practically no waves, and the sea is clean and calm. Surfing fans here, of course, have nothing to do, but for snorkeling and diving there is a real expanse

You can snorkel almost everywhere right from the shore - corals are visible already 5-10 meters away, and many colorful fish swim among them. The water is so azure and transparent that it is incredibly pleasant to swim in it - when we were here, we felt the pleasure of the sea for the first time in Bali. We're not big fans of snorkelling, we just love to swim, but if that can be combined with watching marine life, then it's absolutely wonderful. That is why, floundering in troubled water with big waves but rarely caused something other than disappointment, but here I just didn't want to get out of the water 🙂

In addition to the beaches themselves, on this coast there are many simple beautiful places, where you can pleasantly sit in silence, admire the sunset, clear water and look at the clouds over Agung

Once, having been here, we fell in love with this sea

and bays

We especially liked the village of Bunutan, with its picturesque sandy Pondok Vienna Beach. After exploring most of the bays in and around Amed, we found the only beach with sand, not stones, with good sandy entry into the sea and intact corals.
Bunutan village is located here ( -8.350275,115.684612 ):

In addition, there is a hotel (Pondok Vienna Beach) next to the sea, so the beach is looked after, and you can also rent sun loungers, umbrellas, and snorkeling equipment.


Therefore, when the question arose of living for a couple of weeks on the ocean shore (our parents and sister came to visit us and for them swimming in the sea was the main priority), we chose Bunutan

Hotels in Amed

Prices for a double room in a hotel here start from 200 thousand rupees per day and, as elsewhere, vary, depending on the availability of air conditioning, hot water, Internet and remoteness from the sea. There are very few options for long-term housing, especially in the immediate vicinity of the beach.

We found 2 small cozy house-villas that satisfied the requirements of all five of us - they had a kitchen-living room with all the necessary utensils (refrigerator, set of pots, pans, blender, toaster), hot shower, air conditioning, parking for a car, a terrace where you can do yoga and decent Wi- Fi.

In addition, the houses are located exactly 5 minutes walk from a good sandy beach... In the district, these seem to be the only villas with kitchens, we spent a lot of time looking for them, but we were completely satisfied with the results.

The same owner also has villas in the neighboring village, on the very shore, but near the stone beach, on which you cannot get into the water, but there is a swimming pool on the territory. We could use it too, but we had such a good sea and so close that we never got to the pool. You can book a villa here: Double One Villa II

If you don't need a kitchen and a separate house, then in the village you can choose from a number of decent hotels, which are located on the hills, across the street from the sea. Their terraces offer ocean views, and in the morning you can watch the sunrise from their balconies.

A selection of hotels in Amed

See more hotels in Amed

Food in Amed

In Bunutan, Amed and other villages there are both local varungs and tourist restaurants and cafes on the seashore. This is not to say that there are a lot of them, but there is a choice and the prices there are more or less adequate - lower than in Ubud and on south coast, but still tourist, on average 25-40 thousand rupees per dish.

But grocery stores are more complicated - there are a couple of small local shops and fruit shops, but the choice leaves much to be desired, the nearest large Hardy's store is located in Amlapur (about an hour's drive). While we lived in Bunutan, we had a car and we are constantly they went somewhere, so on the way back they could always buy groceries in large supermarkets.

Despite the fact that tourists often visit these places, locals not much spoiled by them

and are very friendly to visitors - unobtrusive, but curious

Most of the men here are either involved in tourism or are employed, but one way or another, almost all of them are associated with the sea.

Leisure in Amed

In terms of entertainment, Amed is not the best place and is hardly suitable for party lovers - around 8-9 in the evening the village falls asleep, and almost all restaurants and shops are closed. There is practically nothing to do here without your own transport, and the nearest attractions are at least an hour's drive away (although volcanoes, temples and waterfalls are still closer from here than, say, from, for example)

But this place will certainly appeal to lovers of the sea, snorkeling, diving and simply beautiful nature.

In the neighboring village, Tulamben, there is a local landmark - the ship Liberty, sunk during the war. We are talking about him.

Snorkeling(from English snorkeling - to swim with a mask) - a popular type active rest, which consists in swimming under the surface of the water with a mask and a snorkel (sometimes with fins). Very popular with holidaymakers on the island. And there is hardly a person who refuses to dive into the wonderful underwater world when he is at your side.

Bali is a small part of a huge area that is part of the coral triangle.

Coral triangle - natural object, The "peaks" of which are Borneo, the Solomon Islands and the Philippines. Scientists from all over the world call this area "the center of marine life." It is home to more than seventy-five percent of the species of polyps and jellyfish known to science, six of the seven species of sea turtles, 6,000 species of reef fish and more than 3,000 fish that live in open ocean... Among this diversity, there are species that are practically not found in other places, and about 80 percent of the inhabitants of the local waters are unknown to science. It is home to giant rays and eleven shark species. Few people know, but the coral triangle is much more interesting place for divers than the "sensational" Great Barrier Reef off the coast of Australia.

The main destinations for diving and snorkeling in Bali are: Tulamben, Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan islands, Menjangan island, Amed, artificial reefs in Pemuteran, Padangbai, Seragan island, Gili islands.

Tulamben

The main object for viewing in Tulamben is the sunken American warship U.S. World War II Liberty war. The ship is quite close to the surface, and in its vicinity there is a large number of variety of fish, so this place is convenient for snorkeling.

Noosa islands

The only place near Bali where giant stingrays are found - manta rays.

Menjangan Island

The island is part of national park... The name of the island is translated as "deer", as its main inhabitants are deer. A wide variety of marine inhabitants live in the waters around the island: turtles, barracudas, reef sharks, as well as schools of tuna, jack fish, plataxes, lionfish, scorpions and octopuses. It is also recommended to see the Garden of the Gods, which is 15 minutes away by boat. Menjangan is considered the best place near where you can swim with sea ​​turtles.

Amed

It is considered one of the best snorkeling spots: it is shallow, excellent visibility, variety marine life and there are no strong currents.

Pemuteran

A great place to not only admire millions of small fish, but also swim with large sea creatures: sea turtles, rays, as well as reef and whale sharks.

Seragan

This place is just a few minutes by boat from tourist area... Seragan is a kind of "nursery" for reef sharks, which are mercilessly exterminated by fishermen in pursuit of profit. Here you can swim alongside these unusual animals.

In principle, you can snorkel almost everywhere, if you wish. It is also not difficult to buy a snorkeling tour and rent simple equipment (at your hotel or any travel agency of the island).

May 24, 4:30... The second day off and the second very early rise, but we are cheerful, especially me. In general, it's great to start the day early, there is so much to do, it's a pity that it doesn't really fit in with Igor's work. So, we woke up in Pemuteran, to which we reached yesterday 4 hours, and began to get ready. At 6:00 am you have to swim to Menjangan Island, where we were promised the best snorkeling off the coast of Bali.

And only then it dawns on me that we will have to leave the hotel at 5:30, and at this time it will still be dark. It seems not a problem, but we really do not like to ride in the dark. The headlights of oncoming cars completely dazzle, and then you can drive through the forest with all its unpredictable inhabitants ... Well, what to do? We packed up and drove off. I had to go rather slowly, especially in the village. At this time, prayers were already being sung in full in the mosques, someone went to pray, someone went to the market, to school or to work, so they had to look carefully. When we drove through the protected area, it became brighter and easier. We arrived 10 minutes late, Wayan greeted us with a smile and took us to our boat.

The boat turned out to be what you need! We thought that it would be like the one on which we swam to the dolphins, but not. This one was much bigger, new, pretty, and just for the two of us! Mmm…

We were quickly seated in the boat, allowed to try on the mask-fins and started the engine. Our team included a boat driver, Wayan, and his adorable daughter, about six years old, whom he took on snorkeling for the first time.

The girl turned out to be that still a flirt and all the way she posed for my camera.

The beauty around is indescribable! On the one hand, sunrise and mangroves:

And on the other - the volcanoes of the Java island (it would be necessary to get to them too 😃):

Now the fun part is snorkeling!

We took a GoPro camera with us, although it was already mercilessly drowned somehow on the Sanur beach, but it still holds on and is very, very helpful where the phone and the camera are powerless. In its modes, we are still confused and our hands are treacherously shaking during shooting, but we tried to shoot as a keepsake. more video, and some of them have already been cut into a few photographs of the underwater world.

As soon as we were in the water, Wayan immediately thrust a starfish into our hands, blue and velvet to the touch - an interesting start!

There are a lot of different fish here, much more than what we saw in Amed.

And I’m not talking about corals at all, for us as beginners in this business everything seemed insanely beautiful and interesting. 😃

Find the angry fish in the photo:

Huge shoals of small fish look amazing, they either swim as one whole, then freeze over the coral:

One sharp movement nearby and they disappear in a second into their hiding place. We played hide and seek with them for a long time. 😃

Such stick fish are found here:

And here we also saw a clown fish, yes, the very same one from the cartoon "Finding Nemo"!

These babes are incredibly cute and humble! 😍 Once again, anemones do not protrude from their house, we noticed them only thanks to Wayan. While we were swimming, we met 3 or 4 such houses, the fish live in them in pairs.

Other minke whales live in the same neighborhood, they are bigger and not at all such cowards.

While Wayan lured out the Nemo family for us, these comrades defended themselves and tried to grab onto the hand - very useful neighbors. 😃

In general, it's funny to swim with Wayan, he showed us something interesting every now and then. The most unexpected thing was when he offered to hold the fugue, we didn’t even have time to figure anything out, and Igor had this live ball in his hands. 😃 The fish is very tender and Igor was worried that he would harm her, and hastened to let her go free.

The sight was well, very hilarious. Inflated, it floated to the surface, and then, with an angry glance, began to slowly deflate and so awkwardly descend to the bottom. 😃

As promised, we swam in two places. The first time, Wayan made a company for us, and the second time he gave us freedom and managed to swim a little with his daughter. The difference between the spots is small, in one there are more fish, and in the other more interesting corals.

Between the two swims, we walked along the Menjangan Island itself. No one lives on it, but there are several functioning temples. Besides us, by the way, there was no one else around, only one boat sailed with smart Balinese for the ceremony.

On the island, we looked at the temples and bought water here, but we didn't think to take it with us.

Menjangan is full of deer, some hide in the bushes, while others feel like masters here. People have set up a trash heap near the temple itself, and the horned ones are happy to lie in it and look for something tasty.

After snorkeling, we asked the driver to take us for a ride around the island to see big statue Ganesha.

Summing up, I will say that we liked it. little trip very! It is so beautiful around, but at heart it is calm that I want to come back here one more time. It is a pleasure to sail on a boat, the sea is beautiful and clean, much cleaner than in Lovina and Amed. The water is clear, the visibility is excellent, but there may be small waves and currents, so you need to be careful. Back in Amed, someone very small stung us in the water, but here this was not the case, and the snorkeling itself is excellent! You won't find turtles and sharks here, but there are many different fish, and there are also blue and pink starfish. And not a soul around! Wayan said that mostly tourists come here later, the water is already muddy and there are fewer fish, let's take our word for it.

In general, we also liked our team, everyone was friendly and helpful.

They came back happy, I can't even believe that before 9 o'clock in the morning you can have time to see so much beauty! More often so! 😃

If you are looking for a trendy resort with good and calm beach, then Nusa Dua is your place. Nusa Dua Beach is everything you expect from a tropical beach: beautiful white sandy beaches, trees that provide natural shade, deep blue sea and sunny sky. Artificial breakwaters in the sea break the waves far from the shore, making the sea ideal for swimming. In contrast, there are no algae here, so you feel comfortable when you step into the water.

This beach is located in resort area so there is no noise here road traffic... And besides, there are no street vendors. Unlike the beach, merchants will not be able to enter the Nusa Dua beaches, so you will certainly enjoy your time on the beach. Thus, the authorities have created a secluded enclave for tourists who pay more. For this reason, there are only 4 * and 5 * resorts in Nusa Dua. The location for this tourist project has been carefully selected according to the criteria that Nusa Dua is sparsely populated, with a pleasant climate and most importantly, with beautiful white beaches.

Hotels range from simply good to world class. It will be much more expensive to eat than in Kuta. This is a honeymoon destination ... If your budget allows, this is the best place to stay, even though it is located too far from the center of Bali. The water is clear and not suitable for surfing. This place is ideal for families with children. The sea is very spacious and calm, although in some places you can be pulled into the ocean, so be careful. After all, the sea is always unpredictable. Take these precautions and everything will be just fine. Do not choose this resort if you are young and alone, this is not the place for you, especially if you want parties and a lot of people.

Beach characteristics: