Sanur Beach - Your Beach in Bali?

By Matt: Verbaan

Sanur beach is definitely an option if you are planning a holiday in which your main activity is relaxing on the beach. It is one of the biggest and nicest beaches on Bali and the walk way along the beach is perfect for jogging, cycling and strolling in the early mornings or just towards the end of the afternoon.

This beach has been attracting travelers since the 1960's. To profit from the increase of tourist numbers the former president Soekarno used his resources to

build a huge 9 story building with a bowling alley, golf course and massive swimming pool right at the beach. You can still see it today and can only wonder why they haven't gotten rid of it yet...

Sukarno also came up with another idea which seems to be more successful than his massive hotel. At that time Sanur beach looked a bit different: it had black volcanic sand instead of the white sand it has today.

So what happened...?

Well, it had nothing to do with the miracles of Mother Nature. Instead the former president brought in tons of golden coral sand to cover the original black beach. The white sand is now kept in place through breakwaters that are built in sea. Imagine that...

Not surprisingly after that more beach hotels were built along the beach and today you can see many wonderful resorts that offer charming and luxurious Balinese styled accommodation such as the Puri Santrian resort, the Mercure resort and the Bali Hyatt.

If you are staying at one of these beach hotels you are guaranteed that you will have a nice piece of quiet beach where you can enjoy the sun on one of the many beach chairs that are for hotel guests only.

Unlike the sea at the western part of the island, the sea at Sanur is as quiet as a lake. The waves do not reach the beach as the reef is located far off shore. This makes it a terrific place to swim, snorkel or paddle around in a kayak.

There is however a lot of seaweed in these calm waters. But fortunately the hotels have come up with a good solution: they cut the seaweed on regular basis so you can actually feel the soft sand between your toes.

Besides visitors, these calm waters have attracted local fisher men as well. Along the whole stretch of the beach you can see the typical wooden fishing boats called Jukung. Once they have hauled in the fish early in the morning, the majority of the fishermen spend the rest of their day looking for tourists who would like to go on a tour with them.

The colorful boat is a great way to see the beautiful beach from another angle and it is possible to go around the lagoon, to Benoa Harbour or to Turtle Island.

When you stroll along the walk-way you'll soon enough see a lot of shops, massage tables and restaurants right at the beach. The shops are mostly souvenirs shops that sell all kinds of things. The shopkeepers will make sure that you know that they are there and which shop is theirs. But if you are really not planning to do any shopping, try not to look in the direction of their shops because that is usually their cue to approach you.

This tip can also be applied for the massages on the beach...

Everyday dozens of women are ready to give you a traditional Balinese massage on the beach. Right under a patch of trees there are a couple of massage tables on which you can lie comfortably while they ease every muscle in your body with their professional hands.

If you are in for a massage, go for it. It's always nice to hear the sea breeze while relaxing at the same time. But if a massage on the beach isn't your thing (lack of privacy), remember to look the other way and continue walking...

A great thing about Sanur beach is that there is a lot of great restaurants right on the beach. Eating in the open air with your toes in the sand just makes the picture of the tropical holiday complete...

You can either eat in a stylish restaurant at one of the hotels which has great views of the beach and sea or you can head towards the restaurants located along the walk-way.

Here you can find restaurants such as Bonsai Café where you can eat great food for a very reasonable price, the Mango Restaurant & Bar with a great lounge-seating area under the palm trees, and one of my favorites the little Spirit café that serves great sandwiches with first class view of the beach and sea.

As you can see Sanur beach has more to offer than just nice sand and a calm see. It is a great place if you are looking for total relaxation during your holiday while staying at one of the many beach hotels and enjoying lunch and dinner in the terrific restaurants located right at the beach...
Matt Verbaan has traveled through Bali many times. In his travel site he shares his stories, adventures and reviews on this magnificent island, including Sanur. At http://www.bali-travel-life.com/sanur-bali.html he lists all the things you can do there, but also where to stay and eat.

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