Sanur Beach in Bali

Sanur Beach is one of the most popular place Bali to see the sun rise. Located on the eastern side of Bali’s isthmus, Sanur is a world away from its western neighbour, Kuta. It has a relaxed, easygoing holiday vibe with loads of local charm. Sanur accommodation is dotted along the waterfront as well as along the main street which runs parallel to the beach. The former fishing village maintains most of its charm and continues to attract repeat visitors, mostly from Europe.

Among Bali’s first hotels and beachfront retreats, together with an eclectic mix of restaurants, shops and bars and an assortment of innovative and modern entertainment venues share the Sanur Beach Bali coastline. Known for its laidback atmosphere, Sanur Beach maintains its wealth in arts and culture, making it an ideal destination to enjoy the best of both eras, classic and contemporary.

The sweep of coast stretching from Padang Galak Beach in the north, to Mertasari Beach, some eight kilometres south, with a handful of variously named beaches in-between all come under the general moniker of “Sanur Beach”. Fringed by a paved beachwalk, the golden sands (although black towards the north) are lapped by gentle reef-protected waves making it safe paddling for kids and non-swimmers and a sheltered zone for an assortment of watersports.

The beaches are punctuated with groynes in an attempt to prevent erosion, popular as fishing spots or just sitting and watching the world go by. Low tide can be very low—in places you can walk almost all the way out to the exposed reef. The shallows are good for a bit of a poke and play, but the best time to even contemplate swimming is a few hours on each side of high tide.

Along the sand hawkers ply their trade selling everything from barbecued corn on the cob to coconuts, not pushy like some other of Bali’s beaches. You can hire inflatables for the tiny tots or bigger folk can try windsurfing or parasailing, or just rent a sun lounge for the day.

A really pleasant way to lose an hour or so is to hire a traditional jukung sailing boat. The colourful double-outrigger canoes are primarily used for fishing, they use a lateen sail (a triangle-shaped sail), though most have a small engine to keep them going through the doldrums. Painted bulging eyes on the bow wards off evil and gives the boats the power of night-vision, handy if you’re caught out after sunset. The boats comfortably seat two or three adults (plus the boatman) and can be hired mainly towards the northern end of the beach.

Sanur Beach Activities

Sanur Beach has a foot path, usually used for jogging, cycling or for afternoon walks. From a distance, you can see several traditional fishermen's boats called Jukung in which to rest their anchors. During certain months, usually December to February, the wave often brings seaweed waste from the ocean to the shore which then makes the beach looks dirty.

Sanur beach's calm water makes it good for swimming and experiencing leisure water activities, including sea-kayaking, speed boats, water skiing, and many others. Since it is close to Denpasar city (about 10 minutes), the Balinese prefer going to Sanur Beach instead of going to those on the south side, such as Kuta, Seminyak, and others. Therefore, on Sunday afternoon it's packed with local families and tourists. Similar to Kuta, several street vendors try to sell their goodies but this time in a less hassled way.

Sanur Beach Location

Sanur is Bali's oldest upscale resort area and is a mature beach-side town. Despite the abundance of restaurants and accommodation, it has a quiet and relaxed feel to it. In general terms, it is more expensive than Kuta but cheaper than Seminyak. Sanur tends to appeal most to middle-aged and older families, especially Europeans.

The Sanur Beach area is sandwiched between the main Jalan Ngurah Rai bypass and the beach. Its easily reachable from Denpasar International Aipoprt, about a 30 minutes drive. One main route called Jalan Danau Tamblingan runs north to south through the town and it is easy to orient yourself with reference to this road.