Bali’s coastline is surrounded by beautiful beaches and cliffs. Some of those beaches are packed with people from dusk until dawn, while others are still a local secret and remain pristine. Each beach on the island has its own uniqueness, some are overlaid with white sand, while others brown sand and on the other end of the scale some are covered in volcanic stones. We have picked our top 7 beaches in Bali that are still left pristine.
Text & photos by Kartika D. Suardana
Bali’s coastline is surrounded by beautiful beaches and cliffs. Some of those beaches are packed with people from dusk until dawn, while others are still a local secret and remain pristine. Each beach on the island has its own uniqueness, some are overlaid with white sand, while others brown sand and on the other end of the scale some are covered in volcanic stones. We have picked our top 7 beaches in Bali that are still left pristine.
Crystal Bay
Named Crystal Bay because of its “crystal clear” water through which you can view stunning coral reefs alive with fish, this beach also boasts a short stretch of exquisite white sand beach. Crystal Bay is located on Nusa Penida, an island in the south east of Bali which is most easily accessed by boat. Famous amongst divers, Crystal bay is home to numerous Mola Mola (ocean sunfish) in the middle part of the year.
Amed
Amed has recently been growing as a tourist destination. Amed beach offers the serenity of life in a small local village, pristine waters and an astonishing landscape. Jemeluk Bay and Lipah Bay are two famous beaches in this area and well worth a visit. Jemeluk is a wide bay with clear water and wonderful underwater scenery. There is a huge underwater postbox is installed by the local community in Jemeluk that is emptied daily and is a wonderful way to send your loved ones a post card home.
Menjangan Island (Pos I & II)
Menjangan Island is a small, unpopulated island in the north west of Bali. The island is part of the Bali Barat National Park, and hosts of the island’s most ancient temples as well as an endemic deer species called the Menjangan. The island can be reached in four hours via car, heading west from the airport and then catching a local boat for about 45 minutes. Surrounding Menjangan island is crystal clear water with a vibrant graduation of colour out from the shoreline. Visitors to the island, usually pick PosI or PosII for relaxing, sunbathing and snorkelling.
Mangrove Beach Lembongan
On a sunny day, Magrove Beach’s serene white sand and astonishing views of Mount Agung far in the distance make it a truly remarkable location. Completed with a cruise around the locally protected mangrove plantation and sampling some seasonally grilled fish at the local warungs, defines true relaxation. A must visit for any beach lover.
Balangan
Balangan beach is a long stretch of white sand at the base of rocky cliffs where palm trees grow reaching the sky. The beach, which is famous among surfer is located about 30 minutes from the airport, on a drive where you pass through countryside, sparsely uninhabited land and, it seems like an endless, winding road. Balangan is a beautiful unspoiled beach with crystal clear water to swim in and fantastic surf for board riding enthusiasts.
Tulamben
If you are looking for a quiet beach to snorkel, scuba dive directly from the shoreline, and enjoy the beauty of Bali’s underwater life, Tulamben beach is the one to pick. Not suitable for sunbathing due to its being covered in volcanic peebles, bring along a beach chair and bask in the sunshine at the food of the island’s biggest volcano Mount Agung.
Suluban
Below the cliffs of Uluwatu on the southern tip of Bali, there is an incredible location, famous with surfers the world over, named by the locals as Suluban beach, sulub meaning dodge. The erosion caused by the strong waves and current have created many loophole caves, and when the tide is out they provide access to spectacular white sand beaches
hidden from the naked eye. Reaching the beach is a stunning journey in itself, beginning with a descent down the cliff via stairs, which pass through various shops and restaurants, which ends in a surrounding, spacious natural cliff dome, whose base is covered in white sand. The choice is then yours of which loophole cliff to follow and bring you out at a breathtaking beach.
