Bali's sunrise
The sun rising over the sea.
Danangtrihartanto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Aspere — CC0 · Aspere — CC0
A calm beach on the east coast of southern Bali and one of the island's oldest tourist areas, favoured by older visitors and families because a distant coral reef breaks the waves, leaving the water near the sand calm and shallow on most days. A paved promenade runs about five kilometres along it, past hotels, cafes and restaurants. Sanur is Bali's sunrise beach, facing east, so people gather at dawn to watch the sun rise over the sea, sometimes with Mount Agung on the horizon. Colourful traditional fishing boats line the sand, and fast boats leave from here for Nusa Penida and its neighbours. The beach is free and always open, with token parking. The tides are marked here: at low tide the water retreats far and swimming gets hard. Bali's tourist levy, one hundred and fifty thousand rupiah per foreign visitor, is separate. Come at dawn for the sunrise, then breakfast on the promenade, or hire a bicycle and ride its full length. Sanur is a comfortable base for a day trip to Nusa Penida.
The sun rising over the sea.
About five kilometres along the beach.
Fast boats to the islands.
Sanur, east coast of southern Bali
Both are calm and family-friendly. Sanur is simpler, closer to Ubud and the island boats, with a long promenade; Nusa Dua is more upmarket, with big resorts and white sand.