The Roads from Sanur to Amed and then to Ubud

Staying in Sanur was our first choice, as recommended by an Indonesian friend. We opted for a less crowded and quieter beach compared to Kuta. It’s true that the ambiance in Sanur is much more relaxed, perfect for those who want to escape from partying crowds and piled restaurants. But it still has the amenities for undisturbed sunbathing by the beach, water sports, massage and spa and trying local dishes. It was off-peak season when we arrived there which explains why only a handful of people shared the beach with us, which is what we really wanted. On our first day, we lazied ourselves by the beach while drinking fruit shakes and reading books. We also tried jet skiing; it was our first time!

Our gracious host offered to bring us to Sunset Beach at Seminyak. We had dinner at the beach while sitting on bean bags and shaded by colorful umbrellas. We watched the symphony of colors as we conclude our first day in Indonesia.

The next day, we joined a couple we met in Sanur to Amed. They negotiated with a driver the day before and they agreed to split the car with driver rental with us. Our initial plan was to go to Nusa Lembongan but we found out that the places to go for snorkeling when you go there are also the same places you can go to when you hire a boat from Sanur. So instead of seeing the same beach, we decided to change plan and take our host’s recommendation.

I forgot the name of this place where we stopped for lunch. I just remember how we drove along swerving roads to the top of these hills. I will be grateful to someone who can fix my bad memory. :)

Amed is a famous destination for snorkelers and divers. How glad we were to choose this option because in Amed, snorkeling areas are just a few meters from the shore. We spent the whole afternoon admiring the corals and tropical fish. After that, we rented a motorbike and roamed around the town, had dinner at one of the restaurants, watched some fireworks and pampered ourselves with a Balinese massage before we bid the second day goodbye.

The next day, we had our breakfast at our resort before heading to Ubud. While having fried bananas, pancakes and fresh fruits, we saw some locals pointing at the direction of the beach. They wanted to show us the dolphins. To our amazement, we saw the fins of a group of dolphins very close to the shore! (I remember how we had to take an hour boat ride to see the dolphins in Bohol, Philippines.) How many times will I be able to experience watching dolphins while having a meal? It is like watching a NatGeo documentary; just real. What a beautiful way to bid farewell to Amed.

Before heading straight to Ubud, we stopped at some beaches like Padang Bai and Candidasa. I usually fall asleep whenever I’m in a moving vehicle. I admit I slept a little during the trip (they have good roads there) but I tried hard not to because the coastal roads are just too wonderful to be missed. There’s so much to see and we’ve only been to the western part of Bali. I wished we could have stayed longer than a week. But I think that’s good reason to go back to this beautiful island.

Off we go to continue our discoveries in the central part of Bali but that will be for a different post. I hope you enjoyed this road trip.

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