Amed Bali, more then just diving...

Just like Lovina in the northern part of the island, Amed Bali is not just one village but a string of smaller villages located on a 10km road in the Karangasem province.

It starts with the village Amed in the north followed by Congkang, Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah, Selang, Banyuning and ending with Aas.

Most travelers stay in the 4 most eastern villages as there is more choice in accommodation, restaurants and dive operators. Aas is the less visited village of them all.

But more developments are taking place along this strip so perhaps soon enough it will be one of the tourist areas to visit when in Bali.

Now Amed Bali is mostly a quiet place with a stunning ocean view. Since this area is one of the best places in Bali to go to for scuba diving, travelers mainly come here to marvel at the diverse sea life.

Besides diving and snorkeling the main activity is just relaxing far away from the crowds in the south...

• Getting around:
  if you plan to move around Amed Bali you'll need some form of transportation
• Things to do:
  there is a few more things to do then just diving and snorkeling alone
• Restaurants:
  being close to the sea, fish is Amed's specialty
• Hotels:
  expect great ocean views here in our favorite hotels...

As mentioned before the Amed area offers stunning ocean vistas. Headland after headland offers amazing ocean landscapes. Everywhere you go you will see crystal clear water which we can't get enough of...

Climate wise this part of East Bali is not ideally located. It is located on the dry side of the mountains Agung and Saraya resulting in minimum rain throughout the year. Every time we went to Amed area it was really dry and hot. It felt like the sun was setting the whole area on fire.

The landscape is very arid and the slopes of the mountain all look bare.

Rice fields are out of the question and the only food that is grown in the wet season are peanuts, soya beans and corn.

Other sources income are salt winning and fishing which is done all year round.

Especially around the villages Amed and Congkang you can see the salt winning activities while the other beaches are mostly covered with colourful Jukungs which are traditional fishing boats.

The more you drive towards Aas and beyond it is obvious that the area is one of the poorest in Bali and much effort is needed to obtain sufficient water. Local people have to walk down the hill daily to collect water for cooking, washing etc.

So what makes Amed Bali special?

I guess besides the fact that it is right at the sea and its refreshing breeze, Amed is a really easy going place where you could be the only one staying in one of the hotels or restaurants.

And the locals in Amed seem to mind their own business. Despite the fact that they are friendly and helpful, the Balinese in this part of the island don't seem to be behind you everytime you turn around.

While we are usually up and about during our trips through Bali, Amed made us just want to slow down a bit and enjoy the breathtaking setting.

So if you want to leave the crowd behind without anybody wanting something from you then this is definitely the place to go.  

• Getting around:
  if you plan to move around Amed Balin you'll need some form of transportation
• Things to do:
  there is a few more things to do then just diving and snorkeling alone
• Restaurants:
  being close to the sea fish is Amed's specialty
• Hotels:
  expect great ocean views here from our favorite hotels...

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Getting around Amed Bali

Amed is located in East Bali. To get there you need to use the main road from Amlapura and Culik. From there you can either go clock wise or anti clockwise around Seraya Mountain.

We prefer the clock wise option. Not only is the scenery really beautiful towards the end but it is much quicker too.

Beautiful ricefield scenery along
the 'clock wise route'

There is public transport to Amed area however it is not that comfortable plus it's pretty far, especially if you are coming from the Kuta or Ubud area area.

There are Perama charter busses that leave from main tourist villages. Candidasa is the closest village from which the Perama bus leaves from. So this is a good option if you can't arrange you own transport.

Once in Amed Bali we think you should have your own transportation....

Ok, if you plan to stay at a dive resort and the only thing you intend to do is diving then it might be fine to just stay in the resort.

But...if you want to see different things and don't want to eat at the same restaurant all day then we highly recommend you to hire a motorbike.

We needed a motorbike to get around Amed Bali...

To be honest, my girlfriend and I could not have done it without a motorbike. Besides the distance between hotels and restaurants, it is just too hot to be walking around.

On top of that the small road isn't really pedestrian friendly so you will need to jump aside when a car passes by.

If you are unfamiliar with a motorbike then it is still ok to drive around in Amed because it is basically a straight road with not too much traffic. But since there are no street lights, you might want to do most of the driving during the day.

Resorts sometimes offer short drives to great snorkeling sites but we haven't heard anything about pick-up services to and from restaurants, so try to arrange your own transportation.

You can walk along the road, but it's not fun

Important Addresses and Phone Numbers in Amed Bali

There are still no ATM or banks in Amed. If you need to get some money then you will need to make a short drive of half an hour to Amlapura, the main town of the Kerangasem province.

We did see some moneychangers scattered throughout the villages of which the majority were found in Lipah. As for internet it seems like it is becoming more accessible.

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Things to do

As mentioned earlier, this part of Bali is one of the quietest and let's hope it remains that way. Its beaches are rocky and/or have black sand and there are no waves so it is not popular among sunbathers and surfers.

View of Amed Bali from the boat

The majority of the travelers who do head to Amed are divers. This area has one of the best diving sites in Bali. Not only do divers like to discover the marine life in this area, but they also take the boat up to Tulamben where you can find other popular diving sites.

If you do want to see more of eastern Bali there are many tours organized in Amed. They mainly show the highlights of this part of the island, such as climbing Gunung Agung, visiting the waterpalace at Tirta Gangga and hiking or cycling through the country side.

Tours can be arranged almost at every hotel and other places such as Jukung Diving and Amed Cafe which offer a long list of things to do.

Tours on the traditional Jukung fishing boats

There are some other details I think I should mention before you go. Forget about going shopping in Amed Bali! The number of shops is minimal with just a shop that sells hand made jewelry and tiny supermarkets scattered around the various villages.

And as for nightlife...don't expect anything like south Bali. Maybe there is more going on during the high season such as live music, but during the low season expect quiet evenings under the stars.

Places where you have the chance of running into live music are Wawa Wewe, Cafe Garam and Pazzo Restaurant and Bar.

Diving: There are many dive resorts and operators in this part of the island who offer tours to sites off Jemeluk, Lipah and Selang. Here you are able to see coral slopes, drop offs with soft and hard coral and an abundant of fish. Dive operators also offer padi courses, so you are able to do your first dives here too.

Snorkeling: It is very popular to rent a Jukung, a traditional boat, in the morning and set off to a nice snorkeling area. Most snorkellers start off at the Japanese wreck at Aas. But there are other places just of the coast of Jemeluk, Selang and Lipah beach. It also possible to just go for a swim in front of your hotel to see some coral.

Hiking: A thing that isn't often done and not widely promoted is hiking Gunung Seraya. But it's possible to reach the summit by yourself. Just east of Jemuluk Bay there is trail that leads you the way. Vegetation is scarce, but if you leave early in the morning you'll be treated with a nice sunrise.

Salt winning: In this area you are still able to see the traditional way of salt production. Cafe Garam/Hotel Uyah has created a large area where you can learn about the whole process of salt winning. Along the main road of Amed Bali you can also buy little bundles of original sea salt. They say that original seasalt is good for your health.

Spa: The only independent spa in Amed, which is not part of an hotel is the A-spa. It's located in Bunutan and it has just been renovated. Prices range from USD18 to USD30 and they offer transportation. An other idea is opting for a quick massage offered at the on the beach.

Boat tours: If you want to enjoy the sea without getting wet then there are wonderful options. Almost everywhere in Amed Bali you can hop on a traditional fishing boat for a sunset tour. In Batu Belah there's a glass boat tour so you can enjoy the marine life, while Condor sailing (located at Hotel Uyah Amed) offers various types of trips on their traditional wooden schooner.

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Restaurants in Amed Bali

We were always in Amed during the low season, so we couldn't really judge a restaurant by its number of eaters since there was hardly anybody. But don't worry until now the majority of the restaurants in this area serve really tasty food.

Considering its location right at the beach, seafood dominates every menu. But despite this there's a large choice of other types of cuisine ranging from sandwiches to stone oven pizzas.

The Aquaterrace Bistro in Selang even has sushi.

Amed Cafe is ideally located for breakfast, lunch or dinner. It's right at the beach and the tables are comfortably set in the shade. We tasted one of the best seafood satay here, but they also have many other types of dishes too. This is also the place to enjoy real Balinese food. You do need to order these dishes 3hours in advance.

Cafe Garam has besides a large selection of Indonesian dishes, also Thai dishes, pasta, pizza from a stone oven, salads and even beef stroganoff. But if you want to have something typical Balinese you can try out the Iga Babi bakar, grilled pork spareribs with Balinese paste. This restaurant is located next to Hotel Uyah.

When we had dinner in Pazzo Restaurant and Bar the place was deserted but nevertheless the staff prepared mouthwatering dishes. The restaurant promotes an extensive range of Indonesian, Balinese and International cuisine. Well, once you open the menu you'll see what they mean.

Cafe Batan Waru in Bunutan is one of the many 'warungs' opened by local Balinese however this place has a great view. Be early though, because once the sun has set it gets pretty dark. They have just a few tables and a tiny kitchen where they prepare Balinese dishes. Don't expect haute cuisine but it's a nice place to taste home cooking

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Hotels in Amed Bali

In Amed you can find all types of accommodation ranging from a handful of good dive resorts, cute bungalows to many 'improvised' guesthouses.

There are some points you might want to consider when choosing your ideal accommodation in Amed Bali. First of all make sure you know in which village the hotel is located.

As mentioned before the hotels in Amed are spread out over 6 villages. So unless you have your own transportation or you don't mind an extensive walk, you are pretty much dependent on what is near your hotel.

Another point is the setting of the resort. First of all there are the ones right at the beach or right at sea. The second choice are the resorts higher up on the hills with terrific ocean views.

Here are our favorites in Amed Bali:

Anda Amed Resort is a beautiful and well maintained resort. It has different types of bungalows that can accommodate couples but also larger families. From every bungalow and its infinity pool you have a gorgeous view over the ocean. Anda is on the hill, but from here you can walk down to take a dip in the sea.

With just 7 bungalows set in a colorful garden Kembali Beach Bungalows is not a big hotel at all. Each bungalow is facing the ocean and is built just a few meters from the sandy beach. Kembali Bungalows is located in Amed village. It's also near Amed Cafe where you can enjoy delicious lunches or dinner.

Puri Wirata Resort & Spa is a beachfront resort. The rooms are clean with very comfortable four poster beds. One meter from sea they have two swimming pools where you are tempted to stay all day. It's possible to do diving courses, trips and tours from here.

Blue Moon Villas is located in the hills of Selang, a bit far from the 'action' but near the Japanese wreck, a popular snorkeling and diving spot. We consider their type of accommodation more bungalows instead of villas however it's a really nice place set amid a lush garden with two kidney shaped pools.

Batu Belah Resort isn't really located in Amed area, more between Tulamben and Amed. However it's a great option if you want to have total peace and quiet plus easy access to a terrific area for snorkeling.

This resort is located right at the seafront from where you can jump in with your snorkel gear and admire the colorful marine life below. They also organize glass boat tours.

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