Cultural & Active Things to do in Candidasa

There are some great things to do in Candidasa because the village is ideally located between the mountains and the Bay of Amuk.

From here you can easily go hiking, scuba diving in Bali dive sites, visit the village where the original Balinese people live or explore the rest of Karangasem regency with all its beauty and friendly people.

Thinking about heading to East Bali? Here are a couple of great things to do in Candidasa and around...

Things to do in Candidasa: Exploring the area

Tenganan:
This village is located near Candi dasa and its inhabitants are considered to be the original Balinese people. They still live according to ancient traditions.

They are known for their unique ikat weaving and palm leaf calendars. If you plan to visit, go early in the morning before busloads of tourists arrive.

Tirta Gangga
is a ancient water palace located just north of Amlapura. Even though it has been destroyed by an earthquake it's still the best preserved water palace in Bali.

It has a wonderful garden to walk around but the best thing about it is that you can actually swim in one of the royal pools. A very refreshing treat...

Taman Ujung
is one of the two water palaces in East Bali. It was built by the same king who built Tirta Gangga.

In the past it was a beautiful retreat for the king, however after the earth quake in 1979 and due to lack of maintenance the palace is not as it used to be. It's still open for public and nice for a stroll.

Hiking:
Candidasa Bali is a fantastic starting point to go hiking through the rice fields and the mountainous terrain in the area. There is a good hiking trail from the village Tenganan to Macang and Ngis and then back to Tenganan.

Another option starts from Tenganan and ends at Tirta gangga. Search for the temple complex at Tenganan and from there head for the forests. There is a stone wall that will guide you to a school in Gumung. There are beautiful views on the rice fields from this village.

You continue your walk by passing a dam, a shrine and by crossing a shallow river. At the village Kastala head towards the main road and walk to the village of Bebandem.

From here you can continue your hike to the village of Budakling and after hiking along the country roads you will end at Tirta gangga.

 

Diving and snorkeling in Candidasa:
One of the popular things to in Canidasa is diving and snorkeling in the areas nearby. There are some excellent spots such as Tepekong Island and the Mimpang Islands, the tree rock islands in front of Candidasa's coast.

This dive site has several walls and a good variety of sea life.

There is even a shark junction so you will likely see numerous sharks and sometimes even manta rays and the Oceanic Sunfish. Visibility is 30+ meters. Tours can be organized from Candi dasa and Padangbai.

Jasri Beach:
Just before Amlapura there's the small town of Jasri where you can do some surfing with the locals.

However there's no beach here, just some black volcanic rocks which can easily cut you. So make sure you have enough surf experience before you head for this beach.

Pasir Putih:
Just 5 km north of Candi dasa you can find the superb white palm fringed beach of Pasir Putih. It takes some adventure skills to get here but once you pass the dirt road you end up at the amazing white beach.

There are a couple of 'warungs' here where you can relax, sip a beer and lounge on one of the beach chairs.

Things to do in Candidasa: Checking out Padangbai

Padangbai:
One of the things to do in Candidasa is to visit the relaxing beach village, Padangbai.

Padang means 'grass' in Balinese and Bai is from the dutch word 'baai' meaning bay.

Well that is what the village basically is as most activities are concentrated around the bay.

Diving and Snorkeling in Padang Bai:
Padangbai is 20/30 minutes down the road of Candidasa and has 6 excellent spots for snorkeling and diving. Famous sites are Blue Lagoon, Ferry Channel, Tanjung Sari, Temple, the Wall and Bias Tugal.

While the diving conditions are good in this area, the water can be very cold and visibility is not always crystal clear.

Things to do in Candidasa: Great sightseeing routes

Candi dasa is the perfect spot to drive around the stunning scenery of east-Bali.

One of our favorite routes goes from Candidasa to Amed via Tirta Gangga.

Here palm trees and rice fields dot the landscape between the gorgeous mountains and the sea below.

Another favorite route of ours is the drive from Candi dasa to Ubud via Manggis, Putung, Selat, Rendang and Bangli.

From the mountains of Manggis you have a view to die for and along the way you will pass amazing rice terraces, smiling Balinese and you can visit one of the most ancient and impressive temples of Bali.