In search of a tropical island of abundent spiritualism, hospitality and dynamic terrain with rice terraces, jungle interiors and a treasure trove of corals beneath the lulling waves that lap the coast? Bali is your answer.
Temperate waters, a balmy dry season from April to October and inviting forecasts of 30C mean sinking your toes into the sands on the Indonesian archipelago’s most popular island is a staple of every backpacker's bucket list.
Luckily, the coastline of the “Island of Gods” is built for year-round surfing, sunning yourself with an arak cocktail in hand, and catching sunsets of orange and purple over the Indian Ocean from the comfort of a beach beanbag.
There’s something for everyone on the island, where lively beach clubs meet crashing swells and off-grid stretches of white sand.
Whether strolling the serene swathes of Pemuteran and Sanur or watching the dolphins dive off of Lovina here are the best Balinese shorelines to lay your towel for a taste of paradise.
Read more on Bali travel:
- The best time to visit Bali for a holiday – and how to swerve the wet season
- Best Bali holidays: Where to stay for a tropical getawayBali travel guide: Everything to know before you go
- Bali travel guide: Everything to know before you go
Jimbaran Bay
A white crescent of sand in the south, Jimbaran sparkles under the Balinese sun— (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Renowned for its skyscapes as the sun sinks below the horizon, Jimbaran Bay, a sweeping crescent of fine sand in the south, is one of Bali’s best beaches. Seafood joints line the bay selling freshly caught lobster and prawns and guitarists strum to tourists as they eat, drink and bathe near the many holiday properties that have made the fishing village their home.
Kelingking Beach
The Nusa Penida beach is reachable only by a 400m descent— (Getty Images)
Bali’s Kelingking Beach is not a journey for the faint-hearted. The secluded beach, situated on Nusa Penida island, the largest of a trio on Bali’s east coast, is reachable only by a 400m descent down jungle mountains to the white sand and palette of blue waters. Below the surface, deep dives with manta rays and sunfish allow travellers to explore cave temples and shipwrecks. Make the day trip in off-peak times to experience spectacular scenes at sunrise with a smaller crowd.
Nusa Dua Beach
Exclusive resorts pepper the Nusa Dua coast— (Getty Images)
On Bali’s southern tip, Nusa Dua’s glitzy gated development peppers the powder sands with four-poster cabanas and colourful parasols for hours of lounging in front of the turquoise seascape. Its position on the Indian Ocean and landscaped seafront fringed with palms make Nusa Dua an elevated beach day for some high-class R&R.
Seminyak Beach
The stylish sands of Seminyak are primed for sunset viewing— (Getty Images)
Seminyak on the south-west coast has surf swells, boutique shopping and bucket loads of style for tourists to enjoy watersports and tan top-ups before cocktails and DJs after dark. The beach, primed for both kicking your feet up with the latest best-selling holiday read and lively sunset viewing sessions, buzzes with the legendary Potato Head Beach Club for social adventures with friends old and new.
Lovina Beach
A playground for dolphins, Lovina is a black sand underdog for a Bali beach day— (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
The black sands of Lovina on the north Bali coast are a world away from the busy coast of Seminyak. A playground for bottlenose dolphins, with calm waves and plenty of space for sunning yourself solo, this laid-back stretch is the picture of serenity most holidaymakers expect from the spiritual shore. Think snorkelling corals rampant with marine life and hopping on a boat tour to watch the dolphins dance.
Sanur Beach
Five miles of golden sand stretch the south east on Sanur’s calm beach— (Getty Images/iStockphoto)
Among Bali’s best, Sanur Beach with five miles of golden sand, gentle Indian Ocean waters and bobbing red, yellow and blue jukung fishing boats has a reputation for tranquillity and its slow pace of life proves popular with families. Fringed by a promenade populated with restaurants and brunch, allowing you to sample the best of Indonesian and Balinese cuisine, and draws of paddleboarding, kayaking and yoga, this south-east seaside haunt isn’t one you’ll want to miss.
Pemuteran Beach
Bali’s serene north west is a haven for beach bathing— (Getty Images)
This underrated fishing village in the north-west of Bali may be quaint, but it has maintained a natural charm to rival the hustle and bustle of Bali’s southern coast. Better still, Pemuteran is an idyllic haven – not only for beach-bathing but for offshore snorkelling among vibrant coral reefs, taking the plunge to impressive dive sites and gentle dips in the crystal shallows – keep an eye out for green turtles, there is a local hatchery to help the endangered species repopulate.
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