Before leaving for the island we stayed in Sanur for a couple days to explore the area. We were glad that we did because it had a nice beach that stretched for a few km’s. The sand was a golden shade and in some areas it was almost copper. The beach was so long that it always had a deserted feeling to it, and we enjoyed the quiet time to relax and catch up with some reading. The water wasn’t the best for swimming. There weren’t any big crashing waves like Kuta; on the contrary it had a low tide and a lot of seaweed. There are many seaweed farms in the area, so it was common to see big floating pieces in the water. The town itself was cute, there were a lot of shop selling the usual crafts and souvenirs and many restaurants to chose from. Usually we would take a Bemo into the main area, which is a minivan with no doors that you can flag down for a cheaper price than a metred taxi. We enjoyed our stay in Sanur because unlike Kuta with its party atmosphere, Sanur had a more mature vibe but still had the facilities to go out and have fun.
We stayed in really cute place called Shanti Home Stay, it was clean and comfortable… a welcomed change from our graphitized hotel in Kuta. Mixed in between the two budget accommodation areas were high end resorts with fancy property. We enjoyed some really great meals in the town at quite reasonable prices at the kind of restaurants that at home would be reserved for only special occasions.
One meal that we really enjoyed after a long day at the beach was BBQ corn from a local vendor. She would coat it with lots of butter, salt, black pepper and hot sauce. This is something that really suits mine and Andrew’s palate well. We will definitely bring this recipe home with us; the hot sauce would leave your lips feeling like they were on fire~ but sooo worth it! I love being in this region of the world because hot sauce is provided with everything. Unlike the sissy’s in the West that can’t handle spice, here everyone enjoys a “good sweat!”
Nusa Lambongan:
After a few days of chillin’ out, Andrew was ready to hit the surf! We boarded an early boat over to the island. Both of us were excited to get there and see what was in store for us. The boat ride was only about one hour, and I decided no seasick pills were needed. Water seemed to be smooth, so I anticipated no problems. Boy was that wrong, about half way there the waves became big and our small boat was bouncing all over the place. Myself and a few other passengers seemed to just hanging on to our breakfast by a thread. Thankfully we arrived safely, and other than some pale faces everyone was good.
We found accommodation on the side of the island where it is known to be in the budget category. Even still we had a difficult time finding something suitable, eventually we did find a classic Balinese style hut, simple and clean. Unfortunately our side of the island was not good for swimming; the water was basically a big boat parking lot with very shallow water at times. The good beach we were told was on the other side of the island but accessible only by motorbike or boat. Luckily our hotel staff arranged a boat for Andrew to go to the break (surf spot) called Playground, and then to drop me off at a beach to watch him.
The surf was not good that day, it is a reef break (waves over coral) and they were quite small. Of course the local Balinese kids, because of their size and skill were able to surf there and do 360’s and all kinds of tricks. When we met three of the little kids later on the beach, it turns out that they were all surfing with broken boards. One had a fin missing; another big chunk missing and one even had the nose ripped off. A lot of the kids here in Bali are great little surfers; they almost grow up on their boards and in the water. They are tiny, but they sure know how to tear it up!
The “better” beach was a little hard on the eyes. I wouldn’t consider it a good beach and it wasn’t easy to get too. Andrew and I made the decision that we would leave the following morning and head back to Sanur.
The one great thing about Nusa Lambongan was the amazing sunset. I have never seen the sun light up an area with such a vibrant shade of red. We really enjoyed sitting out at our hotel and watching it.
The following day on our boat back to Sanur, we noticed quite a few passengers from the day before… I guess others had the same feelings about Nusa Lambognan.
Back to Sanur:
Since we knew we liked Sanur, we decided to spend another few nights there before moving on to our next destination. We went back to our cute home stay, and again enjoyed some relaxing on the beach and some good food.
~Nicola
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| Sanur & Nusa Lambongan, Bali |
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