Why Sanur?
Sanur is the first tourist location in Bali.
Sanur is an ideal place to stay for families and travelers who are looking to stay away from the more upbeat and crowded areas, such as Kuta and Seminyak. However, there is still plenty to do, and Sanur is lively and offers everything a traveler desires. The nightlife is more relaxed while there are plenty of bars that feature live bands. The northern part of Sanur also functions as a harbor for speed boats departing daily to Lombok and the Nusa Islands. Many great local warungs can be found while fancier restaurants are mostly attached to front beach resorts. Many foreigners chose Sanur as their place to retire for many good reasons.
The waves are calm enough, making this an ideal place for swimming and playing in the sand with kids. Sanur is not a beach famous for it’s surf, as it requires you to go offshore about 1km during the seasons that support the wave breaks. The peaceful beach also allows baby sea turtles being released back into the waters, so if you’re lucky and visiting in season, you might even get to witness this rare phenomenon.
With its long standing history where Bali’s tourism first boomed, Sanur has housed a number of elegant 4* and 5* hotels on this side of the island, as well as an abundance of resorts and spas available in the area. For a relaxing time, Sanur is also home to a growing number of popular villa resorts, although you might find them towards the north side. Most accommodation along the coast will be in the middle to upper price range.
Sanur has many pleasant places to stay, though most beachfront properties are centered around the Sanur beach area off the Bypass Ngurah Rai main road. There are several beautiful beachside luxury hotels and villas in Sanur that are worth splurging on. Homestays and guest houses here are often family-run. As are some of the mid-sized hotels, the mid-range accommodation are mostly found north of Sanur following Jl Cemara and Jl Danau Tamblingan.
Sanur is not known for its fine dining but the area has some excellent restaurants that cater to tourists. You’ll find beachfront places to dine for those looking for beautiful sunset views. Many local families in Sanur successfully maintain eateries serving authentic Balinese menu, such as Nasi Campur, Lawar and Babi Guling. Food carts set up near the beach in the mornings, and in the markets at night. The Sindhu Night Market (Pasar Malam) hosts food stalls, popular to both locals and tourists, as one of the must-do experiences in Bali.
Sanur has new beach clubs and some relaxing bars where you can play pool, chat to visitors and regulars, or watch a live band. There are also quite a few karaoke bars closer to the Ngurah Rai Bypass. Look for places that advertise “family” karaoke or expect to meet bar girls and “hostesses.” Sanur’s nightlife shuts down around midnight and is less-wild than the party scenes in Kuta and Seminyak.
Surfing may not be common in Sanur beach, it is a good place for watersports such as kitesurfing, jet skiing, and even seawalking, a one of a kind experience that allows you to walk along the seabed without needing a snorkel. Other sights include the Le Mayeur Museum, set up in the Belgian painter’s former home, houses 80 of his early paintings, and some depicting his wife. Although his art is exquisite, the upkeep of the museum might not inspire guests who come to visit, but nonetheless it is still a sight to see. Sanur is also known for its Bali Kite Festival when winds are strong and skies are clear, the summer months are when you’ll see giant, unique kites flying from the east.
Sanur was actually the landing site for the Dutch invasion in the early 1900s, and later on, the entry point for Japanese troops in World War II to occupy the island. It is also historically one of Bali’s oldest tourist areas and the birth of tourism booming on the island. It began attracting visitors long before Kuta became popular with the surfing and backpacking crowd, and it is still clean, peaceful, and quiet. Yet, Sanur still has very strong ties to the Balinese traditional culture and is overseen by local village organizations.
You’ll find many taxis along the main street, however Sanur is fairly walkable and has a beachfront path that stretches along the area. Like most of the central tourist spots, renting a scooter is a common way of getting around the island. There are also Gojek and Grab (online taxis) that locals would use, however if you are looking to not worry about finding transport, hiring a private car with a driver is the way to go.
