I had an extra day before my volunteer program in Bali so I did some research on best places to stay for one night. I had certain criteria since I didn’t have too much time in Bali – must have a beach, good spot for sunrises (since I would probably wake up early due to jet lag), and somewhere quiet. Sanur was the perfect introduction to Bali. Here is my general overview and thoughts on Sanur:

• Great for relaxing, families, couples, sunrises, hanging out at the beach, and a short stay
• Avoid if you want to party, surf, shop (Ubud or other cities have more selection), and sight see since there aren’t many attractions nearby

Sanur is a quiet coastal town on the east side of Bali (hence the amazing sunrises), and about 1-1.5hr drive from the airport. Driving into Sanur, I was greeted by a stretch of road filled with hotels, shops, restaurants, and bars.

I arrived at the Oasis Lagoon, which is located on the main road and a 10-min walk from the beach. There are several options for accommodation, either on the main road or along the beach.

To access the beach, I walked down one of the quiet streets off the main road. Those streets don’t get as much traffic or light so just be careful of the scooters and cars passing by, especially at night or during the early morning before sunrise.

Sanur has a thin, but long beach that is protected by a reef and breakwaters, which makes the water relatively calm. Due to the water conditions, Sanur is an unpopular spot for surfing, but perfect if you are looking to relax and swim in the warm ocean water.

Many of the hotels have their own beach chairs and umbrellas that are complimentary to the guests, or you can pay for a chair rental from one of the locals manning the station.

I was able to jog along the beach and found different shops, hotels, restaurants, and locals selling street food. There are also vista points called Pantai Matahari Terbit, Pantai Karang, and Pantai Sanur (from north to south). These vista points have small huts where I found locals and tourists hiding out from the sun, sleeping, or waiting for the sunrise. I personally used them as my backdrops in photos.

As for the sunrise, I woke up 1.5 hours before the sunrise to get to the beach. I was welcomed by a bunch of tourists, photographers setting up their devices, and locals waiting for the sunrise. Unfortunately the morning was cloudy so we didn’t get to the Instagram sunrise version, but it was still worth it!

Generally I would say Sanur is quiet and attracts a certain crowd because of it, but I thought it was a perfect introduction into Bali and to recuperate from the long flight.