In Reply to: SANUR BEACH WARNING? posted by SamUK on Friday, 28. February 2003 at 17:48 Bali Time:
Sam, that's a tough question because it is very subjective and largely dependant on what you are comparing it with. When talking about beaches in Bali, discussion tends to be centered on the mainstream areas such as Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua, etc. etc.
In some regards these are a bit like suburban beaches and the majority of visitors don't venture past these spots. But Bali also has many very special beach areas that look like they are straight out of a movie! One such place is a tiny cove beach called padung padung (not sure of the spelling... it might be badung badung) Picture yourself walking down a heavily shaded path that is winding its way down an easy slope... you then enter a short tunnel that has been cut through a large rock and emerge on a half-moon bay that is a couple of hundred metres across.
The road is high above, behind you the rainforest follows the creek to the sea and there are a couple of platform structures built over the sand on bamboo stilts that offer basic accommodation for surfers. Rumour has it the tariff is just $2 per day! The water is clean and warm and if you fancy your hand at surfing, a magnificent line of breakers roll in around 100 metres off shore. This is a place where you will simply want to linger all day!
The beaches at sanur are fine for R&R, refreshing dip (when the tide is in) and even a few watersports. Don't be surprised though if you find yourself spending most of your time around the pool. The hotel you have chosen has absolute sea frontage and about 20 metres of garden and paved walkway separates the main pool(which is more like a small lake!) from the beach proper. Right next door to this Hotel -literally - are a couple of cafes that are right on the bach... excellent for breakfast and a delightful evening meal! There is a paved walkway that you can take the most fanstastic stroll along as it will allow you to walk all the way up to the grand bali beach hotel. ALong the way you get to see all the resort gardens and pool areas and there are cafes everywhere along the path where you can stop for a cool drink or lunch... I promise you, it is simply sensational. Don't be surprised if Spending endless hours laying on the beach never becomes a reality for you... you'll find so much to do! We have stayed at Sanur Beach Hotel twice and enjoyed it both times... the Deluxe ocean view rooms are definitely the best choice and I would fully recommend them over the garden view rooms. The Standard rooms may disappoint you so if your Agnet has recommended these I would suggest you reconsider. I'm told that in recent times the Sanur Beach has let its standards slip a little... whether or not this is true, I don't know. But if you decide to seek alternative options, then try the Griya Santrian next door... this is quite a spectacular property. If you'd like a more detailed account of our experiences at the Sanur Beach Hotel and the things we did and saw around Bali, simply click on the link below and it will take you through to my Just Back Report (if it doesn't work, simply copy and paste). If you'd like any further info, just let me know and I'll be pleased to help. Cheers - kevin
http://oldjustbacks.tripod.com/kev.htm