Planning a trip to Bali? Check out our top 5 beaches the island!

The best beaches in Bali

The beautiful island of Bali is a haven of coastline. Ranging from deep dark black sand that will burn the bottoms of your feet off to the stunning white sand beaches of the South. Whatever your flavor of sand & salt combination , we’re pretty sure Bali has their version of it. Read on for our favourite of the 100’s of beaches here on Bali.

1) BINGIN BEACH

Located on the Bukit Penninsula on the Southern tip of Bali, Bingin is a small and cosy stretch of golden sand and reef rocks. Once you’ve made the hike of 100+ steep stairs down through guesthouses and warungs, you reach a pretty perfect piece of cove to loose the afternoon in. There’s no shade down here so hit the beach early or just before Sunset. Alternatively, park up at one of the beachside Warungs (Café’s) and order lunch/coconuts/ice creams with a view! You can stay here and depending on your haggling ability, rooms with ocean views start from $20 a night. It’s 100% worth it! TIP: Go at Mid –high tide to be able to swim.

2) THOMAS BEACH

Located just up the road from Bingin beach closer towards the Southern tip of the island, Thomas Beach is a little less built up than its neighbours Ulluwatu & Pandang Padang. Probably because of its extremely limited signage! Pop it in google and don’t be afraid of the gravel road to get there, that’s just the beginning. Take a hike down the 200 stairs and park up on one of the beach chairs or go left and find a secret nook in the little rock pool/cave areas! It’s a stunning stretch of beach and while it’s not too built up now with only 1 place to stay, get there soon! TIP: Go at Mid –high tide to be able to swim.

3) GREEN BOWL

Located still down on the Bukit Penninsula but on the back side, Green Bowl is about a 30 minute scooter ride from the likes of Bingin Beach. Completely un-developed (Unlike its brother next door, Pandawa Beach which gets deliveries by the bus load every hour!) you’re not getting more than a Nasi Goreng, or Coconut here and that’s only at the top. This may well be due to the 200+ steep stairs to get down to the beach or maybe the fact that there is no beach at all at high tide! Green Bowl beach has 2 caves which is perfect to shelter from the mid day sunshine, making it a great day trip option (Just pack your snacks!). There’s also a great surf spot right out in front of the beach.

4) KENDUNGU

Located 30 minutes west of Canggu, this stretch of Black Sand beach is completely untouched other than a Dirt Bike track behind it. Lined with Palm trees, and black rock cliffs either end, I can imagine this is what Seminyak & Canggu used to be like 10 years ago. On Sunday’s it’s a locals haven, so be sure to head there then if you want to try some of the local street food cuisine…Easy to access via Car & Scooter and the best part? There’s no stairs! TIP: If you’re making a day trip, head to the cool café / gallery space called Joshua District just a little back off the main turn off. (Google maps

5) WHITE SAND BEACH

This one’s a little further than a day trip or perhaps I would recommend visiting with a car rather than by scooter. White Sand Beach is a random cove along the East Coast of Bali where all other beaches are Black Sand! The closest town to stay is Candidasa, a lovely little beachy village located on the water about 10kms South of White Sand Beach. It’s a small hike down a hot dusty road to get to the beach but that’s nothing on our recommended beaches down in the Bukit! There’s lots of other things to do up in this area like Coffee & Cocoa plantations and waterfalls so if you decide to make the hike to this stunning beach, be sure to make a weekend of it!

We’re of course, huge fans of any beach here on the island. If you have more time, step foot off of Bali onto the golden shores of Nusa Lembongan, Gili Islands or Nusa Penida and there is a whole other barrel of (near) untouched beaches awaiting to be discovered. If you’re planning a few weeks in Indonesia I would highly recommend spending a few days over on nearby island Lombok. Grab a scooter and ride through farm land, rolling hills and the small villages of this small and rugered island to discover an absolute paradise of coastline. TIP: Plan your trip soon, it won’t stay this way for too much longer!

Thinking of coming to visit the island soon? Check out these epic accomodation hot spots we picked out or head over and read up on our Bali Best Eats here. x