Explore East Bali

In our humble opinion, Amed is Bali’s best-kept secret. This place is an inimitable blend of culture and nature, surrounded by the friendly and ever smiling Balinese people. It has the quality that still offers a sense of tranquility and authenticity of just how Bali used to be. It is an ideal escape from the noisy and overcrowded mass tourism locations such as Kuta or Legian. The pace of life here is very slow which makes Amed the perfect spot to disconnect, to chill and to relax.

The coast here is often called simply Amed, but the name actually refers to a long stretch of coast running from the village of Culik about 14 km eastwards incorporating seven small villages: Amed, Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah, Selang, Banyuning and Aas.

As the road meanders alongside the coastal line, it passes beautiful black sand beaches, small boutique hotels, modest homestays, little shops and a number of small beachside restaurants called warungs, many of them specializing in fresh and locally caught fish.

The peak of majestic Mount Agung guards this gorgeous shoreline, and the steep hillsides offer spectacular views. On a clear day, one can see Mount Rinjani’s tip popping out of the clouds on Lombok island.

Amed beaches & jukungs

Amed's inhabitants live from fishing, salt making and tourism. Each of these activities is connected to the ocean and to the beaches. What makes Amed so typical and unusual is its dark sandy beaches, some of them also being covered in rocks – more like big pebble stones.

Strolling on Amed’s beaches is a sheer delight, as you’ll walk past countless and often colorful “jukungs”, the local name used to define the traditional fishing boats made of wood and bamboo. They are usually highly decorated and bear a marlin-like prow. Bring your camera!

Amed rice fields & hills

Amed and its surroundings offer incredibly picturesque landscapes. Once you’ve had a few refreshing dips in the ocean, we highly recommend going inland to discover the simply gorgeous rice fields and hills. Our Staff can point out the best spots to hike or bike to. On your explorative tour, you will meet joyous kids walking or riding to school, waving a warm and welcoming “Hello!”, farmers walking their cows to the nearest green pasture or water source, women carrying their groceries on their head, and much more. In the wettest part of the year, we have a few waterfalls that make for a great resting (and bathing) spot before heading your way back down to the ocean.

CEREMONIES, RITUALS & OFFERINGS

In Bali, there is hardly ever a day that goes by without a ceremony of some sort taking place. If you then add all the life cycle rites (baby ceremonies, puberty rites, weddings, cremations, Temple festivals), then one’s calendar fills up quite easily. There are definitely certain times that are “ceremony-intense” such as the Full Moons and the high holy days around Galungan. The Balinese religion is a unique blend of three primary elements: Hinduism (based on what is practiced in India but differing substantially from those traditions), Animism (where every living thing has a soul) and ancestor worship (the Balinese deify their ancestors after a proscribed process of cleansing has been done).

In the late afternoon, chances are you’ll witness Balinese women taking their offerings to the temple, after the heat of the day has gone, and everyone's work and school obligations are over. The offerings, consisting of fruits, rice cakes and flowers, are brought in on women's heads and placed at strategic points around the temple. These are blessed with holy water by the temple Pemangku or priest.