Chill out at Sanur Beach, Bali – the perfect family getaway

Lots of people that come to Bali tend to ignore Sanur Beach. But they do so and miss out on so much. Sanur is fantastic! The whole area is stunning and packed full of things to see and do. Firstly, let’s take a look at the beach area. It’s got gorgeous white and clean sand that is framed by a tropical lagoon which means it’s really calm for swimming. For those of you who like a bit of adrenaline the surf during the months of November – February is awesome. For a family that is holidaying in Sanur it’s a full day out. Head down to the beach in the morning, gram a beach umbrella and enjoy the laid back and really chilled out ambiance. The sand is white unlike other beaches which have volcanic black more harsh and grainy sand. Here it’s soft and this lends itself to a more tropical feel. Calm waters are protected by an outer reef here so it’s perfect for an afternoon of swimming, drinking coconut water brought to you by your beach chair and perhaps getting a soothing one hour massage on the ebach

If you get peckish and want to feed the kids then there are dozens if not more, restaurants located all along the beach area. Here you can get Western and Indonesian dishes as well as the usual children’s menus of hamburgers and pizzas. If you love your Nasi Goreng it’s here as well.

On the outer reef of Sanur (which you get a boat to), there is also great snorkelling and a healthy ecosystem of marine life. Here you  can see an array of tropical fish thriving off the warm waters. It’s really worth coming down to the beach for the atmosphere and to do a spot of shopping as well. You will find that local vendors have set up small stalls on the pathway that runs the entire length of the beach and here you can pick up your stock standard / typical Balinese souvenirs.

A lot of travellers will say that Sanur has a bit of a reputation for catering to the elderly European holiday maker and to some degree they are right. To be honest it certainly has a much different feel than other parts of the island but I guess that this is the attraction of Sanur. It’s so much more laid back, quieter and for family holidays this could be an important thing. You certainly won’t see the kind of activity or seemingly endless nightlife that Seminyak or Canggu has. This is the allure of Sanur & it’s extensive beach area. You should also plan to spend about an hour or so walking the path that straddles the beach area as it’s crammed with shops of all sorts selling your typical souvenirs. They seem to look exactly the same and they are which is part of the fun. What  they do is try to get your attention and in doing so they out shout each other for your holiday dollar. These locals are really friendly and they know that it s a bit of a game as well. Make sure you buy something, even if it’s a small token gift as these people do rely heavily on the tourist trade. You might not use it but it will bring back some fond memories when you look at it back home.