Sanur

Sanur is a town on the east coast of South Bali. Sanur is Bali's oldest upscale resort area and is a mature beach-side town. Despite the abundance of restaurants and accommodation, it has a quiet and relaxed feel to it. Sanur tends to appeal most to middle-aged and older families, especially Europeans. Most hotels in Sanur are big, with spacious gardens.

Understand
The Sanur area is sandwiched between the main Jalan Ngurah Rai bypass and the beach. One main route called Jalan Danau Tamblingan runs north to south through the town and it is easy to orient yourself with reference to this road.

By car
Sanur is a 20-30 minute taxi ride from the Ngurah Rai International Airport, and a pre-paid coupon costs Rp150,000. There are plenty of metered taxis all over the island who will be keen to take you to Sanur.

If you are driving yourself, this is one of the more straightforward areas of Bali to find as the main Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai is the western boundary of Sanur. There are many well signposted exit points from this main road into the heart of Sanur. Allow about 20 minutes driving time from Kuta or Legian, about 30 minutes from Seminyak or Ubud and 10 to 15 minutes from Denpasar.

By bus
Sanur is well serviced by shuttle buses and bemos from the north and south and also from Denpasar's Tegal terminal.

From Denpasar, Teman bus (Trans Metro Dewata) K3B ends in Matahari Terbit Sanur, Rp 4,400.

From Kuta or Jimbaran, Teman bus K5B, Rp 4,400.

The bus company Perama has its Sanur office in Jalan Hangtuah, and offers direct transfer here from Candidasa, Kuta, Lovina, Padang Bai and Ubud.

There's also a bus service called Trans Sarbagita that runs the following route Terminal Batu Bulan (Gianyar) - Tohpati (DPS) - Sanur (DPS) - Kuta Central Park (Badung) - Jimbaran (Badung) - Nusa Dua (Badung).

Kura-Kura Bus is another bus company that passes through Sanur and other popular areas in Bali.

By boat
Boats from Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Gili Islands arrive at the Sanur Harbour at the end of Jalan Matahari Terbit, and detailed schedules are given in the Nusa Lembongan article.

Get around
Jalan Danau Tamblingan, the main street in Sanur, has a number of outlets for car, motorbike and bicycle rental. A large number of metered taxis patrol the streets looking for passengers. Local bemos run with some regularity up and down both Jalan Danau Tamblingan and Jalan Danau Poso.

Sanur is also a great place to walk. Distances are not large, the streets are relatively quiet, and there is a splendid, paved beach front path which runs the whole length of the district.



On foot
Walking in Sanur is pleasant. The pavement is about 2.5 m wide along Sanur Beach, suitable for the senior citizens who frequent this town to avoid the loud nightlife in nearby Kuta. Rental bikes sometimes use the pavement, too, but no motorcycles do.

By bicycle
Sanur is possibly the most cycle friendly part of mainland Bali. It has some cycle lanes such as along Jalan Danau Tamblingan going south only (returning via the beach pathway north makes a nice loop ride). The long paved beach pathway allows bicycles as well as pedestrians but you need to cycle slowly giving way to pedestrians. There are plenty of places to rent a bicycle for the day. Along the beach it costs typically Rp50,000 per day. If you hire away from the beach area such as on or near Jalan Danau Tamblingan the price is cheaper, typically about Rp30,000 per day.

See
This is a town with a wealth of cultural, natural and historical attractions, as well as the shopping and beach-related sights.





As well as shopping and eating, there are plenty of photo opportunities while walking along the splendid 5-km beachside paved path. The local night markets are a sensory delight, with plenty of food options.

Do


Sanur's splendid paved beachfront cycle-path stretches some 5 km from the Jalan Mertasari area in south Sanur, north to the main beach at Jalan Hangtuah. This makes for a lovely scenic bike ride, especially in the early morning. Some bikes are better maintained than others so you might want to test your hire-bike close to home for a while in case the pedals have a tendency to fall off. Bicycles typically cost per day about Rp 30,000 if rented from town, or Rp 50,000 if rented from along the beach.

Diving
Although the diving available around Sanur is not the best Bali has to offer, nearly all of Bali's most established dive operators are located here. All offer trips further afield.

Surfing
Bali is one of the most famous surfing locations in the world and Sanur is one of the most famous surfing locations for intermediate surfers coming to Bali. With already well established surf schools located here, beginner, intermediate and even families can join these establishments for some surfing fun.

Laundry
There are many places to do your laundry in Sanur. Most hotels provides they own laundry service, mostly with more expensive rates than local laundry rooms. Almost every street corner has a laundry service.



Spas
A day at any of the spas in Sanur is exactly what you would expect during your stay in Bali: full service treatment steeped in Balinese tradition. Take advantage of any opportunity to enjoy a spa during your stay, the cost here is at least half what you would pay in North America or Europe. All major hotels have in-house spa facilities and there are also several well established independents in Sanur.



Watersports
The more active could try one or more of the many watersports on offer at Sanur Beach. Try kitesurfing, windsurfing, wakeboarding, surfing or paragliding. For those less active, hire a banana boat and hit the calm waters.

The surfing here is not great by Bali standards but there are reasonable breaks about 1 km offshore during the northwest wind season (about October to March). In that period you will have no problem locating the breaks — just follow the locals. Boards can be rented on the beach for Rp 100,000.



Buy
There are countless shops along Jalan Danau Tamblingan and the side streets leading from it. You will find everything from local t-shirts to Balinese handicrafts.





Markets
At the northern end of Jalan Pungutan, just before it hits Jalan Danau Tamblingan, there is an art market, sometimes referred to as Sindhu Market. This is a one stop shop for all manner of Balinese handicrafts, sarongs, T-shirts and knock-offs such as sunglasses. A similar set up can be found at beachfront Art Market at the end of Jalan Hangtuah. Take the foot path leading north which weaves through a maze of stalls and the odd cafe.

Eat


For very cheap local food try the Night Market at the northern end of Jalan Danau Tamblingan where it meets Jalan Pungutan.



Drink
There are lots of bars along Jalan Danau Tamblingan.

Sleep
Most of Sanur's accommodation is in the medium and high sector of the market and is aimed at families. Hotels in Sanur are usually a distance apart, not as close together as Kuta hotels. Hotel price competition in Sanur is tame compared to Kuta, which has a severe oversupply.

Connect
There are numerous internet cafes on Jalan Danau Tamblingan as well as cafes offering free wireless internet for customers.



Cope
Several nations have consulates in Sanur, including some with titles that confusingly include the words "in Denpasar".


 * 🇨🇿 Czech Republic
 * 🇫🇮 Finland
 * 🇫🇷 France
 * 🇩🇪 Germany
 * 🇸🇪 Sweden
 * 🇬🇧 United Kingdom

Go next

 * Sanur is a good jumping off point for the nearby island of Nusa Lembongan.
 * If you are heading back to the southern tourist hotspots of Kuta, Legian and Seminyak, this will take about 20 minutes by car. Ubud is about 25 minutes in the opposite direction.