Sanur, Bali: A Slower Side of the Island
Our first stop in Bali was Sanur.
After arriving in the early hours of the morning from Adelaide, it was the perfect place to spend a couple of nights before heading off on the next part of our adventure. It gave us time to slow down, settle into Bali and shake off the travel before an early transfer to Padang Bai for our boat trip to Gili T.
Sanur has a very different feel to places like Kuta and Legian.
It's quieter.
Calmer.
And definitely attracts a different crowd.
A slower pace of life
One of the first things I noticed was how much more relaxed everything felt.
The traffic wasn't nearly as hectic, people wandered rather than rushed, and bicycles seemed just as common as scooters. Walking around felt easy, with plenty of cafés, restaurants, massage shops and little businesses lining the streets.
Running alongside the waterfront is a lovely boardwalk that stretches for kilometres. Some sections are shaded by trees, while others open out to cafés, hotels and beachside restaurants.
It's the kind of place where you can happily spend an hour or two wandering without any real destination in mind.
The markets
Like much of Bali, you'll come across markets selling souvenirs, clothing, bags and handmade items.
To be honest, they offer much the same as you'll find in Kuta or Legian, so if shopping is high on your priority list, I probably wouldn't make Sanur your destination just for that.
For me, it was more about wandering through the little laneways, watching daily life unfold and soaking up the atmosphere.
One of my favourite things about Bali is noticing the small details.
The colourful offerings left outside businesses each morning.
The tiny side streets that disappear between buildings.
The smiles from locals as you wander past.
Those are often the moments I remember most.
The waterfront
Sanur's beach isn't what I expected.
The shoreline is relatively narrow and, during our visit, there was quite a bit of rubbish that had washed in. The beaches in front of resorts had been cleaned, and showed such a contrast.
The waterfront felt less like a swimming beach and more like a working harbour. Boats lined the shoreline, ready to take visitors fishing, snorkelling or across to islands like Nusa Penida and the Gili Islands.
Even so, the boardwalk itself is lovely, and I found myself enjoying the atmosphere more than the beach itself.
Is Sanur worth visiting?
I think it really depends on what you're looking for.
If you're after nightlife, beach clubs, shopping and plenty of action, I'd probably point you towards Kuta to Canggu area.
But if you'd rather start your holiday somewhere peaceful, enjoy slower mornings, walk along the waterfront and escape the crowds, then Sanur has a lot to offer.
For us, it was exactly what we needed.
It was an easy first stop after a late-night flight, conveniently located between the airport and Padang Bai, where we caught our boat a couple of days later.
Sometimes a destination doesn't need to be exciting.
Sometimes it simply needs to give you space to slow down before the next adventure begins.
And Sanur does that beautifully.
