Best 5 Beaches in Bali

Bali is one of the most popular destinations in South East Asia and not without reason (if you ask me… and about a million people who have been here :D). The island usually brings exotic temples, jungles and amazing beaches to ones’ mind and all of these places definitely do exist. There are amazing beaches here that range from small bays that are you usually a bit more crowded, to stretches of beaches with a couple warungs and chairs for shade to beaches where you can easily walk for 30 minutes without meeting anyone. If you think that every beach on the island is like that though, chances are you’re going to be disappointed once you get here and see how different it is.

Since I’m currently back in Bali and writing this article on one of my favorite beaches here (check out the photo on the right :P), I though I might as well put together this Ultimate Guide to the Top 5 Beaches in Bali so that you don’t have to waste time once you get to this little piece of what I like to call paradise. Just a quick heads up: All of these beaches are located on the peninsula south of the airport. So if you want some proper beach days, make sure to stay here for a couple of days. Appartement from amazing beaches, you will find countless awesome restaurants and bars that range from simple to super fancy and a very chill atmosphere whereever you go,

Pandawa Beach

Pandawa Beach is probably my favorite beach in Bali and here’s why: On your way to this one, you’ll probably think ‘WTF STEFF’ because by now (2019) they build so many, let’s call them ‘things’ cause they’re definitely no hotels, that the place could look a bit ruined from afar. Once you get down to the beach however, make your way aaaaall the way to the left side and start walking further to the left on the beach, away from the warungs and other random things you see along the way. Depending on how high the tide is, you might have to climb one or two rocks but the further you go, the better the beach gets. Not only is the water absolutely ridiculously turquoise here but chances are that you might be there by yourself (apart from a couple of surfers that enter the water here but hey, I will definitely not complain about them #creeper :D). To make everything even better, you will see the warung ladies walk by you a couple times asking you if you want any drinks of food and will bring it to you to enjoy right there at one of the best beaches in Bali (for as little as 25k, which is about 1,5€ or 2,5 USD for nasi goreng)

Dreamland Beach

This is one of the first beaches that I saw in Bali back in 2013 and up to this day, I always come back when I’m here. Although a lot has changed in the past several years, I still absolutely love Dreamland beach. The sand is one of the whitest you will see on the island and the water is craaaazy blue. The fun part about this beach is that waves can be a bit high here but they’re super fun to play in and I can promise that you will have an absolute blast here.

I came back here in early 2019 and you will find a fair amount of people and chairs to lay on. They also started serving food and drinks here but if you find the right spot (which is still very much possible), this beach can still be like a dream come true.

Hidden Beach

This is another gem that I absolutely love because it is just so super nice and somehow still not super crowded. Hidden beach is located just around the corner from Dreamland beach but will surprise you with a long stretch of super nice white sand and suuuuuper blue water that will get you (hopefully) very excited. If you have trouble finding it on google maps, try looking for Pantai Cemongkak and be prepared to have one of the nicest lazy beach days in Bali.

Suluban Beach

This beach is a bit more special. Although swimming is possible, it might a bit harder to do here. What you get in return however are unbelievable views of amazing white cliffs and some of the nicest water you might ever see, mixed with a bunch of really cool restaurants with an amazing atmosphere and great food. If you’re in the area for the day, you might as well come here for a super early or late lunch (otherwise it might be a bit too busy) and just hang out and enjoy Bali at its best.

Balangan Beach

This beach is not only perfect if you want to enjoy a fun day on a white sand beach with turquoise water and only a handful people but it’s also the perfect spot to enjoy lunch and a bintang in one of the 6 small beach bars. The bars are very simple but the staff in all of them is super nice and happy and the food is simple but super delicious. When you get there, you also get to enjoy an amazing viewpoint that’s overlooking this little gem before you make your way down a couple of stairs.

If you want to almost have a private beach to watch the sunset, this is the one for you. Since many people make it to more popular and crowded places like Uluwatu which is close by, you will have this one almost to yourself. –

Extra info: It’s not like you need it down here, but the reception is pretty non-existent down at the beach. If you really do need to check your messages, you can always just walk up the stairs and reception at the parking area should be back.