Sanur
Sanur location:
Sanur is one of the main beach resort areas on the south coast of Bali, located NE of the airport in Tuban. Located 18km from the airport, Sanur is a a handy place for a new arrival. Airport taxis might charge around 70,000rp to Sanur and the journey is around 20-25 minutes. For people choosing Sanur over Kuta or Nusa Dua, the advantages are a less intense atmosphere than Kuta and a more genuine one than Nusa Dua.
Sanur geography:
Sanur is made up of 7 small districts, joined together seamlessly by the Bypass and tourist trade infrastructure. Driving from Kuta the main points you’ll see on the Bypass are the Macro supermarket on the left side on the very southern end of Sanur before Jl. Danau Poso. As the Bypass swings through and heads left the main features you’ll notice are the McDonalds at the junction with Jl. Segara Ayu and the KFC at the junction with Jl. Hang Tuah in the north.
North Sanur:
Jl. Hang Tuah (KFC) is the small road that leads directly to the beach. It has a row of small hotels and Jl. Danau Toba has a good selection of restaurants and shops. Just south along the beach-side pathway is Museum Le Mayeur (open Mon-Thurs & Sun 8am-3pm, Fri 8am-12.30pm, admission 2,000rp, children 1,000rp). The Sanur Paradise Plaza is a fine hotel located at Jl. Hang Tuah and the Bypass.
Sindhu:
The area between Jl. Segara Ayu (McDonalds) and Jl. Pantai Karang is known as Sindhu. This is a relatively high density set up of hotels and restaurants, including the Gazebo Hotel and The Village restaurant.
Batujimber:
This area is popular with expats living in Sanur. The Hardy’s supermarket and restaurants close by give a slight ‘Seminyak’ kind of feel. Many expats prefer living in Sanur due to its proximity to the International School and quieter character than Kuta. Cafe Batujimber is a great place for a lunch stop.
Semawang:
The coastal strip to the south of Sanur from the Bali Hyatt to Hotel Sanur Beach. This part of the beach is quiet and you will see the brightly colored jukung (local fishing boats).
Blanjong:
The southern section of Sanur close to the Bypass. The location of the Prasasti Blanjong ancient inscriptions. The Bali Cricket Club is based on Jl. Danau Poso.
Sanur history:
Sanur’s history goes back a long way, with some of the oldest recorded writing on the island still preserved at the small temple at Prasasti Blanjong on Jl. Danau Poso. The ancient text, dating back to the 10th Century, is inscribed on stone pillar locked in a glass cabinet only about 10 meters from the street. Wrapped in cloth, you can just manage to see a bit of the writing sticking out. The inscriptions detail the arrival of a Javanese king in Bali of the Mahayana Buddhist kingdom, another cultural / religious influence.
Looking back to the 20th century, Bali attracted a number of famous expats including Australian artist Donald Friend, Belgian artist Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpes and author Vicki Baum who wrote ‘A Tale of Bali’.
•Getting around Sanur:
Getting around in Sanur is easy, due to the large number of taxis patrolling the main street, Jl. Danau Tamblingan. The best company is Bluebird (0361)701111, who operate a fleet of light blue taxis with a 24 hour dispatch service. As anywhere in Bali, public bemo buses serve Sanur and are used mostly by locals. You are better off renting your own transport from one of the many car rental places along Jl. Danau Tamblingan, or a car with driver. One of the better car rental companies is JBA (0361)286501 located inside the Diwangkara Hotel (Jl. Hang Tuah 54). They can provide a driver at short notice also.
Sanur accommodation:
Sanur is a quiet version of Kuta that offers a decent selection of accommodation options. You won’t find the mega resorts of Nusa Dua, but will discover a price selection, with many small personal places situated close to the beach. Sanur features a selection of Budget, mid-Range and Luxury options.
•Eating out in Sanur:
Stars Bar & Bistro: Sanur Bali
Stars Bar & Bistro on Jl. Danau Tamblingan in Sanur is a handy place to get online and enjoy breakfast, lunch and dinner. I passed by today and checked out the menu. Generally I find the internet options in Sanur to be not as good as Kuta, when comparing speed vs. price. This new broadband connection could be the ticket.
Pregina: Balinese restaurant in Sanur Bali:
Pregina is a Balinese and seafood restaurant, located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan, in Sanur. Open from 9am-11pm, Pregina serves a delicious selection of Balinese foods. There are Balinese restaurants in the main tourist areas, such as Glory Restaurant, in Legian. The predominant Indonesian style of food served in the tourists areas, tends to be the generic, nasi goreng, cap cay, mie goreng and Javanese favourites. Any time I see a good Balinese restaurant, its worth checking out.
Warung Bento: Japanese lunch boxes in Sanur Bali:
Warung Bento is a Sanur eatery, that combines the best of Japanese and Javanese food. From the outside, you’ll notice a Japanese style place, with bamboo decoration and Japanese sign. Inside is seating room for around 20 people, with a simple decor.
Cafe Batujimbar in Sanur Bali:
Sanur is home to a sizeable expat community. Reasons for this are the International Schools that are located there, and the fact that Sanur offers a lower key type of scene, as regarding the beach, street, nightlife etc., than Kuta / Seminyak. Today Mike and I hit one of the expats favourite spots, Cafe Batujimber, on Jl. Danau Tamblingan. Pulling up outside, one will notice the shady outdoor dining area and the bread shop next door. Mike said the bread shop is a mini-Bali Deli. We sat inside as all the outside seating was taken, and I checked out the menu.
•Sanur shopping:
Wage Silver: Jewelry in Sanur Bali
Wage Silver is a silver jewelry shop located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan, in Sanur. Items on offer include silver and shell bracelets for 272,500rp, earrings for 78,000rp, small necklaces with a stone for 93,500rp, silver rings for 85,000rp-110,000rp, ankle bracelets for 90,000rp. Wholesale prices of 25% discount, can be had for 10 pieces, or a repeat customer.
Gopi Style: Cushions in Sanur Bali:
Gopi Style is a cute little shop in Sanur, that specializes in cushions. Located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan Perahu, the shop is quite visible, due to the bright colored cushions in the window. Cushion covers are stacked inside the shop and available for 40,000rp-70,000rp. The inside stuffing is an extra 22,500rp. Cushions come in a variety of styles, including Japanese, Chinese and Indian. The staff told me that all the items are made in the shop and the predominant material is cotton.
Paris Van Java: Shoes in Sanur Bali:
Paris Van Java is a shoe shop in Sanur. Located on Jl. Danau Tamblingan, the small shop stocks ethnic wooden shoes, made in Bandung Java. Checking out a couple of pairs, I saw that they are made of wood, with a black, rubber, thread, the tops sections coming in a selection of colors and styles. The shoes are all handmade and can be made to order. When I visited, there was a sale on, 20% – 50% off of selected items.
Bali Primitive Design: Ethnic t-shirts in Sanur Bali:
Bali Primitive Design is located on Jl. Danau Toba in Sanur, and sells t-shirts, with primitive designs. There is something like this on Jl. Legian in Kuta too. While I was in the shop, I asked the female staff where the t-shirts were made. A deep voice said, “We make them here.” Sitting behind the counter, was a Balinese man working on a computer. He designs all the shirts and creates them.
Agus Art Shop in Sanur Bali:
Sanur Bali has a decent beach and was really the first resort area in Bali. Sanur appeals to European tourists and is family friendly with good hotels, plenty of shops and places to eat and a lower stress environment than Kuta.
Sanur scuba diving:
Sanur is home to many dive operators, who will gladly arrange your diving trip to areas in Bali. Getting a local boat from Sanur to Nusa Penida can make for a pleasant day trip also.
•Places of interest in Sanur:
The Le Mayeur Museum in Sanur Bali
The Le Mayeur Museum is a house structure containing some examples of the work of Belgian artist Adrien Jean Le Mayeur de Merpes.
Turtle Facility Serangan:
Serangan island or Turtle Island is reached is connected to the mainland by a causeway and really only accessible at low tide. The island is also home to one of Bali’s six most sacred temples – Pura Sakenan.
Mangrove Information Centre Sanur:
Located on Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai at Suwung Kauh, the information centre is an education in itself on the ecology and management of Mangroves. There are two trails to choose from – a short route of about one hour, and the other, a longer route of nearly two hours.
Sanur Village Community Farmers Market:
Sanur Beach began offering shoppers a new way to do their weekly purchases of home-made breads and organic farm produce through the trial-launch of a new concept Farmers Market according to an article in the Bali Discovery.
Sanur Village Festival:
The Sanur Village Festival is a 5 day event runs from August 15th-19th and showcases some of the area’s favourite businesses and other activities such as Balinese kite flying and cookery.
Sanur Beaches:
Sanur has a reef making it ideal for surfers and also people with young kids inside the reef. Sanur does not get a strong beach break like Kuta / Seminyak. Swimming is only possible at high tide as low tide exposes the reef. Swimming outside the reef is not recommended.
One of the most pleasant aspects of Sanur is its large expanse of beach front. A footpath covers the entire 5kms allowing visitors to stroll along and explore, stopping when they feel like it for a drink or snack at a beach side restaurant. The sand quality is good in Sanur, yellowish in color and fairly clean. The best spots of beach are in the outside the Inna Grand Bali Beach hotel in the north and outside the Gazebo hotel in the south.
Sanur Map
Sanur nightlife:
Sanur nightlife is basically the local bar and restaurant scene, with the odd place such as the Cat & Fiddle Pub providing live music. There are no real nightclubs in Sanur and the younger party crowd do not frequent the area as much. The Cat & Fiddle Pub on Jl. Camara #36, has Irish folk music night every Tuesday, anyone is welcome to get up and join in. Starts at 8pm. Admission free.
Foreign Consulates in Sanur:
• British Consulate
Honorary Consul: Mr. Mark A. Wilson OBE
Jalan Tirta Nadi No. 20 Sanur, Bali
Office hours: Monday to Friday
08.30-12.30 hours
Tel: 62-361-270 601
Fax: 62-361-287 804
E-mail: bcbali@delimark.net
• Finnish Consulate
Segara Village Hotel
Jl. Segara
Sanur
(0361) 288407
• French Consulate
Honorary Consul: Mr. Raphael Devianne
Jalan Mertasari Gang II No. 8 Sanur, Bali
Office hours Monday to Friday
14.00-17.00 hours
Tel: 62-361-285 485
Fax:62-361- 286 406
E-mail: consul@dps.centrin.net.id
• German Consulate
Honorary Consul: Mr. Reinhold Jantzen
Jalan Pantai Karang No. 17, Sanur
Office hours: Monday to Friday
08.00-12.00 hours
Tel: 62-361-288 535
Fax: 62-361-288 826
E-mail: germanconsul@bali-ntb.com
• Irish Consulate
Contact British Consulate
• Swedish & Finnish Consulate
Honorary Consul: Mr. Ida Bagus Ngurah Wijaya
Segara Village Hotel, Jalan Segara Ayu, Sanur
Office hours: Monday to Friday 09.00-13.00 hours
Tel: 62-361-288 407
Fax: 62-361-287 242
E-mail: segara1@denpasar.wasantara.net.id