Region deep dive
East Bali: the island the south used to be
Black-sand beaches, rice paddies under Mount Agung, world-class wreck diving, and the kind of slow village life the south has mostly lost. Needs four nights.
East Bali is what the rest of the island looked like twenty years ago. Black-sand beaches backed by fishing villages. Rice paddies running up the lower slopes of Mount Agung. On a clear morning, Agung reflected in the rice fields around Sidemen is the single best landscape on the island.
The diving around Amed and Tulamben is world-class. The USAT Liberty shipwreck at Tulamben is one of the most accessible wreck dives on earth: you walk straight off the beach and the wreck starts at three metres. The east rewards slow travel and genuine curiosity, which is exactly why it is the brand's kind of place.
Candidasa is a small, low-key coastal town with a good range of accommodation at reasonable prices and the best hub for diving and snorkelling day trips. Nearby Tenganan is one of the last Bali Aga (original Balinese) villages, famous for its hand-woven double ikat textiles, worth an hour.