Region deep dive
Sanur: the underrated base
A calm seafront promenade, genuinely good food at every price, a fraction of the traffic, and the best launch pad for East Bali and the islands.
Sanur is the most underrated region in the south. A seafront promenade runs for kilometres along a calm, shallow beach. The food is genuinely excellent at every price point. The traffic is a fraction of Canggu or Seminyak. And it sits between the south and the east, which makes it the best base for East Bali day trips and the departure point for boats to Nusa Lembongan, Nusa Penida and the Gilis. It suits slow travellers, returning visitors, and anyone who has done the Canggu thing once and wants to keep their blood pressure down.
Where to eat
Warung Mak Beng is the most famous warung on the island: grilled fish, rice, soup and sambal, one dish, no menu, open from 8:00am until they sell out, so get there early. Massimo does genuinely good Italian from a Venetian chef who has been here for decades. Genius Cafe at Mertasari Beach has a health-forward menu right on the sand at the quiet south end. Sindhu Night Market (Pasar Sindhu) is the best night market in the south, real local food at IDR 10,000 to 30,000 a plate; go on a weekday.
Photography and drone
The sunrise along the Sanur promenade, looking east toward Nusa Penida, is the best natural light on the island for sunrise work, and one of the best free things you can do in Bali. Start before 6:00am. The traditional jukung outrigger boats on the sand make a strong foreground.