In Bali, we stayed close to Amed Beach. We used this as a base to visit several snorkelling spots.
The following is an introduction to snorkelling in Bali, mainly in the vicinity of Amed Beach.
Note that we stayed in January, which is the rainy season in Bali. Although snorkelling to other islands by boat is possible from Bali, the visibility in the water is relatively low and the weather is unstable during the rainy season, so this review only covers spots in northern Bali where you can enter from the beaches.
About Amed Beach
Located in north-east Bali, Amed Beach is one of the quieter beaches in Bali. The surrounding area has many diving and snorkelling spots with beach entry.
It’s neighbouring Jemeluk Bay, and there are several snorkelling spots.
We stayed in a guesthouse close to Jemeluk Beach, from where we rented a scooter to visit the surrounding snorkelling spots.
This post describes the spots we actually visited.
Jemeluk Beach and Underwater Temple
The Sunrise Cafe and Bungalows where we stayed (click here for a detailed review) is situated on the border of Jemeluk Beach and Amed Beach, making it very convenient for access to both beaches.
Jemeluk Beach shapes as a bay and is relatively calm. There is some coral a short way off the beach with plenty of fish. This is a great spot for snorkelling beginners.
A small temple has been sunk a short swim offshore and is full of fish. Stone statues are sunk near the temple too.
Amed Beach
There are nice coral reefs just a few meters swim from Amed Beach, lined with guesthouses and restaurants.
The coral off Kembali Beach Bungalows and BARracuda was particularly spectacular, with large coral formations resembling flowers with petals spreading out. We also saw some turtles a small shark (blacktip reef shark) there.
Japanese Ship Wreck Point
This is a spot where you can observe coral growing all over the wreck of a Japanese ship. The shallow waters make snorkelling easy to see them.
We accessed the beach by parking our motorbike at the sign shown in the image. The beach is a short walk away. We were not charged for parking.
A ship has sunk in the area, which is crowded with boats and snorkellers coming for snorkelling tours.
The wreck is on a shallow sandy slope and visible by snorkelling alone, but you can get a closer look if you go at low tide.
This is a stone beach rather than a sandy beach, but there are coral reefs along the entire beach as well as on the wreck, and you can snorkel along the beach.
You can see different coral reefs on the north and south sides of the wreck.
Ibus Beach
This is a small stone beach to the north of the Japanese Wreck Spot. It can be reached by swimming from the shipwreck spot.
Ibus Beach can also be accessed by descending the steps from Stairway To Heaven Bungalows and Restaurant.
USAT Liberty Wreck Point, Tulamben Beach
Dive site where the Liberty, a former US military cargo ship, is sunken. It is busy with many divers, but the wreck can also be seen by snorkelling.
There is an official parking lot at Tulamben beach, but we avoided using it after hearing that it costs Rp 20 000 just to park a scooter.
We were allowed to leave our scooters at a nearby shop (a small supermarket) (to buy drinks on the way back) and entered the beach from Tauch Terminal Resort Tulamben.
Tulamben beach is a stone beach. We saw divers entering the sea from the beach a little north-west from the bottom of the stairs at Tauch Terminal Resort Tulamben, so we entered from there too.
The dive centre staff told us that the actual shipwreck spot was ‘di bubble’ (where the bubbles are rising). It is easy to spot it as there are always several divers diving there.
The wreck is about 5m deep in shallow water, so it is possible to see part of the wreck by snorkelling alone. However, the deepest part is sunk in 30 metres deep, so you need to dive to see the whole thing.
Around the wreck, there was no coral reefs found, but the wreck itself has coral and other marine life growing on it, and there were plenty of fish.
There is a ‘coral garden’ about 300m southeast of the wreck site (in front of some buildings). That coral garden was just about visible, but the visibility was so poor at that time that we didn’t take any video of it.
Lipah Beach
This is a quiet place with a sandy beach. As soon as you enter the sea from the beach, there are coral reefs.
A short walk along a path from the sign in the image above, you will see a lot of fishing boats. We parked the motorbike under a tree in front of it and went snorkeling.
Coral is abundant at the left and right edges of Lipah Beach, where you may also see turtles. Also, there is a good snorkeling spot slightly south-east of the central part. The rest of the beach is a sandy slope where you can enjoy swimming.
The beach is relatively quiet, but there are guesthouses and restaurants along the beach.
Getting Ready and Rent Motorbikes
The snorkelling spots shown in this post can be arranged as a tour with a travel agency. However, if you want to keep costs low and still prefer the flexibility, we would recommend going around on your own.
We rented a scooter and went to spots away from the guesthouse. If you use official parking places, you may be charged for parking, but you can easily find free parking spots, and so you only need to pay for renting a scooter and petrol.
There are many motorbike rental shops around Amed Beach, and depending on the type of scooter, you can rent from Rp 100,000 per day; some offer discounts if you use it for more than two days, so try to negotiate. (80,000 per day for two days or more / 500,000 for a week to give an idea).
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