Candidasa (pronounced Charn-dee-da-sa) is a seaside town located in East Bali. The town, two hours away from Ngurah Rai International Airport, is quieter and steers away from the crowd that flocks to the hotspots in Central and South Bali.
Up until the 70s, Candidasa is a quiet fishing village but much has changed with its gradual development of vacation hotels. Nonetheless, the town is still pretty serene compared to other places in Bali. Like what our drivers/guides say, Candidasa is for those who are looking for a tranquil vacation because the town is practically dead by 11pm. However, during the day, you can still partake in tours, snorkeling, sight-seeing by boat, water sports, etc. If you're a party-goer, it's still best to stay in (the over-commercialized) South Bali.
As for us, a spa and relaxing vacation was what we wanted, we skipped all visits to Central/South Bali due to the distance. I didn't want to spend 4 hours on the road, only to have 30 minutes or less to stop by at each tourist spot. Not forgetting, I have really bad motion sickness.
Thanks to reviews on Tripadvisor, I found out about White Sand Beach, which is definitely a hidden gem in Candidasa. Because the beach is isolated from town (and where majority of the hotels are), not many are aware of the beach (assuming no travel research is done). On the day of our visit (a sunny Thursday), there were less than 20 of us at the beach. Okay, perhaps 30 including the people who runs the warungs (food stalls) there.
I'll let these pictures and videos do the talking.
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| White sand and crystal clear aqua water |
The vomit-inducing (because I have motion sickness), bumpy car ride (approximately 15 minutes car ride from Candidasa town) was all worth it the moment I step foot on the beach. There are a few warungs (food stalls) on the beach to feed the hungry. Sunbeds and umbrellas available for rent for 15,000rupiah (less than USD$2, for unlimited hours). Sight-seeing on boat from White Sand Beach can be arranged.
Very charming indeed! How about the accommodation? Did you stay in a chalet?
ReplyDeleteI stayed at Royal Bali Beach Club, which is about 20mins drive away from White Sand beach. However, the hotel is available to Timeshare members only. They rarely accept bookings from non-members, but if they do, they'll only allow a max stayover of one night there.
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