Bali Car Rental Blog

Candi Dasa is a popular tourist focal point in East Bali, about 2 hours from Denpasar International Airport. A relaxing - some would say sleepy - beach resort, with little beach due to some serious environmental errors made in its recent past. But don't let that put you off! Candi Dasa offers excellent diving and snorkelling, interesting historical villages, some great trekking opportunities, and beautiful beaches within easy reach.

A range of good accommodation across the board, most of it within earshot of the lapping waves, qualifies Candi Dasa as an excellent base for exploring East Bali. One long road edging the coast forms the main centre of Candi Dasa, with hotels oceanside and restaurants mountainside.

This road is a part of the main around-Bali route, so traffic noise can be a concern when thundering trucks roll through town. Bear this in mind when you are choosing somewhere to sleep. Rooms closer to the sea don't have the same issue.

In the centre of town, a pretty lotus-filled lagoon sits between the main temple and the sea, particularly lovely at sunrise or sunset. At the northeastern end of town, the road spurs to follow the coast while the main highway does a sharp turn, continuing to Amlapura. This coastal area houses most of the local inhabitants of Candi Dasa, and a growing number of hotels - it's a quieter option than the main road. The villages along the coast to the west of Candi Dasa are much sleepier, and here you will also find a small selection of accommodation. You won't be in the middle of the action, but you won't be too far away either.

The beach at Candi Dasa, or lack of it, is due to a sudden boom in development in the 1980s. Whether it was unregulated, uninformed, or just plain greed, a coral reef was removed to produce lime for cement to construct hotels. It allowed the power of the Lombok Strait to erode the very thing people visited Candi Dasa for: the beautiful beach. We can only hope that this is a cautionary lesson for future unplanned development. Concrete sea walls now provide protection from further erosion, and result in waters being very calm and good for snorkelling along the wall. There are pockets of sand too, although some disappear altogether at high tide.

Despite most of the beach being gone, there is still a laidback seaside ambience, and the coastal views over Amuk Bay are scenic. Offshore, you can see three small rocky islands, and further in the distance, Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, while to the southwest, you can see Padang Bai with its seaport. The closer islands of Gili Biaha, Gili Tepekong, and Gili Mimpang are home to many varieties of large fish and sharks. Snorkelling and diving or fishing trips can easily be arranged by the fishermen on the beach or one of the many dive operators along the main road. Note that currents can be very strong around the islands, and may only be suitable for experienced snorkellers and divers. A delightful way to pass an afternoon is to arrange a sailing trip in one of the traditional jukung boats. Most have motors, and some don't even have sails, but ask around.

While much of the beach in town has washed away, an exceptional strip of sand is a mere 20-minute drive or leisurely boat trip north of Candi Dasa. Virgin Beach (formerly known as Pantai Pasir Putih or White Sand Beach) makes for a great half- or full-day trip. While no accommodation is available, a bunch of seafood eateries are set up along the shore with deck chairs and umbrellas. Surely, you need to rent a car rental for explore these tourist destinations. Rent a car for self-drive or a rental car with a driver. Contact WhatsApp 62 85737187321 for car booking.