Amed and Tirta Gangga

Amed isn't one village but a string of fishing villages along fifteen kilometres of coast, with Mount Agung behind them. The beaches are black volcanic sand and the water is clear. You snorkel from the shore among coral and turtles. A little further north, at Tulamben, an American cargo ship from the Second World War lies just a few metres down. On the way is Tirta Gangga, the water palace of the last king of Karangasem.

Where do you snorkel in Amed?

You don't need a boat. At most of the villages you walk into the water and swim straight out to the reef. You can hire snorkelling gear from the warungs on the beach for about IDR 50,000–100,000 a day (2026). Bring water shoes, because the beaches are covered in smooth pebbles.

• Jemeluk: a sheltered bay with coral just below the surface near the shore, and a small underwater shrine a few metres out. Above the bay is a viewpoint over the coast and Mount Agung.
• Lipah: a few kilometres further south, calm and a good place if you're new to snorkelling.
• The Japanese wreck at Banyuning: a ship of about twenty metres, just off the beach, between two and twelve metres deep and covered in coral. Nobody is quite sure what kind of ship it was.
• Further out: off Bunutan and Selang the current can be strong. There you're better off going with a jukung, a narrow fishing boat with outriggers on both sides.

The water is clearest in the dry season, and in the morning, before the wind picks up.

The USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben

Twenty minutes to half an hour's drive north, at Tulamben, lies the USAT Liberty, a 125-metre American cargo ship. A Japanese submarine torpedoed it in January 1942. The ship was beached at Tulamben, and when Mount Agung erupted in 1963 it slid into the sea. Today it lies about forty metres offshore, between five and thirty metres deep. Divers see the whole ship; with a snorkel you see the shallowest part. There are dive schools in Tulamben and Amed, including for people who want to learn to dive.

What else is there to do?

• Go out with the fishermen: at sunrise the fishermen head out in their jukung. You can go out to sea with them.
• Salt made the old way: in Purwakerthi, near Amed, a small group of farmers still make salt the traditional way. They filter seawater through bamboo and let it dry in hollowed-out coconut palm trunks. This only happens in the dry season. Garam Amed (Amed salt) has had a protected geographical indication since 2015.
• Tirta Gangga: the water palace is on the way. At 8 in the morning you have it almost to yourself. Foreign visitors pay about IDR 90,000 per person (2026).
• Lempuyang: the famous temple gate is nearby too. Read what to expect there first.

How long should you stay, and how do you get there?

Two to three nights. From the airport it's a two and a half to three hour drive, from Sidemen an hour and a half to two hours. On Quiet Bali you arrive from Sidemen and then drive along the north coast to Munduk: three to four hours, with a waterfall on the way. On Bali with kids you stay four days, because the sea here is usually calm. There's hardly any public transport along the coast; most travellers come with a private driver.

When should you go?

From April to November the sea is at its clearest. In the rainy season, heavy showers wash mud into the sea and visibility underwater can drop a lot. You can still snorkel then, preferably in the morning. The east coast is one of the drier parts of Bali, with hills full of lontar palms. Month by month, see Best time to visit.

What does it cost?

A homestay or small hotel by the water costs about €25–80 a night for two (2026), a villa with a pool about €80–200. Snorkelling gear costs a few euros a day to hire, and at most beaches you pay a few thousand rupiah to park. Diving the Liberty costs more; the dive schools in Amed and Tulamben give their prices in advance.