I'm a big fan of beach vacations so I was disappointed in the beach options on my recent trip to Bali.  Lucily, I spent most of my time on a tour that explored the interior of the island.

We spent our first few nights in the Sanur area of Bali.  It originally was a small fishing village and remains a much quieter beach vacation option in Bali compared to the other beach areas.  I spent the first day on the beach.  I was hot the entire time.  I had a shady spot, but the location near the equator and the sun reflecting off the sand made it a very hot day.

The water had some long weeds in it, but overall was very clear.  There was some trash in the water which I learned was a problem everywhere on Bali.  I didn't swim very much in the water since I found the awesome pool at the Bali Hyatt.  This is where I ended up spending most of my time.  It was cooler, cleaner, and it was a great pool for swimming.

We took a day trip to the Kuta area.  It is supposed to be the most popular beach area.  There are some nice expanses of sand, but the wind and the waves makes it much more conducive to surfers rather than beach goers.  I had visions of visiting a ton of beach restaurants and shops, but my hopes were dashed when I saw that there was a huge wall that streatched along the beach with a busy road and then mainly the back of buildings along the beach road.  The main areas for shops, bars and restaurants are one or two blocks into Kuta instead of along the beach.  This was a huge disappointment.  I would not go back to Kuta.

Most of the luxury resorts are located in the Nusa Dua area.  It is on the southern coast facing east.  We decided not to stay here because of the higher prices and becasue of the lack of things to do in the area.

We also visited Lovina on the north coast of Bali.  This was a nice little beach town with some good bars and restaurants, but it really is a small area.  The beach is nice with lots of sand.  We didn't venture into the water.  The sunsets in the Lovina area are pretty spectacular as you can see a setting sun going behind some volcanoes located on nearby Java.

Overall, I wouldn't visit Bali if I was looking for a good beach vacation.  I would rather go to Hawaii or to the Caribbean.  However, going to Bali was worth it becasue I enjoyed exploring the interior of the island and I enjoyed meeting the people of Bali.