Whether you’re a diver, an avid photographer or want to get away from the hoards of tourists in Ubud- Amed is a great place to visit! Tucked away on the east coast of Bali, Amed is known for its dive sites, black sand beaches, Jemeluk Bay and general chilled-out vibe. It’s also a great base to stay a night before heading off to the Gili Islands or Lombok. It’s also a convenient location to explore some of the temples and palaces of east Bali. One of my favourite things about Amed is the lack of people trying to sell you things. Oh, and also, the lack of traffic makes Amed easily walkable.
How Long Should you spend in Amed?
While everyone may tell you Bali is a small island and everything is easy to get to, Amed is deceptively far away. Depending on where you are staying, you could try to visit as a day trip, but you would spend a lot of time in the car. You can do it in a day, but you probably wouldn’t have time to squeeze all the sites of Amed into one day. And if you did manage, it would be a hella busy and long day.
Depending on whether you dive or not, you could spend anywhere from 1 full day to 7 days in Amed. As a non-diver, two full days is the perfect amount to explore Jemeluk Bay and Amed Beach.
How do you get to and from Amed?
Depending on your itinerary, I recommend coming from Ubud or Sidemen to Amed, as it is closer, so there is less travel time. From Amed, you can get on the ferry to Lombok and the Gili Islands. If you’re not heading to the Gili Islands or Lombok this trip, you could loop back to Ubud or Canggu. If you’re already paying for a driver, you may make some stops to break up the drive time and get your money’s worth. The Gates of Heaven, Tirta Gangaa and Bukit Cinta are all convenient stops between Amed-Ubud and Amed-Canggu. You can book all transport online at 12GOAsia.
Getting to Amed by Car
From Canggu/Seminyak Area, it’s a minimum 2.5-hour drive to Amed (not considering the crazy traffic leaving Canggu/Seminyak). At a minimum, you’re looking at around 600k Indonesian Rupiah ($42 USD) for a taxi from Canggu to Seminyak.
From Ubud/ Sidemen, it’s around a 1-2 hour drive to Amed (again, not counting crazy Ubud traffic, depending on how early/ late you are leaving). At a minimum, it would be around 300k Indonesian Rupiah ($20 USD) from Sidemen and 500k Indonesian Rupiah ($35 USD) from Ubud.
Getting to Amed by Ferry
Heading to Lombok or the Gili Islands? Amed is the closest point in Bali to Lombok, so the quickest ferry ride there taking only 1 hour and 15 minutes. Another benefit of getting the ferry from Amed to the Gili Islands or Lombok? You avoid the busier ports of Padangbai and Sanur. Busier ports are chaotic, with the locals constantly trying to sell you things. If you are heading to the Gili Islands, check out my full travel guide here.
Blue Water Express runs ferries to the Gili Islands and Lombok only once daily, so check the ferry in advance. They also do complimentary hotel/hostel pickup in Amed. The ferry costs 45k Indonesian Rupiah ($31 USD). The ferry is relatively empty compared to some of the packed (and overbooked) ferries from Sanur and Padangbai to the Gili Islands.
Where to stay in Amed?
Given Amed’s size, you won’t find many typical backpacker hostels. If you want to splash out and treat yourself, there are many excellent, affordable hotels and resorts. Most accommodation is based along Amed Beach or Jemeluk Bay. You can book all accommodations here.
Salt Resort and Spa
Could not recommend this resort enough! I was travelling with a girl I met in Ubud, and we splashed out on a private villa, so I can’t speak about the exact conditions of the dorm. However, the resort, in general, is so clean. The staff are friendly and super helpful, and the pool is fantastic. They also have a bar and restaurant on site serving tasty food and great cocktails. One thing to note is it is a little further away from the main Amed Beach area and Sunset Point.
Ocean Prana
Full disclosure, I personally did not stay here. However, many of the travellers I met in Bali did and recommended it. It is a divers hostel, so a high percentage of the people you will meet here will be diving daily. It is basic, but has a pool, aircon and wifi and is relatively clean. One of the biggest drawcards is it is right in the central area of Amed Beach and Sunset Point. However, it is also more expensive than the standard hostel and does not include a complimentary breakfast for the price.
How to get around Amed?
Unfortunately, there’s no Grab or Gojek in Amed. However, you can still get a Grab to Amed from Ubud, Canggu or Uluwatu. The main methods of getting around Amed are scooters, private drivers/taxis or on foot for destinations in the town.
Getting around on foot
You can easily explore Amed on foot, and it’s a great way to get a feel for the place. I walked everywhere in Amed (including up the hill to sunset point, which was a little sweaty for otherwise fine). The places accessible on foot are Sunset Point, Jemeluk Bay (for snorkelling and the underwater temple), and all restaurants, cafes and nightlife mentioned in this guide.
Getting around Amed by Taxi or private driver
To get to the Gates of Heaven, Tirta Gangga and Bukit Cinta, you need to hire a driver for the day. A driver will set you back around 300k Indonesian Rupiah ($20 USD) for the car. The more people in the car, the cheaper it is, but it shouldn’t be too hard finding people given how popular this day trip is. For more information on how to hire a driver for the day, haggling tips and safety advice, read my transport guide here.
Getting around by scooter
Everywhere in Bali, hiring a scooter is relatively easy and cheap, and Amed is no exception. If you feel comfortable on a motorbike, this can be a great way to save on transport costs. There’s plenty of scooter parking and not too much traffic in Amed or the surrounding regions. If you haven’t rented a scooter before in South East Asia, check out my helpful guide on scooter rentals in Indonesia here.
What to do in Amed?
There are a few activities that you can do in Amed town. However, most people use Amed as a base to explore the east of Bali. You can also explore the sights of the east of Bali while staying in Ubud, Sidemen or even Canggu. However, it would be a long drive there and back and more expensive due to the distance.
Diving in Jemeluk Bay and Surrounds
Amed is known for its fantastic diving and has many excellent dive spots. While I personally did not dive while in Amed, 95% of the people I met here came specifically for the dive sites. They said the Japanese Shipwreck dive and the USA Liberty Shipwreck dive were terrific.
Snorkelling in Jemeluk Bay
Diving not your thing? That’s all right because Amed also has excellent snorkelling. My favourite thing about snorkelling in Amed is that you can swim out to great snorkel spots straight from the beach. So you don’t have to book a boat tour to snorkel. Amed’s most famous snorkel spot is the Underwater Temple in Jemeluk Bay.
Now, I wish there was a cool backstory as to why there is a temple underwater here, but unfortunately, locals told me it was put there to attract more tourists. Nevertheless, it is a cool snorkel spot, with lots of marine life and corals surrounding it. To find the underwater temple, look for the buoy floating marking the site. Alternatively, ask one of the locals on the beach, and they’ll point it out for you.
Snorkelling in Jemeluk Bay is super cheap, and all of the warungs on the beach rent snorkels and fins for 40k Indonesian Rupiah ($2.70 USD) for the day. I went to Win Warung, where they will watch your belongings while you snorkel and let you use the loungers for the day (to relax between snorkels). You need to buy a drink or food from them (no minimum spend, though).
Watch the Sunset from Blue Earth Village
An absolute must-do in Amed! Both times I did this, I saw the most gorgeous cotton-candy sunsets. Even if it is a little cloudy or overcast, you can still see a great panoramic view of Amed Beach and the surrounding coasts. The food, drinks and vibes at Blue Earth also make it well worth the visit. There are also two other neighbouring restaurants to Blue Earth where you can catch the sunset. They are called Joli Best View Café and Tropical Sunset Café; if Blue Earth is too busy or not, your vibe. Blue Earth tends to get quite busy at sunset, so I would recommend getting there at 5 pm to get the best seat and enjoy a pre-sunset bevvy.
Day Trip to Pura Lempuyang Temple (Gates of Heaven)
If you take one piece of advice from this blog, let it be this: make sure you get to the Gates of Heaven early (like 5 am early). Please don’t make the same mistake I did in not believing the travel bloggers when they say you have to get there early. Bali Tourism wasn’t even at pre-covid levels when I was there, and it was still a 2.5-hour wait to get that infamous Gates of Heaven shot.
Luckily, they have a pretty organised system; here’s how it works. If you arrive by car, you can either walk up to the entrance (it’s quite a steep uphill walk on the road) or get the shared shuttle which runs from the car park to the entrance and takes 5 minutes. The price for a return shuttle ticket is 50k Indonesian Rupiah ($3.50 USD). The shuttle will drop you at the door, where you must pay the entrance fee. This also includes a complimentary sarong rental. Please note that many travel blogs state there is no entrance fee and it is a donation only. However, this has changed as of 2022, and the entrance fee is 50k Indonesian Rupiah ($3.50 USD).
What is the dress code for the Gates of Heaven?
To enter the temple, you must wear a traditional sarong, even if you have long pants or a long skirt. They may also give you a shawl/wrap to cover your shoulders if exposed. Once you’ve paid the entrance fee, the ladies wrap you up in your sarong. They also give you an entrance ticket with a number on it (important: do not lose this or throw it out!). Then you have to walk about 200 metres to the actual Gates of Heaven, which is steep, but the road is paved, and there’s plenty of signage.
Once you get to the gates of heaven, your ticket number is your place in the queue. Many people sit and wait in the shade under the shelters. The photographers call out a number, you give them your ticket and phone/ camera, and they will take a few photos of you at the Gates of Heaven. If you prefer not to wait in the shelter, you can always ask the photographers for the estimated wait time until your number. Then you can head to the restaurant near where you paid the entrance fee and have a coffee/ juice/ food to pass the time. Once you’ve got your photo, return your sarong, and you can jump back on the shuttle bus and head out.
Want to get a photo but don’t want to wait 2+ hours?
There are a few cheeky ways you can do it. If you wait by the photographers, there’s a gap of about 1-2 minutes between people when the photographers wait for the ticket number to come over. You can quickly snap a photo or two yourself if you’re fast. If you take too long, the local photographers will move you along.
Alternatively, you can take as many pictures as you like from the opposite side of the Gates of Heaven. However, these pictures won’t have the stunning backdrop of Mt Agung. Nevertheless, still a nice photo spot. You can get there by walking through the Gates of Heaven. Just make sure you are standing far enough down the stairs, so you’re not in the background of other people’s photos that they waited 2+ hours for. If you stand too close, the photographers will yell at you.
Another essential thing to note about the Gates of Heaven (and something that turns many people off of visiting) is that all the photos you see are an optical illusion. Yep, there’s no water at the Gates of Heaven. The photographers use another phone to create a mirror effect, making it look like there’s glassy water in front of the gate. It is a stunning photo with or without visual effects!
Visit Tirta Gangaa Water Palace
If you’re making the trip to The Gates of Heaven, you should also stop at the nearby Water Palace. Previously the residence of the King for this region of Bali, it is now a beautiful and well-preserved tourist site. There is an entrance fee of 50k Indonesian Rupiah ($3.50 USD) to enter. There is no dress code or need to rent a sarong as it is not a religious site. I would also strongly recommend purchasing a bag of fish food from one of the vendors so you can feed the giant Koy Fish in the pond.
Tirta Gangaa has beautiful grounds, but the main attraction is walking on the steps over the pond. These are home to the most giant Koy Fish I have ever seen. You may have to wait a few minutes to walk across the steps as many photoshoots will be happening here. It’s also tough to get a photo without people in the background. Regardless, it is still worth seeing the massive fish jumping out of the water as you feed them.
Watch the Sunrise at Bukit Cinta
Putting this one last on the list as it can be hit-and-miss. If you read any East Bali/ Amed Travel Guide, you’ll be told this is a must-do photography site. While I’ve seen some amazing-looking photos from this spot with Mt Agung clear as day in the background, my experience did not match this. Some days it will be clear, and you’ll get excellent photography light and views. Whereas, on other days you will get clouds and rain. I got clouds and rain, and my driver said it is not uncommon for travellers to come here and not get a good view.
As someone who hates early morning, coming to Bukit Cinta to stand on the side of the road and see nothing, I was disappointed. If you want to roll the dice and come here hoping to get a great sunrise photo, then I hope the weather will cooperate for you! Otherwise, I’d suggest paying a visit or staying in the village of Sidemen. In Sidemen, you get fantastic Mt Agung views with rice terraces in the forefront. Heading to Sidemen? Check out my travel guide for Sidemen here.
Where to Eat in Amed?
Amed is a small town, so there’s not a very diverse range of food. However, they still have some lovely little cafes, restaurants and local warungs. And the best part? Everything is walkable along the main strip near Amed Beach. Although, the walk to Sunset Point is a steep uphill incline (still doable, though).
Rimba Cafe
The most famous café in Amed! Rimba café is a cute little green oasis tucked away off the main road of Amed. Don’t go here if you’re in a rush, as it gets pretty busy (and for a good reason), so you may have to wait for a table to become available. They serve all-day breakfast and lunch foods, but I would strongly recommend their smoothie bowls!
Small Point Cafe
A few doors down from Rimba Café is a local café called Small Point that serves excellent coffee and tasty food. With seats over the main street, it’s a great spot to sit and people-watch. They have mainly Indonesian food but are much more affordable and quieter than their neighbours at Rimba Café.
Blue Earth Village
I could not rate the food, drinks, vibe and views at Blue Earth Village any higher! Tasty Indonesian and western foods (try their Pad Thai- you won’t be disappointed). Also, enjoy a great selection of juices, cocktails and wine while watching the sunset over Amed Beach. Take off your shoes at the door and sit on a cushion on the floor at this chilled sunset view resto.
Nightlife
Amed is pretty small, so there’s not much nightlife. Also, most people wake up early for sunrises at the Gates of Heaven or Bukit Cinta or for morning dives. Many lowkey Reggae Bars in town do live music and very reasonably priced drinks (nothing fancy, just a rum and coke or Bintang). The two main bars are Pacha Bar and Rasta Bar. Both are just off the main street and Jemeluk Bay and within walking distance from each other so that you can check both out easily.
Did you find this blog post helpful? Want to see more travel tips and recommendations? Join me on Tik Tok and Instagram for daily travel content!
This blog is a free and independent source of information for all things travel and backpacking. If you benefitted from the information on this blog, please consider using the affiliate links to book hostels/activities etc. This will be at no extra cost to you but helps subsidise the cost of running a free travel blog.
