Everything You Should Know About Amed, Bali

Here is my Amed travel guide, featuring where to stay, places to eat and most importantly, the best things to do in Amed, Bali.

During my month in Bali, I spent six nights in Amed alongside my parents. However, we stayed at different places, because I am a budget traveller for life 🤷🏻‍♀️. Amed, Bali was a new destination for me, but somewhere my parents had visited once before. It consists of several small fishing villages along a long coastal strip in East Bali, and offers a totally different experience compared to tourists hubs like Kuta and Ubud. There isn’t a heck of a lot of information about Amed out there, so I wanted to share my recommendations. But trust me, Amed should be on your Bali itinerary.

How to get to Amed

We hired a driver to drop us in Amed from Sanur, as we stopped at a couple of places along the way (Candidasa for lunch and Tirta Gangga Water Palace). On the way back, we hired a different driver in Amed to take us back to Sanur, which cost 450,000 IRP. I have a great driver recommendation if needed (send me an email or DM me on Instagram).

Amed accommodation

Amed is an interesting place, in that the restaurants and hotels are all located along one (very long) stretch of road. We were staying down the more unpopulated end. I stayed at the Fishermen’s Guesthouse, which cost me 250,000 IRP per night, including breakfast. It was budget (so no pool), but the bed was comfortable, the room was clean and there was aircon, which was all I needed. You also get ocean views from the terrace, where I had breakfast every morning. I organised my stay at Fishermen’s Guesthouse through Booking.com.

The guesthouse was about a 15-minute walk from my parents at Nalini Resort. This place was nice, with a beachfront pool and restaurant, as well as very friendly staff. However, if I was to return, I think I would stay in the busier area, so I could easily walk to different restaurants. My parents have also stayed at Palm Garden before and recommend it.

How to get around Amed

So, Amed doesn’t have a taxi service. Locals will always offer to drive you places for a fare, but the best way to get around is by hiring a scooter. Most Amed accommodation options will have a scooter rental service, which is on average about 60,000 IRP per day. As my parents didn’t want to scoot at night, we either ate at Nalini or organised transport with certain restaurants. But more on that below!

Other things you should know before visiting Amed, Bali

A couple more things to know before you head to Amed, Bali. Firstly, like the rest of Bali, cash is king in Amed. I had to pay my accommodation in cash, whereas my parents were able to use their credit card. I’d highly recommend getting some cash out before arriving in Amed, although there are a couple of ATMs available. 

In case you don’t know, Ball’s tap water isn’t drinkable. My parents’ accommodation did come with a refillable water station, but you can also find large bottles for sale at the little stores along the main road. There also aren’t a lot of things to do in Amed at night, besides eating and drinking 😂. It truly is very chill compared to Kuta.

Lastly, I don’t know if I’d recommend Amed to solo travellers, unless you’re comfortable on a scooter. I personally think places like Ubud, Kuta and Seminyak are easier to navigate as a solo traveller.

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Things to do in Amed

There aren’t necessarily a lot of attractions and things to do in Amed. It’s more of a destination for relaxation, compared to its southern counterparts. Nonetheless, here are a few recommendations for activities to enjoy while visiting Amed, Bali. 

Enjoy a sunset cruise

This is one of the best things to do in Amed. The sun sets behind Mt Agung, which makes for beautiful photos. You can usually organise a sunset cruise through your hotel, but my parents got talking to a local shop owner and we ended up going out on her neighbour’s fishing boat. It cost us 300,000 IRP and it was so nice out on the water. Don’t forget to BYO Bintang 😉.

Go on a bike tour

We saw these guys in action when we were exploring Amed one day on our scooters. There are a few different tours available through East Bali Bike Tours, but it’s definitely one of the more adventurous things to do in Amed.

Enjoy sunset drinks at Waeni’s Sunset View Restaurant

If you’d prefer to watch the sunset from land, check out Waeni’s Sunset View Restaurant. It has a fantastic view of Mt Agung!

Visit Lempuyang Temple

Lempuyang Temple is THE temple you see everywhere on Instagram. It’s apparently less than an hour’s drive from Amed, but the queues to get THAT photo are said to be insane. Like you could be waiting from one to four hours for one photo. Not my idea of fun, but it is another thing to do in Amed nonetheless!

Check out Tirta Gangga Water Palace

We visited Tirta Gangga Water Palace on our way to Amed, but you could alternatively hire a driver and visit it during your stay in Amed too. I’d highly recommend a visit, as it’s a beautiful palace with ocean views and traditional water features. 

Do some souvenir shopping at Peduli Alam

Amed doesn’t have as many shops as other places in Bali. However, I highly recommend stopping in at Peduli Alam. Most of the products are locally made from recycled plastics. There’s bags, coasters, bottle holders and so much more. It’s the perfect place to pick up a souvenir in Amed, Bali.

Go snorkelling or diving

Amed is known for its diving and snorkelling. One of the world’s best dive sites, the USS Liberty shipwreck, is located about a 20-minute drive from Amed. There are several diving companies to choose from that operate out of Amed. Personally, I stick to snorkelling and the best place to snorkel in Amed (in my opinion) is Lipah Beach. You only have to go about a metre off the shoreline to spot colourful coral and tropical fish. The water is also very clear and calm. At Lipah Beach you can hire beach chairs as well, which cost us 100,000 IRP for two (there was no bartering on that price 😑).

The most popular snorkelling spot in Amed is called Japanese Shipwreck, which you can conveniently swim to from Nalini Resort. My dad went out there but said Lipah Beach was better. We (once again) hired snorkelling equipment from our hotel, but there were rentals available at Lipah Beach as well.

Do a yoga class

Bali and yoga go together like milk and coffee. Although Ubud is undeniably Bali’s yoga hub, there are a few different yoga studios in Amed: Ocean Prana, Blue Earth Village and Apneista. Classes cost about 100,000 IRP. 

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My favourite places to eat in Amed

We ate at a lot of different Amed restaurants, but these were our favourite. A word of warning though – food at Amed restaurants is definitely more expensive than warungs in places like Kuta and Sanur.

Gusto Resto

This was probably our favourite Amed restaurant and we visited for both lunch and dinner. The service was great, the beer was icy cold (my dad’s favourite) and the food was fantastic. Gusto serves some Indonesian dishes, but it also has pizza and pasta options. It’s known for its desserts too, which I can confirm are worth the visit. Gusto offers a pick up and drop off service as well. Find Gusto Resto on TripAdvisor.

The Grill Bar & Restaurant

The Grill Bar & Restaurant is a great casual spot in Amed, where they grill your food in front of you on the barbecue. It serves a range of meat and seafood dishes. Find The Grill on TripAdvisor.

Nalini Resort

We ended up eating at Nalini Resort a few times, because it was just convenient. They actually don’t have a lot of Indonesian options on their menu. Instead, there’s pasta, sandwiches, burgers and more. My favourite meal was their pork rib sandwich 🤤.

Sails Restaurant

This is a New Zealand-owned restaurant in Amed that will also pick you up. It’s known for its seafood and I highly recommend the fish and chips. It may be one of the best fish and chips I’ve ever had (and I’ve eaten A LOT of fish and chips in my day). Find Sails on TripAdvisor.

Komang John at Blue Moon Villas

Another restaurant that will pick you up is Komang John at Blue Moon Villas. They have both international and Indonesian menus – check out those condiments! All seafood is from local fishermen too.

There you have it – everything you need to know before visiting Amed, Bali. I hope you enjoy your time there as much as I did. If you’re looking for more Bali posts, I have accommodation and foodie guides to Legian, a Bali packing list post and a comprehensive post featuring all of my Bali travel tips.

P.S. Don’t forget to organise travel insurance before a trip to Bali. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – Bali Belly suuucks! Stock up on glorious Travelan and thank me later 😉.