Quest for the Black Sand Beach (Bali Part 2)

And so the adventure continues. We left our hero falling asleep on the drive from Kintamani to his next beach destination. (Read Part 1 if you haven't)


Padang Bai

Padang Bai is a fishing and Scuba village on the Southeastern coast of Bali. An interesting choice of location for me, as the village is used mostly as a pitstop for people traveling to Lombok and the Gili Islands, and for Scuba Divers. As I was neither, I got a chance to enjoy the quiet village, and the nearby beaches. It was the only city where I stayed two nights in and the quiet nature of the area allowed me to catch up on sleep and relaxation that I had been in need of for some time, especially right after my volcano trek.

One of my biggest adventures here, was the search for the Black Sand Beach.

I would first like to preface this adventure with this-- There are a number of black sand beaches in Bali that are A: Not in the region I went to, and B: Much easier to get to. If you are looking for one, I'd recommend West Bali or North Eastern Bali (Near Lovina or Amed). However, rumor on many of the travel sites that I went to, is that there are a few EXCELLENT beaches on Bali, both white sand and black sand, that have avoided heavy traffic. The have avoided the eye of tourists and remain local secrets by being either hard to get to or not directions not being publicized. These beaches are legendary and, if their secrets are kept, beautifully perfect for anyone who takes the time to look for them. Soka beach is one of such beaches somewhere along the Southwest coast that is now becoming less of a secret to exploring tourists, though still directions and exact locations remain relatively secretive.

So I will do my best to preserve what I found. Especially because there are not many black sand beaches in the Padang Bai area and it was quite the gem. I had heard that this relatively hidden beach was one of the best black sand beaches in Bali, but there was very little information, except for another blog that I found like this, describing their search for it.

I started my adventure by asking some locals in Padang Bai who ran restaurants and travel services. When I asked directions for "Black Sand Beach" (I don't think it has a name, it's just called "Black Sand Beach") many said, "You mean, White Sand Beach?". "White Sand Beach" used to be called "Hidden Beach", also known as Bias Tugal, it was once one of the more secretive beaches, a small cove that took an uphill hike and then a steep drop to get too. Now it is on many maps and decently trafficked. However, while I did visit this beach (it was pretty nice, though I think there are better white sand beaches on the island, if you are going, try to find a hidden one), I had my eyes set on the black sand.

Finally, one of the locals I talked to said he knew it and was willing to point me in the right direction. However, he decided to point West. Past White Sand Beach. Somewhere. And with that descriptive knowledge, I walked. After the first two hills and a little trailblazing, I started to regret my choice of flip flops, especially because of a few friendly snakes I encountered. But I trekked on. Using a few slightly overgrown paths, I found a road, and followed it past a few houses and up another hill. I won't put the exact location on here, but while it's quite a trek, it's not too hard to get to if you know where you're going which I now do. Message me if you are ever interested.

But after long last, I came up over the hill and saw it spralled out before me.

With a beach so big that I could see much of the Southeastern coastline, I'm not sure how it has remained a secret to tourists. When I arrived, there was one local fisherman on the beach holding a line in the waves and picking up little scraps of trash that washed up on shore. He grinned when he saw me stumble down the steep slope and onto the beach. Walking over to me he smiled and told me to walk near the water so that the waves would wash away my footprints. The beach was clear and pristine, black sand is truly something to see and I highly recommend a visit. It gives the beach this clear, untouched look.

Walking farther along as the sun went down, some locals came out from their homes nearby to eat near the beach. I walked over to a group of kids who came out to play soccer in the sand and had a great conversation with their teacher. They all looked amused to see a foreigner on the beach.

The beach was large enough that while some locals did come out to eat, play, and fly kites, there were stretches of the beach where I couldn't see anyone from where I walked. It was a huge highlight from the trip and my favorite beach in the world so far. If you go to Bali, don't just settle for the popular beaches, though they are nice, I recommend you at least look for one hidden one, it could make your trip.


Kuta

Finally, my trip came to an end with a night in Kuta, which is relatively near the airport and in the heavily touristed Southern part of Bali. I wanted a place that I could stay before my flight and also to experience what Bali was like in the heavily touristed areas. In my opinion, it didn't feel like the Bali I had come to know and love. Kuta reminded me a lot of other over-established, over-touristed areas of Southeast Asia (like downtown Phuket, but worse). Not to say that this is particularly a bad thing (especially if you like Magic Mushrooms, not my thing, but there are advertisements everywhere), Kuta is a great vacation spot, and excellent for tourists. Many shops and restaurants, and GREAT beaches, the region didn't get heavily trafficked for no reason. The hotels are great, and I actually welcomed the established nature of the place after my days of travel.

I caved and went to the Hard Rock Cafe. Don't judge me! I had to, I've been to them all over the US and now all over the world. Plus, I had a need for some really intense Western food, and a 10 ounce burger and a milkshake was perfect. I could actually go for another right now. The Hard Rock Cafe also has a resort attached to it that has very high ratings, as well as the number one family resort award on trip advisor. If you are coming with children, sticking to the touristed South may be a good idea and this hotel comes highly recommended.

While there are many beaches and sights to see in South Bali, I stuck to the beach and the restaurants and actually didn't get a chance to head out to other hot spots in the area. If I ever go back, I will hopefully check some of them out. Bali is one of those places where everyone who goes wants to go back, and there's no way you can see it all in one visit.


Well, there's much more I could say about the island; whether it's the technical stuff like the visa on arrival, or the subtleties like the extensive number of traffic weaving motorcycles throughout the island. But, I think I'll stop here, I've written a short novel, and I really should focus that effort on studying for my last final (or actually writing for my novel).

I have my last final coming up and I will be flying home again in 2 weeks. As my time here draws to a close, really all I have left is my birthday, this final, and then hopefully another trip where I hope to climb an actively erupting volcano if I can get the permits and the paperwork cleared in time. I'll keep you posted! It's crazy to think that my time in Asia has almost come to a close now, but I feel ready to come home. Exciting things to come, and I look forward to sharing my deep inner thoughts and beach adventures with you.

Let me know if you have any questions about Bali in the comments below, I'd love to talk about it more! Until next time!