Things to do in Amed and East Bali

Amed's coastline runs through seven villages, from Amed itself to Aas, each with its own charm. Mornings begin over the sea, the reefs sit just offshore, and the coast road links one quiet bay to the next. Here is how to make the most of it.

Amed faces north-east, so the day begins over the sea. The viewpoint on the headland above Jemeluk Bay looks across the bay and its fishing boats, with Mount Agung behind on a clear morning.

Go before dawn with a coffee in hand, then carry on down to the water for an early swim.

Amed is one of Bali's best-known places to learn freediving. Several schools run courses from beginner level upwards, with breathing and pool sessions on land and open-water training in Jemeluk Bay.

It is a calm, focused way to spend a few days, and you leave with skills that make every snorkel afterwards feel easier. If a full course is too much, ask about a shorter introductory session; even a single morning changes how you move in the water.

The reefs begin close to shore, and many sites are reached straight from the beach. Conditions change with the season, wind and swell, so go with a local guide who knows the water.

These guides to diving in Bali and Amed Beach cover the sites in detail.

Follow the coast road past Aas and the landscape grows drier and more rugged. Gili Selang, marked by a lighthouse, is the easternmost point of Bali.

The cliffs are steep and the currents strong, so this is a place for looking rather than swimming. Come for the wide sea views and the sense of standing at the island's edge, and make a slow morning of it, stopping at the quieter eastern bays on the way back.

Start the day with a private yoga class at your villa, led by our qualified yoga practitioner. Sessions are shaped around you, from a gentle morning flow to slower, breath-focused practice, so beginners are just as welcome as experienced students.

Ask our guest relations team to arrange a time during your stay.

After a day in the water or on the road, a traditional Balinese massage is the simplest pleasure of all. There are small spas along the coast, or arrange a massage in the comfort and privacy of your villa.

A cooking class is a good way into Balinese life. Begin the morning at the local market, choosing fresh spices, vegetables and fish alongside the villagers who shop there every day.

Then head back to the kitchen for chopping, grinding and tasting: spice pastes, sambal and dishes you can make again at home. Ask our team, who can arrange a class during your stay.

Trips from Amed can include Tirta Gangga, Lempuyang and Tulamben. The places below go further, and each makes a half day or a full one with a driver.

High in the hills of Abang, inland from Amed, Lahangan Sweet is a hilltop lookout facing Mount Agung, with views over the forested slopes and down towards the coast. Mornings are usually clearest, before cloud gathers around the summit.

South of Amlapura, Taman Ujung was built in 1909 for the royal family of Karangasem, by the same king behind Tirta Gangga.

It was badly damaged by war and by the 1963 eruption of Agung, and later restored. Today it is a calm place of broad pools, a long causeway to a central pavilion and paths up to hillside viewpoints over the palace and the sea.

Tenganan Pegringsingan is home to the Bali Aga, whose traditions predate much of Balinese Hindu culture.

The walled village keeps its own layout, customs and rules. It is best known for geringsing, a double ikat cloth in which both the warp and the weft are dyed before weaving, made in only a handful of places in the world.

Walk quietly, ask before photographing people, and buy directly from the weavers if something catches your eye.

West of Amed, Sidemen is a valley of terraced rice fields, small villages and mountain views, far quieter than Bali's better-known terraces.

The pleasure here is walking the paths between the fields in the cool of the morning, with Agung rising above. It sits on the road towards Besakih, so the two pair well in a single day.

Pura Besakih, on the south-western slopes of Mount Agung, is Bali's mother temple: a complex of more than twenty temples climbing the mountainside.

Go early, dress modestly with a sarong, and use the official guide. Large parts are reserved for worshippers, especially during ceremonies.

For the experienced and fit, climbing Agung itself is a serious overnight trek to watch the sunrise from Bali's highest summit. It is only possible when the volcano's alert level and the temple authorities allow it, it can close during major ceremonies, and it must be done with a licensed local guide.

Check the current status with us before you plan around it.