AMED - BALI

Amed is the most recent tourist development area in Bali. It was only in 2000 that tarmac was laid on the roads, telephone lines were installed in 2003, and it took until 2007 for a bridge to be built over a section of the road that regularly washed away during the rainy season. To this day, phone lines are so limited in the area that most hotels only have one landline each, so it is wise to bring a mobile phone (cellphone) when visiting if you need to stay in touch with the outside world. Local Indonesian SIM cards can be purchased in thousands of places around Bali. There is also a public telephone office in the centre of Amed and a couple of internet cafes (the connection speed is V-E-R-Y slow, though).

English is widely spoken in all the hotels, restaurants and shops.

HOW TO REACH AMED

Amed is located on the north east coast of Bali, about 2.5 hours drive from Kuta. But if you stay overnight at Tulamben, it will take approximately 20 Minutes drive to the south of Tulamben.

The easiest way into Amed is by hiring your own transport and driver. Beware that Amed is stretched out over ten kilometers so make sure that transport to your hotel is included in the price.

WHAT TO SEE AND DO IN AMED

Most people come to Amed as a getaway, including expats from other parts of the island. It's a favourite honeymoon destination for tourists and is also popular with divers and snorkelers. Sailing trips in small Balinese sail boats can be arranged, and day trips to local places of interest such as the Water Gardens of Tirta Gangga and Bali's most sacred temple, Besakih, high on the slopes of Mount Agung.

Lempuyang Temple, half hour drive from Amed. One of the eight most sacred temples on the island. Park in the car park and walk up the steps to the temple. The lower temple is always open but the upper temple (at the top of the dragon staircases) is often locked, so it is best to go with a Balinese driver who will usually be able to arrange for the temple priest to open it up for you. It's situated high up a mountain and there are magnificent sunset views at dusk.

For entertainment, a local live band performs at Double One Restaurant once a week and there are sometimes free Balinese dance performances in some of the restaurants. A local Gong & Genjek group performs about once a month in the Bali Mandala room at Dancing Dragon Cottages.

• Snorkeling -- Amed has some fine snorkeling within meters of the coast. A reef follows the majority of the coastline. Due to the limited number of visitors to the area, the sea life is healthy and abundant.

• Condor Sailing, Phone/Fax: +62 363 23462, email: info@ameddivecenter.com. Enjoy Nature, Go with the Wind on a 18 m traditional sailing boat for sailing, diving, fishing, exploration, dolphin watching, snorkeling, or just swimming and relaxing.

DIVE SITE

There are two dive sites outside Jumeluk bay, Amed Reef and Amed Wall and both of which can be done as a shore or boat dive. The boat is a traditional fishing boat ( Jukung ) which is a small outrigger with the max capacity of 3 divers.

Jumeluk bay is suitable both for novice and experienced divers. The condition is easy, very rarely any wave action at the surface and the visibility is usually 15 to 30m.

AMED REEF
Located at the left side of the bay and by Jukung ( small outrigger ) it will take approximately 10 minutes with the depth ranging from 12-22 meters. You will find much different kinds of sponges, gorgonian, and marine life including everything from gobies, shrimp, to school of barracuda and blue spotted ray. Many different kinds of reef fish such as parrotfish, angelfish, surgeonfish, and moray eel.

If we go little bit deeper to 30 meters , you will see some sleeping white tip sharks on the sandy bottom.

Should there be any current, which is usually very rare and flows to the south, this will make for a relaxing drift dive.

AMED WALL
This dive site is located on the right side of the bay which takes approximately 5 minutes by Jukung. The depth ranges from 10 – 35 meters and although the wall itself is a relative small part of the dive, here you can usually find white tip reef shark, napoleon wrasse, school of batfish, and some big trevally.

Once you pass the wall you will find a deep slope which is rich in corals and very interesting. If you turn right towards shallower water, you will see big bommies on the sand, and the bommies are richly covered with gorgonians.


WHERE TO STAY AT AMED

There is a wide range of hotels in the area, with rooms ranging from $20 - $200 per night. Most of them have been built by westerners in partnership with Balinese people and have brought a welcome increase in employment to the area. Everyone knows everyone so there is a real feeling of village community, but the hotels are well spaced out so you feel that you have your own private space there. There are no TVs in most of the hotel rooms, so bring a good book to read or better still, spend your time getting to know the locals. The pace of life is very slow and relaxed in Amed, the people are friendly, and they have time!

• Apa Kabar Villas is a small and quiet collection of ocean front bungalows (sleep four) and Balinese villas (sleep six) surrounded by lush gardens. They also have a lovely restaurant, swimming pool, and some nice coral for snorkeling right off of their beach.

• Dancing Dragon Cottages, Amed, Bali, Indonesia, ☎ 0363 23521 (info@dancingdragoncottages.com, fax: 0363 23521). checkin: 3.00pm; checkout: 12 noon. Feng shui boutique hotel. Air-conditioned thatched cottages with ocean views, 100-person conference center, pool, restaurant, bar. From $48.

• Villa Sinar Cinta, a traditionally built seaside villa with privacy and excellent service. It is the perfect place for maximally eight persons. Also with its large swimmingpool of 15 x 3 meters.

• Hotel Uyah Amed, Phone/Fax: +62 363 23462, (email: hoteluyah@naturebali.com). We have implemented and maintain an environmental management system to reduce the consumption of natural resources and to prevent pollution by waste separation, energy and water - saving installations and programs. We try to communicate our environmental goals to the local community and our guest s in order to be in harmony with this beautiful environment.

• Eka Purnama Cottages and Restaurant phone="+62 (0)828 372 264" "mailto:ekaamed@gmail.com" "http://www.eka-purnama.com" Eka Purnama is a family run, budget hotel located in Amed on the Eastern most tip of Bali, an area renowned for its traditional Balinese fishing communities, superb diving, snorkeling and outstanding natural beauty. All the comfortable cottages overlook the sea and are a short step away from the beach. The reasonably priced cottages are comfortable with a double bed and single bed, a ceiling fan, wardrobes and a spacious bathroom with shower and a western toilet.

• Villa Flamboyant, ☎ +62 828 372 2636 or +43 676 400 3869 (hatala@utanet.at), [10]. "http://www.balivillaflamboyant.com" VILLA FLAMBOYANT is a private villa of 500m2 wide, located right at the sea. On the upper floor there are 4 exclusives dobble bedrooms with there own bathrooms. From the terrace you have a lovely outstanding few to the mountains, the 3000m2 garden and over the ocean. Downstairs there is a big living room optical divided by one step from the dining room about 400m2 wide suroundet by a generous terrace and in front of the living room is a big swimming pool with about 60m2 In the morning you can see the sun rising out of the ocean and many fisher boots out on the sea. The staff is friendly, helpful and used to treat guests the special way of feeling at home and giving everyone a polite individual attention.

Source: www.wikitravel.org, www.prodivebali.com
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