Sanur

Sanur is a relaxed beach town on Bali's east-facing coast, one of the island's oldest resort areas and a calm counterpoint to busy Kuta, Seminyak and Canggu. An offshore reef keeps the water shallow and calm, a leafy promenade runs along the shore, and the pace is unhurried. It suits families, older travellers and anyone who wants a quiet, walkable base, and because it faces east it is Bali's sunrise side.

Sanur is simple to picture:

• A paved beachfront boardwalk, roughly five kilometres long, links most hotels, cafes and beach spots and is made for walking and cycling.
• Jalan Danau Tamblingan is the main street for shopping and dining.
• Sanur sits on the eastern edge of Denpasar, Bali's capital.
• Its fast-boat harbour is the main gateway to Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan, and on to Lombok and the Gili Islands.

Sanur is about 15 kilometres northeast of Ngurah Rai airport (DPS), roughly 20 to 45 minutes by car depending on traffic. A pre-booked transfer or airport taxi is the simplest way in. Sanur is one of the easier parts of Bali to get around, with flatter roads and lighter traffic: the boardwalk is great for walking and cycling, and you can also use a scooter, a private driver, or Gojek and Grab, though app pickups are restricted in some spots, so it helps to have a map and data on hand.

The dry season, roughly April to October, is the more reliable window for beach days and clear water. The shoulder months of April to May and September to October balance good weather with fewer crowds. The wet season, about November to March, is warmer and more humid with short afternoon downpours. As an east-coast town, Sanur is known for sunrises over the sea rather than sunsets, and the windier mid-year months are popular for kitesurfing in the calm lagoon.

Goodbars runs on Telkomsel, Indonesia's largest and most reliable network, which serves Sanur with strong, consistent 4G and growing 5G. As an eSIM it installs before you fly and switches on when you land, so you are online straight from the airport. Wi-Fi is standard in hotels and cafes, but mobile data keeps maps, ride-hailing and fast-boat bookings working, which matters if you are day-tripping to Nusa Penida. Sanur is a relaxed, leisure-paced trip for most, so the 10GB plan is usually plenty; choose 20GB if you work online or stream a lot, and top up if you run low.