East Bali is a beautiful area of temples, sweeping bays, volcanoes, palaces, rice paddies, and villages where crafts lost to the rest of the island are still practiced. Less than an hour from Candi Dasa is Amed, one of the last unspoiled areas in Bali. Amed is a collection of small fishing villages occupying half moon bays with volcanic mountains rising steeply behind. The pace of life here is slow and the coastal scenery is quite stunning.
Step out of your hotel or homestay and turn your watch back 30 years as you are surrounded by village life, some of it unchanged in a century. This is what Kuta was like in the 70s. Rise early and you will be treated to a colorful sunrise giving a dramatic view of the jagged peaks of Lombok island and an azure sea studded with hundreds of jukungs (triangular sailed, double outrigger, dugout fishing boats) returning with the morning’s catch. There are many local warungs (cafes) serving delicious traditional food and some stylish new restaurants serving dishes from around the world.
Fishing, salt making and rice farming have been the traditional occupations near Amed. Recently tourism has become an important business in the area.
Amed is a divers and snorkelers paradise, with coral reefs and a bombed Japanese patrol boat just off the beach. Amed is only 15 minutes from Tulamben, home of the wreck of the USS Liberty, torpedoed off Lombok in 1942. There are many other good dive sites nearby and a thriving dive industry has developed along the coast. Also popular in this area is free diving, trekking Mt. Agung, motor biking, and a visit to the Tirta Gangga water palace.
