Amed: An Idyllic Destination
Early in the morning, just before sunrise at Amed, hundreds of jukung outriggers set their sail and begin their fishing journey. To me it seems that they are racing to be the first one to touch the red sky in eastern horizon, competing to be the first one to greet the sun. Amed is definitely one of best places to watch sunrise in Bali.
Located in south east Bali, strictly speaking Amed is a group of few hamlets on the eastern coast of Bali, but nowadays Amed is generic word for long stretch of coast which encompasses Amed, Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah, Selang and Aas village. Most of Amed coastline is still unspoiled with superb sunrise view as well as idyllic ambience an excellent place hideaway especially for those who seek for quietness and laid back atmosphere.
Before the advent of tourism, Amed was a remote coastal village which depended heavily on fishing and salt making. Farming is not a good option for the inhabitants of Amed due to thin soil and low rainfall. After the tourism set its grip, Amed becomes one of rapidly expanding tourist destination in Bali. Hotels, villas, restaurants, dive centers and other facilities sprung here and there. Though tourism grows rapidly, fishing is still the main livelihood of Amed inhabitants; you can see it from colorful jukung outriggers that line up along the coast of Amed.
Apart from sunrise watching, snorkeling and diving are popular activities in Amed. There are several snorkeling sites along the coast of Amed. The snorkeling zone starts from Amed up to Aas. There are plenty of fish and life coral can be seen in Jemeluk, A wreck of Japanese fishing boat can be seen offshore of Eka Purnama bungalows not to mention Selang’s beautiful coral garden and fish. As for scuba diving, Jemeluk, Lipah, and Selang are good diving sites with their colorful fish and coral. Around dusk, do not miss the sunset from the sunset point at Jemeluk