Indonesia / Ubud, Central & North Bali / AmedAmed
Black-Sand Bays, Shipwreck Diving and the Gates of Heaven
A string of fishing villages on Bali's far east coast under Mount Agung: easy snorkelling off the beach, the USAT Liberty shipwreck dive at Tulamben, the Lempuyang temple "Gates of Heaven" and the Tirta Gangga water palace. Slow and quiet, three hours from the airport, with fast boats to the Gilis that save the long trip round by Padang Bai.
Highlights
- Snorkel Jemeluk Bay off the beach
- Dive or snorkel the USAT Liberty wreck
- Lempuyang "Gates of Heaven" at dawn
- Tirta Gangga water palace
- Sunrise over Mount Agung
- Freediving course
- Taman Ujung water palace
Things to do
- USAT Liberty wreck snorkel or dive at TulambenMorning · 3h
- Lempuyang temple Gates of HeavenMorning · 3h
- Tirta Gangga water palaceAfternoon · 1h 30m
- Jemeluk Bay snorkellingAfternoon · 2h
- Sunset at the Jemeluk viewpointEvening · 1h
Tours & tickets
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When to go
Best time: April – October
Plan around this
Nyepi: Bali Closes for 24 Hours
⚠️ On Nyepi (Monday 8 March 2027, from 06:00 to 06:00 on 9 March) all of Bali stops: Ngurah Rai airport is closed to every flight, roads, beaches and shops shut, the internet is switched off, and visitors must stay inside their hotel. Don't book a flight, boat or transfer for that day, and allow for full flights and boats on the days either side.
Heads up
Bali Wet Season
December to February are the wettest months: heavy afternoon and night downpours, humid days, and flash floods on low roads in Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and on Sunset Road to the airport. Mornings are often clear. Allow extra time for the airport, and plan beach days flexibly. Hotels are cheaper, except over Christmas and New Year.
- Nyepi (Balinese Day of Silence) and the ogoh-ogoh parades — The Balinese New Year. On the eve, villages parade huge ogoh-ogoh demon effigies through the streets and burn them, worth seeing in Ubud, Kuta and Denpasar. Then for 24 hours the whole island stops: Ngurah Rai airport closes, no traffic, no lights, beaches shut, and visitors must stay inside their hotel (hotels keep serving guests indoors). Do not plan to land, leave or travel in Bali that day.
- Galungan and Kuningan · Galungan 17 Jun, Kuningan 27 Jun — Bali's biggest Hindu festival, every 210 days: ten days when the ancestors are believed to visit. Every street is lined with tall bamboo penjor poles, families in temple dress fill the temples, and the island looks its most beautiful. Some shops and drivers take the main days off, and temples are crowded; wear a sarong and sash to visit.
- Christmas and New Year peak — Bali's dearest fortnight: villas and resorts set minimum stays and gala dinners on 24 and 31 December, and Indian, Australian and Indonesian holidays overlap. Book rooms and the Gili and Komodo boats by October, and expect rain: it is the wet season.