Black sand and a reef at your feet
Amed and the north-east coast
A string of fishing villages where black sand runs into a coral reef.
The place, in short
A 14-km string of fishing villages on Bali's north-east coast, where black volcanic sand runs down to a coral reef you can reach by swimming from the beach, with Mount Agung filling the sky behind.
On the shore, a few metres above the sea, with Agung (3,031 m) behind.
Who it suits
- Snorkellers and divers
- Travellers who like a small place and an early night
- Anyone who wants to see Agung over the water
Not for: Nightlife or shopping, or anyone who dislikes long drives. It is a long way from the south.
What to do
Snorkel Jemeluk Bay
The reef starts a few strokes from the sand, with a coral wall in the bay. Go in the morning, when it is calmest.
Dive or snorkel the Liberty wreck at Tulamben
A US Army cargo ship torpedoed in 1942 and lying about 40 m off the beach, the top of its stern at about 5 m. It is the day we run from here.
See the salt beds
Amed was once best known for salt made by letting seawater evaporate in the sun. Ask a village family to show you how.
Watch Agung change colour
At first light the cone goes from grey to pink to gold above the bay, and the fishing boats go out under it.
How long, and when
How long to stay: three nights
Three nights gives two days in the water and one for the Tulamben wreck, with time to do nothing in between.
The best time of day: early morning
The sea is calmest and visibility best before about 10:00, and Agung is clearest at dawn.
In the year. Visibility is usually best in the dry season, roughly April to October, and early in the day. A long swell can make the wreck uncomfortable for weaker swimmers, and we will say so before you get in.
Good to know
Each fact was checked on the web on the date shown. Where one source stands alone, we say so. Advice, such as how long to stay, is ours.
- The coast
- A 14-km stretch of coast in Abang district, Karangasem, taking in the villages of Amed, Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah, Lehan, Selang, Banyuning, Aas and KusambiChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia, Amed (Bali)
- Black sand
- Many beaches have black volcanic sand, being close to Mount AgungChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia, Amed (Bali)
- The reef
- Dive and snorkel sites include Jemeluk Bay's coral wall, the Pyramids and a Japanese wreck at LipahChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: OK Divers and Bonding Explorers (agreeing)
- Salt
- Amed was once best known for traditional salt farmingChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia, Amed (Bali) and Bali guides (agreeing)
- Tulamben wreck
- USAT Liberty, torpedoed 11 January 1942, about 40 m from the beachChecked 6 Oct 2026. Source: Wikipedia, USAT Liberty (see the Tulamben experience)
A day that starts here
Ocean · Nature
Amed's reef and the Tulamben wreck
Walk into the sea at Tulamben and swim over a ship that a volcano moved.
- Time
- Full day
- Group
- Small group, up to 6
- Fitness
- Moderate
- Meeting
- Hotel pick-up
fromUS$98per person