Sanur is what the real Bali feels like, relatively speaking. Shrines, statues, and the smells of burning incense and clove cigarettes, made me feel like I was back in Indonesia. The smells of stale beer, sweaty foreigners, and horseshit on Gili Trawangan, is not Indonesia. If it wasn’t for the Muslim calls to prayer, the island could be just about anywhere in the world with a similar climate.
Sanur (on the west coast of Bali) is where a lot of old wrinklys come to retire– mostly Australians. You see elderly women with canes taking their dogs or husbands for a walk, white-haired seniors riding bikes and bicycles, and golden-skinned men wearing G-strings on the beach with their saggy butts showing. They have not a care in the world.
The beaches are nice, but instead of coral reefs, there are beds of seagrass. I saw just a few colourful fish when I managed to find a single rock with hidey holes during a snorkel. But the beach resorts and villas are world class. Sanur is no longer as cheap as it was a decade ago and has become fully developed to cater to western tastes, with a few more residences “coming soon”.
There are cafes and restaurants of all types – French, Mexican, Italian, Portuguese, Japanese – as well as jewelry stores, tailors, arts and crafts shops, and quite a large shopping center. There is even an ATM CENTER! Foreign money flows into Sanur. I just find it funny how so many places across SE Asia still have their Christmas decorations or Happy New Year signs up.
Speaking of signs, I saw some interesting ones near the fancy coastal establishments offering all kinds of discounts and memberships to foreign entrepreneurs. These included free and fast Wi-Fi, discounts at all the local entrepreneurship company’s establishments, as well as cheaper long-term accommodation. The benefits were even greater if you worked in the hospitality industry, which makes total sense. Own or invest in a hospitality joint and employ locals! Win-win.
I’m very happy that I decided to spend my final week in Sanur. I was also recovering from a viral snotface that I picked up on Gili T. My accommodation is awesome. If you have an aircon, fridge, kettle, and hot water in a homestay, you are STYLING! The family is lovely and they even gave me their biggest room –two adjacent rooms actually! A whole family could stay there. This is exactly what happened on day 3, but I was more than happy to switch rooms.
I’ve been taking it very easy here, with long walks, sharing friendly smiles and hellos with locals and foreign grannies, an unexpected gatecrash at a Hindu wedding, a purchase of two 100% Bali-made cotton shirts, and a visit to the pub across the road. Everyone seems to know one another here. I watched an elderly couple jiving to the Sultans of Swing with a content smile upon my face.
Next: Indonesia #13 – Bye Bye Bali
Previously: Indonesia #11 – Farewell Gili T
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