Pemuteran, eventually

I'd planned to get up to the northern and NW coast of Bali on my previous trip to the island (in June 2018). However I'd cut that trip short due to a run of bad luck (unseasonal and unrelenting rain, blisters on my feet from walking around in wet shoes, one of those blisters becoming infected, getting food poisoning, and finally catching a cold). 

So when I crossed through Bali in September 2019, on my way from Java to Lombok, I knew I had to rectify that omission. 

Grey sand beaches at Pemuteran

Crossing into Bali by ferry from Banyuwangi in East Java, you arrive at Gilimanuk, at the far NW tip of the island. From there, you can catch a bus along the north coast road, which will take you through Pemuteran, on the way to Lovina and Singaraja.

Pemuteran is a small town, a few quiet streets on either side of the highway, with a mix of small guesthouses, small restaurants, and a few mid-sized beach resorts. It's very relaxed in feel, away from the crowds and hassle of the southern Bali beaches.

The beach is thataway!

The in-town beach has a man-made reef (wire frames which have been seeded with coral), giving some good snorkelling, and there are plentiful tours to the dive and snorkel sites at Menjangan and the national park. (Unfortunately I don't have an underwater camera, so I have no pictures of the reefs.)

I wasn't certain how long I would stay there - I figured maybe two or three days, but ended up staying five. It was just such a nice, relaxed place to hang. Every morning, I would wander down the shady lane that led from my guesthouse to the seafront, and find a shady place on the sand to settle down with my book and snorkel. For lunch, wander the back streets and find a veggie curry or a rice bowl. Repeat in the afternoon.

It was nice.

Scenery in Pemuteran, sandwiched between the sea and the mountains