July is now here and I feel a buzz in the air. There appears to be people everywhere. The bars and restaurants are rocking, the World Cup is reaching a peak and the traffic is getting mental! And all this begs a question….
Why do you come to Bali?
I’m sure there are many different answers, but basically one of the main ones would be spending the sunset hour on the beach. Maybe I am completely wrong and there are more cerebral reasons, like cultural, religious, nature, surfing, or the love of intense traffic jams, who knows, but there is something special about 30 degrees every day and being on a beach on a warm afternoon/evening with the sky in red and yellow flames above and a cold beer in hand.
Nowadays there are plenty of places to catch the sunset for sure. To begin with you have to be facing west of course, and this time of year, being the dry season, it seems the entire place is facing west. Some claim to have the sunset but just miss it by a fraction. For me the number one spot is Double Six Beach. If you follow this weekly editorial you wouldn’t be surprised with that. There are photos posted here from 66 or Padma just about every week, and of course, there is a reason for that. It is a marvelous, bustling, fun place to be, and how about that sunset!
However, the new, been-bag seated, and small bar/resto lined pathway-look is indeed a recent phenomenon.
Before Covid there wasn’t a lot going on down there. Maybe some esky type plastic boxes with beers and rickety old wooden daybeds sitting on the beach, but not much else. It had its simple charm but mainly good for walking the dog or having a swim.
I believe it was the footpath they laid on top of the beach a couple of years ago that provided the pivot. At the time I thought it was the worse thing that could have happened as it appeared to bring the man-made world onto the beach. Something like ‘paving paradise to put up a parking lot’, but in all reality I couldn’t have been more wrong. While most of the pathway they laid further north and south has washed away, this section has breathed new life onto the beach and that entire area, and the place is now totally buzzing every sunset and, now being well lit, it is also full of activity well into the evening.
Photos Above. This is the place! The footpath has opened up new territory in the Double Six area. The first time I was there was back in ’92. Going down to Blue Ocean for breakfast was quite a thing back then. Man, it has changed a lot since, but not for all bad—it still is one of my favourite spots in town.
I always wondered why they couldn’t get Jimbaran style fish on that strip – it looked to me like an easy equation, but no one ever did, until now of course. Our little bar/warung down on the beach, which I won’t name here for my personal anti-influencer reasons, (but you can still see in the photos), has a delicious selection of fish, clams, prawns and accompaniments, which they grill Jimbaran coconut husk style right on the beach. I’m not sure if it is fresh or frozen as the numbers are maybe still not enough for fresh, but man, it is all very delicious. They also have two large TVs playing sports all week long – does it get any better than that! Not really.
Well, for want of messing up my own nest, I would have to say that section of beach this time of year is the best sunset, and possibly the best tourist attraction, you are going to enjoy on Bali.
Of course, there are plenty of other choices along the west coast to enjoy the sunset, so let us know in the comments…. where is your fave sunset spot?
Photos Above. Images from last Saturday night with the bands Balian and Navicula rocking it out at The Orchard in Legian. Good times—it’s always good to get your fix of rock music on a Saturday evening!
Have a good weekend friends.
Check the details here for events on in Bali over the next week.