Amed, on the North coast of Bali, wasn’t supposed to the last stop on my Bali roadtrip.

There’s not a lot to do here, making it a nice place to relax for a day. Unlike Candidasa, it has a real beach, made of black volcanic sand. Snorkeling gear is available, or you can just sit on the beach and drink fruit shakes, which is what I did for a couple hours.

I get bored on beaches, so I explored the area on my motorbike. The area referred to as Amed isn’t really one town. It’s a collection of settlements on the road following the sea. Much of it has a nascent tourist industry developing, with numerous dive shops, restaurants, and homestays.

It’s interesting because it’s in the early stages of tourism, and is not built up and spoiled like Kuta and its surroundings. Most of the locals are still fishermen

Following the main road took me past black sand beaches, often covered with boats, and free of tourists. Mount Agung was visible in the distance.

It’s a nice place to relax for a day. I certainly wasn’t planning on spending four.

But the demons were coming, which made me change my plans.

A boat on Amed's beach.
A boat on Amed’s beach.
The beaches of Amed are packed with fishing boats.
The beaches of Amed are packed with fishing boats.
Schoolgirls resting in the shade.
Schoolgirls resting in the shade.
The sun was setting on my time in Bali.
The sun was setting on my time in Bali.
But the sun was rising on new adventures in Lombok and beyond.
But the sun was rising on new adventures in Lombok and beyond.
Terry
I'm Terry, former cubicle-dweller, and now traveler, photographer, writer, and entrepreneur. I quit my job in 2014 to travel to US national parks, then to South East Asia. I write about independent, flexible, long-term, budget travel. Sign up to my newsletter to get the latest news on what I'm up to. I hope you join me on my trek around the world.

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