Sanur

Tandjung Sari Hotel

★★★★★

Long before Seminyak and Canggu were on the map, Sanur was where Bali's tourism began, and Tandjung Sari is one of the places where the idea of the Balinese boutique hotel was born. It was founded in 1962 by Wija Waworuntu and his wife Judith, who ran an antiques business in Jakarta, on the site of a former shrine on Sanur's beach; they first built it as a place to stay on buying trips, and it grew into a small hotel that became a social hub for artists, writers and visitors in the decades that followed. In the 1970s the hotel was expanded with the help of the Australian artist Donald Friend, adding clusters of village-style bungalows arranged around courtyards, each with a traditional kul-kul drum tower. The Waworuntu family still owns and runs it, and the sense of continuity is part of the charm. There are only around thirty rooms, mostly bungalows built in traditional Balinese style, with carved wooden doors, walls of coral stone, thatched roofs, antique furniture and textiles, and private verandas in a garden of frangipani and coconut palms that runs down to the beach. The atmosphere is quiet, gracious and unhurried, the opposite of a big resort. Sanur itself suits that mood perfectly. Its beach faces east onto a reef-protected lagoon, with calm water at high tide, a long paved beach path ideal for walking and cycling, and the sunrise rather than the sunset as its daily spectacle. It is also the main departure point for fast boats to Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan, which makes Tandjung Sari an easy base for an island day trip.

Choosing a room: the bungalows vary in size and outlook, from garden bungalows to larger family units and those closest to the sea. Ask for a beachfront bungalow if you want to wake up to the sunrise over the water, and check details directly with the hotel, as each is individual. Do not expect the latest technology or design; the point is character, craftsmanship and calm.

Who it suits: couples and independent travellers who appreciate history and atmosphere over glamour, older travellers and families who want calm water and a relaxed, walkable neighbourhood, and anyone planning a Nusa Penida trip. It is less suited to those who want nightlife, a big pool scene or a party beach.

Practical notes: Sanur is about thirty minutes from the airport and around an hour from Ubud, a convenient middle point between the south and the cultural heartland. At low tide the lagoon water retreats over the reef, so swimming is best around high tide. In the wet season, Sanur's east-facing beach is usually cleaner and calmer than the west coast, making it a sensible choice for November to March.