Villa Asada
Indonesia » Bali » East Coast » Candidasa

Boasting rich heritage value, the quiet seaside village of Candidasa lies close to many of Bali's most important historical landmarks and ancient palaces. This beautiful and under-developed area is set in the island’s eastern regency of Karangasem, far away from the crowds, with Mt. Agung, Bali’s most sacred and mystical volcano providing a dramatic backdrop to the scene.
Things to do in Candidasa include visits to charming restaurants and souvenir shops where you can pick up a trinket or two. You will also find a few basic mini-marts here to stock up on essentials. The 700-year-old walled village of Tenganan is nearby, where the residents practise a time-honoured lifestyle based around ritual and ceremony. The fortress-like village has become a living museum, and many of the houses also function as shops and workshops where expert craftsmen and women perform their centuries’ old skills.
The beach at Candidasa is sandy and golden, albeit narrow due to erosion. There is a beautiful beach known as Pasir Putih five kilometres to the east and snorkelling and diving off Candidasa is good with some excellent sites close to the shore, accessible by local boats. Padang Bai Harbour, the stepping off point for Lombok, is a further nine kilometres around the bay, and here you will find the Blue Lagoon, another superb snorkelling and dive site.
Indonesia » Bali » East Coast » Candidasa
Indonesia » Bali » East Coast » Candidasa
Indonesia » Bali » East Coast » Candidasa
Indonesia » Bali » East Coast » Candidasa
One of the first things we wanted to check off our agenda was snorkelling so, using the villa’s masks and snorkels, we walked down the boat ramp and waded easily into the ocean. We were a little disappointed at first as the area right in front of the villa is pretty lifeless, but around the 50m mark we hit a reef covered in coral fingers that extended as far as we could go along the coast. Not the super-colourful stuff that can be found in Amed, but lots of aquarium-worthy fish nonetheless. Afterwards, we lounged on the villa’s rare patch of black and white sandy beach that’s revealed at low tide.
The sun was almost down and having rinsed off at the outside pool shower and grabbed a cold Bintang beer from the fridge, we decided to have dinner in the poolside pavilion instead of the main dining area. The lightly fried salt and pepper chicken was a favourite with the kids, and the plump chicken sate (a staple dish in Bali) accompanied by mild tomato sambal and a peanut sauce with a kick, worked to give us a flavour of the region's cuisine.
Indonesia » Bali » East Coast » Candidasa
Villa Bakung isn’t huge, but with the ocean stretching to the horizon there was a genuine sense of spaciousness and flow. We enjoyed glimpses into local life as fishermen headed off in their colourful jukung (fishing boats) or net fished in the shallows, while easy strolls down the shady lane revealed cows meandering through the coconut groves and kids playing soccer. There are no direct views of the sunset, but dusk is still a beautiful time, bathing the villa and the ocean in a soft glow.
Indonesia » Bali » East Coast » Candidasa
Indonesia » Bali » East Coast » Candidasa
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