Amed is the place in Bali where the reef starts at the waterline. You rent a mask at a warung, walk into the bay at Jemeluk or Lipah and you are over coral within a few strokes. Twenty minutes up the coast, the USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben lies close enough to the beach to snorkel, and Mount Agung fills the sky behind every village.
If you are not staying on the east coast
Free cancellationTulamben: snorkel the USAT Liberty wreck, with pickup from the south
- ✓Two snorkelling sessions over the Liberty wreck, lunch in between
- ✓Gear, guide and transfers included
- ✓Pickup from the south: count 2 h 30 to 3 h each way
- ✓Sleeping in Amed puts you on the wreck before the groups
Affiliate link. Booking through GetYourGuide costs you nothing extra and supports the guide. Prices are indicative and vary by option and season.
Photo Artem Markovsky, CC BY-SA 4.0
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Where is Amed in Bali, and is Amed worth visiting?
Amed is on the north-east tip of Bali, in Karangasem regency, about 100 km from the airport. The name covers a strip of about 14 km of coast and a string of roughly eight fishing villages: from west to east the main ones are Jemeluk, Bunutan, Lipah, Selang, Banyuning and Aas. You turn off the main road at Culik, and Amed village itself is the first one you reach. The sand is black or grey, a gift of Mount Agung, and the coast east of Amed has been a marine protected area since 2017.
It is worth it if the sea is the point of your trip. It is not a resort town: there is no nightlife beyond a sunset bar, no beach clubs, few ATMs, and many places take cash only.
Amed suits
- Snorkellers who want coral and turtles without a boat trip.
- Divers, beginners included: the Liberty wreck and a dozen shore sites are within 30 minutes.
- Anyone who wants Lempuyang or the Agung viewpoints at sunrise without a 03:00 start from the south.
- Couples and slow travellers on a budget: rooms cost well below Seminyak or Ubud.
Skip Amed if
- You want white sand, beach clubs or a night out.
- You have a week or less in Bali: the round trip costs most of two days.
- You do not swim. Without the water, Amed is a quiet coast road with a view.
How many days do you need in Amed?
Two nights minimum, three ideally, four or five if you dive. A simple three-day plan:
- Day 1: arrive by early afternoon, snorkel Lipah, watch the sunset over Mount Agung from the Jemeluk hill.
- Day 2: the Liberty wreck at Tulamben at 07:00, back for lunch, Jemeluk statues in the afternoon if the sea is calm.
- Day 3: Lempuyang at dawn, Tirta Gangga on the way back, a last swim at Jemeluk.
Amed snorkelling from the beach: Jemeluk, Lipah and the Japanese shipwreck
Amed's reef runs close to the shore along most of the coast. At the three spots below you swim in from the beach, with nothing to book. Go early: turtles are most often seen between 07:00 and 09:00, before the dive boats, and the midday wind clouds the water.
Jemeluk Bay: the underwater statues and the post office
Jemeluk is Amed's central bay and its busiest snorkel site. Swim out 20 to 30 metres to the buoy on the right of the bay (facing the sea) and you are above a small gallery of sunken statues at 3 to 5 metres, among gorgonians and reef fish. Beyond it the reef drops as a wall towards 35 metres, which is why divers come here too. Turtles feed along the left side, near the wall.
The bay also has an underwater post box. You buy a waterproof postcard in a warung or dive shop, write it, and post it yourself on the seabed. Local divers collect the cards and hand them to the Amed post office, so it actually arrives. Stay inside the bay: the shallow south side of Jemeluk can have current.
- Free entry, scooter parking IDR 2,000 to 5,000 when someone collects it
- Statues at 3 to 5 m, the wall from about 5 m down towards 35 m
- Visibility usually 15 to 25 m, little or no current inside the bay
- Above the bay, the Jemeluk viewpoint is the best sunset spot in Amed
Lipah Beach: the easiest snorkelling in Amed
Photo Alexey Komarov, CC BY 3.0
Lipah is a sheltered bay about 3 km east of Jemeluk, ten minutes on a scooter, with fine black sand and a sandy entry rather than stones. The bottom slopes from 2 metres to about 10 metres within 30 to 40 metres of the shore, over hard coral, sponges and a coral nursery planted by local dive centres. Get in at the middle-left of the beach, in front of Warung Bobo, where the reef is closest.
Turtles, both hawksbill and green, are regularly seen between 5 and 10 metres before 09:00. The warungs on the sand rent masks and sunloungers, and a lounger is often free if you order a drink.
The Japanese shipwreck at Banyuning
Further east, past Lipah, a small steel wreck about 20 metres long lies on a slope between 2 and 12 metres, a short swim from a pebble beach at Banyuning. It is covered in soft coral and you can see most of it from the surface. A warung at the top of the steps usually charges a small entry, often with a drink included: check the price before you change. Of the three spots, this is the one most affected by current, so go on a calm morning.
How much is snorkelling in Amed in 2026?
Almost nothing if you go on your own. A guided trip only makes sense for the Jemeluk wall or if you want someone to find the turtles for you.
| What | Detail | 2026 price |
|---|---|---|
| Mask, snorkel and fins | Rented by the day from the warungs and dive shops on Jemeluk and Lipah beaches | IDR 50,000 to 75,000 a setUS$2.80 to 4.10 · C$3.90 to 5.80 |
| Beach entry and parking | Jemeluk and Lipah are free. Scooter parking, when someone collects it | IDR 2,000 to 5,000 |
| Jukung to the Jemeluk drop-off | A fisherman's outrigger takes you out to the wall for an hour | IDR 150,000 to 200,000US$8.30 to 11 · C$11.60 to 15.50 |
| Guided snorkel trip, about 2 h | Amed or Tulamben with a guide, gear included, low season / high season | IDR 320,000 / 340,000 a personUS$18 to 19 · C$25 to 26 |
Amed reef rules: what not to do
The coral here is fragile and much of it is being replanted. Never stand on the reef, even in the shallows of Lipah: walk in over sand and start swimming as soon as you can. Do not feed the fish, do not touch the turtles, and use a reef-safe sunscreen or a rash vest. If you are not a confident swimmer, rent a life vest (about IDR 30,000) rather than resting on the coral.
USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben: snorkel or dive it from the beach
Photo Pb1791, CC BY-SA 3.0
The Liberty is the most famous dive in Bali and the reason most people drive this far east. It lies at Tulamben, about 12 km north-west of Amed, 20 to 30 minutes by road, on a slope just off a beach of black stones. You walk in, swim out roughly 25 to 50 metres (sources disagree on where you start measuring), and the hull appears below you.
The story of the Liberty: torpedoed in 1942, moved by Mount Agung in 1963
The USAT Liberty was a US Army cargo ship, about 125 metres long. On 11 January 1942 the Japanese submarine I-66 torpedoed her in the Lombok Strait. The destroyers USS Paul Jones and the Dutch Van Ghent tried to tow her to the port of Celukan Bawang on the north coast, but she was taking on too much water, so she was beached at Tulamben to save her cargo. She sat on the shore for two decades until 1963, when the earthquakes of the Mount Agung eruption slid her down the slope into the sea, where she broke up into the reef you see today.
She is sometimes called the "USS Liberty", which is a different ship, an American spy ship attacked in 1967. The wreck at Tulamben is the USAT Liberty.
Snorkelling the Liberty wreck
The shallowest part of the wreck sits about 2 to 5 metres down, so snorkellers see a good part of the hull, the coral growing on it and the fish around it: schools of jacks, parrotfish, often a turtle. The deeper sections, down to about 30 metres, need a tank. The entry over the stones is the hard part: wear reef shoes or fins with booties, and go in where the dive groups go in.
- About 20 to 30 minutes from Amed, 12 km up the coast road
- Top of the wreck at about 2 to 5 m, the bottom at about 30 m
- Water 28 to 30°C, visibility usually 15 to 25 m, little current
- No official entry fee found for 2026: expect small parking or community charges, paid in cash
- A guide is not compulsory, but touts insist. A dive shop can arrange gear and a locker
Diving the Liberty wreck: go at dawn
In high season up to a hundred divers a day can visit the wreck, most of them on day trips from the south that arrive mid-morning. Be in the water by 07:00, or go in the late afternoon, and you share it with a few buddies and the bumphead parrotfish that sleep on the hull. The Liberty also makes a classic night dive. Beginners can do it on a try dive: the wreck starts shallow enough for a first dive with an instructor.
For certified divers coming from the south
Free cancellationTulamben Bay and the USAT Liberty wreck: two dives with lunch
- ✓Two dives on the Liberty and Tulamben Bay, lunch between them
- ✓Small group, equipment included
- ✓Minimum age 10
- ✓A surcharge applies to pickups from Uluwatu, Canggu and Ubud
Affiliate link. Booking through GetYourGuide costs you nothing extra and supports the guide. Prices are indicative and vary by option and season.
Photo G patkar, CC BY-SA 3.0
Amed diving: the dive sites and what they cost in 2026
Amed and Tulamben together have one of the densest clusters of shore dives in Indonesia. Almost every site is a walk-in or a five-minute ride on a jukung, the water is 26 to 30°C, and visibility runs from 15 to 30 metres. A shore dive with a local centre costs about half of what you pay on a boat trip to Nusa Penida.
| Dive | Detail | 2026 price |
|---|---|---|
| 1 fun dive | Certified divers, shore entry, guide, tank, weights and site fees included | IDR 470,000 to 490,000US$26 to 27 · C$36 to 38 |
| 2 fun dives | The usual Liberty day: the wreck early, a second site after a break | IDR 770,000 to 795,000US$43 to 44 · C$60 to 62 |
| 3 fun dives | Liberty at dawn, Coral Garden, then a third site | IDR 1,095,000 to 1,130,000US$61 to 62 · C$85 to 88 |
| Night dive | The Liberty or Jemeluk after dark, torch included | IDR 710,000 to 740,000US$39 to 41 · C$55 to 57 |
| Full gear rental | BCD, regulator, wetsuit and fins, each piece | IDR 50,000 a piece a dayUS$2.80 · C$3.90 |
Prices are from the 2026 list of one of Amed's oldest dive centres. Others charge up to about IDR 1,100,000 for two dives with full gear. Low season runs from 1 October to 30 June.
The best dive sites in Amed and Tulamben
- Jemeluk wall: the statues and an underwater temple in the shallows, then a wall of gorgonians to about 35 m. The busiest site in Amed.
- Pyramids (Lipah): concrete pyramids sunk more than 25 years ago, now covered in coral, at 18 to 22 m. Turtles are frequent. Gentle drift.
- Bunutan: reached by jukung from Jemeluk or Lipah, big barrel sponges and sloping reef.
- Ghost Bay: a muck site with the wreck of a speedboat, frogfish and macro life.
- Japanese shipwreck (Banyuning): 2 to 12 m, then a wall to 30 m.
- Around Tulamben: the Liberty and Coral Garden, then Melasti, Seraya Secrets, Batu Niti and Gerombong for macro photographers.
Amed or Tulamben for diving?
Tulamben if the Liberty is your whole trip: you sleep a few metres from the entry and dive it before anyone arrives. Amed for variety: walls, reef, pyramids and macro sites, more restaurants, and the Liberty is still only 20 to 30 minutes away. As for the best month, the sources do not agree, between April to July and October to November. Amed dives well all year. The water is warmest from October to April and coolest in July and August, with thermoclines at depth.
Amed beach guide: can you swim at Amed Beach?
Yes, and that is the main difference with the south coast: the bays face north-east, away from the big swell, so there is little or no surf. The sand is black or grey volcanic sand, often with pebbles, and the beaches are lined with jukung outriggers rather than sunbeds.
| Beach | Best for | Entry | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jemeluk | Statues, the wall, sunset from the hill | Gravel and sand | Current on the south side, boats in the morning |
| Lipah | Easy snorkelling, turtles, warungs on the sand | Sandy | The midday wind |
| Amed village | Fishing boats at dawn, the salt farms | Pebbles | Not much reef close in |
| Bunutan and Selang | Quiet coves below the cliff hotels | Pebbles and rock | Steep paths down |
| Banyuning | The Japanese shipwreck | Pebbles | Small entry fee, current on rough days |
| Tulamben | The Liberty wreck | Large black stones | Slippery entry, wear booties |
If you want pale sand and turquoise water on the east coast, the nearest are south of Amed, near Padang Bai: the Blue Lagoon at Padang Bai is a good snorkelling stop on the way back to the south. Our guide to Bali beaches compares every coast.
Mount Agung sunrise and sunset from Amed
Photo Arnas Goldberg, CC BY 3.0
A detail most guides gloss over: Amed faces east and north-east, and Mount Agung is behind it, inland to the west. From the beach, the sun rises over the sea, with the outline of Lombok on a clear morning, and the volcano catches the first pink light over your shoulder. The postcard view of the sun coming up beside Agung is from the hills, not the beach. In the evening it flips: the sun goes down behind the volcano.
Sunrise from Amed beach
Walk down to Amed or Jemeluk beach around 05:30 to watch the fishermen push the jukung out as the sky turns. Some of them take visitors along for a sunrise trip, for about IDR 250,000 (US$14 · C$19). Agree the price and the time on the beach the day before.
Sunset over Mount Agung from the Jemeluk viewpoint
The road above Jemeluk Bay climbs over a headland with the whole bay below and Agung on the skyline, and this is where the sun sets behind the volcano. The roadside viewpoint is free. The best-known bar on the headland, Sunset Point, has a minimum spend of IDR 150,000 for foreigners (US$8.30 · C$11.60). Joli Best View Cafe and the smaller cafes along the same road have no minimum. Arrive by 17:00 for a table at the front.
Mount Agung at dawn: Bukit Cinta and Lahangan Sweet
For Agung with the sunrise light on it, drive inland. Bukit Cinta, about 30 minutes from Amed, is a free roadside viewpoint facing the volcano, best around 06:00 before the clouds form. Lahangan Sweet, on a ridge near Lempuyang, adds a swing and a deck: entry is around IDR 30,000 to 50,000, plus parking and an optional shuttle up the last stretch, and the final 15 minutes are on foot. Clouds hide the summit most afternoons, and from March to October your chances at dawn are best.
Amed as a base for Lempuyang and Tirta Gangga
This is Amed's other advantage. The two big sights of the east are both within the hour, and from Amed you reach them at opening time while the tours from the south are still on the road.
Lempuyang temple from Amed: 30 to 45 minutes
Lempuyang, the Gates of Heaven, is about 14 km from Amed, 30 minutes in a car and up to 45 with the climb to the car park. Leave at 05:00 to 05:30 to be near the front of the photo queue at the gate when Agung is clearest, then take the shuttle up from the parking area. From the south the same visit means leaving at 02:00 or 03:00.
Tirta Gangga water palace, 30 minutes from Amed
Tirta Gangga, the former royal water garden of Karangasem, is about 30 to 35 minutes from Amed on the road back towards Amlapura. Go after Lempuyang: you arrive as it opens, before the tour buses, and the stepping stones over the koi ponds are empty for an hour.
More of east Bali within the hour
On the same loop: the water palace of Taman Ujung on the coast south of Amlapura, the Karangasem royal palace in Amlapura, and the rice terraces of Sidemen, about an hour away. Besakih, the mother temple on the slopes of Agung, is 60 to 90 minutes. A driver for the whole day costs from about IDR 700,000.
More things to do in Amed: salt farms, rice fields and the coast road
Photo Surya Edy Gautama, CC BY-SA 4.0
The traditional salt farms of Amed
Before the divers came, Amed lived on fishing and sea salt. A few families still make it by hand on the beach in the dry season, roughly from April or July to December depending on the year. They soak the sand with seawater, let it dry, filter the brine through cone-shaped baskets, then evaporate it in split coconut trunks called palung. Amed salt has a protected geographical indication, and the practice is shrinking as land goes to tourism: buy a bag at the farm if you visit.
Rice fields and the hill road
Ten minutes inland, the road from Bunutan up to Bangle climbs through rice terraces and dry hill farms with views back over the coast, quiet enough for a first scooter ride. A few cafes on the slope serve coffee with the view.
Freediving and yoga
The deep water close to shore makes Amed a training base for freediving: several schools run beginner courses over two or three days. Yoga classes are on offer in many of the guesthouses, most mornings.
How to get to Amed from Bali airport, Ubud, Seminyak and Canggu
Amed is about three hours from the airport, and the "2 h 30" you often read holds only from Ubud. The drive follows the coast road east through Klungkung and Karangasem: slow around Denpasar and Sanur, then easy, then a winding last stretch over the hills from Culik. Trucks travel in convoys on the main road, so do not plan on overtaking much.
| From | Detail | By car |
|---|---|---|
| Bali airport (Ngurah Rai) | Bypass to Sanur, then the coast road east through Klungkung and Karangasem, 95 to 100 km | about 3 h |
| Ubud | Down to the coast road at Klungkung, about 80 km | about 2 h 30 |
| Sanur | Straight onto the coast road, about 81 km | about 2 h 45 |
| Seminyak or Kuta | Through Denpasar first, 94 to 97 km | about 3 h |
| Canggu | The slowest start, through the Denpasar traffic, about 95 km | about 3 h 30 |
| Uluwatu | The whole Bukit peninsula before the toll road, about 114 km | about 3 h 30 |
| Padang Bai | The ferry port and the Blue Lagoon, north along the coast | about 1 h 15 |
Private driver, taxi or shuttle to Amed: 2026 prices
| Option | Detail | 2026 price |
|---|---|---|
| Private car, airport or the south to Amed | One way, booked with a local driver | IDR 600,000 to 700,000US$33 to 39 · C$46 to 54 |
| Taxi from Denpasar | Metered or haggled at the rank, the dearest option | about IDR 900,000US$50 · C$70 |
| Driver for the day | About 10 hours, useful if you stop at Tirta Gangga or Lempuyang on the way | from IDR 700,000from US$39 · C$54 |
| Tourist shuttle | Shared minibus from Sanur, Kuta, Canggu, Ubud or Padang Bai | IDR 175,000 to 295,000 a seatUS$9.70 to 16 · C$13.60 to 23 |
| Scooter rental in Amed | By the day, from your guesthouse | IDR 50,000 to 80,000US$2.80 to 4.40 · C$3.90 to 6.20 |
A driver for the day lets you stop at Tirta Gangga on the way in and arrive by mid-afternoon. Our Bali private driver guide explains what is included and how to book. From the airport, the Bali airport guide covers the pickup area.
Getting around Amed: scooter, no Grab
Grab and Gojek barely work in Amed and taxis are rare, so the villages are best linked by scooter, which every guesthouse can rent you. You need an international driving permit with a motorbike category. The coast road between Jemeluk, Lipah and Aas is narrow and hilly, with blind bends over each headland: ride slowly.
Amed to the Gili Islands
Check before you count on it: in 2025 the fast boats from Amed to the Gilis were reported suspended, and Padang Bai, about 1 h 15 south, is the dependable port for the Gilis and Lombok.
Where to stay in Amed: Jemeluk, Lipah, Bunutan or Tulamben
Amed has homestays, bungalows on the beach and small cliff hotels with pools, and little true luxury. Prices are low by Bali standards: a beachfront homestay room costs around IDR 450,000 a night (US$25 · C$35), and a dorm bed from about IDR 100,000 (US$5.50 · C$7.70). The choice is about which village.
- Jemeluk and central Amed: the most choice, walking distance to dive shops, warungs and the sunset viewpoint. The best base without a scooter.
- Lipah: the easiest beach for snorkelling, a few warungs on the sand, quieter evenings. Good for families.
- Bunutan and Selang: the cliff hotels with the views and infinity pools. You will need a scooter or a driver for everything.
- Banyuning and Aas, further east: isolated resorts and villas, the quietest stretch.
- Tulamben: dive resorts by the Liberty wreck, for divers only.
Should you stay in Amed or visit on a day trip?
Stay. A day trip from the south means six hours in a car for two hours in the water, at the busiest time of day. Even one night lets you snorkel at 07:00 and catch the sunset behind Agung.
Three nights is the right length
Amed hotels, from Jemeluk homestays to the cliff pools of Bunutan
- ✓Jemeluk to walk to the dive shops and warungs
- ✓Lipah for the easiest snorkelling from your room
- ✓Bunutan and Selang for a pool and a view of Agung
- ✓Compare the total with tax and service: Bali rates add 21% at checkout
Affiliate link. Booking through Hotels.com costs you nothing extra and supports the guide. Prices are indicative and vary by option and season.
Amed restaurants: warungs, cliff cafes and what a meal costs
Eating in Amed is simple and cheap. A plate of nasi campur or grilled fish in a warung costs IDR 45,000 to 75,000 (US$2.50 to 4.10 · C$3.50 to 5.80), a meal in a cliff cafe with a view IDR 90,000 to 160,000, a large Bintang about IDR 35,000 and a fresh coconut IDR 30,000.
- On the sand at Lipah: Warung Bobo, in front of the Pyramids, and Warung Indah, both good for a lunch between two swims.
- Around Jemeluk: Warung Enak, Rimba Cafe and Warung Sailors, all a few minutes from the bay.
- On the headland: Sunset Point and Joli Best View Cafe for a drink as the sun drops behind Agung.
- For a change from rice: La Cocina Mexicana, when you need a break from rice.
Most kitchens close by 22:00. Carry cash: cards are often refused and the few ATMs in Amed run dry, so bring rupiah from the south or stop in Culik or Amlapura.
Amed weather: the best time to visit Amed
The dry season, May to October, brings the calmest sea and the clearest water, and the clearest mornings for Agung. July and August are the busiest months and a little windier and cooler. The wet season, roughly November to March, is often drier here than in Ubud or the south: rain comes in short bursts, the hills turn green and the villages are almost empty. April and November are a good compromise. Daytime temperatures stay around 28 to 32°C all year. Whatever the month, snorkel in the morning. The Bali weather month by month has the detail.
Prices on this page were checked in October 2026 and converted at the rate of 23 October: about IDR 18,080 to US$1 and IDR 12,900 to C$1. Rupiah prices are the ones that hold.
Amed: frequently asked questions
What people ask before they drive east, answered with 2026 prices.
