Tajung Benoa - The extension of Nusa Dua on the Bukit Peninsula

Tajung Benoa Beach
see all photos »

The Tajung Benoa peninsula is located in Bali's most visited and developed southern coastal region. When you arrive at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpansar the drive takes approxiamately 30 minutes, passing some of the major resort developments and tourism centres of Bali. While the man-made tourism enclave Nusa Dua is a self-sustaining community with several big-scale hotels of international chains with access only for employees and hotel guests, the extended coastal stretch of Tajung Benoa is a mixture of local and foreign hotels as well as many small-scale businesses. There are about a dozen hotels located right next to each other on the beachfront, with several other hotels, restaurants, car rentals and tour operators occupying the area opposite the road. Most of the restaurants in Benoa cater only for the tastes of western tourists, but there are a number of great exceptions. The Bali Bambu Restaurant, which is next door to the Oasis Beach Resort & Spa, sets a positive difference and pampers its guests with a variety of traditional Balinese food, great service and a cozy atmosphere.

Tajung Benoa Beach in front of the Novotel
see all photos »

Once you hit the beach it takes only a couple of minutes before you will be approached by locals offering their services. There is anything from massages, Tattoos to virtually all kind of water-sports. The beach is not the ideal place to just hang around and relax. It lacks natural beauty and there are just too many motorized water activities going on, that constantly keep up the noize level. One can easily stroll along the beach and after a while reach Benoa Harbour from where several tours depart for day trips to the offshore island of Nusa Lembongan, which is known for good snorkelling and a nice stretch of beach. Since our time was limited we did not get a chance to visit.

Tajung Benoa Beach in front of the Novotel
see all photos »

Benoa is a decent starting point for excursions to the touristy spots of Kuta, Jimbaran, Legian and the more upscale area Seminyak. One night we took a taxi to Seminyak, which supposingly is the home to some of Indonesia's most stylish bars and restaurants. We ended up at a place called Hu'u Bar, which combines ultra modern elements with traditional design and eccentric fusion food with electronic DJ sounds. Hu'u bar feautures a pool in the centre of the restaurant and is often used as a venue for events and parties. The food was excellent and the service very attentive. On another day our cab driver showed us several other amazing spots on Bali's southern coast inlcuding a black volcanic sand beach, which is close to Kuta but not yet developed. We had lunch there and a group of Japanese Surfers hit the water to catch some waves.

Tajung Benoa Beach
see all photos »

At the time we were visiting the Benoa area in April 2006 there were relatively few other tourists and shop and restaurant owners were desperately hoping of increasing their businesses. Locals have been constantly telling us that the local tourism industry still suffers immensely from the bombings in 2002 and 2005. Many Hotels have significantly improved their security measures in an effort to gain back tourists.