Five kilometres north east of Candidasa on the east coast of Bali is Pasir Putih, an isolated, beautiful, white sand beach fringed with coconut palms.
Pasir Putih is a five hundred metre long, crescent shaped beach, separated from the rest of the world by green headlands at each end and a steep cliff behind. On the beach are just half a dozen warungs put together from bamboo and palm fronds, serving cold drinks and food, and offering cushioned lounges under umbrellas for hire. At the far end of the beach is a group of traditional, red, blue, green and yellow striped, outrigger fishing boats.
On arrival at the beach, visitors can select a warung and negotiate a menu and time for lunch with the owners. Rather than selecting from the blackboard menu, ask the owners what they have available, as this is more likely to be fresh and in season. Then it’s into the cool, crystal clear water for a swim. Sections of the bay near the headlands also offer great snorkelling.
After enjoying the ocean, have a soft drink or Bintang, the Indonesian beer, and watch freshly caught seafood, chicken or traditional Indonesian dishes prepared before you on a makeshift barbecue. Lunch will be served with rice and fresh salads on a white table cloth in the shade of your warung.
In the early afternoon watch as previously unseen local fishermen mysteriously materialise, launch their crafts into the water, unfurl colourful, triangular, curved sails and skim across the ocean, heading out to sea for the day’s catch.
To reach Pasir Putih, take the main road north from Candidasa to the village of Pelasi. The turn-off to the beach is in the middle of the village, down a narrow road between two houses. A small, handwritten sign with words "White Sand Beach" and arrow points the way.
From Pelasi the road winds for a kilometre through rice paddies and then gradually climbs for another kilometre until it reaches a cleared space in front of a temple. There is booth where visitors might be required to pay a small fee to the local banjar (village council). The booth is not always manned, but if it is, the fee is 2,500 rupiahs per person. The track to Pasir Putih is to the right of the temple. This track is only six hundred metres long but it is steep, rocky and full of potholes, so it is usually best to leave the car at the top and continue on foot. If you come on motorbike, you can drive it until the beach parking.
But until now it changes little bit... If you want to be alone here, come early morning and avoid Sunday and public holidays. Best part beach is the south-west half of it, where are no warungs,sunbeds and so on.
