Padangbai is a small fishing village located on the east coast of Bali, approximately 90 minutes drive from Ubud. Most people come here purely to catch their boat over to the Gili Islands, but we thought that we'd spend the night and check out some of the snorkelling and sample some fresh fish!

We arrived mid-morning, dumped our bags at our B&B and headed to Blue Lagoon beach (north of the port). Unfortunately the beach is quite dirty and because the tide was in we had to sit in the shade on the level above. Anyway, we were there to snorkel so we threw on our gear and in we went.

We stuck to the left side close to the rocks, there are some nice fish the further you head out but the current gets quite strong as you head around the bay so be careful, we decided it was safer to swim back than go round. There were some divers out and there are some resorts that offer the PADI course here.

After lunch we went to White Sand Beach over the other side of the village (south of the port), there isn't much to see snorkel-wise but you can skim board, swim or just relax and catch the last of the day's sun. From the main strip, follow JL Penataran Agung and there are signs leading off to a dirt track that takes you round to the beach.

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Drink

Padangabi is very quiet at night once everyone has ventured off to The Gili's. The Topi Inn (north of the port, just before the hill to Blue Lagoon beach) had caught our eye earlier that day as it's next to our B&B, looks very hippiefied and chilled and was the busiest, so we decided to prop ourselves up at the bar and have a few cocktails (standard night in Bali). It was actually film night so we ended up watching an Indian-narrated tale on the film 'Ramayana' which was strange because days later, what we didn't realise at the time is we would be watching a fire dance in Uluwatu also based on the Ramayana story (a must do in Bali-see my post on Jimbaran)! Anyway, a nice relaxing bar to end the night and probably the best one in the village - they also have live music nights so check it out!

Food

There aren't many restaurants to choose from in Padangbai so we got lucky when we picked Puri Rai for lunch. We both had the seafood Pad Thai which was delicious - in fact my partner said it was the best Pad Thai he has ever had, washed down with a refreshing smoothie!

Unfortunately we weren't as lucky when we went out for dinner. We took advice from The Lonely Planet and went to Depot Sagara, dubbed a 'stylish cafe' who serve up daily fresh fish. I'm unsure to where the cooking takes place as I couldn't see a kitchen, they forgot our starter of pan-fried squid (which I was really excited about) and my main was cold with barely any seafood in. The toilets...well lets just say it wasn't exactly a toilet! 

Sleep

Again, I pre-booked as it was high-season and we stayed at Beji Bay Resort, booked through agoda which is north of the port just before the turning to Blue Lagoon Beach. The rooms are tastefully decorated, with a fridge and a tv, it is light and airy and the grounds are very well looked after. The shower wasn't the best but it was only one night. The pool is refreshing (the pool and sun bed area is in the shade during the morning) and we had a lovely breakfast brought to us as we were sitting in the gardens. As with most B&B's in Bali and The Gili's you get a choice of eggs for your american style breakfast or you can have a smaller more continental style if you wish. The staff were very helpful and even booked us our return fast boat trip to the Gili's ensuring we got a 'fast' boat and not a 'slow-fast' boat as apparently some ticket booths claim it is a fast boat when it isn't. 

Transport

Fast boat; we got a very good rate of 500,000 IDR each at our B&B which included our shuttle transfer to Jimbaran Bay afterwards. The shuttle will only take you to one drop-pff point per destination, so you may have to get a taxi/bus from there to your accommodation. The fast boat ticket does not include a transfer between the islands and this can be booked on the island for a small cost. As i've mentioned in previous posts - the Balinese aren't always punctual, so your boat may not leave on time so stock up on water/food for waiting. However, check-in when they tell you to and wait near the collection point as on some islands it can seem chaotic. Just look out for the name of the boat company on your ticket and that should be the same name on the boat. Some companies label your luggage so they can differentiate what boat you are on and will tell you when your boat has arrived.