Enter: Bias Tugel Beach, a white-sand beach in Bali without the crowds.
Located in Padangbai on the east coast of Bali, Pantai Bias Tugel (as it’s known in Balinese) is a true secret spot
Tucked at the end of a path through the forest, it’s no wonder that Bias Tugel translates to ‘cut-off beach’.
Padangbai is a small port town best known for its fast ferry connections to the Gili Islands, Lombok, and the Nusa Islands.
It was by chance that I wound up with several days to explore Padangbai. My travel companion had succumbed to Bali belly and, as if by coincidence, a storm also halted all boat departures.
We found ourselves ‘stuck’ in the town. That’s where Bias Tugel came in – it provided me with many hours of entertainment: white sand, snorkelling, views of an abandoned hotel, and – no joke – the best egg fried rice I have ever eaten.
In this blog post, I’ll explain how to get to the Padangbai secret beach, as well as what you can expect amenities-wise.
Looking for more ‘secret’ beaches in Bali and Nusa? Check out my guides to Nunggalan Beach in Uluwatu and Suwehan Beach in Nusa Penida too.
Disclosure: This post includes affiliate links. If you decide to click through and make a qualifying purchase, I will receive a small commission at no extra cost to you – thanks for your support.
QUICK INFORMATION
Best time to visit: April to October (dry season)
How to get there: Grab from Denpasar to Padangbai
Don’t miss these experiences in Padangbai…
1. Blue Lagoon snorkelling and waterfall tour 🐠
2. Blue Lagoon beginners’ dive – one of the best Bali diving spots
3. Take the ferry to Gili Trawangan 🏝️
How Can Bias Tugel Beach Be a ‘Secret’?
If Bias Tugel Beach is so good, how can it be a secret? Good question.
The answer is that Bias Tugel isn’t on the typical Bali tourist track.
Secret Beach Padangbai
Unless you’re visiting the Blue Lagoon, one of the best dive spots in Bali – and accessible for newbies on a Blue Lagoon beginners’ dive – not many people bother to stay in Padangbai.
Most people visit Padangbai to take the ferry to Gili Trawangan or the Nusa Islands.
Padangbai
Furthermore, you have to go looking to find Bias Tugel.
The town’s main beach, Padangbai Beach, is a thin strip of beige-coloured sand lined with Balinese fishing boats and stalls attempting to sell snorkelling or diving trips. There’s a lot of litter there, and no space to relax or swim.
Padangbai main beach – with Silayukti Temple in the background
If you walk towards Silayukti Temple, you will also be able to find a second beach, Blue Lagoon Beach.
Sheltered on either side by steep cliffs, Blue Lagoon is a small, cosy cove with good snorkelling. However, it doesn’t get much sun and it quickly fills up with people.
Bias Tugel, on the other hand, is tucked at the end of a short path through the forest. To find the path, you need to walk around the back of the town.
The beach can’t be seen from the town because it is concealed by a hill.
How to Get to Bias Tugel Beach
Don’t worry if locating Bias Tugel Beach sounds intimidating. It’s actually very straightforward if you know where to go.
Firstly, if you’re not already staying in Padangbai, you need to get there. Like I did, you can take a Grab directly from Denpasar.
The town is an hour and 15 minutes’ drive from Denpasar or Ubud and around an hour and 35 minutes’ drive from Amed.
From the Padangbai port, you need to make your way to the road called Jl. Penataran Agung. As you walk along this road, you should pass by a cell phone shop and several lodgings.
Eventually, the road will begin to slope gently uphill.
The road you’re looking for
Just after Bamboo Paradise Hostel, take the gravel path on the left-hand side. Surrounded by bristly bushes, the path heads uphill.
There are views over Padangbai, the ocean, and the surrounding hillsides on the left-hand side.
If you’re anything like me, they will probably keep you occupied for a while (taking pictures or simply ogling).
The gravel path leading to Bias Tugel
The view
Follow the path until you reach the intersection. There will be a signpost for the beach. Turn left at the intersection and follow the path downhill.
The path has additional signs for the beach. It gets progressively steeper and more slippery, so be careful where you tread.
You may need to pass some cattle (tied up using ropes) on the path, but they were happy enough to let us pass by.
Eventually, you should see the ocean through the palm trees.
The path emerges at the back of the restaurants. The beach is accessible through the restaurants.
Flights! ✈️
Here’s why I use Skyscanner…
Finding a good deal on flights can often cut the cost of your trip in half. I use the ‘Whole Month‘ and ‘Price Alerts‘ tools to compare prices across different dates.
When to Visit Bias Tugel Beach
The best time to visit Bias Tugel is between late morning and early afternoon.
By the time it reaches the late afternoon (3 – 5pm), the sun will begin to move over the other side of the hills, which casts shadows on the beach.
Check the tide times before you visit too. Bias Tugel isn’t completely submerged at high tide, but you will have less space to stretch out and the currents may be stronger as the sea pulls the tide back out.
Activities at Bias Tugel Beach
If sunbathing on white sand and dining on fried rice isn’t quite enough to entertain or relax you, you can also rent snorkelling equipment at Bias Tugel Beach.
The going price is 100,000 – 150,000 IDR.
There are a handful of rocks that you can clamber over on the east side of the beach, but if you’re looking for a particularly big adventure, just look to the cliffs over the east side of the beach.
Look up at the eastern clifftops to view a ruined hotel that was abandoned partway during construction.
Your best bet is asking a local for directions to the abandoned hotel, but make sure you have plenty of hours of sunlight remaining in case you get lost out there.
Facilities at Bias Tugel Beach
Bias Tugel isn’t very built up, so there are no fancy resorts or hotels backing the beach, only palm trees and forest-clad hills. That’s what makes it so special.
Because of the short trek required to reach the beach, the facilities are quite basic.
The warungs (local restaurants) are made from bamboo and coconut husks. You can buy cheap local cuisine like nasi goreng and chicken satay.
They also sell a variety of drinks, including beer, smoothies and fizzy drinks.
I highly recommend visiting the warung on the far left of the beach (when you’re facing the ocean).
To this day, I still rank the lady’s fried rice as the best fried rice I have ever had in my life.
There is one very basic toilet located on the east side of the beach. It is in a small metal hut, and there’s no toilet paper (unless you get lucky). You may need to pay a small fee to use the toilet.
There are also sunloungers and umbrellas on Pantai Bias Tugel – usually, you can spend a day on the a sunlounger if you promise to dine in the warung that owns it.
Where to Stay in Padangbai
There is currently one hostel in Padangbai named Bamboo Paradise Hostel. It is located just before the gravel pathway to Bias Tugel Beach, making it an excellent base for visiting the beach.
There are a handful of guesthouses and small hotels around Padangbai, as well as a couple of small diving resorts.
- OK Divers Resort & Spa – the most popular place to stay!
- Serangan Inn Mimba – I stayed here.
- Absolute Scuba Bali Dive Resort
- Bloo Lagoon Village
Things to Do in Padangbai
If you have time to spare in Padangbai, there are several ways to entertain yourself aside from visiting Bias Tugel. Most, but not all, of the activities are water-based.
1. Go diving
Padangbai has around eight dive sites, including boat and reef diving sites. The most famous is Blue Lagoon, which you can visit on a beginners’ dive.
At the Blue Lagoon dive site, you may spot leaf scorpion fish, cuttlefish, turtles and crocodile fish.
Whitetip, blacktip and nurse sharks are sometimes spotted around the Tanjung Sari and Ferry Channel dive sites.
Elsewhere, there are moray eels, clownfish, jackfish, octopus, and green turtles.
2. Go snorkelling
If you’re not up for diving, snorkelling is also a great activity in Padangbai.
You can snorkel directly from Blue Lagoon and Secret Beach or take a Blue Lagoon snorkelling tour, which includes a visit to a local waterfall.
3. Visit Blue Lagoon Beach
Located on the other side of Padangbai, Blue Lagoon is another nice beach to visit.
It is excellent for snorkelling but it is completely submerged at high tide, so you will need to check the tide timings before visiting.
4. Visit Silayukti Temple
On the way to Blue Lagoon, visit Silayukti Temple on the clifftop above Padangbai Beach.
A favourite spot for the town’s monkeys, the 11th-century Hindu temple is only small. However, it is spectacular at sunset and has gorgeous views over the town.
I hope you found my guide to finding Padangbai Secret Beach helpful!
Suggested reading:
- Nunggalan Beach – An underrated Uluwatu beach with a shipwreck!
Yes. There are basic toilet facilities at Bias Tugel. You may need to pay a small fee in IDR. Bring your own toilet paper.
At Bias Tugel Beach, you can rent snorkelling equipment. There are also restaurants serving local cuisine.
Bias Tugel is a remote, white-sand beach accessible with a short trek. It is more peaceful than Blue Lagoon, which is located on the other side of the town. Blue Lagoon is nicer for snorkelling, but has limited time in the sun due to tall cliffs and it is completely submerged at high tide.