I didn’t know until now that Bali is blessed with some internationally competitive beaches. Due to its natures of its volcano origin, most popular beaches in Bali are of black or gray sand with sandy waters with either no waves at all or strong currents, making it a strange experience when swimming there.

The only almost-white beaches I knew so far were Nusa Dua and Sanur, both either very shallow or with almost no waves and lots of dirt and old plastic bags in the water. Kuta/Legian is nice to swim at, but the sand is gray and you really have to watch out for rip-currents or waves that can drag you out to sea. Every few weeks tourists or locals alike drown here, most recently 3 Balinese school boys around 12-14 years of age.

The more I was surprised when I saw that picture (see right) of crystal blue water caressing a white shore-line in The Bali Times. The article was about increased Government efforts to boost Bali as a Top Tourist Destination again, but didn’t reveal in detail the location of the picture.

As I was sitting on Jl. Legian in the R.AJA’s restaurant, when reading the paper, I had to ask the staff, where this location could be on Bali. After a few minutes discussion with more than 3 staff, somebody knew the place: it’s called Dreamland and should be somewhere on the way to Uluwatu, to the far south of the island.

So next day; yesterday - the sun was shining bright - we had to find that place!

Driving our Kymco scooter all the way to Uluwatu (the most southern tip of Bali with a temple directly on the cliff), we surely missed the intersection to Dreamland. Not that Uluwatu isn’t a great deal to spend your day - the monkeys alone are more than fun enough - but we had other plans of course.

So on the way back we asked for directions and - what else - you actually can’t miss it. The Dreamland development has a big gate serving as security checkpoint, which is guarded by some huge mystical statues (see picture left) and some security staff. It’s about 10km north of Uluwatu and 5 km south of Jimbaran or 10 km south of Bali’s airport.

After the main entrance you drive a few kilometers through an area, which one day will be a 17-hole golf course, together with Villas and upmarket housing developments, but so far it looks like you just landed on the moon - everything is dry, gray and brown. You have to shell out Rp 2.000 if you come by bike and a bit more, if by car - for parking.

Then you reach the shore. And really - it looks like paradise: white soft sand, crystal clear water, cool waves. A relaxed atmosphere and not so overcrowded like Kuta or other beaches - truly a dream of a spot! Great waves for both enjoying yourself swimming in the water and surfing. Powerful waves push you back to shore and smash you around most of the time, though some parts of the beach feature a few stones on the ground which can be quite painful when bouncing into them, so check them out first.

The area is populated by only a few tourists and a handful of surfers, at least yesterday. Only a few beach hawkers are trying to sell you something, no comparison to other beaches, where you are bugged every 2 minutes or so. You can also watch planes flying in and out of Bali airport, which is further up to the north. No worries - no noise is disturbing you, in case you wanna have a nap in the warm, soft sand.

There are small beach huts and hotels, where you can even stay over night. You can rent an umbrella and armchairs against the most painful effects of the sun, although we prefer our beach mat to sit or lay directly in the sand. Wooden restaurants are sprinkled all over the place, leaning on the shore of the coast. Prices range from Rp 10.000 for a plain Nasi Goreng to western dishes, which are more expensive. A small beer (Bintang) sets you back about Rp 10.000 as well.

It’s as well a great location to enjoy the sunset. All in all we had an exciting afternoon at a truly magnificent place and will definitely come back here again. It’s only 20 min by bike from Legian or North Kuta, so nothing you can master in a short time. And - it’s absolutely worth it!

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