In Reply to: Amed v Candi Desa posted by merrilau on Friday, 24. February 2006 at 19:10 Bali Time:
Candi Dasa has lost most of its beach to erosion after the offshore reef was mined for building materials. But there's still a nice white sand beach with close in live coral and fish between Shangrila and Resor Prima Hotels, which are just a short way from the Amlapura end of Candi Dasa main street. That's where I swim and snorkel when I stay in Candi Dasa and it has always seemed clean to me.
There is only one main street in between the coast and the mountains. Generally not much traffic and nice breezes, so no air pollution to speak of.
Candi Dasa has a supermarket and several money changers, also many restaurants, some with a bit of music in the evenings. Much more of a town than Amed.
What we know colloquially as Amed is actually a string of beachside villages stretching over several kilometres. Going in up the coast road from Candi Dasa [which is very scenic and undulating], the first sizable village you come to is Lipah. Plenty of accomodation and warungs. Very good snorkeling straight off the beach right in front of the Vienna Beach Hotel. This can vary according to the weather, time of year and state of the tide, so you can be disappointed if you are there only for an hour or two, or a day or two.
I prefer several days in both CD and Lipah. A good way of doing it, if you have the time, is to stay in CD, get a driver one of the days, I recommend Wayan Manek [Nick] ph 081 8353501. Go up the coast road to Lipah, look around and find something which suits you, then go back to CD down the inland road past Tirtagangga. Then a few days later, go back to Lipah for a stay.