It was here, starting with the Bali Beach Hotel constructed by the Japanese as a reparation measure, that tourism first emerged in Bali in 1966. This ugly concrete block remains the only monstrosity on the island since a law prevents other buildings from extending above palm-tree height.
Europeans came much earlier: In her must-read novel A Tale from Bali, Vicky Baum describes everyday life in Sanur, where the Belgium painter Adrien Jean Le Mayeur founded a cosmopolitan artist colony in the 1930s. His house at the northern end of the beach is now a museum. The beach is wide and protected by a coral reef which enables people, including children, to swim safely. The other side of the coin: when the tide goes out, you cannot swim. Water-skiing and paragliding are also possible. Boat excursions take tourists out to dive on the reef. Sanur is a quiet bathing resort with fine accommodation, much of it directly on the beach, good restaurants and numerous shops – everything you need for a restorative (family) holiday.