Bali: Best beaches around the island

I've been living here for almost 10 months (!!) which is crazy to me — and I've had a lot of time to explore the various beaches that this island is so well-known for. My favorites are definitely down in Uluwatu, but there are plenty of unique finds across the island. It just depends what you're into. Between water sports, lounging, day cocktails, or marine life — there's plenty of options for every preference.

Padang Padang Beach, Pantai Nyanyi, Batu Bolong Beach, Dreamland Beach, Nyang Nyang Beach, Bingin Beach, Blue Lagoon Beach

• Padang Padang Beach, Indonesia

  
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  Padang Padang is so chill. If you go, I'd recommend going down via Dreamsea Surf Camp's entrance — it's the dreamiest view ever (living up to its namesake clearly).

• Pantai Nyanyi, Indonesia

  
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  I love this black sand beach! The first time I visited, I was the only non-local there. It has never been crowded in my time visiting. Your neighbors will be mostly cows and maybe a few fishermen.

• Batu Bolong Beach, Indonesia

  
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  Batu Bolong isn't my favorite for swimming, but I live right by it and it's a known gathering spot among everyone who lives in Canggu. It always has buzzy vibes between surfers, dog walkers, and plenty of influencers doing hilarious shit for their Instagram stories. Lol.

• Dreamland Beach, Indonesia

  
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  Dreamland Beach is pretty much Bingin's equally as chill sibling. It lives up to the namesake and draws a lot of the same crowd. Here, you won't have to descend as many stairs to go down to the sand.

• Nyang Nyang Beach, Indonesia

  
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  Nyang Nyang had me muttering "holy shit" under my breath the first time I saw it from above — because there's one hell of a cliff you have to maneuver your way down to get there. It looks like something out of Castaway though, and you won't encounter many other folks down there.

• Bingin Beach, Indonesia

  
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  I love Bingin Beach! So many good memories here. Between seafood BBQ's and lazy days spent tanning, these aqua-blue waters are pretty much what you'll see most when you look at photos of Bali online. It's a fun place to hang out and has pretty upbeat vibes.

• Blue Lagoon Beach, Indonesia

  
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  It's a bit of a roundabout road to get here (literally) and it somehow involves driving UP a hill to get to a beach, which I found confusing upon hearing from my GPS, but this is such a great little alcove. Flanked by tall rock walls and verdant vegetation, it's the perfect little beach to chill at for an afternoon.