Lotus Bungalows, Candidasa

Lotus Bungalows Candidasa — formerly known as Lotus Bungalows — sits right on the water along Candidasa’s main strip, its bungalows set among landscaped gardens on Bali’s south-east coast. Part of the Lotus Journey group, it’s a small, comfortable property with its own on-site dive centre, which makes it a practical choice for divers exploring this quieter side of Bali.

Resort Facilities & Meals

An infinity-edge pool facing the Lombok Strait is the resort’s centrepiece, with beach beds and towels on hand for guests who’d rather linger poolside than head to the beach. The restaurant covers both international dishes and local cuisine, with fresh seafood a regular feature. Elsewhere on the property there’s a yoga pavilion, a beachfront deck, and a play room and playground for younger guests. Spa treatments aren’t offered on-site, but can be arranged through a service in town.

Activities

Diving is the main draw, but there’s a bit more on offer for surface intervals or non-diving days. Trekking and land excursions suit guests wanting to see more of inland Bali, while rafting offers something a bit more active. Traditional fishing trips with local fishermen can be arranged on request, as can a Balinese dance lesson or a session in traditional offering-making for those curious about the culture. Yoga sessions, private or group, run on request in the resort’s dedicated pavilion.

Staying Connected

Wi-Fi covers the resort’s public areas. In-room phones are for internal use only — guests needing to make international calls can do so through reception.

We think…

Lotus Bungalows are an ideal place to stay when exploring Bali above and below the water’s surface. The resort is fabulous with very friendly and helpful staff, great massage and beautiful surroundings and gardens. The bungalows are very comfortable and well serviced. The small town of Candidasa offers a variety of restaurants.

Lotus Bungalows Candidasa sits on the main Candidasa strip on Bali’s south-east coast, just north of Padang Bai, the main harbour serving onward boat connections. Its position gives reasonably direct access to dive sites both to the south — including the waters around Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan — and further east toward Tulamben and Amed.

How to Get There

The resort is around two hours by car from both Denpasar’s international airport and Denpasar city centre. Padang Bai harbour is a shorter trip, roughly 20 minutes away by car. Airport transfers can be arranged through the resort for an additional charge.

All rooms at Lotus Bungalows Candidasa are a uniform 25 square metres and include air conditioning, a fridge/mini-bar, a safety deposit box, complimentary tea and coffee making facilities, and a private bathroom with hot and cold water shower. A hairdryer is available on request, and satellite TV is accessible at the dive centre rather than in-room.

Superior Rooms

There are 14 Superior Rooms at the resort, sharing the standard room features outlined above.

Standard Rooms

There are 6 Standard Rooms, also built to the same 25 square metre size and sharing the same core in-room features as the Superior category.

Diving Location Features

Diving from Lotus Bungalows Candidasa covers a range of sites across southern and eastern Bali. To the south, sites around Candidasa, Padang Bai, Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan tend to run cooler, with water temperatures that can drop to around 20°C, making appropriate wetsuit protection worthwhile. One notable southern highlight is Manta Point off Nusa Penida, where sightings of ocean sunfish (mola mola) are also possible. To the east, sites such as the USAT Liberty wreck at Tulamben, along with Amed and Seraya Secret, are reached by road rather than boat. A small house reef is accessible directly from the resort’s jetty, though only when sea conditions are calm.

Dive Services

The resort’s dive centre — formerly branded Gangga Divers and now operating under the group-wide name Lotus Divers — is a PADI Five Star Dive Resort. Certified divers are guided by PADI Divemasters or Instructors, with a guide-to-diver ratio capped at 1:4. The centre has two Coltri compressors, 12 and 15-litre aluminium tanks fitted with both INT and DIN valves, and well-maintained rental equipment supplied by Aqualung. Nitrox 32% is provided free of charge. Onshore facilities include a meeting and reading room, library, washing sink and drying facilities, and 220-volt international power outlets.

Diving to southern sites is conducted by boat; eastern sites such as Tulamben and Amed are reached by road transfer in air-conditioned minibuses seating up to eight divers, with space for snorkellers when available.

Dive Boats

Two fibreglass dive boats operate out of the resort, each able to carry up to 14 divers including the guide. One is powered by twin 225 HP Yamaha outboard engines, the other by twin 200 HP Yamaha outboards. Both are fitted with safety equipment including radios, life jackets, a first aid kit and DAN Jumbo Oxygen twin tanks, along with an onboard toilet, fresh towels, drinking water, and hot tea, coffee, fruit and snacks for guests.

The Japanese Wreck, Bali, Indonesia

Gili Selang, Bali, Indonesia

USAT Liberty Wreck in Tulamben Bay

Nusa Lembongan, Bali, Indonesia

Crystal Bay Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia

Manta Point Nusa Penida, Bali, Indonesia

Dive Sites

• Manta Point (Nusa Penida) — A southern dive site known for manta ray encounters, with the added possibility of seeing ocean sunfish (mola mola); cooler water here calls for a suitably warm wetsuit.
• USAT Liberty Wreck (Tulamben) — A wreck dive reached by road on Bali’s east coast, accessed via shore entry rather than boat.
• Amed — An eastern shore-diving site reached by road transfer.
• Seraya Secret — Another eastern dive site accessed by road alongside Amed and Tulamben.

Pricing for Lotus Bungalows Bali