Holiday Ayo - If you’ve ever wondered how Bali became a top tropical destination for globetrotters around the world, you need to look back in time and discover how the quiet village of Sanur became the gateway that introduced Bali to the rest of the world.

As cited from NowBali, long ago, before Seminyak became known as the dining and wining hotspot of Bali, Sanur was the birthplace of Bali’s tourism, the initial gateway that introduced the world to the then-mythical paradise.

source: NowBali.com

A coastal stretch of beach spanning 8km in southeast Bali, Sanur is well-regarded as the quiet and peaceful neighborhood of Bali. Famously known as “Morning of the World”, Sanur is also famed for its iconic sunrises as it is the best spot on the island to catch the break of dawn along the coastline, from Matahari Terbit Beach to Mertasari Beach.

Life in Sanur today has a slower pace than in the rest of the island’s more bustling areas like Seminyak or Canggu. Much of today’s younger generation doesn’t seem to see the appeal of Sanur, much preferring the western part of the island where the nightlife scene booms. However, Sanur was once the hotspot of the island, where the likes of European artists and Hollywood celebrities went to experience a little taste of paradise.

source: NowBali.com

Back then, Sanur Beach appeared to be the primary entryway for outsiders attempting to gain a foothold in South Bali. During the middle of the 19thcentury, amidst the Dutch colonization of Indonesia, the Dutch were already well established throughout the archipelago, save for Aceh and Bali.

While the Dutch colonial society had emerged in Java, its neighboring island of Bali was still left untouched. By 1906, the Dutch invasion troops entered Bali through the northern part of Sanur Beach during the intervention of Bali. Sanur was yet again the entry point during World War II when the invading Japanese forces descended upon Bali to occupy the island.

source: NowBali.com

Sanur’s first dip into mass tourism began in the 1950s when the Sindhu Beach Hotel and the Narmada Hotel were built. Sanur started to pick up steam, with early travelers falling under the charm of the tranquil seaside village and attracting a continuous flow of international elites.

The 1960s saw the construction of Bali’s first-ever high-rise, when the Hotel Bali Beach was built (now the Grand Inna Bali Beach Hotel). This hotel was commissioned by President Soekarno through war compensation funds from the Japanese as a means of promoting Indonesia to the world of international tourism.