What “beachfront” actually means in Bali
“Beachfront” can mean different things. At one hotel, the garden opens directly onto the sand; at another, you first have to cross a road. That is why we use one clear definition: an accommodation is only considered beachfront when its grounds directly border the beach.
Of the 263 properties on Bali Seaside, 85 meet that definition. At the others the sea is right there too, but you do not step straight onto the sand.
The measurement itself: we set the coordinate of the grounds against the coastline and look at what lies in between. All 263 have also been checked by hand on satellite imagery.
Beachfront or seafront?
Beachfront
The grounds sit directly on the sand. You walk out of the garden onto the beach, without crossing a road, path or wall.
Seafront
The grounds are on the sea and look out over the water, but the sand does not start at the garden. A road, a beach path or steps lie in between, or the shore is rock, cliff or a seawall with no sand beach. You are on the sea, but you do not always step straight onto sand. Every beachfront property is also seafront; not the other way round.
In Bali, as we have established it ourselves:
- 85 Directly on the beach beachfront
- 98 On the sea, direct access seafront
- 80 On the sea, no sand beach seafront
A hotel that calls itself beachfront only goes in the first group once we have seen it that way ourselves.
What can lie between the grounds and the sea
No sand here
The water reaches the property, but there is no sand to walk on.
Something lies in between
A road or a path between the grounds and the sand. Often a few steps — but it is there, and it is not the hotel’s.
The sand lies lower here
Nobody in between: the grounds meet the sea, but the sand sits lower and you reach it down the property’s own steps or slope. Anyone travelling with a walker or a pushchair will notice.