Amed’s Traditional Salt Farmers: Watching “Uyah Amed” Born from Volcanic Sand

On the coast of Amed in Karangasem sits a scene that rarely makes any tourist list: rows of black sand beds and split coconut-trunk troughs lined up under thatched alang-alang roofs. This is where uyah Amed is made — the traditional sea salt of Purwakerti and Bunutan villages, protected by a Geographical Indication since 2015. The method has barely changed in centuries, and only a few dozen families still keep it alive.

How Uyah Amed Is Made

• Farmers carry seawater in two buckets from the shoreline and pour it evenly over raked black volcanic sand beds.
• The sand dries for hours until salt crystals cling to it, then it is gathered and filtered again with seawater in a tinjungan to produce concentrated brine.
• That brine is evaporated in a palungan — a trough carved from a split coconut trunk — under a thatched roof until crystals form on their own.
• Two products come out: coarse salt grains and the finer, pricier salt flower.

Best Time & Visitor Etiquette

• Come morning to early afternoon, when the sun is strong. Work stops completely in rain or heavy cloud, so the dry season is peak production.
• Ask permission before photographing. This is a workplace, not a photo set.
• Never step on the sand beds or the troughs — a single footprint can ruin half a day of work.
• Visits are usually free with a voluntary donation. The most meaningful thank-you is buying salt straight from the farmer, roughly Rp 20,000–75,000 per small pack depending on size and grade.

Pair It With Nearby Stops

• Snorkelling at Jemeluk Bay, about 5–10 minutes away, with shallow reef and colourful jukung fishing boats.
• Mount Agung sunrise from the Amed shoreline before breakfast, then on to the salt fields.
• Bring a hat, drinking water and slip-off footwear — the sand gets hot by midday.

Info Praktis & Reservasi

• Location: Purwakerti/Bunutan village, Abang district, Karangasem — Lihat di Google Maps
• How to visit: just turn up, no booking needed. Park along the Amed coastal road and greet a farmer or the Amed Salt Center staff before entering the working area.
• Best hours: Monday–Saturday, roughly 09:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, clear weather only.
• Cost: free or voluntary donation; salt Rp 20,000–75,000 per small pack.
• Instagram: cari di Instagram

Staying in Amed or Candidasa makes an early salt-field visit far more relaxed. Check AccessiaPass hotel vouchers for friendlier rates in East Bali, then head out before the sun climbs too high.