Kuta beach is not the most beautiful; for that head 5km east to Tanjung Aan (Pantai Tanjung Aan), two swathes of sand set against a backdrop of sun-drenched hills. Here there is not a building in site, only sand of an extraordinary whiteness and fineness. Around noon, when the sand becomes so hot that it is impossible to step on the beach, any strip of shade is most welcome to escape the sun’s ferocity.