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The Sanur waterways are getting a new lease of life. The Denpasar City Government are working to rehabilitate and revitalise these waterways, cleaning up rivers and canals that were once polluted with rubbish, and turning the Sanur waterways into leisure and recreation spots that will hopefully become a tourism drawcard.
Taking inspiration from the waterways of Singapore and Korea, the Tukad Loloan river system has been cleaned up, with dedicated task forces removing rubbish and working hard to improve the water quality.
The city council have installed a jogging track, bale bengong and fishing facilities to encourage people to use the area. There are also aqua duct bikes that can be ridden in the water, bringing a fun sporting activity into the city.
It is hoped that the community will support the initiative, and continue to look after the waterways, cleaning up pollution and rubbish, and helping the tilapia fish population to thrive again.
The Sanur Waterways Project: What Has Changed
The Tukad Loloan river system is the centrepiece of the Sanur waterways rehabilitation initiative. Dedicated task forces have removed rubbish and waste that had accumulated over decades, dramatically improving water quality and making the area safe for wildlife and humans alike. The tilapia fish population, which had declined significantly due to decades of pollution, is now steadily recovering and can be seen in the cleaner sections of the waterway. The jogging track runs alongside the river and offers a shaded, pleasant route away from the traffic of the main roads. Aqua duct bikes allow visitors to pedal on the water, making the Sanur waterways a genuinely fun and accessible destination for families and active visitors of every age and fitness level year-round.
Why the Sanur Waterways Matter for Tourism
The transformation of the Sanur waterways reflects a broader ambition by the Denpasar City Government to position the area as a destination for eco-friendly and community-based tourism. Taking direct inspiration from the internationally renowned waterways of Singapore and South Korea, the local council is clearly and powerfully demonstrating that urban rivers can be assets rather than eyesores when they are properly and consistently managed and maintained. For the local Sanur community, the revitalised Sanur waterways offer a new public space for exercise, leisure, and social connection. For visitors, they offer a surprisingly charming glimpse into the quieter side of Sanur away from the beach. For more on the best of Sanur and Bali, explore our guides to Bali traditional villages, Bali luxury villas, and the best Bali villa areas. For full background on the village, see Sanur, Bali on Wikipedia.
The Sanur waterways rehabilitation also forms part of a wider environmental programme to reduce plastic waste entering the ocean via Bali’s river systems. By improving the land-based waterways first, the Denpasar government hopes to see measurable improvements in the marine environment offshore, protecting the reef ecosystems that make Sanur’s beaches, dive sites, and marine habitats so extraordinarily and uniquely valuable. Active and sustained community participation is essential to the long-term success of this programme, and regular clean-up events are held along the Sanur waterways to maintain standards and actively build genuine local ownership of the initiative over time. Visitors are welcome to participate and can find all the details they need through local community boards and social media channels. The programme is an excellent example of how a city can reclaim its waterways from neglect and transform them into genuine public amenities that genuinely benefit residents and visitors alike in meaningful and lasting ways. Sanur continues to set the standard for sustainable, community-led, and environmentally responsible tourism development across Bali and beyond.
