I love Bali
This very popular thread really needs a last page button to save time jumping 2 pages at a time.
Any rate, got to tick off a 'want to' yesterday and headed south to the Padang Cup. Last year I swore I'd never go through the traffic again on a trip to Balangan, but the cup was on, I'm here at the right time, the swell was up and the tide was low.
It does my head in how many people are on the Bukit, but it was worth it. Inside Padang was draining with just a few making it to the channel while we were there. Impossibles looked majestic at 6-8' as a side view in-between Padang sets.
Dunno who won yet, but will look for the replay video later.
As an aside it shouldn't be so hard to get down there, I imagine it will take total gridlock for the powers that be to make an attempt to sort it.
Glad I went though, but never again.
How bad are the crowds there on the Bukit atm. Looks like it will be pumping for the foreseeable future. Thinking to just go for a week with the Mrs and kid. Anyone recommend a place
Ash wrote:This very popular thread really needs a last page button to save time jumping 2 pages at a time.
Any rate, got to tick off a 'want to' yesterday and headed south to the Padang Cup. Last year I swore I'd never go through the traffic again on a trip to Balangan, but the cup was on, I'm here at the right time, the swell was up and the tide was low.
It does my head in how many people are on the Bukit, but it was worth it. Inside Padang was draining with just a few making it to the channel while we were there. Impossibles looked majestic at 6-8' as a side view in-between Padang sets.
Dunno who won yet, but will look for the replay video later.
As an aside it shouldn't be so hard to get down there, I imagine it will take total gridlock for the powers that be to make an attempt to sort it.
Glad I went though, but never again.
@ash , I’m not sure what you mean , this thread as do all threads, has a last page to tap on .
Ash wrote:Would be far cheaper and wiser to shift the temple stone by stone further back, and away from nature's relentless advances.
I hope this doesn't happen, the temple, cliffs, waves are interconnected, with the temple the easiest to relocate.
I'm no expert, but I believe it's bad juju to move a temple
you can raise them on the spot - which is why you see them curiously placed on top of buildings - ie. same spot same temple, just making way for 'development'
building a breakwall and reinforcement around the bottom of the cliff is the kind of crazy shit you only do if you have way too much money on hand...
no tourism would = let nature take its course...
which arguably would be more fitting with the religion from my understanding
but hey, too much money does weird shit to people
especially without too much education to go with it...
If the cliff collapsed it'd be real bad juju and if they f around with the reef at temple's much the same. Honestly with all the changes going on in the area they need to figure out how to progress without further negative impact.
If the cliff collapsed it'd be real bad juju and if they f around with the reef at temple's much the same. Honestly with all the changes going on in the area they need to figure out how to progress
without further negative impact.
On my phone I don't see a last page button, but if it's there all good.
Heck wrote:
Fark :(
dunno if fb posts work on here...
but jalan cliff uluwatu is all go
https://m.facebook.com/story.php/?story_fbid=2571015463081436&id=5565252...
oh, I see heck's vid shows it's all go anyway...
my gawwwds, gonna be the best road in bali!
just to drop boulders into the ocean...
Beach Club coming soon?
Anybody flown into Bali lately ? Just curious if they are checking this . 
. https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/indonesia
Supafreak
Went to Bali a couple of months ago and didn't see this .
Not good news , imho !
I have been reading some dreadful predictions , re Mpox .
5million US wouldn't go far even in Bali
It may get started but may not be finished, expect an increase in VOA fees. Gotta love the renderings version of the road with the abrupt ending, like that would work with all the traffic.
Ash wrote:5million US wouldn't go far even in Bali
It may get started but may not be finished, expect an increase in VOA fees. Gotta love the renderings version of the road with the abrupt ending, like that would work with all the traffic.
My initial thoughts after viewing what they intended to do was that 5 million USD wouldn’t cover the cost . My fears are what sought of backwash would such a wall create and has a environmental study been done ? The dredging of Benoa Harbour was a disaster but money and those in power do as they please . I can’t see surfers concerns having any effect on full steam ahead development .
Supafreak wrote:Anybody flown into Bali lately ? Just curious if they are checking this .
Surely they won’t be checking that?
@goofyfoot , this is worth reading and there is a link to click on to fill out the declaration. I don’t know if they will be checking this or not, looks pretty simple to do and might save delays on entry . Good luck on your trip , forecast looks pretty dam good. https://www.kemlu.go.id/buenosaires/en/pages/ketentuan_memasuki_wilayah_....
Thanks supa, looking promising. Hope you’re still scoring.
goofyfoot wrote:Thanks supa, looking promising. Hope you’re still scoring.
Got a lovely long deep one yesterday, really made my day , swells dropped a touch today but forecast is looking pretty good for where we are heading next .
Fyi... Headed over in a couple of weeks..
@andy- mac , going anywhere besides Bali ? I’m down to Rote on 14th but longrange forecast looks a bit sad , can’t complain, had a pretty good run so far .
Supafreak wrote:@andy- mac , going anywhere besides Bali ? I’m down to Rote on 14th but longrange forecast looks a bit sad , can’t complain, had a pretty good run so far .
Hi Supa,
Nothing planned at this stage. If forecast good may skip over to Gland for a bit.
Maybe lakey?
Will see how I go in Bali, friends to catch up with etc. Month flies by on Bali time :)
Also like this time of year as both coasts can have options.
My daughter tentatively getting into surfing so may be spending some time on beachies....
Enjoy Rote!!
You've had a pretty epic run ey!!
I'm heading over in 4 weeks, all the forms etc we have to have before entry looks pretty simple online. This thread has been great for keeping up with all the latest requirements, haven't been for a couple of years now so thanks for keeping us all up to date lads, Cheers.
Bali’s massive bartoad endures and the Balinese spirit keep it real despite the changes
There's an article in today's AFR which makes me feel a bit sick. It will be behind a paywall so I'll extract some of the main points.
https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/travel/it-s-asia-s-answer-to-burning...
″What am I looking at?” I ask a long-haired man dressed in flowy white linen spruiking real estate opportunities at one of Bali’s hottest new music festivals.
“The future,” he replies, ushering me through the canvas curtains of a warmly lit tent.
No, this isn’t the metaverse or a page out of a Michael Crichton novel. It’s the promise of a new life at Nuanu, a 44-hectare, AI-managed “creative city” on Bali’s south coast.
This year’s Nuanu Suara Festival, with cranes as a backdrop.
I’m here for the city’s soft opening, which coincides with Suara – a three-day music, arts and wellbeing festival billed as Asia’s answer to Burning Man. As someone who thinks of themselves as a traveller rather than a tourist, I’ve long avoided Australia’s favourite international travel destination. So, I’ve accepted my commission to review Bali’s new beachfront hotspot with curiosity.
For its residents, Nuanu offers a 160-place international primary school and OXO The Residences, 40 luxury villas built to “to fill the gap for those looking for Western standards of living whilst in a vibrant tropical paradise”, according to the marketing spiel.
There are so many projects in the works it’s difficult to get them all on paper but it’s worth pointing out the mostly finished luxury boutique hotel Oshom, which is due to host executives from cryptocurrency giant Binance later this year. And how can I forget the alpaca farm, whose residents enjoy food flown in from the UK?
Solonin tells me more than $US100 million has already been spent on building Nuanu. Another $US400 million is expected to be sunk into the project by Solonin’s wealthy friends, venture capitalists and impact-investor types, many of whom attended the festival and toured around in a series of electric-powered buggies. These include investors from Europe, Indonesia, Australia, Singapore, Japan, Russia and even Ukraine.
We hug goodbye and I make my way back to the main stage of Suara, passing through waves of ultra-cool festival goers who look like the people who fill my TikTok “For You” page. By day, they lounge by the pool sipping Santai Seltzers and flit through the butterfly dome. By night, they grind to electric dance music and frolic through the magical light displays. It’s an influencers’ wet dream, each space more photo-worthy than the next.
While still in its infancy, the festival is an undeniable success, attracting more than 9000 people from over 60 countries. There’s something for everyone, with nine stages, 100 artists, yoga, talks, astrology readings, a KidsZone and markets offering flower crowns and “glam ups”. The DJ sets at the Luna Beach Club steal the thunder from the main stage at times, but everyone turns out for the headliner: Aussie music royalty Angus and Julia Stone.
#FollowYourVoice
Hunger draws me to the “global food court”, where I plop down at a table with two beautiful young French girls. Do I want a BO$$MAN burger or udon noodles with truffle-parmesan mousse and fresh Italian truffle slices? We get talking, and I learn they’re models flown in to up the event’s “cool factor” and spread the word to their social media followers.
It’s evident what vibe the organisers are going for. Suara, now in its third year, was co-founded by Jason Swamy, a founding member of Burning Man. His eyes shine with excitement as we sit chatting about his goals in the artist green room – a soon-to-be wedding chapel with the best ocean view in Nuanu.
“We want to become top five in the world. We want to set an example for the world of what contribution, community, culture and curation can be. We really put Asia and Bali on the stage on how to be responsible and what is amazing.”
There are elements that place the festival squarely in Bali – traditional dance workshops, canang offerings and an official opening ceremony presided over by the regional secretary of the Tabanan regency, in which Nuanu is located. But the European influence is plain as day, from the $650 beach-club day beds to the Berlin club-style rave scene under the night sky in the Labyrinth artist zone.
I hope every inch of it burns to the ground. Good god.
Morning of the Earth, Fark me... Sad. Bali heading into the Twilight zone... :(
Least it's not on Bukit ...
Does anyone know how Serangan project is progressing?
Insanity.
Fill it with influencers and then Nuke the site.
andy-mac wrote:Least it's not on Bukit ...
Does anyone know how Serangan project is progressing?
Don’t know andy - mac they do make plenty of announcements though . They really fucked over all those small warungs and access to them . https://thesmedia.id/posts/grand-outlet-bali-set-to-transform-kura-kura-...
https://www.nuanu.com/
The Island of Happiness, the Island of the Future, Turtle Island – these are just some of the names local media use to refer to the special economic zone Kura Kura Bali. The Balinese have high hopes for this area. According to the plan, by 2052, the island, which is actually called Serangan, will become even more popular than Canggu, Kuta, and Ubud combined. This new tourist district will bring money and jobs to the locals, and new experiences and modern accommodation options to visitors. https://bali.live/p/bali-is-developing-a-new-tourist-area-turtle-island
Supafreak wrote:andy-mac wrote:Least it's not on Bukit ...
Does anyone know how Serangan project is progressing?
Don’t know andy - mac they do make plenty of announcements though . They really fucked over all those small warungs and access to them . https://thesmedia.id/posts/grand-outlet-bali-set-to-transform-kura-kura-...
https://www.nuanu.com/The Island of Happiness, the Island of the Future, Turtle Island – these are just some of the names local media use to refer to the special economic zone Kura Kura Bali. The Balinese have high hopes for this area. According to the plan, by 2052, the island, which is actually called Serangan, will become even more popular than Canggu, Kuta, and Ubud combined. This new tourist district will bring money and jobs to the locals, and new experiences and modern accommodation options to visitors. https://bali.live/p/bali-is-developing-a-new-tourist-area-turtle-island
Cheers Supa.
Supafreak wrote:andy-mac wrote:Least it's not on Bukit ...
Does anyone know how Serangan project is progressing?
Don’t know andy - mac they do make plenty of announcements though . They really fucked over all those small warungs and access to them . https://thesmedia.id/posts/grand-outlet-bali-set-to-transform-kura-kura-...
https://www.nuanu.com/The Island of Happiness, the Island of the Future, Turtle Island – these are just some of the names local media use to refer to the special economic zone Kura Kura Bali. The Balinese have high hopes for this area. According to the plan, by 2052, the island, which is actually called Serangan, will become even more popular than Canggu, Kuta, and Ubud combined. This new tourist district will bring money and jobs to the locals, and new experiences and modern accommodation options to visitors. https://bali.live/p/bali-is-developing-a-new-tourist-area-turtle-island
Cheers Supa.
Rail proposed for Bali to ease traffic woes.....
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-04/bali-subway-project-tourist-rail-...
fitzroy-21 wrote:Rail proposed for Bali to ease traffic woes.....
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-04/bali-subway-project-tourist-rail-...
I’m waiting for the announcement of an airport in northern Bali , that one surfaces every 5-10 years and the land prices go up and down accordingly. Problem with all these projects is Indonesia is relying on a foreign investment to pay for them . Still waiting for the casino on nusa penida, that rumour was around 30 years ago , bule’s only of course because gambling is illegal……..apparently.
Supafreak wrote:fitzroy-21 wrote:Rail proposed for Bali to ease traffic woes.....
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-04/bali-subway-project-tourist-rail-...
I’m waiting for the announcement of an airport in northern Bali , that one surfaces every 5-10 years and the land prices go up and down accordingly. Problem with all these projects is Indonesia is relying on a foreign investment to pay for them . Still waiting for the casino on nusa penida, that rumour was around 30 years ago , bule’s only of course because gambling is illegal……..apparently.
Singaraja airport was going ahead in 2004!!
Nice up that way if you don't surf, wish the influencers would leave the south alone!
andy-mac wrote:Supafreak wrote:fitzroy-21 wrote:Rail proposed for Bali to ease traffic woes.....
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-09-04/bali-subway-project-tourist-rail-...
I’m waiting for the announcement of an airport in northern Bali , that one surfaces every 5-10 years and the land prices go up and down accordingly. Problem with all these projects is Indonesia is relying on a foreign investment to pay for them . Still waiting for the casino on nusa penida, that rumour was around 30 years ago , bule’s only of course because gambling is illegal……..apparently.
Singaraja airport was going ahead in 2004!!
Nice up that way if you don't surf, wish the influencers would leave the south alone!
Yes that would be ideal so long as they build all the resorts same time as airport construction. Who would seriously fly into northern Bali then jump on a 3 -5 hour bus ride to resorts in the south ? The proposal for a railway line circumnavigating Bali also was discussed above 10 years ago. Something has to be done and soon to ease the traffic problem, large tour buses are on the increase and while there’s only a trickle of Chinese at the moment , Indians are the new target, Koreans numbers are also increasing . A friend said she was recently at bingin and she thought they were Chinese getting pushed into waves by the surf schools .
This is a bit weird as Russia and Ukraine don’t get a mention, is it because they are not considered tourists if taking up different visas ? 
https://balimanagement.villas/blogs/bali-tourism-statistic/. It is only stats for May 2024
Haha, Super very interesting, I wonder why :)
seaslug wrote:Haha, Super very interesting, I wonder why :)
This is the only reference to Russia that I could find in that link and it only goes to 2022 ………..Russia
Fluctuations from 72,127 in 2014 to 143,211 in 2019. Drop to 57,817 in 2020, minimal change in 2022 with 57,860 visitors.
You really got to wonder where the people writing these articles get their information from, this just doesn’t sound right …….. “ As of September 2022, more than 14,500 Russians and more than 3,000 Ukrainians have entered Bali, according to Indonesian immigration data”…..https://indonesiabusinesspost.com/world/russia-to-open-a-consulate-gener....
^^^
they really don't have a fucking clue what they are doing...
but then, neither does western media
and local media
the article I posted before had the rail system running along sections of the beachfront to canggu
the beachgrit article was talking about the ulu temple cliff stabilisation road, being part of a southern coast ring road. which I have heard of before, but seems this ain't it.
there is big roadworks going down all around the bukit. apparently the ring road is actually over nusa dua side and supposed to link to the current tol road (airport-nusa dua) and linking another tol road
I'd like to blame media... but really, it seems government is so all over the shop, nobody actually knows...
I've heard there's lots of pressure in the local community (and local bule) to not talk about the blight that is the ulu cliff stabilisation project
I was under the impression it had local support...
but I've also seen a few locals getting a bit uppity about it all, and read yesterday the ulu temple community actually don't support it...
so who knows?
quite confronting and scary how these projects unfold, with the big man in village seemingly intimidating any dissent...
the local internet defamation laws seem to play a huge role in quashing any dissent also, and maintaining the unhealthy entrenched power structures...
(a liitle lesson for us in there... the way things are heading...)
sypkan wrote:^^^
they really don't have a fucking clue what they are doing...
but then, neither does western media
and local media
the article I posted before had the rail system running along sections of the beachfront to canggu
the beachgrit article was talking about the ulu temple cliff stabilisation road, being part of a southern coast ring road. which I have heard of before, but seems this ain't it.
there is big roadworks going down all around the bukit. apparently the ring road is actually over nusa dua side and supposed to link to the current tol road (airport-nusa dua) and linking another tol road
I'd like to blame media... but really, it seems government is so all over the shop, nobody actually knows...
I've heard there's lots of pressure in the local community (and local bule) to not talk about the blight that is the ulu cliff stabilisation project
I was under the impression it had local support...
but I've also seen a few locals getting a bit uppity about it all, and read yesterday the ulu temple community actually don't support it...
so who knows?
quite confronting and scary how these projects unfold, with the big man in village seemingly intimidating any dissent...
the local internet defamation laws seem to play a huge role in quashing any dissent also, and maintaining the unhealthy entrenched power structures...
(a liitle lesson for us in there... the way things are heading...)
My guess is it is Jakarta money and Balinese have not really any say.
We started a project years ago with a local Balinese partner on Bukit but had to stop after foundations were down. Had already dropped a fair bit of coin. Big block behind us owned by group from Jakarta, we were told in very certain terms that our project was coming to an end immediately as it would be in the view of their planned project. Messengers were guys u wouldn't fook with, even our local partner who was in local banjar had to walk away.
Whole situation was quite heavy and expensive..
yep, could be...
I was under impression local big wigs were driving it - seems possibly not...
it's an interesting one, because the temple would seem worth preserving just from a historical perspective
then there's the spiritual element
and tourist dollars...
last one doesn't really seem worth the investment, but who knows?
I imagine jakarta only interested in last one...
local big wigs, possibly too...
I did read it's jakarta money.
I attended a special lecture at uni regarding infrastructure in indo, and the basic premise was, big projects get the go ahead, because it's easier to hide corruption money
another factor is the cultural element most bule's wouldn't get - but I'm sure you do... indo's are obsessed with development - to 'maju'...
and gaudy horrific manmade development isn't even really on the radar
to be brutal... their perspective is a bit bloody 'kampungan' from my perspective... (hillbilly) ...even the big rich fuckers, that would bag out their poor brothers for being 'kampungan'
they see it all as a form of modernisation, hence all the big tasteless developments that get the go ahead...
look at that shithole at dreamland, I'm sure the developers there see themselves as the least kampungan people in indonesia...
I look at that and think, what a bunch of (dumb rich) kampungan cunts!
russia money and Jakarta...
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/103413004
the russians clearly have their big men in jakarta immigration, it's the only thing that explains their arrogance and seemingly valid free pass to do just about anything
including surf schools!
sypkan wrote:yep, could be...
I was under impression local big wigs were driving it - seems possibly not...
it's an interesting one, because the temple would seem worth preserving just from a historical perspective
then there's the spiritual element
and tourist dollars...
last one doesn't really seem worth the investment, but who knows?
I imagine jakarta only interested in last one...
local big wigs, possibly too...
I did read it's jakarta money.
I attended a special lecture at uni regarding infrastructure in indo, and the basic premise was, big projects get the go ahead, because it's easier to hide corruption money
another one is the cultural element most bule's wouldn't get - but I'm sure you do... indo's are obsessed with development - to 'maju'...
and gaudy horrific manmade development isn't even really on the radar
to be brutal... their perspective is a bit 'kampungan' from my perspective... (hillbilly) ...even the big rich fuckers, that would bag out their poor brothers for being 'kampungan'
they see it all as a form of modernisation, hence the all the big tasteless developments that get the go ahead...
look at that shithole at dreamland, I sure the developers there see themselves as the least kampungan people in indonesia...
I look at it and think what a bunch of kampungan cunts!
russia money and Jakarta
https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.abc.net.au/article/103413004
the russians clearly have their big men in jakarta immigration, it's the only thing that explains their arrogance and seemingly valid free pass to do just about anything
including surf schools!
Think you nailed it.
Dreamland, used to love stopping in there on ride back from ulu for beer n sunset. Such a beautiful view, in more than one way.
Guess cannot stop progress, and it is their land so they can manage it how they see best.
Just hope it does have some positive flow on effects for locals.
Tommy Suharto destroyed Dreamland, remember before monetary crisis how they sent in military to clear out locals.
I was at the mecaru ceremony for the cliff stabilisation project and most of the conversations I had with locals there was that it felt like a project very distant to the lives of people on the Bukit. Nobody really knew anything about it other than that it had nothing to do with the ring road and that many of the local government officials and candidates were keen to attach their name to it (the ceremony was delayed for an hour or more waiting for the bupati to get there). When I mentioned that if it impacted the waves that would be a really big change for Uluwatu many were shocked, though rightly someone said "most people who come here now don't surf". The argument that the degradation in wave quality with collapse the local economy gets weaker with each new beach club, cafe, and restaurant.
I'm trying to write something based on my visit to try and make sense of it all. The experience in the surf, especially at size, felt the same as it always has for me, but I've never been somewhere so thoroughly under-construction as the Bukit is right now. It's completely out of control.
There is alot of foreign money flowing into Indo not just Bali but for the whole economies. It is happening in India as well as international funds seek new returns, both India and Indo have high GDP outlooks as stocks are climbing. Look at their indices, it’s their time to shine for the foreseeable future
mickseq wrote:There is alot of foreign money flowing into Indo not just Bali but for the whole economies. It is happening in India as well as international funds seek new returns, both India and Indo have high GDP outlooks as stocks are climbing. Look at their indices, it’s their time to shine for the foreseeable future
Russians keep throwing money into Bali like there’s no tomorrow.
mickseq wrote:There is alot of foreign money flowing into Indo not just Bali but for the whole economies. It is happening in India as well as international funds seek new returns, both India and Indo have high GDP outlooks as stocks are climbing. Look at their indices, it’s their time to shine for the foreseeable future
yep
not just them, vietnam and SE asia more generally it seems...
lotta money leaving china
billionaires finally giving up on their flawed chinese peasant factory project?
need new factories
another thing is the populations in these places are getting more educated, aware, brighter...
as the HDI (human development index) gets stronger
bule's a bit delusional in terms of their contributions to bali... the whole country is racing along...
much like dandandan says about the importance of surfers... we're not... they are on their own trajectories now...
unfortunately russian money is a big part of it, as I've mentioned before, prabowo unashamedly all in with russia... which means corruption will only thrive...
I'd be nervous as an aussie investing anywhere in bali, or anywhere in indo atm, we don't do corruption very well...
other 'cultures' seem to slot right in
russians buying up big in mentawais too from what I've heard from friends. large wallets seeking large swathes of land
donweather wrote:mickseq wrote:There is alot of foreign money flowing into Indo not just Bali but for the whole economies. It is happening in India as well as international funds seek new returns, both India and Indo have high GDP outlooks as stocks are climbing. Look at their indices, it’s their time to shine for the foreseeable future
Russians keep throwing money into Bali like there’s no tomorrow.
It's scary because they have started moving all around Indo too, one very expensive upmarket surf resort in Sumatra has been bought up by Russians, although strangely enough its said they aren't interested in the surfing market and going to run focussing on non surfing health/spa type guest.
And they already canceled all surfing bookings for the year, and surf guides, photographer's etc lost their jobs.
I love Bali.
You wouldn't think that such a thought could be controversial . But it is.
Many people don't love Bali, in fact they proclaim to hate it. Bemoan what it has become, it's lack of purity, it's lost innocence.
Sure, I can see their point. I can't imagine anywhere on Earth that has been transformed as radically as Bali over the last thirty years. From rice paddies and coconut groves to six story discotheques . It's totally unrecognisable in the most built up areas.
But that's not what this post is about. It's about why I LOVE Bali.
I love Bali because ...
- it's still the home of an intense cluster of world class waves. Roping lefts : Uluwatu, freight train right barrels : Sanur, backlit mega tubes : Padang Padang. Rip able reefs, fun beachies. Short , slabby pits and long mellow points. River mouths and bombies. It's got the lot.
- it's still possible to get uncrowded quality waves in 2015 when it seems as though the entire planet has discovered surfing. I was trading crystal clear , rolling right walls with only two other surfers just this morning.
- it's still freaking beautiful. Watching the mist reveal Mt Agung in that unique Bali morning light from a black sand beach as the sun comes up is still special.
- the food is amazing. Walking around town building up a hunger and knowing that at any given time you are within shouting distance of fresh, exotic and delicious meals with enough variety to make your head spin is priceless.
- the Balinese are legends. Friendly, happy and always keen for a joke. Unfailingly polite and welcoming. Healthy, spiritual and decent.
- the Balinese surfers rip their waves and they still own them. A visiting Brazilian would not think twice to drop in on an Aussie local at Kirra. But you won't see the same in Bali. The Balinese surfers are treated with the respect they deserve. Because as everyone knows, if they are not treated with respect there is consequences.
- the water is so warm it's like swimming in silken angels tears.
- telling people that you are going to Bali will often elicit a response along the lines of ......"why would you go to that traffic ridden, noisy shithole ?" And then as you're kicking back with a Bintang watching the sunset over Uluwatu you can imagine them sitting at lights in their car on their way home from work in Perth. Which , for those that have never been , is a noisy , traffic ridden shithole. And this makes me laugh. Which is something I enjoy doing.
- The fruit is incredible.
- despite the millions of tourists, the fast food franchises and the Aussie over familiarity with the joint it's still exotic. The smell of clove cigarettes, the ogo ogos of Nyepi, the Buddhist offerings , monkeys , food and language are all enticingly foreign.
- there is no overreaching nanny state. You want to ride your motorbike with all four of your children and the missus on the back...whilst texting. Go for it.
- you can live like a king on a regular Aussie income. Maybe not such a great benefit for the Balinese themselves though.
- it's close to Oz. Twenty hour plane ride and a shot at developing deep vein thrombosis.....ummm no thanks. It's actually faster to fly to Bali from Perth than it is to drive to Albany. You can fly from Port Hedland in less than two hours.
- you get an opportunity to regularly witness some of the most foolhardy behaviour imaginable on a daily basis. You ever seen a man being doubled on a motorbike through traffic whilst holding a large pane of glass ? What about seeing someone hold a nail between his bare fingers while his mate tries to grind the tip off it ? It's all there folks.
- you can see people making do with not much and making it work. An exhaust system held on with a T Shirt ? An outboard motor attached to a boat with no anchoring system, just held on with a man's brute force ? Why not ? It might not work forever but it'll usually get em over the line.
- the winds can blow offshore for months at a time and when they blow onshore, well , that just makes it offshore somewhere else. It's an island !
- you haven't seen glassy oceanic conditions till you've seen Indonesian sheet glass. It's like an oil slick. And if you're ever near Benoa Harbour that could well be what it is.
- old people are accorded the respect they deserve.
- it's exciting. It's a melting pot of the world. Wide eyed villages from remote Asia, jaded techno princesses from Russia, sleek surfy chicks from Canada , your next door neighbour from Ipswich....it's a party and everyone is invited.
Including YOU. I'll see you there. You can't miss me.
I'll be the sun burnt drunk in a head to toe Bintang ensemble with hair braids and a fresh tattoo of a unicorn across my back . Don't be shy. Come and say hello.