September Bali trip
I am far from an expert (only been once) but I would start by getting this book.
http://www.indosurf.com.au/book_contents.php
YOu need to pick what side of the island you are going to stay at depending on the season. Dry Season (now) is West side and the opposite in the wet season. September will be a line ball call I think. Check some of the surf travel forums.
You also need to be honest about your skill level. The name breaks are very busy and there is a hot local contingent. Also (obviously) you are surfing over reef. Its a differnt ball game.
Ya planning on staying in and around Kuta for the first little while and then cruising from there - Thanks for the info on the book, I have seen it floating around but wasn't sure of its credibility.
Not too worried about reef, just trying to see what waves are the most uncrowded (if any) and when to surf them.
Low crowds = westside, look around!!!.
Bali is an absolute tip. youll get trapped in the kuta vortex. drinking drugs and in your case benchongs. you will have to travel for 2 hrs to get moderate waves will 100 people out.
do yourself a favour and get to lombok or java. minimal crowds and in most cases yous staying 5 minutes away from awesome waves and the bintangs taste the same..try to avoid sumbawa as ill be going there in september and the less people the better!!!
if you wanna get loose in kuta i can give you a few hot tips too also
Definitely getting loose in Kuta so those tips could be helpful - I was thinking about heading to Lombok as well, wasn't sure if it was worth it but appears it is...
My advice to you is this; if you want to surf, just stay on the Bukit. It is crowded as fuck, but if you are staying at Ulu's you can be out in the water before sunrise with a crew of 15 people. If you stay in Kuta you won't get up there until 9, with 100 blokes already out and all the locals and pseudo locals taking all the waves. West Coast of Bali would definitely be less crowded, but you need your own wheels. My advice to you is if you don't ride a bike at home, be very, very careful. I am in Java at the moment and just recently a Dutch surfer went to prison for six years because he crashed his bike into a toddler, killing him instantly.To many arrogant wankers drive recklessly and drunk and have no experience riding a bike. If it is your first trip to Indo, I say avoid Java. It's more hassle and unless you can speak a bit of bahasa Indo., you will probably get bored waiting for the waves. It's not as perfect and predictable as Bali and Lombok. Lombok is definitely getting busier these days, but much less so than Bali and less shit to distract you from the waves. The reef seems to be sharper in Lombok. Wear booties when it is shallow; you might look like a kook but the tiniest scratch can become the biggest pain in the arse. Most of all. Have fun!
Thanks Dan, I reckon I might see if I can get to Lombok for the first week or 10 days and then maybe stay on the Bukit for a few weeks after coming back. Any ideas on the best way to Lombok? Fly, boat or ferry? Also, are there any decent waves in Canggu or Seminyak area?
Cheers for the info, should be a good time regardless.
There are decent waves in Canggu, but it's a zoo these days too. All the big companies shoot a ton of photos there, so when the cameras are there you can bet it will be packed. Probably should say, for as crowded as everyone makes it out to be, you will still get a tonne of waves. Don't be fooled by Seminyak, in terms of waves it's practically Kuta. I've always thought of it as a more expensive version of Kuta and Legian, but people still love it. Going to Lombok, it's up to you. I would go ferry because I like ferries for whatever reason. If you are pressed for time, the Bali to Lombok flight is about 15 minutes long and not too expensive. Just make sure they will take your boards. Sometimes they refuse to take them if you dont tell them. You will have a great time.
Thanks Dan, enjoy your time in Java.
Id hit Bali first seeing its your first trip it will help you get the feel of indo and its crazy ways, if you went lombok first then Bali you may just end up wanting to go back to lombok as Bali will seem touristy and crowded.
Do the kuta thing get it out of your system but ensure you don't get trapped in the party scene as many do, a few of the touristy things are worth doing too.
Get a few waves around Bali as you have to do it just to know whats its about, everyone that goes to indo has to have at least one surf at ullus, bingin, kuta reef, canggu even a trip over to nusa lembongan.
But then move on as suggested head east, Lombok is good for intermediate kind of waves(not including desserts) and head Sumbawa if kegs are what you are seeking.
Indo surf and lingo is a must for a first timer.
Ya that doesn't sound like a bad idea at all indo... Might as well get amongst it and see what it's all about. Will probably be ragin pretty hard in Kuta I would imagine.
Will for sure buy the book for a little help along the way. Thanks for the advice, seems like a pretty good way to go about it though. Cheers.
head to kuta bugar for a quality massage
Can anyone shed some light on what they have spent in terms of weekly or monthly (AUD or IDR) not including flights - I know its a broad range but any help would be appreciated. Sort of mid range living I guess?? Yeww Cheers.
If your thinking of travelling for the first ten days you can maximise your wave count by doing a bali-lombok-sumbawa boat trip there is a couple of boats i did a trip in 09 on dreamweaver (they have a website which shows all the waves you go to on the trip) it was pretty cheap (1100$ish for 10 days) food was good boat and captain are good, heaps of waves along south coast of lombok that work on different tides, swells or winds, and if your lucky enough for it to coincide with a good swell you might score desert point a freak of a wave along the way and if thats on dont go anywhere else!.
As for accom. in bali when i go with the missus there is a hotel a fifteen min walk out of kuta called the green garden day spa (not green garden hotel there are two same owners) it is one of only a few hotels in the whole of bali that isnt owned by one of two mega rich indo family's that apparently own most of bali's touristy areas and from what i hear (from taxi drivers) exploit their staff and community. It is very reasonably priced for what you get, otherwise i stay in any old cheap accom. along the bukit closest i can find to bingin and hope for the best east side (Sanur) of bali accom is generally cheaper again. 99% of the time what you get in bali is never what you expect or pay for so just roll with it and enjoy yourself. Crowds in bali are hectic beware packs of brazilians you can spot the pricks a mile away they burn anyone and generally surf like poo men with all the gear and no idea (i generalise but there are heaps of em!)haha. Don't pull back on waves just go hard thats my best advice....... and enjoy...... good luck
Had a look at that Dreamweaver boat - Looks pretty decent for the price. The missus is coming for a 10 day span and I have a few weeks on either side to just rough it out in any accommodation. While she's there I might spring for something decent. Definitely not pullin back on anything though and will look further into the Dreamweaver, cheers for the info.
no worries, they have a facebook page and the guy running it Alan is originally a kiwi but lived in south oz for years, he is onto it and responds pretty quick if you send him any questions regarding availability. Other boats do the same trip but i dont think they cover the south coast of lombok but go the north side of the island all the way to sumbawa. Canggu is also worth checking out it in bali it can get real good (and crowded) but is more of a chilled place than kuta. It mainly appeals to crew on a day trip or wanting to rent a villa or house, dunno how much they would be i never looked into it but i hear a lot of them are owned by aussies. On sunday afternoons there is a outdoor bbq at echo beach just down from canggu worth hitting up for a good cheap meal and a couple of bintangs after a day of good waves.
Shiiiiiiiit now i wanna do another trip!
best way to suss out prices on accom is to go to wotif.com they cover canggu, uluwatu and lembongan island (plus kuta, legian and seminyak but.... meh) and will get you best price unless you walk in off the street and barter your ass off, walking around with boards and doing that in tropical weather is not too pleasant (trust me). Bali is a good first indo trip to get you frothin' and a feel for the place i found the clubbing and touristy tours all a load of crap and you burn through cash surprisingly fast doing it, but each to their own. If your not keen on getting killed on a scooter find a good driver that knows all the surf spots strike up a deal (generally fifty odd buck a day for a whole day) to go anywhere and buy him lunch, seriously a good reliable driver is invaluable if you can find one that surfs you're laughing. Hope this helps some
Helps a tonne!! Thanks... If I have enough cash I will for sure try and hit up the Dreamweaver if there's some availability. We also have a line on driver already, not sure if he surf's, gotta hope. I had a look at a couple of Canggu places already and there are some dece ones for fairly good prices so I think I might stay there for the first little while and if I feel like ragin head to Kuta or wherever and back.
brush kuta, head to Nias
There's heaps of cheap accomodation on the cliffs around bingin and padang padang. If the swells there you will get plenty of waves. Crowds tend to focus on ulu's, padang padang and bingin, so go surf impossibles or balangan if those spots are a circus.
If the swells small, head north to balian, a nice peaky wave with plenty of cheap accomodation options overlooking the surf. Also a lot of beachies along that stretch if you've got a mate or 2 to surf with.
Nias is an awesome wave, but the dodgy locals, dirty water, and hoardes of brasil-nuts will be enough to put you off. The mentawi's are closer to bali with far more options, pristine waters, and friendly locals. I know where i'd be heading...
Hey wondering if anyone can lead me in the right direction in terms of good accommodation or where to stay to get some quality waves - First trip to Bali, any help would be appreciated. Cheers.