I love Bali
old-dog wrote:Is it just me or does everyone get followed around Kuta by blokes saying, " hey boss want some Viagra." I usually say, " have you got anything that does the opposite"
Best thing about surfing Ulus is when you come in from a crowded session thinking you had a shocker, hang around the cave checking out the talent for an hour then when you go up you get whisked into a bunker and somehow they have all your rides on a disc ready for purchase and it looks like you were ripping.
Distinctly remember looking through the photos once a few years ago and saying "oh you missed the photo of my best barrel" and he said "no I didn't, it's that one". Heartbreaking stuff.
dandandan wrote:Distinctly remember looking through the photos once a few years ago and saying "oh you missed the photo of my best barrel" and he said "no I didn't, it's that one". Heartbreaking stuff.
Video can smash your ego just when you think your surfing like Kelly.
The opposite to viagra is called Bintang.
Haha
I think the best thing about bali is pulling up at an intersection with 30 scooters trying to get through.
Give them your best smile and you’ll get 29 of the biggest smiles back.
The only one that won’t smile is some borscht eating Boris that should be back in Russia stopping Ukrainian bullets.
andy-mac wrote:nicko74 wrote:The cost of living squeeze is a world wide phenomenon atm I’m guessing. I’ve also been blown away by the inflation here in Bali.
Waves have been okay on the Bukit yesterday… first bit of swell since I arrived with my family on the 6th of October. We’re staying in Sanur which is close to my wife’s family. This makes the trek to ulus fairly time consuming however the new toll way makes it less onerous. Take note if you’re familiar with the Mandara toll way you can now only get your toll card from the Mandiri bank at the teller.
Also if you’re bringing your IPhone over maybe reconsider as the Indo Government are making it difficult for IPhones to access the local networks particularly iPhones purchased abroad.Maybe consider bringing an android powered phone.
Finally it’s super crowded anywhere you choose to surf atm so bring some patience
Indo Maret also have toll cards... If in stock.
Indo mart only re charge and only the ones with a mandiri eftpos terminal.
dandandan wrote:Distinctly remember looking through the photos once a few years ago and saying "oh you missed the photo of my best barrel" and he said "no I didn't, it's that one". Heartbreaking stuff.
Hahaha I know the feeling well
nicko74 wrote:Indo mart only re charge and only the ones with a mandiri eftpos terminal.
Ah ok. I did get one from Indo Mart at domestic airport. Maybe just airport??
eat-your-vegies wrote:The opposite to viagra is called Bintang.
HahaI think the best thing about bali is pulling up at an intersection with 30 scooters trying to get through.
Give them your best smile and you’ll get 29 of the biggest smiles back.The only one that won’t smile is some borscht eating Boris that should be back in Russia stopping Ukrainian bullets.
Mate Indo’s are so humble and their sense of humour is unparalleled! To quote Steve Cooney from Indo 32. “ Indo has two constants, the waves and the people… and to be honest I find it hard not going back there “.
Ukrainians also eat borscht … just saying : )
Slava Ukraini
Fact: Indomaret supplied 95% of my non-working footwear for the past decade and a half.
udo wrote:https://thebalisun.com/bali-tourism-association-calls-on-government-to-s...
need to scrap the jab
FriarTuck wrote:udo wrote:https://thebalisun.com/bali-tourism-association-calls-on-government-to-s...
need to scrap the jab
100% how the fuck do they still require 2 x jabs to enter Indonesia. Same for USA
Surely the vaxx requirement can’t last much longer.
We’re off tomorrow but saved the best for last. Light trades, two out at four foot Impossibles with the odd bigger set (which I waited for). Snowboarding on the 6’10 DS, and I thought to myself this board has changed my life.
Coming in I met a friendly chap from Vic with a 7’6 DS, so we compared and chatted.
Set-up as quad IB?
Yep. Faithful McCallum quads.
I'm gunna get a set on your recommendation.
Hope they work for you too. Been running them in my Pyzalien 2 too while here. Worked a treat at low tide hollow Binging.
Island Bay wrote:Surely the vaxx requirement can’t last much longer..
Indonesia is very unpredictable so always hard to say, but i wouldn't be surprised if they keep the requirement long term.
The way id assume they look at it is, if your not vaxed and get Covid and in the unlucky minority who does get real sick, they dont want you(a foreigner) clogging up a bed in a hospital.(that could go to an Indonesian)
Island Bay wrote:Hope they work for you too. Been running them in my Pyzalien 2 too while here. Worked a treat at low tide hollow Binging.
Did you just bring the 2 boards?
Just those two, yes. Figured they’d cover me from 2-8ft, and make it easier to travel.
In full dry season I’d love to bring a bigger board.
indo-dreaming wrote:Island Bay wrote:Surely the vaxx requirement can’t last much longer..
Indonesia is very unpredictable so always hard to say, but i wouldn't be surprised if they keep the requirement long term.
The way id assume they look at it is, if your not vaxed and get Covid and in the unlucky minority who does get real sick, they dont want you(a foreigner) clogging up a bed in a hospital.(that could go to an Indonesian)
Surely you’re taking this piss here Indo.
@burleigh , indo may be right on the permanent requirement, they definitely do things differently. Domestic flight travel for local children requires them to be fully vaccinated ( whatever that means ) I’m surprised you haven’t just got a shonky Dr to sign the papers saying you’re fully vaxed .
burleigh wrote:indo-dreaming wrote:Island Bay wrote:Surely the vaxx requirement can’t last much longer..
Indonesia is very unpredictable so always hard to say, but i wouldn't be surprised if they keep the requirement long term.
The way id assume they look at it is, if your not vaxed and get Covid and in the unlucky minority who does get real sick, they dont want you(a foreigner) clogging up a bed in a hospital.(that could go to an Indonesian)
Surely you’re taking this piss here Indo.
Reckon Indo is correct, out of main tourist areas 95% locals still wearing masks in shops etc and they are taking temperatures as you enter ...
Easy to get Dr to sign off that you have been vaxxed though, how some expats I believe got around not getting vaccinated.
Why would they relax rule? It's was busy up they less than 2 weeks ago when I was up there, and I reckon 2023 will be nuts....
Id say indo and co. are dead right
not only because of things metioned above, but also because, relatively, indo invested a lot of money in its vaccine program, and also, because there is also a lot of (unhealthy) chinese influence in indo too
I would also add, I reckon corona is now doing constant laps of indo, in constant rotation, its hard to know, because everything in indonesia is 'the flu', but indomaret isn't only a great source of footwear... it's a great indicator of public health... it seems you can almost see the waves of corona, judging by the dry nasty cough that one of the staff members has while the other prioritises serving the customers...
locals wearing masks is a good indicator too I reckon, not in malls, but in general public, there seems to be waves of diligent mask wearing too, all about the grapevine over docs. and testing...
interestingly, bules pretty much never wearing masks at all unless required
plenty of bule holding out on vaccines, believing indo 'needs' to relax restrictions for the sake of tourism and the economy... wishful thinking... the place is heaving, they don't 'need' anyone...
I know a guy that just travelled through indonesia and india un-vaxxed for a 3 month period - it can be done, but geez what a nightmare in hassles he faced
you sure you cannot travel US burliegh?
that last tablet magazine artcle i posted had a very revealing, if not subtle, last paragragh. where the CDC or whoever made a pretty significant announcement, without actually making an announcement... more an under the radar admission i guess... an announcement would be admitting too much... that they can no longer discriminate against the un-vaxxed, when the jury is now in on the abject uselessness of vaccines
domestic tourists must have 2x vax and booster to travel
I agree with a lot of what Sypkan says but i think there is also others aspects to why Indonesians in many areas are still compliant in mask wearing and other precautions.
Indo mostly Java and Bali got hit really hard by Wuhan & Delta, in most cases people knew people who have died or got really sick from Covid, for instance in my wife's neighbourhood quite a few people died, they never went to hospital as scared of not being able to afford it or even stigma of having Covid so they died at home, everyone then saw the body taken away, so to them Covid is a very real thing, even if Omicron is much less severe strain i guess they still have a fear of mutation or something.
If you go to other areas of Indonesia that were never hit hard by Wuhan or Delta or in some cases somehow escaped things altogether like say Nias & Telos, you wont see any mask wearing its like Covid never happened.
I guess in Aust we sit in a place in between, where we saw stats of deaths everyday from wuhan/delta that was dramatised on Australia but most of us dont know anyone in Australia personally who died or got real sick so while its kind of real, we are still a bit sceptical in a way, and then most of us have now had Omicron and are like argh okay that's it?
BTW. To picture or understand things better most Indo neighbourhoods are tiny house's wall to wall often with narrow gangs(alleyways) only big enough for motorbikes or a car if lucky, so what happens in these communities is everyones business, nothing goes unnoticed, its not like Australia where you can live next door to someone and not even know them or what happens in their life.
You can't get into the US unvaccinated still.
Looks like there's another wave going through Sydney ATM, a few people I know have got it. Most are fine, but one saying it was as bad as their first experience with Omicron, ie shitty.
burleigh wrote:indo-dreaming wrote:Island Bay wrote:Surely the vaxx requirement can’t last much longer..
Indonesia is very unpredictable so always hard to say, but i wouldn't be surprised if they keep the requirement long term.
The way id assume they look at it is, if your not vaxed and get Covid and in the unlucky minority who does get real sick, they dont want you(a foreigner) clogging up a bed in a hospital.(that could go to an Indonesian)
Surely you’re taking this piss here Indo.
it's all about saving face now from politicians and so called health officials cause of the money they wasted
Island Bay wrote:Surely the vaxx requirement can’t last much longer.
We’re off tomorrow but saved the best for last. Light trades, two out at four foot Impossibles with the odd bigger set (which I waited for). Snowboarding on the 6’10 DS, and I thought to myself this board has changed my life.
Coming in I met a friendly chap from Vic with a 7’6 DS, so we compared and chatted.
Would have paddled right past each other at some point I reckon IB. I saw the bloke with the 7'6" DS on the beach at Bingin yesterday around lunchtime. Great looking board.
FriarTuck wrote:burleigh wrote:indo-dreaming wrote:Island Bay wrote:Surely the vaxx requirement can’t last much longer..
Indonesia is very unpredictable so always hard to say, but i wouldn't be surprised if they keep the requirement long term.
The way id assume they look at it is, if your not vaxed and get Covid and in the unlucky minority who does get real sick, they dont want you(a foreigner) clogging up a bed in a hospital.(that could go to an Indonesian)
Surely you’re taking this piss here Indo.
it's all about saving face now from politicians and so called health officials cause of the money they wasted
Exactly.
dandandan wrote:Island Bay wrote:Surely the vaxx requirement can’t last much longer.
We’re off tomorrow but saved the best for last. Light trades, two out at four foot Impossibles with the odd bigger set (which I waited for). Snowboarding on the 6’10 DS, and I thought to myself this board has changed my life.
Coming in I met a friendly chap from Vic with a 7’6 DS, so we compared and chatted.Would have paddled right past each other at some point I reckon IB. I saw the bloke with the 7'6" DS on the beach at Bingin yesterday around lunchtime. Great looking board.
Hah, would have loved to say hello. Might have missed me, but not the DS; it’s flouro yellow :-)
How pretty were conditions late yesterday arvo!
They Happy with Tourist Numbers
https://thebalisun.com/bali-will-smash-tourism-targets-by-end-of-2022/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Safety Yellow I.B.
udo wrote:They Happy with Tourist Numbers
https://thebalisun.com/bali-will-smash-tourism-targets-by-end-of-2022/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Safety Yellow I.B.
32% from Europe is crazy. Would be a few Russian onlyfans workers in that lot.
udo wrote:They Happy with Tourist Numbers
https://thebalisun.com/bali-will-smash-tourism-targets-by-end-of-2022/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Safety Yellow I.B.
That was the idea, Udo. And it’s saved me from losing the board a few times when surfing iffy spots.
udo wrote:They Happy with Tourist Numbers
https://thebalisun.com/bali-will-smash-tourism-targets-by-end-of-2022/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Safety Yellow I.B.
32% from Europe is crazy.
BTW. That other link about calling for VOA to be free again, IMHO that was and is such a silly move, like seriously who is going to be put off going to Bali by $50USD for a 28 day visa even for a family of 4, if you can afford the flights and accomodation and a holiday in general then you can afford a visa, the revenue from that is pretty decent.
In 2018 there was 6.5 million foreigns arrive in Bali from overseas alone and 15.8 million in Indonesia.
Even if we say round that to 10 million as i think there is shorter/cheaper visas and you have other visas and you might give close countries like Singapore or Timor or even Malaysia exemptions as you get weekenders etc and they los likely do the same for Indonesians.
10 million x $50 USD is still $500 million USD that sort of money can do a lot in Indonesia, why give it up.
Plus the rhetoric is always they are after a tourist with money demographic not backpackers.
Dont they just Add $50 Visa cost into Price of Air Fare ?
Guess you can't refuse like the old days when they tried to hit surfers up for $50 for each extra board you had, mate and I got dragged off into a private room.
We refused to pay and they let us go, Only had 1 extra board but $50 was a lot back then lol.
udo wrote:Dont they just Add $50 Visa cost into Price of Air Fare ?
I think that’s what they did with the old 200,000rp departure tax .
Seems like they are not really trying or thinking about attracting tourists outside of Bali. Why not give options at and international airport on arrival of 30, 60, and 90 day visas with the price increasing for each option. I extended my 30 days visa through agent and was without my passport for 10 days. No dramas for me as was just hanging in Bali. Not good if I wanted to island hop or fly anywhere in indo. They exclude all backpacker style tourists as technically you cannot travel without passport. When I first started working up there late 90's you got 60 day on arrival. This was great for general tourism as you could fly into say Medan, do Bukit Lawang, Toba then work your way down through south Sumatra, then onto Java, do the trail there, Bandung, Joyga, Bromo etc onto Bali through Lovina etc etc. This kind of trip is not possible to do properly in 30 days and you could not do it without your passport in your possession. Early 2000's pre bomb Lovina was bustling back packer centre with crew hanging there after travelling down through Java . Don't think it ever bounced back, same as Jogya, use to be main travel centre, last time I was there, pretty dead. Anyway Indo is an amazing country outside of surfing with heaps to do and see, but they don't make it easy for the lucrative traveller market. Compare with Thailand (backpacker Disney) and they could learn a lot.
Semi Legalising Pot as Thailand have done could help also, but cannot see that happening... Ha
Also if tourists paid up front at airport, they could save heaps with staffing administration etc with the amount of crap that goes on just to extend tourist visa at immigrasi.
haha good one
Might save some time at airport applying in advance, not sure if you can apply for 60 day tourist visa in advance like pre covid days when you could get it from embassies in Australia. Bit weird that you have to fck around so much with 30 days then extension for 30 days when they are promoting other visa’s…………….The regular visa on arrival is available at a number of entry points. You can apply for an electronic Visa on Arrival (e-VOA) in advance only if you are entering Indonesia at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta or Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. https://www.smartraveller.gov.au/destinations/asia/indonesia
Looks like 30 days is it , wish they would get it together for 30,60or 90 days tourist visa . https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/front/faq
Supafreak wrote:Looks like 30 days is it , wish they would get it together for 30,60or 90 days tourist visa . https://molina.imigrasi.go.id/front/faq
Yep, not doing the Indonesian tourism industry any favours beside the short term holiday market....
Craig wrote:You can't get into the US unvaccinated still.
Looks like there's another wave going through Sydney ATM, a few people I know have got it. Most are fine, but one saying it was as bad as their first experience with Omicron, ie shitty.
Covid is the biggest fraud in the history of humanity, wake up! Screw the Indo wank, Philippines pisses over that dump every time.
So the Phillipines pisses all over Indonesia in the waves department, must be the best kept all time secret ever .
mixie six wrote:Craig wrote:You can't get into the US unvaccinated still.
Looks like there's another wave going through Sydney ATM, a few people I know have got it. Most are fine, but one saying it was as bad as their first experience with Omicron, ie shitty.
Covid is the biggest fraud in the history of humanity, wake up! Screw the Indo wank, Philippines pisses over that dump every time.
Comedy Gold!
mixie six..............six short of a Dozen i think
https://www.swellnet.com/forums/wax/547423
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.