I love Bali
Anyone flown with them (Batik) from Aus. Better/worse than Jetstar or Virgin. Would usually fly Garuda but they have limited flights/ schedules at the moment.
Baron wrote:Anyone flown with them (Batik) from Aus. Better/worse than Jetstar or Virgin. Would usually fly Garuda but they have limited flights/ schedules at the moment.
Flew with them a few times within Indo and all good. Only once from Oz when we were booked with Malindo but went with Batik plane and crew. Got to say that they were better than my experiences with Jetstar and Virgin. Just having 32kg luggage is major bonus with meal included, nice flight crew etc.
Batik bought Malindo
A friend has flown twice now Brisbane to Bali with Batik, no issues. I’ve flown a few times in indo with them and no issues.
I flew with Merpati once and my new indonesian friends in Sumatra laughed and said in semi pidgeon/english/indonesian-- "vertical takeoff, vertical landing" or something meaning that...They dont fly with them so i never did again.Lion air seem better for jakarta to padang or jakarta to nusa tengarra
I am thankfull to have survived SMAC Airlines
groundswell wrote:I flew with Merpati once and my new indonesian friends in Sumatra laughed and said in semi pidgeon/english/indonesian-- "vertical takeoff, vertical landing" or something meaning that...They dont fly with them so i never did again.Lion air seem better for jakarta to padang or jakarta to nusa tengarra
Lion Air in Indo is known as Lying Air, but I never had a problem with them...
yeah i never did either and from if i recall correctly 7 foot board bags no problem and 30kg baggage allowance.
groundswell wrote:I flew with Merpati once and my new indonesian friends in Sumatra laughed and said in semi pidgeon/english/indonesian-- "vertical takeoff, vertical landing" or something meaning that...They dont fly with them so i never did again.Lion air seem better for jakarta to padang or jakarta to nusa tengarra
The catch phrase for merparti was “ its merparti ( my party ) and I’ll fly if I want too fly if I want too “
haha thats witty
The one I heard was " It's Merpati, and I'll die if I want to, die if I want to." Of course, I heard this after flying with them.
I've had 2 flights with them. One pilot very nearly overshot the runway on landing, this was after having to pump up a couple of tyres on the landing gear before we took off. The other time I could barely see out the window from the oil spray coming off one of the engines. White knuckle stuff.
.
What happened to Bali Solve Entry Vax Requirements insta post Burleigh ?
250,000 Fully Vaxxed Chinese expected to enter Indonesia this year
https://thebalisun.com/bali-praised-by-chinese-foreign-ministry-for-maki...
udo wrote:What happened to Bali Solve Entry Vax Requirements insta post Burleigh ?
250,000 Fully Vaxxed Chinese expected to enter Indonesia this year
https://thebalisun.com/bali-praised-by-chinese-foreign-ministry-for-maki...
He's probably surfing not trawling the internet or instagram all day looking for links to post and troll people, get a life and except you have been fooled lol.
Fooled ...in what Way ?
take you blindfold off
Does anyone know where I can get long range forecast of tide times for sumba ? I’m planning a trip in June. Peter Neely R.I.P . used to have the yearly one for Bali but best I can find now is 3 months in advance for Bali and only a weekly one for sumba . Thanks in advance for any info. .
No mate but buoyweather premium might show predictions up to 16 days, not sure how accurate and you will have to subscribe
Have look around this Site
https://www.captaintide.com/big-tide/Sumbawa%20Besar/
or
https://nashaplaneta.net/en/prilivy/tides-id_sumba_aylend
Thanks for that Udo , muchly appreciated
1 shot of Bali arak in the morning, 1 in the evening, Governor Koster recommends https://coconuts.co/bali/news/1-shot-of-bali-arak-in-the-morning-1-in-th...
Ha ha only in Indo
Went to Ubud for the day with my girl, first time back in Bali for over ten years. I don't have the words to describe that place but I might go back just for the spectacle. Funniest thing I've seen so far was this uber trendy very serious looking euro chick riding through the main street with her left boob out. I can't for the life of me work out if it was intentional or not
In other news the crowd at Keramas has been a bit nasty, but thankfully other less busy options are still viable. I love it!
Does anyone know if you can enter Padang on an international flight yet? Air asia are selling KL-Padang tickets but according to the Garuda website you can't enter Padang on an international flight yet?
https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/id/en/news-and-events/kebijakan-operasi...
Seems like that link above may be Garuda Propaganda
https://en.tempo.co/read/1638324/minangkabau-airport-to-resume-internati....
donweather wrote:Does anyone know if you can enter Padang on an international flight yet? Air asia are selling KL-Padang tickets but according to the Garuda website you can't enter Padang on an international flight yet?
https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/id/en/news-and-events/kebijakan-operasi...
Seems like that link above may be Garuda Propaganda
https://en.tempo.co/read/1638324/minangkabau-airport-to-resume-internati....
Yeah i thought was open, issue for international flights to Padang is just the lack of demand they use to run flights with half empty planes, but post Covid with the losses they have had to suffer and rise in fuel cost it seems like in Indo the dont run flights now until planes are full so in 2022 they were cancelling and rescheduling a lot of flights to combine them to get planes full.
I can see this happening for a lot of flights in 2023 into and out of Padang which means if you cut things too fine and flights are rescheduled you could risk missing your boat or international flight, hence id be factoring in some buffer time in and out, of course if things do run on schedule it means you have time to kill in Padang, but still IMHO better than risking missing boat or flights.
indo-dreaming wrote:donweather wrote:Does anyone know if you can enter Padang on an international flight yet? Air asia are selling KL-Padang tickets but according to the Garuda website you can't enter Padang on an international flight yet?
https://www.garuda-indonesia.com/id/en/news-and-events/kebijakan-operasi...
Seems like that link above may be Garuda Propaganda
https://en.tempo.co/read/1638324/minangkabau-airport-to-resume-internati....
Yeah i thought was open, issue for international flights to Padang is just the lack of demand they use to run flights with half empty planes, but post Covid with the losses they have had to suffer and rise in fuel cost it seems like in Indo the dont run flights now until planes are full so in 2022 they were cancelling and rescheduling a lot of flights to combine them to get planes full.
I can see this happening for a lot of flights in 2023 into and out of Padang which means if you cut things too fine and flights are rescheduled you could risk missing your boat or international flight, hence id be factoring in some buffer time in and out, of course if things do run on schedule it means you have time to kill in Padang, but still IMHO better than risking missing boat or flights.
Hmmm thanks Indo. Hopefully 2023 is a little different to 2022. Unless we go for 2 days up our sleeve beforehand (as they don’t fly every day) we are cutting it fine.
Yeah okay not daily flights hopefully will be fine then.
I might be heading over to Bali in October for a wedding. Has anyone had luck surfing over there in October? Are there still good trade winds? My guess is it's a bit hit and miss around that time.
I've visited a couple of times during October. The trades were still blowing.
MrBungle wrote:I might be heading over to Bali in October for a wedding. Has anyone had luck surfing over there in October? Are there still good trade winds? My guess is it's a bit hit and miss around that time.
Great time of year, plenty of options on both sides of island if light winds.
Can get late season swells with trades with less crowds, use to anyway, think crowds pretty full on all year round now.
A few years ago October had the biggest swell of the year I think from memory. It’s good also for some east coast waves before the water turns to shit with the rain . Variable winds so both sides of the Bukit can be good, surf one side in the morning and the other side in the afternoon.
Thanks for the replies, that's good to hear.
Scored supersuck in west sumbawa solid 3-5 foot one day in october then solid 6+ the next day, last day before my 180 day visa expired.Most left town thinking it was a shit season.
Also back in 97 scored chickens at g-land 3-4 foot for two days in october..about 15 at kongs that swell
chickens was a good 300 metre ride each wave if you highlined it and pumped a bit
MrBungle wrote:I might be heading over to Bali in October for a wedding. Has anyone had luck surfing over there in October? Are there still good trade winds? My guess is it's a bit hit and miss around that time.
I got married there in October a few years back and was there in October last year. It's a good time of year. Can get a mix of SE trades and Westerlies so both sides of the island at different times.
Been there many times in October, and it's usually a good time.
Good morning Bali Brains trust. My loving partner suprised me last week for our aniversay a trip to Bingin next weekend for the March long weekend staying right on the beach. She booked thinking it was a great spot when we went for the day last August for surfing for me and relaxing for her. Ive checked the forecast and it is not looking great being this early in the year. Does the area get the early morning light winds before the onshore trades kick in most days?
a lof of mornings in march april in my experience are ne to north or east then either west to sw or sometimes se not kicking in till 12 or 1pm but usually light winds from what ive seen..can be good for nyang nyang, south coast nusa dua or medewi to balian coast in march april.not often big enough for bingin and wind often not offshore.
marto1986 wrote:Good morning Bali Brains trust. My loving partner suprised me last week for our aniversay a trip to Bingin next weekend for the March long weekend staying right on the beach. She booked thinking it was a great spot when we went for the day last August for surfing for me and relaxing for her. Ive checked the forecast and it is not looking great being this early in the year. Does the area get the early morning light winds before the onshore trades kick in most days?
March could be lucky with light onshore winds all day, maybe glassy mornings. Short trip to other spots on bukit that can get good with light winds and not much swell which are hardly secret spots but I will not post here. Even wet season Ulu can be fun, just not generally the groomed offshore blue water Ulu. I like the wet season in Bali, can get great and some rights can light up!
October can sometimes be excellent and I've had some of the biggest waves I've had during that month. Last year was very average though and I gave up on the surf eventually and just went off and did other things. The gentrification of the Bukit was noticeable in regards to crowds too - felt as busy as it is during school holidays.
Idiot https://coconuts.co/bali/news/aussie-arrested-for-marijuana-possession-u.... And from the same boss that recommended a shot of arak morning and evening https://coconuts.co/bali/news/bali-governor-wants-families-to-have-4-chi...
Supafreak wrote:https://coconuts.co/bali/news/bali-governor-wants-families-to-have-4-chi...
G'day Gede
Was WhatsApp chatting last night with a mate who lives in Bali. Told me that since 2021 there have been 90,000 Russians move to Bali. In comparison there are approximately 10,000 Aussie expats there.
20,000 arrive January just gone. Nuts, thought he may if been exaggerating, but doesn't look like it.
Yep Bali is changing.
https://www.google.com/amp/s/en.tempo.co/amp/1694361/ukrainians-russians...
how long til the balos say enuf's enuf...
and boot em out like the thais and other SE countries where apparently this has happened?
Im calling long long time...
those 'mellow' buddhist thais have a hard nut side, and the russians are heavily invested right across indo, plus jokowi thinks he's a bit of a peacemaker... and fancied his chances of mediating... well something at the G20...
the russians seem heavily involved in all the high end apartment like developments, and not just in a cash / realtor sense, they are construction advisors and overseers
apparently there's also some heavy partnership in oil rigs / refining or mining or something in java I once found with some pretty lazy googling
unforunately cash is king in indo, trumps any semblance of pride every time
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.