I love Bali
udo wrote:Miss out on 5 yrs interest $ 0n 200K !
I looked into it but it's not that appealing. I think you do get interest but the best bank offers only 3.5%, less than the rate of inflation. But I've also read that you can't touch the money and immigration can check any time to confirm it's there.
Enough to put me off. Also with inflation who knows what 2 billion rupiah is going to be actually worth in 5 years. Risk vs reward is terrible.
The visa situation in Indonesia is probably the worst. It would cost me, with a family of three ~$2800 Australian for 6 months worth of visa. You can get 6 months visa for free in Mexico/Central America, is also very easy to get a long term visa there.
Good for the government to milk the tourist I guess but I wish it went to helping the local infrastructure (water/sewerage/rubbish).
I still keep an eye on it to see how it develops, especially when the waves are bad where I'm surfing!
udo wrote:https://thebalisun.com/tourists-are-scared-balis-new-beach-elevator-will...
Further up from this beach is one of several spots where freshwater pours continuously from the base of these cliffs. The government years ago built a pump station at the bottom and a radical staircase to access it . The plan was too pump water up and irrigate land for breeding cattle . It was a total failure and they have never bothered cleaning up what they built . There is also a huge sandstone quarry being carved out just north of the famous tourist lookout, something you don’t see in the brochure . Construction on penida is full on and amazing how many hotels, villas , restaurants etc they built there during covid . The Saudi king when he visited before covid bought large areas of land . Lombok is also currently going crazy , especially around the race circuit . 
upload images
Top photo is the quarry , bottom is manta point with about 30 boats with divers, you would see more bubbles than fish .
Lion/wings/super jet board fee's just went up.
Rp500,000 for one board. (not board bag)
Even more reason to use Garuda instead, just hope they dont follow suit.
Glad i already have four boards where i go
Hey Indo,
Have you heard anything about the airlines capping boards/board bags?
I know somone for Europe who is northern Sumatra that went 5 days without boards and had to rent until the arrived.
vicbloke wrote:Hey Indo,
Have you heard anything about the airlines capping boards/board bags?
I know somone for Europe who is northern Sumatra that went 5 days without boards and had to rent until the arrived.
Yes its a nightmare Lion air (wings air)
Have a new totally unrealistic policy.
-MAX OF 5 BOARD PER FLIGHT (yes flight not person but whole plane)
-Max of one board per person (yes one board not board bag)
-Price increase from Rp200,000 per board to Rp500,000.
They expect you to use their general freight service which means your boards can turn up days latter and cost as much as Rp3,000,000 (3 million rupiahs)
It only started this Monday on the 31st July but already causing big issues. (your friends boards might have not made the flight before started and then got stuck, assuming Simeulue)
Lion air/wings also own Super jet and Batik air, so dont book with those as they could be next.
Email many surf camps//losmens got
Dear All,
We hereby to inform you the Revision of the IOM Free Baggage Allowance attachment to IOM attachment number No.01/SOP-JT/IW/ID-VII-2022(R2) _Issued 3.0 with the following changes:
1. Changing in Surcharge Fee upon Surfboard specifically for all IW (Wings Air) flights, from previously 200,000 IDR to 500,000 IDR per piece surfboard and per segment flight.
2. Reaffirmation that the *MAXIMUM transporting CAPACITY of surfboards in 1 aircraft is 5 boardbags, weighing not more than 23 KG per bag.
These provisions apply effective 31 JUL 2023.
Please inform all staff and related departments.
Thank You
BTW. I run a facebook group "Indo surf trip recommendations" with 20K members, you can get updates on there where this will go, but not looking good.
indo-dreaming wrote:vicbloke wrote:Hey Indo,
Have you heard anything about the airlines capping boards/board bags?
I know somone for Europe who is northern Sumatra that went 5 days without boards and had to rent until the arrived.
Yes its a nightmare Lion air (wings air)
Have a new totally unrealistic policy.
-MAX OF 5 BOARD PER FLIGHT (yes flight not person but whole plane)
-Max of one board per person (yes one board not board bag)
-Price increase from Rp200,000 per board to Rp500,000.
They expect you to use their general freight service which means your boards can turn up days latter and cost as much as Rp3,000,000 (3 million rupiahs)
It only started this Monday on the 31st July but already causing big issues. (your friends boards might have not made the flight before started and then got stuck, assuming Simeulue)
Lion air/wings also own Super jet and Batik air, so dont book with those as they could be next.
Email many surf camps//losmens got
Dear All,
We hereby to inform you the Revision of the IOM Free Baggage Allowance attachment to IOM attachment number No.01/SOP-JT/IW/ID-VII-2022(R2) _Issued 3.0 with the following changes:
1. Changing in Surcharge Fee upon Surfboard specifically for all IW (Wings Air) flights, from previously 200,000 IDR to 500,000 IDR per piece surfboard and per segment flight.
2. Reaffirmation that the *MAXIMUM transporting CAPACITY of surfboards in 1 aircraft is 5 boardbags, weighing not more than 23 KG per bag.
These provisions apply effective 31 JUL 2023.
Please inform all staff and related departments.Thank You
BTW. I run a facebook group "Indo surf trip recommendations" with 20K members, you can get updates on there where this will go, but not looking good.
Wow, cheers for info, that sucks.
Thanks Indo,
I do follow that group, very informative.
My mate is in Simeulue but is travelling for 2 months so isn't greatly concerned at this stage
Was looking at Sumbawa next year for 7 days but looks like too much risk now.
Not sure the land camps are going to like this new development
Vicbloke, Indo-Dreaming, Andy-Mac.
Solution ? Could it be so simple as to completely avoid using all the aforementioned airlines ?
They’ll soon get the message when surfers and surf camps no longer book with them !!
Or, do these airlines have enough regular non-surfing clientele to just ‘ flick the bird’ at surf patronage ? AW.
AlfredWallace wrote:Vicbloke, Indo-Dreaming, Andy-Mac.
Solution ? Could it be so simple as to completely avoid using all the aforementioned airlines ?
They’ll soon get the message when surfers and surf camps no longer book with them !!Or, do these airlines have enough regular non-surfing clientele to just ‘ flick the bird’ at surf patronage ? AW.
Yeah I don't think policy will last, blow back from camps, boats and travellers.
But it is Indo???
AW.
From what I have heard Lion Group almost have a monopoly on the small airports along with Citilink who I flew with last time (great airline).
Looking at skyscanner and limited looking if you are flying east of Bali they look like they are the only operators.
Reckon the next 6-12 months will be telling.
Realistically on most routes almost all traveler's are locals, boards would be a hassle for the airline with little benefit, its pretty harsh though.
A good compromise would have been a max of 2 boards per person to 7ft to a certain max weight and increase price per board to Rp500,000 would have been fair.
But this new policy is way over the top.
I personally dont care too much as have four boards in Indo already where i mainly go, but its a nightmare for surf camps and losmens, and say going into somewhere like Nias now Citilink is going to be flooded with boards so boards are often not going to turn up until the next flight or next day and they will have pressure on them to increase price or change policy too..
AlfredWallace wrote:Vicbloke, Indo-Dreaming, Andy-Mac.
Solution ? Could it be so simple as to completely avoid using all the aforementioned airlines ?
They’ll soon get the message when surfers and surf camps no longer book with them !!Or, do these airlines have enough regular non-surfing clientele to just ‘ flick the bird’ at surf patronage ? AW.
When i flew from Medan to Nias in June Wings Air were the only option - at that stage boards were 200.000 a pop each way. We had a large group (6 pax) and the resort ground handlers split us over 2 flights to make sure the boards made it. Sounds like its only going to get harder/more expensive
Indo-Dreaming, Andy-Mac, Vicbloke, Maddogmorley
Thanks, bit of a wait and see.
Indonesia’s laws are up and down like a brides dress at a wedding. !!! AW
There’s a Citilink out of Medan to Nias daily.Way better than Lion.Simeuleu your stuck with Lion who I avoid at all costs.Done with Simeuleu as well.If your time poor your on the plane yeh,but if not I still use buses and ferries.Chartered the odd car /driver as well after spirited haggling.Like I.D stashing boards at spots pays off as well.Citilink/Garuda are my choices
Dumai wrote:There’s a Citilink out of Medan to Nias daily.Way better than Lion.Simeuleu your stuck with Lion who I avoid at all costs.Done with Simeuleu as well.If your time poor your on the plane yeh,but if not I still use buses and ferries.Chartered the odd car /driver as well after spirited haggling.Like I.D stashing boards at spots pays off as well Citilink/Garuda are my choices
I agree Garuda is a much better airline and after the new policy i had to email all our guest and let them know the new policy and even suggested they use Citilink.
But then yesterday a mate who regularly goes to Nias and Telos and actually works designing aircraft.
Pointed out some aspects id overlooked
Technically Citlink have a very restrictive policy,(see below not even sure how to read into that, is that 2 board bags per plane???? (smaller plane)
The official length's have never been struck too, but Citlink have rejected boards on length i had a mate have to leave a board in Medan, while Wings traditionally have been veery flexible on length.
He also pointed out Wings has five flights a day while Citilink i think only one or two.
All a bit of a dilemma.
Its a pity they have such over the top policy, i blame all the crew that take three boards or more in these huge coffins and then lie about how many boards they have when checking in, even when i travel with boards im a two board man. (although i do lie too as just use a slimline type board bag that looks thin and dont pack things in there so its light too)
Thanks for that Indo ,your’re all over it.I must admit that I have the luxury of having boards stashed at spots and so can travel very light.I will,however ,if flying always pay more for Garuda and morning flights are the best.
Horas Sude
Dumai wrote:Thanks for that Indo ,your’re all over it.I must admit that I have the luxury of having boards stashed at spots and so can travel very light.I will,however ,if flying always pay more for Garuda and morning flights are the best.
Horas Sude
We have only had one group arrive and one group depart since the change, i havent got feedback from the departing group, but did ask the arriving group if they had any issues.
They arrived via Citlink the other day and said they had no issues, but i didnt ask how many boards and there was only a few of them.
From what ive heard t does seem like they are being more flexible on the Medan-Nias route seems doubles and single boards are generally getting though, but if you try to bring in a coffin with four boards they will go to the bottom of the list and might have to be freighted if no room on flights that day.
.
Anyone been to Grajagan recently?
How were the crowds looking?
goofyfoot wrote:Anyone been to Grajagan recently?
How were the crowds looking?
Not gland but a mate was at ulus 2 days ago and in the afternoon it was 4-5 and pretty good with only 20 out . He was kinda surprised as he had a surf at kuta reef earlier and it was packed with euros and boards going everywhere.
Cool Water Temps by the looks
Sounds pretty mellow for Ulu’s hey supa…
Yeah lots of rubber in the photos udo, cold upwellings?
Which is not uncommon for there
goofyfoot wrote:Sounds pretty mellow for Ulu’s hey supa…
Yeah lots of rubber in the photos udo, cold upwellings?
Which is not uncommon for there
Indo has been really consistent since june , that mate at Ulu’s has just done 2 months mainly east of Bali and he was happy when there were days in between swells when his body could take a break. I’ve ditched the bus driving job and landed my old job at golf club which means I can take June july august off as not much maintenance in those months so next year indo here I come . Are you thinking of doing a quick run over ? Escape the cold weather ?
Maybe supa, got a week or so up my sleeve
I would like to ask what is the best airline to fly from Lombok back to Bali with a board and luggage. Should I pre book in Oz or do it in Bali or even when I get to Lombok? Thanks
~ Richard Harvey Closing Down ~
Setting up a small surfboard shed? Surfboard factory closing down sale from Sat 2nd September. Surfboards, tools, spray and glassing materials, stands, wall racks, dis-mountable shaping bay, lights, compressor, air hoses, Futures and FCS Fins jigs, sanders, Irwin clamps, work benches, Hafco band saw and spare blades, blanks and so much more.
Too many to itemize open Sept 2nd Sat 9.30 to Sat 9th 4.30 each day. Harvey Surf 10 Pacific Ave Miami.
Kraken from the Wallace trench AW?
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/7844195/2023-08-28/19h56/ma...
(loved the coelacanth book, onto the woolemi pines now. How's the PNG prologue treating you? ; )
Yeh decent shake in Bali this morn.Headed straight outside.Aftershock.Very trippy feeling these earthquakes.
Hearing West Sumatra and Kalimantan as well this morn ?
Dumai wrote:Yeh decent shake in Bali this morn.Headed straight outside.Aftershock.Very trippy feeling these earthquakes.
Hearing West Sumatra and Kalimantan as well this morn ?
They sure get the adrenaline pumping felt a few now in Mentawai's and Padang, one decent one was in Padang in the very early morning, i raced outside and motorbikes were going crazy in one big rush all heading for the hills, some old Pak pulled up and i jumped on the back and we went to high ground and waited until it felt safe and then it was like nothing had happened at all, everyone going back to their daily routine.
basesix wrote:Kraken from the Wallace trench AW?
https://www.volcanodiscovery.com/earthquakes/7844195/2023-08-28/19h56/ma...
(loved the coelacanth book, onto the woolemi pines now. How's the PNG prologue treating you? ; )
Basesix. Hi mate. How good a book ? A Fish Caught In Time The story of the Rediscovery of the Coelacanth (Latimeria chalumnae) i think thats how it’s spelt.
Majorie Courtenay Latimer, from memory. She basically saved that fish.
I start the PNG book next week, finishing off another at present.
Enjoy the Wollemi book. AW
Wallace Line as you know is also the border of plate boundaries, plenty of rumbling, especially in the Sulawesi region, rapid rates of accretion happening there, fastest rate on earth from memory. It’s all fascinating.
Edit. Have you read that Simon Winchester book, Krakatoa ? 1883, 10.30am, boom.
It would be good to see more locals adopt this attitude and perseverance. This board riders club have been doing beach and mangrove cleanups for years. Educate the grommets and things can slowly change . I’ve watched government employed beach cleaners in sanur , gather a pile of rubbish , then dig a shallow hole in the sand and bury it . 
Up against it there Supa.
Even some of the remotest beaches in South Oz have rubbish washing up these days. And not just boat flotsam. This didn't seem to be the case 2 or 3 decades ago.
@AW What about Whinchester's Crack in the Edge of the World.
All of his books are good reads.
It's my belief that people's desire to not be inconvenienced over-rides whatever gains we've made in environmental awareness.
mattlock wrote:Up against it there Supa.
Even some of the remotest beaches in South Oz have rubbish washing up these days. And not just boat flotsam. This didn't seem to be the case 2 or 3 decades ago.
@AW What about Whinchester's Crack in the Edge of the World.
All of his books are good reads.
Mattlock. Hi mate. I don’t know the book but just had a look on line, looks good I will add it to my desirables. Thanks again. AW
So with the 1 month waiting period finishing today, does that mean no padang cup this year ?
Good stuff Supa.Old Aussie expat Paul has organised beach cleanups for a while now at Pantai Sindhu ,Sanur.Doesn’t even surf but there every morning.Started on his own now has plenty of locals on the coupla times a month beach clean up.He does good work,cheers mate
Five workers at The Ayuterra Resort in Kedewatan Village on the outskirts of Ubud, Bali, died in a lift malfunction mid-day on Friday, 01 September 2023. The three female and two male housekeepers were all passengers on the hotel’s glass-encased inclinator. A steel cable suddenly malfunctioned, sending the five victims hurtling down a steep embankment.
https://thebalisun.com/one-incredible-bali-beach-has-welcomed-1-million-...
Jesus there is no end to this Destruction...Have a look at latest Google Earth....Faark
"Mïnoo Beach Club is proudly the southernmost beach club in Bali and offers guests the chance to kick back and relax on one of the most pristine stretches of the Bukit Peninsula"
One more place in Bali never to revisit
udo wrote:https://thebalisun.com/one-incredible-bali-beach-has-welcomed-1-million-...
Jesus there is no end to this Destruction...Have a look at latest Google Earth....Faark
How awful is that? Unbelievable.
Rio absolutely dominated Nias Comp.
Aysik Rio!!!!!
Semoga sukses! Yew....
Bummer, hope he gets home quickly.
On that note, what is the preferred Indo travel insurance these days, that you could rely on in a medical emergency?
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.