Lembongan stay

I can't give you any recommendations on accommodation as I've only been to Lembongan on a boat, but brace yourself for all of the development. It'll be hard to recognise.

Stayed locally owned Reef Bungalows 5 years or so ago other end of the bay but stunning views, pool for the wife restaurant at bottom was great location outlook, value and great food.

Don't stay any higher than 2nd level 1st being the best packed lunch and water bag any higher........seriously.

Worth a ride around Cennigan as well if you haven't been before, passed two blokes on the bridge on their scooter carrying a stack of eggs must have been a metre high.

There was swell but missed the island waves were puss and crowded (shipwrecks) when I was there.

Tarci Bungalows

Hey mate you can stay where you were back in 1983 it’s called Tarci bungalows and yes it is definitely where you stayed back then , Wayan Tarci is still alive and frequent’s the restaurant daily as does his wife Made, their son Agus now runs the place and his managers Komang Ace and Made Lola run a fantastic set up . You will need to book as it’s extremely popular but only go through Tarci bungalows website and email them , that way Agoda or booking.com don’t get 20% commission plus with email booking you don’t pay until you leave , there is no deposit required. I have been staying with this family since 1980 and highly recommend them. Food is good and next door is a 5star French restaurant with staff trained by the michelin chef owner. May is a awesome month for wind and waves , the place sure has changed but still plenty of waves.......enjoy

Also Ash Komang can organise your boat transfer at no extra cost to you commission is paid by boat company and they will pick you up from your hotel in Bali or airport take you to boat then bemo to Tarci bungalows it’s too easy

No worries mate check the website Tarci bungalows it’s got photos and prices of rooms , if you want something more upmaker next door at the French place indiana kenanga has rooms from $270 USD or they have a two bedroom with private pool kitchen etc for $500 USD a night Tarci ranged from $25 to $65 AUS a night breakfast included which is basic but nice

Ash, boy are you in for a shock........suppose you caught the out rigger over there in 83?...I was there in 80 and 83 and it looks nothing like it did then...now.

It's probably going to be pretty disappointing to see how things have turned out for someone that hasn't been since the 80s last time i was there was almost 20 years ago and it was fairly developed even then.

Good attitude to have,go with the flow.

People say to me it must have been paradise back in 1980 but to be honest the food was crap , blood tuna on a stick and yams is pretty much all we ate even rice was scarce . The amount of children that never made it to 10 was depressing. Education was whatever mum and dad taught you, a lot of children were raised on coffee as there simply wasn’t much food. The history of lembongan cennigan and penida is one of black magic and early penal colony on penida. I don’t mind the development if it brings money for food education and a decent chance at life. The crowds in the surf come and go nothing much changed there. They have built a hospital and ambulance service on the back of tourism and they have a excellent local board riding club that does regular clean up beach and mangrove days . The whole island has recycle bins everywhere and shows with education and people power what can be done . Most of the tourists these days are cashed up divers and the locals understand the importance of a clean and healthy reef. Unfortunately in the wet season rubbish comes from everywhere and it’s shocking what you see snorkeling. But these guys keep plugging away and indonesia could learn a lot from what they have achieved. The biggest problem they face is fresh water and most resorts have there own desalination plants and by law must recycle their sewage into grey water which they use on their gardens. Yeah is was adventuresome back in the 80s but l quite like the creature comforts in my aging years plus watching kids growing up instead of going to their cremation is a plus.

well said Supa

Yeah he does have a point, life would be much better these days for most locals than it was back then.

Always negatives and positives of development.

Enjoy Ash , there are many great restaurants these days and a huge variety. The pool at Tarci is small about 10 mtrs long so l suggest one day go next door to the French place which has 2 pools , the pool with the crepe bar is about 30 meters and nice gardens , the crepes are sensational although cost about $10 and their ice cream is also superb. The best thing about this pool is nobody uses it , l go regularly and never see anybody else lol . Wifi is better than Tarci so if you want a lazy pool day the crepe bar is the place.

So how often do you go over to Lembongan Supafreak......or do you live there?

I was home based there for 10 years while doing fifo from port hedland, then 2 years in sanur with first baby and moved back to Gold Coast xmas 2017 now just 2 months a year, l built a small house there and it’s a good base to come back to , there are far better waves elsewhere in indo but lve got a special connection to the place , still do the odd trip up to mentawi

Good stuff Superfreak,would have scored some nice days ....Do they still do the fire walking there? Amazing to watch.

Oh, was some good years during the golden age of FIFO....

Flying crew to Indo every few weeks . Everything paid for - taxis , transfers, hotels each end , meals in transit and then coin for your time off.

Waking up everyday wondering when they’d realise crew were just out there bending nails.

Then again....it’s over 40 degrees more often than not for 5 months of the year , getting chased by tribes of locals cause your skin is the wrong colour, cyclones on the regular and a million miles from “ civilisation “. Lived at South Hedland for a couple of years . Radical experience. Shunting rights running along the spoil bank or Nth Turtle island secrets in the right swell. Barra off the spoil bank . Black Jew in the hole dug by the prop wash of the ore ships in harbour . Maori war fights noon on Sundays when the alcohol started warping minds. Bongs , big hole sluts , Gnaraloo runs and sessions at the spear chucker. My missus worked bar at the pier ( Guinness book winner most dangerous pub in the world for a couple of years apparently) I’d visit and get on it whilst her work mates would be all smiles and pleasantness before going to work stripping naked and grinding that thing like it had fleas on the podium in front of the bikies and the shiftworkers.

Car broken into 5 times in 6 months. Watching crew spray paint their own homes with graffiti . The heaviest most justified racism you can imagine intersplined with the coolest juxtaposition of racial harmony ever. A Rottweiler in every second yard. Red cans waist deep in the culverts. People going nuts in the buildup to the wet....mango madness ....silly season. Red Emperor off the deep reefs . Spaniards and GTs beside the pylons and channel markers.

Good times !

The companies paying could afford it cause they never paid tax and the entire enterprise was underwritten by Aussie taxpayers.

Only been to Lembongan once . Can’t see myself returning. Seems to be overrun with New Surfers . But you never know ....a sneaky February swell with sheet glass conditions whilst all the New Surfers are taking selfies at Keramas.......

Haha nice one Blowin , the pier was a classic Friday night fuck or fight night , l don’t miss the red dust and diesel but did have some good times in that shit hole . Best thing was the direct flight to Bali 1 hour 45 minutes closer than Perth , l would get the 8am flight and be on lembongan for lunch . Yeah simba they still have the fire walking my good friend Agus and his wife do it with no ill effect but l can’t summon the mindset to do it . As far as surfers go on lembongan it’s packed when waist to head high but once it gets bigger the euros vanish and countless times your left at shippies with a handful or no one out , unfortunately with the internet now when lacerations breaks its swooped on by every man and his dog and that can surf and it’s rare to get it alone. I used to have my own fast boat and kremas was 15 minutes , had some great sessions in years gone before it became famous. Desserts was 1 hour but that is one of the most popular and crowded breaks today . Last year l was on the rock for 2 months and it pumped pretty much every day , most consistent season I’ve ever seen. Going in June this year for 2 months and a mate is taking me to a spot in the ments that is exclusive so should be interesting.

Awesome memories of Lembongan in the 80s staying in The Tarzan alley. Stayed for months so had it dialled almost to the minute with the tides and shipwrecks going from flat to pumping. Used to jump the back fence and walk through the village up to the wreck to get the jump on everyone. In the late 80s and 90s when all the accomodation moved up in front of the wreck would do the same thing for Lassos. Brian Davies was the man out there then and had some great sessions in and out of the water. Went back in 2018 and was gob smacked by the amount of change to the place but still had a blast catching up with old crew and having a good look around with the missus

Hey green frog , Brian was definitely MR Lacerations nobody came close , Gordon Merchant from billabong once said the best tube rider he’s ever seen was Gerry Lopez and Brian Davies , unfortunately Brian passed away some years ago now but is well remembered , he pretty well taught the first locals to surf . Had outside corner one day in the 80s just me and Brian out never forget that man.