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Published: June 22nd 2009
Carissa and I have just arrived home from a two week sojourn to Bali and I have nothing but good things to report. If there is a supposed crisis of the financial variety unfolding in various parts of the globe, somebody obviously forgot to inform the Balinese.
Although it took a little adjusting, we soon adapted to the less than hectic pace enjoyed by many of the locals and expats alike. It would seem many Australians call Bali home for months on end, chasing waves and enjoying the good food, warm weather and cheap lodgings dotted throughout this amazing island.
Morning and Dusk are just perfect and provide welcome relief from the soaring temperatures which occur from around midday onwards.
As is the case throughout the majority of Asia, scooters remain the primary form of transport. At an outlay of 30,000 Rupiah (approx $4.00 Aussie per day) we soon had a fantastic set of wheels of our own (surfboard rack included) with which to join the throngs of wave hungry tourists scouring the coast. I was up early most mornings in order to beat the heat and the traffic and was rewarded a number of times with some fantastic surf before
many of the late night revellers found their way to the beach.
Bali truly is the place where the world comes to surf with some of the more popular breaks getting dangerously busy. It was not uncommon at Uluwatu (a swell magnet located on the southern peninsula) to have over 100 guys in the water all looking to surf only a couple of different take off points. Fortunately, being a relatively small island, when the swell did pick up there was no shortage of waves to be had and the crowds soon thinned out. I met a couple of guys from as far away as Russia out in the water who looked as if they'd been surfing all their life.
Carissa and I spent the majority of our time in and around Kuta Beach, however we did manage to get organised enough to make our way south for five nights to an amazing stretch of coast known as Bingin. Dozens of warungs perched on the side of a cliff in front of a perfect left hander. A fan room with cold water and a million dollar view set us back a cool $12 Aus a night- washed down with a
mean Nasi Goreng $2.50 and Cold Bintang $1.50 - there really wasn't much to complain about.
It was here that I managed a few minor encounters with the reef. Fortunately I got off relatively unscathed despite being warned about 'greedys'- the last section of the reef that gets perilously shallow.
Now let me be clear it wasn't all surfing. Carissa and I did manage to take in the odd temple and do a spot of white water rafting which, although wasn't exactly grade 5 level being the end of the dry season, was none the less fantastic fun.
The scooter never failed us and we visited Nusa Dua, Sanur, Jimbaran and even as far away as Ubud, an arts and crafts hub located in the foothills of the volcano.
We spent the last couple of nights downtown soaking up the tourism melting point that is Kuta. A place where the family holidayer, wealthy traveller or budget backpacker (yes that's us) all meet on the beach for a cold Bintang from one of the local 'bars' (plastic chairs and an esky) to watch the sunset on another fantastic day.
Until next time. Hoo Roo.
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Justin Leaney
non-member comment
When does this holiday end?
Guys, Just 5 simple words. "When does this holiday end??" it just keeps going. PS we have had another little baby, yes another boy taking us to 3. Ayden, Ben and now Issac. All doing well. Enjoy the endless holiday and wait until the world stops melting. All the best Justin