Bali - Lombok Travel Tips

[anderskd]

Hello,
I'm taking a trip to Asia with my girlfriend this July. For part of the trip, we're going to be in Indo for about 9 days. 4-5 of which we'll be doing some scuba diving and sightseeing (girlfriend dives, but doesn't surf).

I've been surfing for about three years (a couple times a week in southern California). I don't want to get into anything too heavy that's going to grind me over shallow reef, but I definetely want to get into some fun challenging waves.

I'm pretty set on heading to Lombok to find some waves for like 5 days - and avoid crowds if I can. There's a resort in East Lombok, Ekas Bay, called Heaven on the Planet. It seems to have a good variety of waves for someone with my level of experience. Has anyone stayed or surfed there, or heard any reviews of this place? Has anyone surfed Ekas Bay (maybe from a boat tour)?

Also, I'm not going to be able to bring a board with me on the whole trip. We're going to be in other parts of Asia for a week or two as well and it'd be pretty expesive to haul around. So I was thinking about renting a board in Bali before flying over to Lombok. Can anyone recommend a good surf shop? I've heard that I should avoid renting from the beach in Kuta. I would probably prefer a more trustworthy shop - even if it costs a little more. I was thinking about 6'10'' shortboard shape.

Any input that people can offer up for this trip would be great. First time to Indo - pretty excited to see it and hopefully get some fun surf.

Thanks!

[indahvoo]

Hi, I don't see why you need to avoid renting boards in Kuta. I think what you've heard is to avoid renting at the actual beach. I never rent boards for more than a day, so if you want longer rental time, you can visit the many surf shops in Kuta on Poppies lane 2. The last time I rented it was around $8 or $9 per day (depending on size and the length of rental time). Oh don't forget to bargain. If they give you a price, bargain starting point is half of it. Then you move your way up while the shop owner moves their way down. Happy surfing!