Bali Knowledge needed for kook...

[Blue_GS87]

Hey guys, I'm an improving beginner surfer (been surfing for roughly a year and a half in cold cold North Sea) and am going to Bali for 6 weeks as part of my medical degree. Whilst out there, I was hoping to surf as much as possible and improve my surfing. I'm barely able to get to the green water (when it's over 4ft) as I'm not a strong swimmer (learnt to swim 5 months before my first surf lesson...) so my paddling stamina is non-existent. But I've been slowly building it by going to gym as often as I can and also swimming as often as I can. I've also been trying to improve my duck diving as much as possible whenever I head out to the sea. My ultimate goal for this trip is to be able to duck dive well enough and to be able to do some turns etc...

My questions are these:

1. Should I base myself in Kuta as it's more beginner friendly?
2. Can anyone recommend any places to stay out there as I'm travelling alone and would love to meet people (not necessarily surfers) and potentially learn from other surfers whilst I'm out there? My budget for the 6 weeks is £500 (accommodation, food, surfing stuff).

I guess these are my questions for the time being, and I'm sure that more will come from the responses I get. Thanks for looking and replying.

[jaffa1949]

Welcome Blue, it is good you put your questions up on the forum, there are many beginner surfers coming from the cold European waters to Bali for the first time.
Hopefully I can give some answers.

Lets start with the surf.

Kuta, Legian and the stretch of black sand is a bit Jekyll and Hyde type personality, on some tides and conditions it can provide a fun beginners wave and quite a few surf schools use these time to teach.
Other times the Kuta stretch can be a full raging closeout and big beach break nightmare and it can change from one to the other with a change of tide.
It generates strong rips and is not like a lot of Australian beaches with patrols and lifeguards ( there are some and they have been Australian trained but the beach itself is very long.
Having said that, more often than not Kuta will work as a beginners beach with a thriving throng ( read masses) of beginners everywhere!
Out on the Bukit peninsular toward Uluwatu there are beginner friendly waves at Dreamland and Bingin, but you need a slightly higher level of skills in negotiating white water to get out!
Go to a local surf shop in the UK and get Indo surf and Lingo or order it online it will tell about cheap accommodation.
If you are looking for cheap then down Poppies lane and other lanes in Kuta there are home stays and Losmen for about 25,000 rupiah a night, the lingo book and online searching can find some of these.
Some provide a very basic breakfast and charge slightly more for a fan and some have a dearer stay with air Con.
Cheaper ones might only give you a cup of tea in the morning.
Don't worry around every corner there is a variety of eating places. There are also the carts for food but theyare suspect in hygiene for westerners.
Don't drink anything except bottled water use it to clean your teeth if you are staying cheap!

If you are of a friendly nature you will meet plenty of people, you will need to be aware that you will an obvious newbie and lots of scams will be directed your way, learn some basic Indonesian quickly and smile while you enjoy bartering.
If you get to know your host family well they will have a load of relatives who can offer you things and if you talk they will often tell you what is a fair price.

Some thoughts on your plans:
Normal pay as you enter visa is $25 USD for 30 days for 6 weeks you need to make different arrangements, check before you go!
Often immigration want to know your accommodation "hotel"

Know the exchange rate of £ to rupiah, and do get that book, even after many trips it still helps......+ there are vouchers for some deals there too.
your budget doesn't leave you many options outside the low end but it is workable. Hiring boards etc will cost and you have to have enough for your airport departure tax!
BTW do take out travel insurance and do consider that cholera, typhoid and other basic hygiene illnesses are there, but are preventable by good practice!

Do put a little money aside to engage in the culture of temples and ceremonies, if your experience of Bali is only surf then you will be poorer for it, .
Don't wear green boardshorts, ( research queen of the southern seas)

Definitely don't do drugs, death penalty applies and also even small amounts can set you up to be cleaned out money wise in paying bribes to get off , and that is not guaranteed !
Watch out for sweet lady boys who can fall in love with you .
different world you bet, fun yes, exciting yes, keep your brains on and your mind open!
any further questions from this, please ask.

[dtc]

Also, unless you already know how to ride a motorcycle, dont be tempted to hire a motorbike/scooter. Actually, even if you already know how to ride one, dont be tempted to hire one. The traffic is better than, say, India; but its nothing like Europe (even Italy or Greece)

As Jaffa said, drugs are a big no no. Some dealers are in cahoots with the police - you pay for the drugs, the police are tipped off and bust you, you have to pay them a bribe and get deported. If you are lucky.

Also, dont drink any alcohol that doesnt come from a bottle which is (a) from a manufacturer you know and (b) opened in front of you. There are not infrequent poisonings from home made alcohol (arak mainly, but sometimes other stuff). So dont be tempted by the cheap local drinks (beer is ok, its just the harder stuff that is risky).

So having now told you the scary bits (well, actually we havent mentioned the Australians on holiday...) its a fun place to go. Kuta is basically a resort town and a bit grungy in places but its not terrible. If you get the chance to go inland (even to Ubud which is still fairly touristy but not as much) or up/down the coast, or offshore, it changes pretty quickly. Its very easy to get around, find whatever you need and pretty cheap.

[Blue_GS87]

Hey guys, thanks for that. I've been looking around alot and taking on board all the advice you guys have given me. I don't drink or do drugs, so am pretty keen to avoid Kuta Beach, however, I am xxxxx scared of motorbikes, so it's looking like I have to be stuck in Kuta to be within walking distance to the beach.

Some people have suggested Balian or Medewi or Canguu for improving beginners. What do you guys think?

Since I was going to be in Bali for 6 weeks, this is what I've planned so far as well...

3 weeks surfing (Kuta or somewhere you guys recommend)
2 week Gills/Lombok
3 days in Ubud

And then the remainder of my time is to spend it somewhere nice that I find along the way. My £500 budget is fluid and but I'm trying not to overspend if possible.

[jaffa1949]

Some thoughts, for you Blue, Medewi is an intermediate wave a river mouth left hand rock break, fairly soft, and for that reason it can get crowded with Japanese day surfers, accommodation is cheaper but up above the 25,000 rupiah mark It is a wave you can learn on quickly provided there is not a huge swell then it morphs to an Indonesian barrel fest.
You need to be comfortable in entering the surf from a keyhole in the shoreline and you can paddle wide and around the sets, you just need to observe and learn to break, same with Balian

There is rare surf in the Gillis in Lombok be aware of currents here,the waves are usually well groomed and a less powerful than the southern parts of Lombok. It does need a huge S, SW swell.
A better area for you to consider is the Grupuk area that has good waves for learning. there is also inside Ekas but you will need to get boat across the bay or stay at Heaven on the Planet which runs at about $150 AUD per day.

one tip; save you viewing of dances and ceremonies till Ubud, there some seriously goo thing to see there, bigger price on them but bigger productions. buy a sarong early in your trip, wear as respect when going to temples.

[Blue_GS87]

Hey Jaffa, cheers for that. I've never come across surfing at the Grupuk area. Would you suggest I head straight there after landing in Bali? I read that you'll need to get a boat out to the surfing points in Gerupuk. How much is that per day? I don't want to blow my budget on surfing only. Although I really want to improve my surfing, as the conditions here in the UK aren't that consistent.

I think that I'll keep to Kuta for the time being then and if I do meet some intermediate surfers, I could head up to Balian or Medewi with them and learn from them. I reckon that I need to get my paddling stamina up to speed before I tackle these places head on.

[jaffa1949]

Since you are in the UK invest in an online version of the Stormrider guide to Indonesia, has more comprehensive guide to surf in Lombok .

There are a couple of semi feral camps in the Gerupuk( Grupuk) area, cheap ish " getting there is a challenge!

[Dantastic1985]

This is a great thread. I'm looking to stay in Bali for 3 or 4 months on the way to oz and had dreamed up a budget of around £500 a month. Good info on here and Uncle Jaffa sharing that experience. I'll be watching this thread closely.

I did want to ask a question about medewi, is it a sand point break or over rocks? Also is it shallow or deep? I only ask as I love a wipeout and want to keep my good looks!

[Blue_GS87]

Hey Dan, when are you thinking of heading over to Bali? I'm travelling alone and am looking to hook up with people to keep costs down. Let us know if you're travelling around the same time.

[billie_morini]

Boy, did I misread this one. I thought it said, "Kali Knowledge needed for book"

[jaffa1949]

time for new glasses billie

[billie_morini]

Jaffa, you made me chortle!

[jaffa1949]

Isn't chortle such a good word!

[Dantastic1985]

Hey up blue. Will not be for a while I'm afraid if at all. Still weighing up sacking off everything I know in the uk to follow a dream! If at all it'll be march time next year I think. When are you going?