Surfing in Bali

Bali is part of the Indonesian archipelago of 18,700 islands and lies approximately 8°C south of the equator. The majority of the population of Bali are (Balinese) Hindu, a unique mixture of Hinduism & Buddhism. The unique religion and culture of the Balinese people is one of the reasons the island remained an oasis of peace and calm throughout the chaotic times in Indonesia since the fall of the Suharto dictatorship in 1999 and has helped sustain the spirit of the island during the last few years as Bali and the Balinese people have suffered their own turbulent times of unbelievable sorrow and the resulting economic hardships.

Bali is blessed by nature with a short, hot wet season and a longer, cooler, dry season and tourists flock here all year round. Many tourists choose to arrive in the dry season - which nowadays appears to cover a longer period from April to late November. The busiest period is during the holiday season of August, which is also the coolest month on this Island of the Gods.

Contrary to popular belief, Bali’s waves were being surfed by both visiting and local surfers as early as the late 1930s and not, as popular surfing legend has it, that the island of Bali was first discovered as a great surfing destination by a group of Australian surfers. Although, when these first Australian surfers began arriving on the island of Bali in 1967 they introduced the island to the first serious surfing equipment.

While Bali may no longer be a “frontier” surf destination, it still lies at the heart of the Indonesian surfing experience and is a mandatory stopover for anyone on their first surfing trip to Indonesia. Bali is also the first and last stop for most of the surfers traveling on to some of the legendary breaks in G-Land, Lombok or Sumbawa, or the more distant areas of East Nusa Tenggara, Mentawais and North Sumatra.
Bali has traditionally been the starting point for nearly all Indonesian surfing tours. Bali boasts over 20 top quality breaks on the southwest and southeast coasts of the island and around the Bukit (Uluwatu) Peninsula. Some of these, like Padang Padang & Uluwatu, are world class barreling reef-breaks. Others range from fun waves on the beach-breaks around Kuta and Sanur to serious heavy, sucking waves.

Having so many surf options available within such a short distance to the Kuta and Legian beach area means that after your surf you can return to a plush hotel and enjoy a long, lazy meal, lounge by the pool, take a nap in an air conditioned room and watch satellite TV. Alternatively you can party at the discos each night, enjoy some of the local brew, all of which has definite appeal after spending one or two weeks on a surf charter boat, or in a very basic surf camp on Java or Sumatra. The peak of the surf season for Bali is April - October when solid swells are produced by the roaring 40’s and can be surfed on the reefs around Kuta, Uluwatu, and Nusa Dua. Unlike most other areas of Indonesia where it is all heavy reef breaks, Bali also has a lot of beach-breaks on offer which are less likely to cause a surfer of novice or intermediate ability to get injured as can happen on the larger waves on the reef-breaks.

The surf in Bali is generally not huge, but most often in the 2-6 foot range (shoulder-high to double overhead). Larger waves can occur on some of the exposed reefs, but a mellower surf break can always be found in Bali by anyone who wishes to avoid life-threatening conditions. Bali has surf breaks both the west-facing and east-facing coastlines and, because of this an offshore wind can be found somewhere on the island on any given day. Because of the number of surf breaks and the quality and consistency of the waves in Bali, it is still possible to find a many places to surf with only a small to moderate crowd.

The surf is always up on the Island of the God’s! and regardless of what country you hail from you will feel the mystique of surfing Bali’s beaches …with so many exotic locations available on the island you can choose from white sands, black sands, amazing scenery, traditional fisherman and fishing villages which all add to the unique experience that comes with Surfing Bali.

Balinese Monkey Dance

Kecak dance, better known as the Balinese Monkey Dance. Recently, about 5 thousand people gathered, some whipping themselves into a trance, at Tanah Lot, Bali, Indonesia to pray for the return of tourism. That may sound crass and commercial but tourism is entwined in Bali’s spiritual, cultural and economic life. I have spent a lot of time in Bali over the years and I miss it. The last time I was there was just after the bombings a couple of years ago. Farmers, flower growers, artists, performers, were all devastated both morally and economically by that tragedy.
Bali is a mishmosh of Hindu and animist traditions — an island in an otherwise Muslim country — and the monkey dance has elements of the Ramayana along with something called sanghyang, an exorcism ritual. It is said be a piece of choreography created in the 1930 by a local dancer and German artist Walter Spies. In fact, around that time, artists came from all over the world. You find tourists incorporated in traditional paintings. One of the clearest explanations of Bali art, dance and culture can be found in the Mexican artist Miguel Covarrubias’ 1937 book “The Island of Bali.

In the Ramayana tale, monkeys help Prince Rama fight the evil King Ravana. Sure, the Monkey Dance was created with a tourist audience in mind. But then art, music and dance in Bali is nourished by tourism. Without an audience, it would have withered. Bali is still one of the most inspiring and intriguing places on earth.

Putri Bali Villa Seminyak Bali

Putri Bali Villa offer 8 villas categorized into one, two, three and four bedrooms villas. All which an experience in style, artfully blends modern and traditional elements.

Each villa features a private entrance, private swimming pool and garden, living room with satellite TV and multi stereo system, dining room and fully equipped kitchen.

The room facilities include satellite TV, air conditioning, IDD phone, hot and cold running water, bathtub, safe deposit box, hairdryer and slipper.

GWK Cultural Park

Designed and built by Nyoman Nuarta, one of Indonesia’s foremost modern sculptor, the Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue or GWK and its pedestal building will be standing 150 meters tall with its wings span 64 meters across. Made from more than 4000 tons of copper and brass, the statue is picturing Lord Wisnu, as the source of wisdom, riding on the back of the mythical bird Garuda as the manifestation of conscience toward Amerta, the perennial goodness.

The statue and its pedestal will be surrounded by more than 240 hectares cultural park which was once an abandoned and unproductive limestone quarry. The cultural park will provide attractions for both local and foreign visitors with supporting facilities such as Lotus Pond, Festival Park, Amphitheater, Street Theater, Exhibition Hall, as well as Jendela Bali The Panoramic Resto and souvenir shop. At present time, the statue of Wisnu, the statue of Garuda, and the hands of Wisnu have been placed temporarily in three different plazas within the park.

GWK Cultural Park is intended to educate, especially the young generations about the importance of preserving and cultivating world’s cultural heritage.