Surfing in Bali is spectacular. The waves, the beach, the surfers. It has it all. And it’s a year-round swell machine – you can catch a wave whenever you hit Bali.
Kuta Beach, is widely regarded as the birthplace of surfing in Southeast Asia. Surfers have been surfing it as far back as the 1930s. Today the world-class surf breaks of southern Bali are still the most popular in Indonesia and can get crowded at times. Beginners, intermediates, advanced old hands, and pros alike can easily combine their love of the waves with a blissful holiday lifestyle here.
Grab a board and paddle out!
Hitting up surfing season
WHEN TO GO
Bali’s dry (winter) season from May to September is the best time to surf on the popular southwest coast. In the rainy season, those in the know head to the east coast where good surf can be found at places like Nusa Dua, Sanur and Keramas.
Even in the wet season, beginners and patient surfers can still catch a wave on west coast beaches around Kuta year-round.
YOUR FIRST STEPS ON A BOARD
If you’re new to surfing, Kuta Beach (and north to Seminyak) is the place to start, as it has a safe sandy bottom and there are many surf schools and board-hire places lining the beach. Instructors are a mix of local Balinese and foreign expats. Expect to pay 200,000Rp ($20) for a one-hour lesson with board hire.
KITTING YOURSELF OUT
Boards can be rented from surf shops or straight off the beach at popular breaks for around $10 a day. You can also pick up rash vests, wetsuits, and brand-name surf gear.
You can bring your own board and gear from Australia. Most airlines will take one well-packed surfboard (under 23kg) free of charge but check before you fly.
Surf camps
LEARN TO SURF WITH LIKE-MINDED PEOPLE
Kima has boutique surf camps in Seminyak, Canggu and Uluwata.
A global outfit with an excellent surf outfit in Canggu.
A popular surf camp and surf school in Padang Padang.
If you’re really serious about surfing in Bali, or if you want to learn to surf among like-minded people, there are plenty of surf camps for all abilities. Though often called ‘camps’, these outfits offer a range of accommodation from dorms or simple guest rooms to up-market resort accommodation with meals and surf lessons. There are even guided surf tours for more experienced riders.
Find the best breaks
WHERE TO SURF IN BALI
Most surfers head for the beach strip between Kuta and Canggu. Or venture south to the western side of the Bukit Peninsula, where the string of famous left-hand breaks includes Uluwata and Padang Padang.
Kuta Beach
THE HOME OF SPIRITUAL SURFING
This is where it began and where surfing was popularised in Indonesia in the 1960s. Kuta usually has plenty of novices trying to stay upright thanks to gentle beach breaks, abundant surf schools or freelance instructors and board hire by the hour. For more easy surfing and a more sophisticated crowd head a little further north to Seminyak Beach.
Hotels near Kuta Beach
Uluwata
THE HOLY GRAIL
This is the Holy Grail for surfers visiting Bali. Uluwata and its renowned left-hand reef breaks have become famous worldwide and the whole southwest coast of the Bukit Peninsula is often referred to as Uluwata.
The Pura Luhur Ulu Watu Hindu temple is an important landmark here and the jagged cliffs and friendly guesthouses attract travellers and spectators watching the pro surfers weaving magic in the swells below. Popular breaks include Temples, Bombie, and Racetracks. If you’re unsure how to enter the surf, ask a fellow surfer but this is not for beginners or the faint-hearted.
Hotels near Uluwata
Bingin
A BACKPACKER VIBE
Just north of Padang Padang, Bingin Beach is another Bukit beauty with stunning cliff views and surfer and backpacker cafes above offering a local vibe. The consistent surf here means it can get crowded, but it’s suited to more experienced surfers.
Hotels near Bingin
Balangan
SURF SHACKS AND SUNSETS
The most northerly of the surf beaches on this part of the Bukit Peninsula, Balangan is a place where surf shacks and backpacker bars pepper the beach and guests gather for sunset views. The surf is a fast-breaking left best suited to intermediates or experts.
Hotels near Balangan
East Coast
OFF-SEASON OPTIONS
During the rainy season months of June to August, persistent surfers head over to the family-friendly resort beach at Nusa Dua on the east coast.
Surf can be patchy, but the Nusa Dua reef offers a decent right-hand reef break. Other breaks include Temple Lefts and Chickens. Keramas, about 20km northeast of Denpasar, is another off-season option with a right-hand break. It’s not for beginners though. Expect long barrel sections and plenty of pros making the trip here.
Hotels near East Coast
Canggu
THE SCENE
Canggu retains a village feel but has developed into quite the scene of surfers, expats, and digital nomads in the past decade. The main surf beach here is Batu Bolong – you can take lessons at places like Magic Surf School. Further north again, Echo Beach features big waves that draw crowds.
Hotels near Canggu
Padang Padang
BIG BARRELS
If Uluwata is the most famous wave on the peninsula, Padang Padang to the north is the break that attracts experienced surfers and pros in the know when conditions are just right and producing long barrels. This is a great place to watch top surfers in action. Nearby, Baby Padang is a right-hand break suited to less experienced surfers.
Hotels near Padang Padang
Dreamland
A DREAM FOR BEGINNERS
The next beach north is the enticingly named Dreamland, a little stretch of sand with the sprawling five-star Jumeirah Bali and Kalpa resorts up above. Dreamland’s left-hand break is more for novices and intermediate surfers building experience on the Bukit Peninsula. It’s a great place to improve your technique.
Hotels near Dreamland
Balian Beach
ESCAPE AWAY
Further out west, two hours by road northwest of Denpasar, Balian is the place to escape the crowds with left and right surf breaks funnelled from the nearby river mouth. It’s a chilled scene a world away from Kuta Beach.
Hotels near Balian Beach
Once you’re out of the water and on dry land, it’s time to explore more of Bali. We’re looking at the best places to stay, how to get around and outdoor activities.
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