This is a guide to an awesome surf adventure in Bali. Also, this is a skeleton view of my favorite vacation on earth.
- Fly into Denpesar (DPS) airport on the island of Bali in Indonesia. Take an official taxi (one with a meter where you can buy your fare from the airport desk) to some hostel or hotel in Kuta or Legian. Warning: When you get out of that airport you will be mobbed by very friendly people willing to carry your bags and take you anywhere you want to go. Don’t go with them; wait for a taxi. Arrival in Bali is a beautiful chaotic mess. Use the official taxi to get you to a pre-booked room where you can sleep and gather yourself after that flight.
- Enjoy a spell of walking around Kuta or Legian. Go to a market, eat exotic fruit you’ve never seen before, try strange goodies and buy an awesome knockoff. Go to the beach and drink some Bintang. Have a sleep and get out of that mad place. Head towards Padang Padang Beach.
- Find a place called Bali Rocks. Bali Rocks is a hard to find spot near the Padang Inn. There is also a surfer run mexican food restaurant that marks where you need to head towards the cliffs. There are no signs for welcome or stay out. Walk down the long cobblestone path on the souther side of the building. Continue down a gravel cliffside road and down the steep stairs. It’s one hell of a staircase so pack light. Make this your home base for at least a week. Bali Rocks is the #1 spot because it is right on the side of a cliff overlooking a perfect long right reef break called “impossibles.” Before you carry all your stuff down there, hike down without your bags and ask about a room. The guy that runs the place is named “Gday.” He’s super nice and he speaks english and russian. He can offer a 2 person room for 12 $US per night.
- Enjoy the best time of your life living here. You can eat out for about 2.50 $US per person. Rent a scooter so you can travel all around the place. The longer you rent the scooter, the less it costs. Our scooter ended up costing about 2.00 $US per day. Now you have free fun transport, inexpensive delicious food and a stunning place to live. Millionaires don’t have it this good. We did this for a month and spent about 1,000 $US between the two of us.
- One day you’ll probably have to leave. This will be the hardest day of your life. Go back to the airport and enjoy every second before you get back on that plane. There is no doubt that it will take you to a far less enjoyable place.
This is the blue print you need to live in the most beautiful place in the world. Smile and wave to the Balinese, they will return your smiles with even bigger ones. Drive that scooter everywhere you can. Send me a message and tell me you are there. I’ll be jealous.