Back to Bali 🌴
Back to Bali 🌴
A few thoughts after returning to my old pre-pandemic 'home' for about six weeks in mid 2023 - The Land of Lovely Lefts 🌊
Note this little report is now almost a year old from when I was there..
Pros/Cons of Bali 🤷♂️
Canggu Routines 💪
Motocross Adventure 🏍️
Freediving in Nusa Penida 🥽
TLDR:
Bali is still awesome (if you know where to go), but yes it has changed a LOT since 2019.
If someone tells you they went there and had a bad time, they probably went to Kuta/Sanur, did some shitty tourist package, got bum-wees from eating fried rice (yuck) and are generally a Karen (I love Indonesia but Indonesian food is 💩).
Prices on food, accommodation and scooter hire had gone up by at least a third, and in many instances had doubled.
Traffic is worse than EVER – probably worse than in 2019. Do not plan to get a GoJek car (Indo Uber) anywhere after about 3pm until 9pm.
Ruskies everywhere; Actually outnumbering Australians when I was there.
Once you get out of the ‘main drag’, from Uluwatu to Pererernan (including Ubud), the island still has its original charm, and is still super cheap.
Overall - Still one of the best places in the world to park up for a few weeks/months (particularly for a lad); whether for a party trip, surf trip, for fitness or even to put the head down and do some work (rapid WiFi everywhere). I have never been to any other place in the world (I’ve been to 50+ countries) where you can do SO MUCH FUN sh*t all in one tiny place, all with epic weather and attractive people everywhere.
As I mentioned in my first post, back in the pre-pandemic days, I used to rent out an epic villa in Bali with an awesome crew of people in my time off from working in far-north Western Australia. I would get to spend about 12 full days per month living there, before flying back to Australia to go back to work for two weeks. Looking back it was a bloody good setup, one I wish I could have enjoyed for a few more years, before the world's governments went completely loco in 2020.
After hanging up the boots in May 2023, spending a few weeks placating my parents in Tassie, Bali was the obvious first port of call to spend a month or so; good weather, great food, waves, freediving, motorbikes and probably the most epic gyms on the planet (something I am seriously missing in Latin America right now! 🏋️♂️ Will do a post on this sometime but fk me, gym culture in Latin American countries is so disrespectful that it is comical).
Bali 101: Pro’s and Con’s (if you have never been)
Pros:
Friendliest local people you will meet. 🤲 Extremely tolerant of drunk Australians and rude Russians (lots of those in Bali). Indonesia is a majority Muslim country that still practices extreme Sharia law in certain parts (see Banda Aceh), but the Balinese culture is a holdout of the last bastion of a type of Hinduism, that was prevalent across the entire archipelago before the Islamic influence crept in from the East.
Great subtropical climate. 🌴 It gets hot and humid AF for some months of the year, but it is generally epic. Aircon is NON-NEGOTIABLE for a 192cm sweaty white Caucasian such as yours truly. I have heard people say ‘Don’t go in the wet season’, bollocks! Yes, it will rain once a day for an hour or so but it is actually nice. Going for a surf in a tropical downpour (with no wind) is amazing. The wet season usually means slightly fewer people too.
Epic Surf. 🌊 Nearly every wave is a left hander, with some exceptions on the eastern side of the island (only work for part of the year). However, (especially now more than ever) all the main spots are crowded AF, from beginner spots in Canggu to 10ft plus Uluwatu, the lineup will be packed. I am a pretty shitty surfer so can’t comment much more, BUT if you want to come for a surf trip there are SO MANY other options all throughout Indo, and you can connect through Bali airport, simples. This is the best surf country in the world, period.
Cost. 💰As I mentioned above, prices have gone up a shiteload since 2019, but if you plan accordingly it is still very cheap compared to a trip in any Western country. Once you get out of the main tourist areas of southern Bali, prices drop dramatically. I spent time this trip in Amed and Nusa Penida, both were still super cheap (Whole fresh fish and rice for dinner with a beer $10 AUD). I still managed to snag an epic place in Canggu for $35 AUD per night too (kingsize bed, aircon, ensuite bathroom, communal kitchen, pool etc), but not sure if it is still this cheap..
Gyms. 💪Due to so much competition, the gym facilities here are second to none. This will annoy the MMA crowd, but gyms in Bali are WAY better than Thailand IMO. There are numerous fight gyms in Canggu now too. My mate who is in Bali at time of writing in (April 2024) said there are heaps of new gyms now in Pererernan and Canggu (my old hangout). Some (most) of them are not cheap, but the facilities are generally epic, with saunas, ice-baths, outdoor and indoor aircon areas, and working out shirtless and barefoot is actually encouraged, which is great. (Every time I try do barefoot squats in Latin America I get told immediately to put my shoes back on 🙄).
Epic Food. 🍽️ Surprises people when I say Bali has probably the best food on the planet. What I mean by this is not shitty Nasi Goreng Indo food, but the number of little restaurants and cafes everywhere (especially in Canggu and Pererernan areas) that do every other type of cuisine you can imagine. French bakeries, Mexican, Italian pizza places, breweries, steak restaurants come to mind, and just some of the restaurants in general are awesome. Back in the pre-pandemic days we used to eat out nearly every night.
Good Airport for International Connections. ✈️ This is another reason it is such a good spot to start a big trip; the airport has connections to basically anywhere in the world, and if it doesn’t, Singapore is only a 1-hour flight away, which connects to everywhere. Super easy. Another thing I have noticed since being in Latin America is that flying SUCKS relative to Asia. From Bali for example you have super cheap options with Air Asia right up to Singapore, Thai Airways and Qatar, which are probably the three best economy airlines in the world.
Party Scene. 🪩 I was 33 when I was there last year, and have hit the point of basically detesting more than 3 or 4 drinks, unless for a special occasion 👴. But the party scene in Bali is world-famous. Every night there is something somewhere, it has changed a lot from ‘back in my day’ (in 2019 we knew where to go every single night in Canggu for a huge night). Be sure to not touch any drugs in Indo though! Not worth it 🔫 #Bali9
Good International Schooling Options. 👶 Can’t comment on this one too much as I don’t have any ninos that I am aware of - but I caught up with my old housemate when I was there (has lived there for over seven years), who had just had a son. He said there were a few really good international schools, though I think they are super expensive.
One of my favourite steak restaurants in Echo Beach (Canggu) - Smoke, Bali. No idea if it is still there. Cons:
Traffic. ⛔ A nightmare. 98% of the islands roads are only 2-lane, and all the houses have been built right up to the road (there are no footpaths in Bali, another con), so it is impossible to widen most of them. The infrastructure was not designed for the sheer number of tourists that visit each year (millions). Do not expect to go anywhere fast in the main part of the island after about 3pm.
Long-Term Housing Prices NOT Cheap. 🛖Talking with mates who lived there throughout covid - Due to the influx of people 1) escaping tyrannical government lockdowns and 2) Russians and Ukrainians with money fleeing the war, in 2022/23 villa prices went vertical (after plummeting to nothing in 2020). Not sure about now but as far as I am aware its more expensive to rent a villa long-term in Canggu than it would be in Australia (although with immigration in Australia forcing rents up…Don’t get me started).
Scooters = Not Safe. 🛵 I have never had an accident on one (I should have) but the roads are packed with 1000’s of tourists on scooters, many drunk and most having never ridden one before. Seeing accidents is commonplace (I have seen deaths).
A LOT of Vegan restaurants. 🌱Enough said 🤢 On more than one occasion I have pulled my motorbike into what appeared to be a lovely new cafe after a morning paddle or gym sesh, only to order a latte that has some form of fake fking soy milk, and then realising it was a vegan cafe… 🤦♂️ Shit you not I once saw ‘cockroach milk’ as an option in one cafe I accidentally stumbled into. I asked them if they had any milk that came from a nipple, and received blank stares 🍼
Extortion With Policia/Officials Not Uncommon. Back in the day I would always carry a few 100k rupiah ($10 AUD) notes with me to pull out to bribe the police if they pulled ya over for something. It rarely happens but it does happen. I assume inflation has affected bribes too. Coming from ‘Nanny State’ Australia, I actually think low-level corruption can be a big positive (if you have money), as you can always bribe your way into or out of something with enough rupiah… I know of many people who lived in Bali during covid, payed 200 - 300 bucks and got an official vaccination certificate without actually getting the shot (smart). Won’t get into all that here 😅.
Don’t expect First World Treatment if shit goes south. 🏥 Given the sheer number of tourists, healthcare in Bali actually is not too bad at all. I make this point more to the fact that it is not the first world, and you will need to fly elsewhere for serious treatments. Again, not suitable for cotton-wool Karens.
My Fav Spots on the Island - Summarised for a First-Timer
I hope I am not turning into a travel blogger…. 😑
Pererenan/Seseh: Prob the spot I’d base myself if I was spending more than a few weeks in Bali (as of one year ago). Still relatively quiet, still cheap accomm & food if you hunt around, close to Canggu (the action) but also still with rice-paddy vibes. Traffic not as bad as further south. Gyms everywhere and can still surf.
Canggu: Rammed with people (more on Canggu below) now. If you are here for a short trip, I’d either stay in the ‘Gu’ or Uluwatu. Still a really cool place, but stuffed to the gills with superficial influencer types. Amazing cafes and restaurants, and good waves (party waves).
Medewi: Longest wave on the island (longboarders). Beautiful little Balinese village, a few hours away from the main drag towards Java, still really cheap and really quiet. Not much else to do here but surf, sleep and read. Also check out Balian on the way to Medewi.
Sideman: Visit to see the real authentic Bali (I hope its still like this..). Halfway between Denpasar and Mount Agung, it is a valley full of tiny little villages, rice paddies and jungle, almost zero english spoken, temples everywhere, cheap, would 100% recommend over Ubud (Ubud is more for las chicas doing their inaugural Julia Roberts pilgrimage).
Amed: Diving/Freediving town on the north-east coast. Beautiful, cheap AF, fresh seafood everywhere, epic sunset views of Mount Agung, amazing co-working from Blue Earth Village. Ferry connections to the Gili Islands and Lombok.
Uluwatu/West Bukit: Expensive and super touristy now (more expensive than Canggu), it is still an epic place to hang out (As I said above I love Balangan, which is about 20 mins away from Ulu). The spot to visit for intermediate - advanced shortboarders. Some epic memories of Single Fin Sundays from back in the day (still fun).
Seminyak: Not my vibe at all but for the traveller who wants 90% western comfort (and prices), shopping, hotels etc, its the ‘main’ spot.
Nusa Dua/East Bukit: For families, people with kids, and/or if you want a more quiet/resort style vibe. Also some surf spots around here.
A stop in S.E Asia and specifically Bali, for any bloke coming from NZ/Aus (or any lad) embarking on a 6 month + trip to either Europe or The Americas is a no-brainer IMO. Get fit, get sun (unless you have Scottish ancestral skin like me), get waves, eat epic food and don’t break the bank doing it. Porque no?
I actually have another geologist mate that I used to live with in Sydney, who just quit his job in mining after nearly a decade, and is embarking on a similar itinerary that I did (shoutout to Sam). He is in Bali at the time of writing and having a great time by the sound of it.
2023 Bali Highlights
I could waffle on about Bali for a long time, though I feel many of my thoughts are outdated now. So - I’ll just summarise the three best parts of my 2023 trip last year instead.
1 - Canggu/Pererenan Routine 🥥
OK sounds kind of lame to some but I am of the age now where I love to get into a solid routine, where I feel I am doing something to better myself (whether fitness, reading, new hobby, investing, socialising, whatever).
So, it was nice to get into an epic routine for 2 weeks straight (could have easily done 2 months) when I was there typically consisting of;
Morning beach coffee, podcast & Kindle 📖
1 hour-ish surf 🏄♂️
Huge feed an epic cafe somewhere 🍳
Finally, spending the rest of the day at my favourite gym on the island, Nirvana 🏋️♂️
This gym has an indoor aircon gym, outdoor AstroTurf section (all brand new equipment), big sauna, two ice baths, jacuzzi, 2 coworking spaces and a cafe that specialises in Carnivore Meals (this setup is legit heaven for me). It’s a great place to meet really cool people you would never meet back in Australia, successful entrepreneurial types etc.
However, if you are an energy investor like me, beware of the crypto-bro chat in the saunas, it does my fking head in 🤦♂️ Again more blank stares when I ask them where all the electricity will come from to ‘mine’ all the coins (hint; more coal, gas and nuclear power)? I digress (and no I am not anti-crypto, calm down).
There are probably heaps of gyms like Nirvana in Bali now, but this one was always my personal favourite. Like I said above; I have now been in Latin America for about 6 months (and I love it), but I really miss the gym and fitness culture of Bali (and even Australia).
Note: Our pre-pandemic hangout of Canggu is now absolutely rammed with people, traffic, and 100s of cafes, shops and bars. It is unrecognisable since I first went there in 2014 (literally only 3 bars back then). But to be honest, it’s still a pretty fkn cool place to hang out, at least for a few days, as long as you don’t mind being surrounded by mucho wannabe influencers & eat-pray-loves types.
Our old 2019 villa was in the quiet & sleepy but as of 2023 no longer quiet & sleepy Pererenan (5 min north of Canggu). This place is becoming SUPER busy now too, with I would say a quintupling of restaurants and cafes from 2019, as development moves further north around the coast.
My advice would be stay in Pererenan (or further north) and then commute into Canggu as required.
2 - Two-Day Motocross Trip Across the Island ⛰️
This was something I had wanted to do for ages, and had planned to do back in 2020 before the world shut down.
This trip was fking epic, exceeded my expectations and I would recommend to ANY bloke out there, even if you don’t ride bikes (I barely do, I don’t even have a license in Australia).
I want to try and do a 6-day trip with this same company from Bali to Java in the next few years if I get the time, it was that epic (you ride across Bali and East Java, and on the last day ride up the famous Bromo volcano, including riding around the active crater at the top). I am not affiliated with them (or anyone here), just telling it like it is.
Bali Wilderness Dirt Bike was the company (again no affiliation) that I would recommend checking out. I can’t remember the prices; it wasn’t ‘cheap’, but the service was amazing, the guides were really cool local Balinese fellas, bikes were near new Yamaha 250’s, and it included accommodation and all the gear etc.
The first day I was with a bunch of English lads who lived in Australia. Before we arrived at the Mount Batur Volcano we spent the morning riding through narrow jungle paths and rice paddies. All of us fell off the bikes at least once, it is super sketchy riding in the mud. No injuries though!
Could never imagine doing something like this in Australia (in terms of cost and rules etc), with the amount of insurance and licenses you would need, not to mention all the bloody rules and regulations..
Day 2 was a mammoth ride up and out of the Batur Caldera (incredible views) and then through a remote part of the northern side of the Island, back along the northern coast, before cutting through deep jungle tracks to get back to Ubud (where we started).
Although I quit my job, a part of me will always be a geologist at heart. Volcanology was one of my favourite subjects at uni, and I found myself continually nearly crashing off the bike as a stared at the dyke swarms and lystric faulting along the sides of the caldera (don’t worry I wont bore you geological jargon and hyperbole).
What I loved about this was finally seeing the real authentic Bali. We would ride through tiny villages with only about 50 people, no one spoke English and all the kids would run out to high-five me as I rode past. Epic.
Next, it was onto beach riding for many kilometres (can not imagine doing that in Aus!). Was bloody hard riding on soft sand, you need to keep it full throttle in 2nd gear just to stop getting bogged.
The last part of the day was through deep jungle near the Agung Volcano (Bali’s main and most active volcano). We had to stop to clear the path numerous times. Towards the end of the day I came unstuck pretty spectacularly, hit a big tree root and launched myself off the bike, copping a handlebar in the ribs when the bike landed on me. Thankfully just a massive bruise 🤕.
Again if ya in Bali for more than a week or so, definitely check out these guys. You will see the real Balinese parts of the north of the island, and have an absolute sick time doing it. I also didn’t mention that the guides cater to your skill level; from beginner right up to full motocross (I am intermediate, but the Bali boys definitely pushed me).
3) Freediving in Nusa Penida @ Manta Point & in a Sea-Cave 🦈
Ok I am just gonna say it - if you are a bloke and you go to Nusa Penida just to go get your photo for Instagram in front of the ‘T-Rex rock’ or whatever its called, you are a superficial moron 😂🤦♂️.
Search Nusa Penida on Instagram and you will see what I mean 🐑. Yes, I understand that for (many/most) young women, Instagram and social media can be their entire identity (more posts on this in the future) and that travel now is often done just to get that ‘one special photo’, but fk me, seems to be the only reason people travel there.. Ok, I have stepped off the soapbox 🙂.
Penida Island (Nusa means ‘Island’ in Bahasa) off East Bali in the Lombok Straight is developing fast, but is still relatively underdeveloped. It has the same local Hindu culture, and has the feel that the Bukit region of Bali would have had some 25+ years ago. The southern part of the island is epic limestone cliffs and thick jungle (geologically Penida is upthrust limestone reef/seafloor, not volcanics, which is why the beaches here are beautiful white sand, but I said I wouldn’t bore you with geology😉).
I highly recommend going here while it is still underdeveloped, I foresee clifftop beachclubs probably within the next 5 to 10 years…
It was the last week of my Bali trip before heading to the Middle East, and I had come to Penida to blow the dust out of my lungs and do some freediving with Manta Rays.
I started freediving as a hobby back in 2019, and picked it up again once the travel restrictions started lifting. IMO confidence in basic freediving is a must-have skill for anyone who loves the ocean. It is an epic feeling being able to easily dive down to 10m on one breath and stay down there for > 1 minute; Maybe the anchor is stuck on your mates boat, maybe your girlfriend dropped her GoPro in the water, no problem! 💦
I can not stress how epic it feels to dive down to 15+ metres and go tap a scuba diver on the shoulder, smile and wave to them and see the look of shock on their face! Priceless.
I scuba dove for most of my 20s, and while I think it is a cool ticket that everyone should get, it definitely gets boring after a while. I have met a lot of washed-up mid-30s+ European scuba diving instructors throughout South East Asia; always the same, covered in tattoos of manta rays and whale sharks, leathery old skin from too much sun, and still at square one financially. Not shitting on anyone who is genuinely happy doing this for a living (beats living in some shithole cold city in Europe I guess), but again, I digress…
Learning to Freedive to 10 - 12 metres is simple and fun, and can be learnt easily from a level 1 course (definitely do a course, learn how to equalise properly and how freediving affects human physiology). I recommend Molchanovs as the best system, and have done many courses through them. It was started by the freediving WW holder Alexy Molchanov in conjunction with Aussie Freediving legend Adam Stern. I have met both of these guys a number of times and they are amazing humans.
Also, hit up Dan Parsons at Freediving Central if you’re from NSW - He is an absolute weapon of an all-round nice bloke/freedive instructor (no affiliate).
If you have not seen it, watch Alexy’s 136m(!) WW Dive here, it is fking insane that the human body can do this, and kinda mesmerising to watch. My PB was 35m in 2022. I hope to do my instructor course sometime in my 30’s (you need to dive to 40m to be an instructor 🤯).
Anyway back to Penida! I took a freediving boat to Manta Point, which is a Manta Ray cleaning station off the southern tip of the island, located right beneath the huge cliffs.
Unfortunately, I got to see the nasty side of unregulated tourism in Bali here. There were so many boats, scuba divers and snorkelers everywhere. Stupid snorkelers trying to touch the mantas while their friends filmed on GoPros, and Scuba divers getting way too close as well. Also a boatful of Chinese adults, in the water literally wearing floaties on their arms as they could not swim (disaster waiting to happen)..
Anyway, it was a sick time. Here is a quick vid I grabbed of freediving Manta Point 🥽 (The good thing about freediving with any aquatic animals is that you don’t make any noise, like you do with a scuba tank, so animals come up much closer to you).
On the way back, we stopped at this amazing cave in the limestone cliffs. The cave could only be accessed by diving about 9m underwater, and swimming across about 12m and then coming up. Massive thanks to our Javanese guide for showing us this spot, I don’t think it is too well known.
I am not sure if it is because I loved working in an underground nickel mine for 5 years, but I bloody love freediving through caves. Something about the eerie silence down there, while your diaphragm is punching your lungs telling you to breathe, while you have to just chill out and stay calm, follow the light at the other end (I am making it sound way more dramatic than it actually is). But it’s fking fun!
Anyway, we dove down and popped up in this cave, full of screeching bats. They were not too happy to see us. The video tells more than I can explain in text.
Made some incredible memories that day 🙏.
Next Stop - Israel
Well everyone with a Palestinian flag in their bio just unsubscribed, didn’t they 🙂 (good). Don’t worry, won’t be wading into the politics of all that, well at least not just yet.
I am not Jewish, but had trained Krav Maga in Australia on and off for about three or four years, and now planned to head to Israel to do a 10 day Krav Maga training camp, to start my Euro-Summer.
The plan now was to spend the next four to five months in Mediterranean Europe, visiting some of the more esoteric not-so-touristy areas, before heading over to Mexico in November.
El Fin 🙋♂️
That’s a wrap on my little 2023 Bali report. Gracias if you read this far 😅
If you know anyone who might get a bit of value from the above, or if you got a bit of a laugh out of it, please share it with a mate :)
I plan to keep writing about random travel experiences and strongly opinionated thoughts I have about things - I find writing about stuff quite cathartic, and a great way to catch up on old memories - I’ll try not to turn this into a travel blog!
And again thanks to my best mate Geologo Trader who kept telling me to start writing.
Cheers,
Tom - Van Diemen