Indonesia is a tropical country situated in Southeast Asia. Its territory consists of 17,500 islands spread across 5120 km from east to west. Where 60% of its area is dominated by waters with a coastline of 99,000 km. Indonesia’s territory is renowned as the largest archipelago in the world.
With such coastline conditions, Indonesia is famous for its many surfing spots. We could find more than 100 surfing locations in Indonesia. Those locations are spread across several islands, including Bali, Lombok, Java, and Sumatra. However, we only introduce some recommended surfing spots for you in this blog.
Bali, a provincial island of Indonesia, is famous as one of the world's tourist destinations. Blessed with beautiful natural views and unique culture, it has become a magnet for tourists from all over the world. Apart from that, Bali is also known to have many beaches which are often visited by world surfers.
Today, there are about 26 surfing beach locations in Bali. All of those locations are located in the southern part of the island and reside Along the coastline of the Indian Ocean. Of which provide those beaches with quality waves.
Among all of those locations, we recommend the following 3 beaches for you:
The suggestion when traveling to surf in Bali is to stay in the Kuta area. You can find many accommodations with prices varying from as low as Rp 300,000 up to Rp 7,500,000 per night. The Kuta area can be reached in about 30 to 45 minutes by cab from Bali Airport (5 km).
Be aware that since the Kuta area is popular, make sure to book your accommodation far in advance. To secure your accommodation during the high tourist season,
Further, for more comfort in moving around, the advice is to rent a motorbike or a scooter. You can rent a motorbike or a scooter with a surfboard rack for Rp 65,000 up to Rp 280,000 per day, with no deposit required.
If you come in a group, you can ask the staff at your hotel to arrange for a minivan rental with affordable prices as well.
In terms of dining and hang-out places, Kuta is surrounded by lots of international cafés, restaurants, and nighttime spots. You can even find more economical dining places if you dare to ask around where to find them.
Kuta is the most popular beach in Bali, both for foreign and local tourists. This beach stretches about 2 km from south to north. It is famous for having a variety of wave qualities. It is an ideal surfing spot for beginners or advanced surfers.
Located in the South Kuta area, along the inner South-West coastline. The Padang-Padang spot is popular for its intense barrel waves. The best surfing location for expert and professional surfers.
From the Kuta area, this place can be reached in 40 minutes to 1 hour with a motorbike ride. This surfing spot is not too busy because most of the time, it is only visited by surfers.
The Uluwatu area is known as one of the sacred areas for Hindus in Bali. The center is at the Uluwatu Temple, one of the most visited destinations in Bali. The surfing spot is located right in the waters below the cliff where the Uluwatu temple stands.
Located at the outer southwest corner of Bali, the Indian Ocean provides an ideal 5 different peak types of waves to ride. Highly recommended for expert and pro surfers. You can reach the location in about 40 minutes to a 1-hour motorbike ride from Kuta Area.
Lombok is a neighboring island to Bali. Where Mataram, the capital of West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), is located. Even though it is not as popular as Bali, Lombok's natural beauty can be said to be almost similar to its neighboring islands.
The culture of the Lombok people is no less unique than Bali. Besides, the Lombok center of tourists is also named Kuta, a sandy beach spot.
Next to being a popular tourist destination, Lombok is known for having several famous surfing spots as well. Just like Bali, the southern coast of Lombok Island also borders the Indian Ocean. So, the fierce and intense waves of the Indian Ocean also provide Lombok with several ideal surfing locations.
The following are 3 recommended beaches among more than 20 surfing spots in Lombok.
In similar circumstances, if you plan to surf on any of those beaches, we recommend booking your stay in the Kuta Lombok area. It takes around a 30 to 45-minute cab ride from Lombok Airport.
In terms of accommodation, you can easily find them in the Kuta area, where more than 200 hotels and lodgings are located. You can get a room price from as low as Rp 250,000 up to Rp 6,000,000 per night. Meanwhile, for transportation, you better rent a motorbike that only costs you Rp 85,000 up to Rp 300,000 per day.
Seger Beach is located close to the Mandalika International MotoGP Circuit and the famous Lombok Kuta Beach, the tourist center of Lombok. It only takes around 10 minutes to take a scooter ride from Kuta-Lombok.
The attraction of surfing in Seger Beach is the snappy waves, as you can find consistent left-hand and right-hand waves. The location is favorable for beginner and intermediate surfers. The best time to surf in Seger Beach is from September to December, during the rainy season.
Areguling Beach is located relatively close to Kuta Lombok Beach. Approximately around 9.3 km to the west of Kuta, with approximately 19 min of motorbike ride. The waves characteristic of Areguling are pretty much similar to Seger Beach.
It is ideal for an intermediate surfer to practice and enhance their skill level. The recommendation on accommodation and transportation is similar to the earlier mentioned Seger Beach.
Selong-Belanak Beach is located about 19 km west of Kuta Lombok Beach. It is a 30- to 40-minute moto bike ride from Kuta. Selong-Belanak beach possesses a quite lengthy beach line of almost 5 km in length. Although the wave's characteristics are quite similar to Areguling and Seger, Selong-Belanak is known as the most visited beach by intermediate surfers.
Speaking about accommodation, there are some resorts and guest houses available nearby in Selong-Belanak. However, we tend to recommend having your stay in Kuta unless you prefer a calmer environment in which to spend your vacation days.
Java is the most populated region in Indonesia. It is the 5th largest island of Indonesia. The surfing spots in Java are very different from those in Bali and Lombok. The surfing locations are scattered.
Neat travel planning is required since travel time is challenging. Most of the surfing spot’s locations involved lengthy land travel. The accommodation availability is not as varied as in Bali and Lombok.
Following are the recommended surfing spots in Java.
G-Land, or Grajagan Bay, is a beach village in Banyuwangi, East Java. The travel suggestion is by land travel from Bali, using an inter-provincial public bus heading to Banyuwangi. Do not worry about the comfortable travel; you can get a cozy airconditioned bus with Rp 200,000 to Rp 300,000 per pax. The travel time from Bali to Banyuwangi takes about 4 to 6 hours. Afterward, you continue heading to Grajagan Bay using a local taxi or a rental car.
The best way to travel is by booking your stay at the available surf camp in Grajagan Bay. The price varies from US$640 up to $900 per 3 days and nights. You could ask the Surf Camp to arrange your local transportation from Banyuwangi as well.
The G-Land surf spot is famous for its break cluster, which is about 5 and sometimes can reach up to 11. Famous with its fascinating clear water. G-Land resides within the Alas Purwo Natural Conservation area and borders the Indian Ocean.
Pangandaran and Batu Karas beach are located in Pangandaran Regency of West Java. The recommended travel is to start from Jakarta using the Train. It is a one-fare ticket at Rp 525,000 per pax with transit in Bandung. It is a total of 14 hours of train travel time from Jakarta to Pangandaran. Once you reach Banjar railway station in Pangandaran, you use a local cab or car rental to head to Pangandaran Beach for a short trip.
The suggestion is to stay at Pangandaran Beach, as you can choose one of many of the accommodations available. The price varies from Rp 300,000 up to Rp 3,000,000 per night. Again, for local traveling, you can rent a motorbike or a scooter starting from Rp 80,000 per day.
The waves at Pangandaran Beach are break peaks since it is part of the Indian Ocean beachline. It is recommended for beginner to intermediate-skill surfers. The coastal environment is considerably clean and friendly, as it is part of the Pangandaran National Park.
Batukaras is another exciting surfing spot with similar-quality waves. It is a beachside village about 29 km west of Pangandaran Beach. It takes only 45 minutes with a motorbike ride.
Panaitan Island is located on the Banten Province beachfront. The island is part of the Pandeglang Regency, and it is a national conservation park. The best way to travel to Panaitan Island is to start from Jakarta, then book your accommodation and ask for a travel-inclusive price. The lodging price is about US$ 250 per pax per day.Â
The wave of Panaitan Island is known as one of the best in Java. The wave quality is similar to G-Land Bay. Next to surfing, the excitement of Panaitan Island is the view of the wildlife of the conservation park.
Mentawai Island is located in the Indian Ocean beachfront of West Sumatera Province. To reach Mentawai, you must first fly from Jakarta to Padang, the Capital of West Sumatra. Then, continue your travel using the local ferry from Padang to Siberut, Mentawai.
The recommendation is to stay overnight in Padang before taking the ferry ship towards Mentawai. The airfare from Jakarta to Padang is about Rp 1,000,000 per pax. While the ferry ticket costs about Rp 95,000 per pax. For accommodation, you can book your stay at Mentawai-surfcamp.com. The lodging price could be similar to the earlier mentioned Panaitan Island.
The surf spots in Mentawai Island are located on the west coastline that borders the Indian Ocean. There are two known spots, the North Sipora and the South Sipora. Both are famous for their lengthy breaks and the clear ocean water. It is the location where the world competition was held in December 2022.
Nias Island is located on the western beachfront of North Sumatra Province. To travel to Nias you need to fly to Medan, the capital of the province. Then, continue by taking a small airplane from Medan to Gunung Sitoli, Nias.
If you fly from Jakarta to Medan, the airfare costs about Rp 1,600,000 per pax. Meanwhile, the small airplane fares from Medan to Nias cost about Rp 1,300,000 per pax. For accommodation, you can book your stay at Nias and surf at a price pretty similar to Panaitan Island lodging.
Similar to Mentawai, the surf spots in Nias are located at the West coastline of the line, the Indian Ocean beachfront. The wave quality of Nia's west coast beaches is considered one the best in the world as well. Best fit for expert and pro surfers. The famous spot is the Lagundry bay.
As we have described earlier, next to the aforementioned locations, there are many other surfing spots in Indonesia. Sumbawa Island and Sumba Island, which are located to the east of Lombok, also have many surfing spots.
There are some spots located on Celebes Island as well. To be frank, Indonesia has many undiscovered beaches with quality waves.
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