Kuta, surfing and surroundings

French version here

Days 4 to 9 - from 30/09 to 05/10

After a very nice end of day in Lenbomgan with the girls and the opening of the champagne received in the plane, I still spend a bad night (still jetlag).

Despite my desire to visit this island. I decided to go with the girls to Kuta as I did not find an affordable hostel!

The ferry trip was agitated due to huge waves!

Our hostel is a bit far from the center and we get lost on our way to the beaches and downtown.

We finally arrived in Kuta and in the main street, we found only expensive European or American restaurants.It is in a small street that we find the restaurant that will become our headquarters during our stay in Kuta. It is quiet, with a pool. They do local food which was very good and cheap and all the staff is very warm. (you'll find all the good tips below).

**The Minardises**

Unfortunately, on this day of arrival it was white rice and coke for me, my stomach is a bit fragile!

Surf

surf Kuta

surf Kuta day1

surf Kuta day2

surf Kuta day3

surf Kuta day4

The girls are motivated to surf with me and we choose the beginners package (3 courses of 2h30) in one of the surf schools of the beach 66.So, from the day after we began 3 days with early alarm clock (and those who know me know that mornings are always hard for me, but once in the water, I forgot)!

From the first class, we all stand-up, the second and third, we try to turn, feel the wave ourselves. Every day we get better and stand-up more often 😊.

That said I must confess that on the first courses I always had strange positions to keep the balance (and no! I was not creating a new trendy discipline salsa surf).

** The Minardises**

Inevitably, first course, first bump on the front. When falling, I forgot safety rules and did not protect my head! Anyway, I like it (not the bump, the surf!)

I decide to take a 4th course, an intermediate course. The goal is not only to stand up by being pushed by foam but to go behind the wave, paddle with the arms quickly in order to take enough speed to be on the wave at the right time and with the right speed. It was my most tiring and difficult course.

First because with my little arms I cannot paddle hard enough (but I had a nice instructor pushing me from time to time to give me this impression). The balance is no longer the same and you have to feel the right moment to get up if you have the right speed otherwise you swallow water for sure. I only stand up 3 times (I let you imagine the number of liter of water that I drink!!). And finally, we must paddle, lying on the board to go beyond the waves.

After 2h30 surfing I no longer felt my legs or my arms! I'll see tomorrow, but I think aches are going to be hard.

I am rather proud of my beginnings in surfing and I really enjoyed this activity (despite the burns on almost all the fingers and the palms).

The Beach

Kuta beach is very lively, there are little bars, surf to rent, you can buy fresh coconuts, get a massage or buy a souvenir.

You can also, as we did, sympathize with cute squirrels hiding in the branches of trees.At the end of the day, the beach is the ideal spot to watch the sunset. It is beautiful !

sunset kuta beach

kuta beach

squirel

squirel 2

The city

Kuta is a tourist city with all the bars and restaurants you could imagine, shops and nightclubs. However, you can also find nice restaurants and during my stay it was quieter than what I imagined. If you forget the main street, you can walk in the evening without having to walk in this heavy street with too much music.

Tanah Lot

It was a place I did too quickly and I regret it. Indeed, we did not anticipate the traffic jams and arrived at the temple at the beginning of the sunset. The ideal would have been to arrive before, take the time to see the temple then quietly admire the sunset and the view.The sunset is magical.

Unfortunately, I could not climb into the temple because of a ceremony. This Hindu temple, perched on a rocky promontory, was built as a tribute to the sea’s spirits.

The entrance is not free and its surroundings have been invested by small shops of all kinds.

Seminyak

This is the trendy area with shops and bars, the seaside is full of resort. More chic and slightly quieter than its neighbor Kuta, there are just as many tourists. I bought a dress at the market and I'm back.

tips:

• Visit Tanah Lot early enough, as the sunset begins around 5:30 pm (entry at 60,000 INR)

• Grab or Uber for your transfer on the island is really much cheaper

• The restaurant Taman Sari in Kuta is very nice, the staff is warm and the local food is very good. Compared to Kuta, you can eat here for a cheap 20 to 35 k INR for a local dish

• The Bali Caps hostel, although not located in the center may be a good option using Grab or if walking does not scare you. The hostel is very nice, the atmosphere bagpacker is very warm thanks to its common areas well arranged, you can even make a laundry. Dormitories are comfortable and cleans. Small Extra: the capsule effect with a curtain per bed that allows you privacy

• The Nau Here Hostel: Once the girls left I changed hostel to get closer to the center. More expensive than the previous one for a girl dormitory it is also less warm. Note that you should always walk for a while to reach the city center. Anyway, this hostel is also very good, clean and comfortable. Small extra: some facilities are nice, shower gel and shampoo are provided, breakfast is included and you can dry your hair.

• Sunkissed surf School: This is the school where we took our surf lessons. I am satisfied with the lessons; however, I did not compare with another school. Small Extra: they do courses of 3 people maximum with the same level (I had a private course for my last course). On the beach, we saw schools taking a large group, I guess this is clearly less comfortable. (To count 300 000 € the course with the photographs negotiating a little).