Today's photo of the day comes to us from Bali's neighboring island of Lombok. We were there recently to visit our family and we visited beautiful Kuta Beach. For those of you that do not know, this is nothing like Kuta's doppelganger in Bali. Bali's Kuta Beach is beautiful but overrun with tourists and hawkers. The litter can be off putting as well. But Lombok's Kuta is unspoiled white sand beach with clean water and interesting rock out-croppings. The surfing might not be quite as good as Bali's Kuta but it does make for a more relaxing and relatively more private beach day.
Beautiful girls relax in a hammock on Kuta Beach, LombokThis photo is getting quite a bit of exposure on Facebook and other social media so I thought I should put it in its rightful place as well as our Balifornian Photo of the Day.
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Our friend and great young surfer Mas Ricko shreads the waves at Keramas Beach. This was a fairly mild day of waves but this little known break (by foreigners) is perhaps the most publicized 'new' break in all of Bali. Known for years by surf pros and locals as being one of the best spots on the island, the new Sunrise Road has opened up access to this amazing surf spot. Few accommodations and restaurants in the area make it difficult to get to, but our new Balifornian Purnama Villas will solve this problem in style. Professional surf contests occur here frequently but it remains an uncrowded spot for the most part.
Our buddy Mas Ricko rips the lip on this wave near our villas while surfing Keramas BeachCheck Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog for much more surfing news and events. http://www.balifornian.com
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Our Adventure Photo Safaris~Are you a photographer or just love to take pictures? Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers. Take a look at the images in thegallery, as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours. The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers. Contact us at photo@balifornian.comtoday for more information.
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Happy travels! Salamat Jalan!
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I am perhaps the harshest critic of Kuta but I do have to give it its due on a couple points. It has changed quite a bit in the 17 years I have been coming here and just 20 years before that, Jalan Pantai Kuta was just a dirt road lined with coconut trees linking Kuta, Seminyak and Legian. But now it is packed with hawkers, chain stores, drunk loud bule and the traffic can be worse than the 405 at rush hour on a Friday. Sure, for the first couple hours you can politely say ‘no thank you’ or ‘tidak tertarik’ to the hawkers yelling out to you every 4 steps, but they are so numerous and persistent that even Gandi would want to get a sign that reads, “NO, I am NOT interested in transportation, neon beer cozies, spiked motor bike helmets, drugs, massage, etc.” I remember thinking after first arriving, “How sad. Bali is over. Some places can handle tourism and the influx of the almighty dollar, but unfortunately, Bali can not.” This was of course before I smartened up and got the hell out of Kuta as fast as I could and saw the real Bali.
The short video above is from The Balifornian Tours & Travel Blog's "Quick Look" series.
I return to Kuta seldomly, but I do have some dear friends there like Mas Ngurah and his sweet family who run the newly renovated Baleka Hotel and Resort. If you want to be in Kuta, it’s a great value in a good location and with the Balifornian discount, you can get a steal of a deal on some modern and impressive lodging. They have a pool and The Gula Gula Restaurant and Lounge.
That being said, the cause of the over-crowding is in fact for good reason as the beach itself is a world-class beach with white sand and great waves. If you can avoid road rage getting in, and the crowds at the beach, it can be close to a quintessential beach experience (although I greatly prefer being on a beautiful beach alone or with a small group which Bali also offers). The trash on the beach is certainly disappointing. “Littering” is an unknown concept to many Balinese. In fact our close friend Kadek is a bright and very spiritual person, but I have seen him toss his trash onto the ground on occasion. Its not that he and many other Balinese don't care or are bad people, they just did not receive the same repeated messages that we in the west did- No cute owls telling us kids to “Give a hoot and don't pollute”. I in no way blame the Balinese for all the trash on Pantai Kuta as much of the blame falls on the tourists. However major efforts are underway to educate and its effects are being seen already. For example, this last weekend was Eco-Weekend on Kuta beach and a massive clean up volunteer effort was held to clean up the beaches.
The surfing in Kuta is great for most levels including the beginner and there are tons of activities. One secret we recommend is a place on the beach called 27 Beach. The short video above was shot at this location. Neither I nor the staff knows the significance of the ‘27’ as I asked half a dozen of them, but they have a great pool, post-surf shower, comfy lounges and decent food and drink. It serves as a great home base to sit with friends, have lunch and drinks, head to the beach for play or surf, and return to your own un-crowded spot.
As much as I can get down on Kuta, I am thankful for it, as it being the easiest place to get to (just a few km from Denpasar Airport), it keeps most of the obnoxious tourists in one small spot leaving much of the real Bali for the rest of us.
Leave a comment and let us know what you think of Kuta.
A friendly dog keeps us company while we enjoy our Bintang and Nasi gorang. Fisherman dot the horizon with thier colorful hats and clothes. The gazebos in the distance on the tiny island provide a great spot for picnics and relaxing. Sanur Beach is a wonderful peaceful place to spend some time while in Bali.
And keep an eye out for the upcoming Balifornian Films documentary.
Interested in touring Bali and Photography? Our Adventure Photo Safaris are a great option. Contact us to find out about our special tours for photographers. Take a look at the images in the gallery, as they are good examples of the types of images you will be able to create on our tours. The tours are led by Michael, a professor of art and photography, as well as some very special guest teachers and pro photographers. Contact us at photo@balifornian.com today for more information.
Do you have some great images from your Indonesian travels you would like to share? Want to submit your fantastic photo for the Balifornian Tour and Travel Blog Photo of the Day? Please send your JPEG, location and description to photo@balifornian.com Files must be under 500 kb.
Salamat Jalan!
Michael and Maryam ~
Balifornian Tours voted the Top Blog for Bali and Indonesia. The best site for information and the best tour option.
;)
Thursday, May 10, 2012 at 11:31PM 
Beautiful girls relax in a hammock on Kuta Beach, LombokThis photo is getting quite a bit of exposure on Facebook and other social media so I thought I should put it in its rightful place as well as our Balifornian Photo of the Day.
