Another amazing day of Bali surf at Uluwatu.

Pura Uluwatu is one of Bali's most striking temples and it looks out onto one of the best known waves in the world. Uluwatu is almost always working as it consists of several breaks next to one another. These include The Racetrack, Temples, The Peak and when its really big, Outside Corner and The Bombie pump as well.

Recognized as one of the best surf breaks in all the world, Uluwatu in Bali never dissapoints.

Uluwatu is in the Southwest tip of Bali on the Bukit Penninsula. Due to its fame and the fact that it almost always has some swell, it can get crowded. Its best to come early and never drop in on the locals. It is an exposed reef break and for experienced surfers only. It can be sketchy as you need to paddle out through a cave and the current is quite strong. Please contact us if you are headed there for the first time as there are many things to know before attempting to surf Uluwatu. 

A surfer shreds Uluwatu's The Peak break in Bali's bukit penninsula.Bring your booties, have a very strong leash and watch the tides and the shallow reef. If you don't want to test yourself, just kick back with a Bintang at one of the restaurants carved into the cliffs for a spectacular view.

A surfer shreds Uluwatu's The Peak break in Bali's bukit penninsula.I am always shocked when I return to Uluwatu as there are now many hotels, villas, restaurants, etc. It was not too many years ago when there was just one place to stay. But surfers want surf and Uluwatu always delivers. We have found an even better place in Sumbawa though and we will be surfing Scar Reef with just a couple friends soon! But don't tell anyone.

I would be remiss to make a blog post on Ulu and not discuss the Temple. So here is one last shot from the Temple above. Want to shoot surf photography? Check out our new photo tours! Just click here.

A monkey ponders the moon at Bali's sacred Uluwatu Temple.

For more photos check out our gallery and let us know what you think!

Have you surfed in Bali? Please leave your comments below. We'd love to hear from you.

Balifornian Photo of the Day ~ Colorful Sunset at Kuta Beach, Lombok

A dramatic sunset bid us farewell as we left Kuta Beach in Lombok and headed back to Mataram. Good surf, good food and good company is how the day was spent and it was good to head back home to family and a big delicious dinner. The prices are still very reasonable in Lombok. In fact reasonable is not the word. Inexpensive is more like it as we had large portions of mouth watering chilli crab and crispy duck for four people for under $14 USD.

Sorry, the talk of food got me off track. Here is that photo of the sunset I was talking about...

A great day surfing is capped off with a colorful sunset at Kuta Beach, LombokCopyright © 2012 Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ Michael Doliveck

A traditional Lombok design of a gecko can be seen in the monolith in the foreground as the firery sunset reflects in a salt water lake adjacent to the beach.

Our Photography Tours 

Are you a photographer or just like to take photo?  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.

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Happy travels!

Michael and Maryam ~ Balifornian Tours and Travel Blog ~ The best Bali travel website.  Your best option for Bali and Indonesia Travel information.

Balifornian Photo of the Day ~ Two Beautiful Girls Share a Hammock on the Beach

Hello Balifornians!

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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Happy Travels!

Bali and Indo Surf Film- Balifornian Villas and Tours

Hello Balifornians!

Today we bring you a great little surf video from various breaks in Indonesia.  The surfing is top notch, matched only by the epic surf spots where it was filmed.  This short video by Ricardo Borghi was shot in Indo locations from North Sumatra to Bali and contains some secret spots, big barrels, clean water and beautiful scenery.  Enjoy!

Sanur Beach ~ A great place to stay in Bali ~ Photos

Sanur is certainly one of our favorite places to stay in Bali.  It’s close to our land so we can easily check on things in Ketewel, so we tend to spend a good amount of time in Sanur.  Despite it being one of the oldest places for expats to occupy, it has retained its charm and boasts one of the best beaches in southern Bali.  When the Dutch came to colonize Bali as far back as the late 1800’s, Sanur was their point of entry and where they called home.  Also during World War II, The Japanese used Sanur as their entry point. This being said, current day Sanur shows very few remnants of these past events and is a cozy small town with excellent restaurants, great little shops, a fun nightlife and plenty to do to keep you busy. It's a great alternative to loud and crowded Kuta and it's still close enough to the airport so its not a difficult journey.

The many Gazebos dotting Sanur Beach are great spots for a picnic But as mentioned above, the biggest draw might be the clean white sand beach. It's protected by a reef making the water calm for swimming and snorkeling at high tide. And at low tide the beach can be explored for marine life.  Although many areas like Amed and Menjangan Island are far superior for snorkeling and scuba, its still a nice way to pass the hours hanging out at the beach.  There is a lovely beachfront walk that covers the length of the town’s downtown area (over 4km) and has some little cafes, which are perfect for a beachside Bintang and there are many hotels that you can pop into for a nicer bite to eat.

Colorful catamarans line Bali's Sanur Beach

There is some surfing as well, but mainly the surfing done here is wind surfing.

Our two biggest suggestions for Sanur are The Village and The little Pond.  Little Pond is a small hotel with perhaps 15 rooms and a nice small pool.  It’s nothing fancy but the value is excellent as the rooms range from about $17-35 USD and they are clean and fairly well appointed.  If you are not looking for really cush accommodations and want to save a bit of money, this is a great place to stay.

 A great way to spend a day in Sanur

On the other hand, a bit more pricey suggestion is The Village restaurant.  While I much prefer traditional Indonesian food when I am in Bali, once in a while its worth it to try something else.  The Village is one of these places.  I lived in Italy and this modern eatery in Sanur is perhaps one of the top 10 Italian meals I have had outside of Italy.  The design of the restaurant is modern and stylish and the wine cellar is one of the best in the area.  The volcano pizza is one of the most bizarre looking entrees you can imagine but its really not quite as tasty as some of the other dishes.  It is certainly a head turner and a fun option but I would suggest the pasta dishes.

I do also want to mention Warung Pregina as it is also an excellent option as it serves delicious traditional Balinese food.  The crispy duck is fantastic and the value is hard to beat.

Sanur is a great place to spend a few days.  While it is heavily touristed and you will be annoyed by hawkers and the inexplicable practice of each and every taxi passing by honking at you, its still a nice place to stay and enjoy the beach and it’s turquoise waters, good food and minimal but fun nightlife.