Bali - Good for family

[buzzy]

I'm an experienced but not especially good surfer. Middle aged with a wife and 3 year old in tow. I was watching the Keramas comp which looked good for a family holiday except it looked like Commune catered to a younger, partier crowd. Anyway, it got me thinking.

What would people suggest in Bali which met the following criteria;

* Good for a family. It doesn't need to be close to a lot of shopping. Lazing around a pool etc would satisfy the better half, and running rampant in the pool the little half. I'm not overly fussed whether it's a resort, hotel or villa.
* It doesn't need to be cheap, but it can't be expensive.
* A walk to reasonable breaks.
* Preferably the breaks are on the less crowded end of the spectrum. Indeed, within reason I'm happy to sacrifice a bit of wave quality to get less crowds.

That's pretty much it.

Any tips?

[philw]

Buzzy, I'm similar to you, with 2 year old.

Stayed at Nusa Dua in January - http://www.meliabali.com - at the very top of the nusa dua beach stretch.

There's a handful of waves v close to hotel and sri lanka /nusa dua main breaks are all about 20 mins walking distance either way

I dunno how it goes this time of year but looking at keramas suggest there would be times where winds arent a problem

I got fun 2 -5 ft waves every day for 10 days, was surprised how empty /good it was

hotel is ok, probably a little overpriced but no major complaints. best thing was walking to surf spots, no travel hassles, pick the spot that suits the swell size or your appetite

i paddled out to nusa dua one day. don't do that. get the boat...

[Beanpole]

I was over there in January. Stayed at Sanur which was great. Surfed Hyatt Reef which was probably pushing it a bit on the equipment I was on and not for the faint hearted as its well out to sea. Not out to sea like Kuta Reef, out to sea like in a channel that flows into the Lombok Strait.
Serengan was good and you could find peaks up and down the reef. Pretty mixed ability out there. Very pretty but past the town dump which stinks.

Keramas is a great all round wave with nice surroundings. Would probably give the resort a go next time for a couple of days. Its a bit out of town. Nice set up with the pool, café etc. Its in demand though. If you noticed everyone being a bit cagey at the end of the wave that's because its actually really shallow on a rock ledge. You could get seriously caned out there when it was bigger or if you got caught under the peak.

Re: Villas. I'm not that keen myself. They are variable in quality and security can be an issue. We ended up at an isolated one up the east coast with no power at 9:30 pm which meant no air con or lights and no clear heads up on where to contact the manager till the next morning.

The thing about Bali is you almost invariably have to get organized to go surfing. Theres a few places where you can stay and walk to the surf but then its usually crowded. Even going to the next beach can end up being a lot more complicated than it would appear.
All part of the fun. Hope this is of some use to you.

[chrisb]

It's a while ago now (late 1990's) but the Club Med at Nusa Dua had a nice uncrowded right hander reef break just out front.

Not cheap but all meals are included and the circus school and kids club will suit a youngster.

[stinky_wes]

Look into a stay at Nusa Lembongan. Nice and quiet, no constant haggling from the locals, and you overlook a few fun reef breaks within paddling distance. The boat trip over can be fun though!

[Natho]

If I had to go to Bali I would choose the East Coast any day over the West Coast. Probably the Nusa Dua or Sanur areas. On top of that I reckon Nusa Dua is one of the most underrated waves in Bali on its day. I have had some of my best surfs there with limited crowds compared to the West Coast.
Last time I went to Bali I stayed on the West coast and surfed Ulus and the like. Never again. Could not wait to get out of the joint. At least the East Coast is a bit more chilled and relaxing.

[Beanpole]

If your going in july you probably wont be chasing waves on the east coast. Lembongan is nice and I guess you can surf playgrounds but lacerations and shipwreck may be a bit gung ho for you.

Theres a lot of waves further west than kuta too. We went out that way time before last and enjoyed it but the east coast is a bit more tropical. Had a great time up at Candidasa snorkeling as well. The new Aussie funded coast road means that the east will continue to open up as a place to surf and stay.

Theres still a lot of places outside of that little appendix on the bukit.

[buzzy]

Thanks for the feedback everyone. It's much appreciated.