I love Bali
That’s being built as we speak. It’s the big cutout scar just west of Bingin towards Padang.
Was wondering what’s going in there, but now we know. What a monstrosity.
sypkan wrote:
plans are in
the concept anyway...
https://www.instagram.com/p/DILgkm0o4ja/?igsh=ejUzOWhya3ZndWg4&fbclid=I…
might be my prejudice shining through, and I don't really know about such things...
is that butt ugly russian architecture shining through?
very similar to plans for ones on south coast
apparently the same officials visited balangan yesterday, and I read same happening in lombok
could be all a push from new military prez. who seems to like rules and stuff...
and russian $$$
Ughh yuck. What a shame
^ Wes Anderson could get a bit gritty and make a predictive-future series about this spirited-away fantasy guest-palace.. what an opportunity for topical stylism.. can Mike White write the Prospective Treatment..? (an ironic self-spoof Yann Tiersen 'Amelie' soundtrack with creeping dissonance would work well..) Ugh..
(how un-ironically Mike-White-writing is this dog shit?: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1179286213396675)
Nice Rise in Swell for your last Day I.B. - May have been an Hour Window with no Wind at Dawn to go Right on some 6-8 footers over other Side ?
Hey Udo
Was bigger yesterday arvo/evening, but quite busy.
We returned the scooter yesterday, so just got 10 out the front before a two hour breakfast.
Off to Airport soon. Job done ️
Bingin is just the start , a domino effect is happening that may carry on throughout Indonesia.
udo wrote:
Nice Rise in Swell for your last Day I.B. - May have been an Hour Window with no Wind at Dawn to go Right on some 6-8 footers over other Side ?
I was meaning N.D. - But this looked Nice.
https://www.baliwaves.com/2025/07/sunday-power-at-keramas-surf-report-f…
The tax man went through lembongan recently and audited some local businesses all the way back to 2017 . Some unlicensed premises had their liquor confiscated and fined . Majority of Bule’s were ok as long as their paperwork was in order . There are so many warungs built on government land on the beach all over lembongan and ceningan, all with fabulous views . Not sure what the government intends to do about them and you can see all over bali when driving around that warungs get built on the side of roads in some crazy places with great views . No building permits or plans they just wack them up and try to scratch a living from passing motorists.
Hey Supy.
Where does tax revenue go on Bali? Read an article in the Bali Sun about the Bingin debacle, and a govt spokesman was very keen to stress the need to gather tax revenue. As far as I can see it doesn't go towards roading, infrastructure, health care, etc.
cheers for all you work on this thread @IB, geez we not-in-indo muggles have been spoiled this winter!
Island Bay wrote:
Hey Supy.
Where does tax revenue go on Bali? Read an article in the Bali Sun about the Bingin debacle, and a govt spokesman was very keen to stress the need to gather tax revenue. As far as I can see it doesn't go towards roading, infrastructure, health care, etc.
love to know the answer IB, have to admit a lot of tracks have been bituminized so i guess this might an example. What id like to know is all those businesses on Bingin Cliff that have been paying govt taxes in the last 5 years will they get this money back?...of course not, but how can the govt legally tax essentially illegal business's? (as they say "only in Indo")
Island Bay wrote:
Hey Supy.
Where does tax revenue go on Bali? Read an article in the Bali Sun about the Bingin debacle, and a govt spokesman was very keen to stress the need to gather tax revenue. As far as I can see it doesn't go towards roading, infrastructure, health care, etc.
I don’t know but if you ask any Balinese their face changes to anger as they mumble “ Jakarta “ which is probably true . My friend where I stay isn’t happy that he has to pay tax and doesn’t see value for money in his area , the roads are crap and schools not great . Prabowo is trying to fight malnutrition in Indonesia and has introduced free meals in government schools. Gets kids to school and certainly helps but is costing billions and so the government is going hard on businesses paying tax . All these ideas about new airports, railways , highways etc are usually funded by outside interests like China . Had some nice waves first light , offshore , well overhead , 10 guys. Then wind & rain became strong from the northwest and chopped up the face so came in after 5 waves. Sitting here now it has glassed off again and rains passed. Another boat just pulled up making it 2 . Quick coffee and back out there .
"Where does tax revenue go on Bali?"
beamers and mercs don't buy themselves you know!
indonesia is famous for its 'informal economy', with academics once spruiking the benefits of 'micro investment' into it over large scale aid programs and projects, that are rife for corruption...
bingin was a prime example of this informal economy - without even needing the micro investment... aside from a few initial bule I guess...
sadly, greed and glamour has cooked all that
were the original warungs even paying tax?
used to see officials in uniforms come around, but much like the formal sector, I imagine 'tax' was often 'negotiated', with essentially nothing making it to the formal collection process
I'm sure bule investors paid their bule tax, most definitely sure... but this also likely wouldn't have made it much past a local level...
indonesia had a recent policy of 'otonomi' (local autonomy) which cynics would say absolved government of it's normal responsibilities... which it did... but it also allowed local areas to manage themselves, which was probably particularly suited to the bali banjar system...
the banjar system cops a lot of flak on social media, due to its propensity to corruption and not dispersing fairly... but at the same time, it serves bali well... I literally cannot think of any other place on earth that could run such a seedy nightclub tourist scene with essentially no presence of police at all...
it works
they do maintain the peace and harmony, overwhelmingly well, which is their central role
having said that though - and having limited knowledge of the 'bar tax' going to banjar etc. from beach clubs etc. around canggu - it's beyond obscene that this obscene amount of revenue hasn't made it to improving local infrastructure... canggu is a fucking mess...
all that and what supa said, jakarta plays a bigger role in bali than most people realise, I guess they didn't care when bingin and the like were providing modest lives for locals, but now with all the glitz, glamour, greed, and influencers... vomit vomit ... the 'opportunities' are now too big to ignore...
a bloody disaster for the original warungs and their families
that marabito building or whatever it's called was crazy!
8 stories tall, pools, restaurant, rooms etc.
I assume a bule investor is involved somewhere... as it was target no.1 for their largely symbolic sledgehammer session...
crazy that people thought they could / would get away with that shit indefinitely
Morabito may have been the proverbial straw. That was the first door that got knocked in, and a lot of people were talking about the over reach of the place. (Which sypkan already noted above - oops)
Fund the "new" capital of Indonesia in Kalimantan which from the rumour mill is on land owned by the Prabowo clan.
seaslug wrote:
Fund the "new" capital of Indonesia in Kalimantan which from the rumour mill is on land owned by the Prabowo clan.
SeaSlug. Hi mate.
Fund the new capital, they need it, totally relying on foreign investment, $33billion dollars. Started in 2022.
If you want to see environmental damage, go on Google Earth and look at the clearing , it’s tragic.
Nusantara the new capital is close to Balikpappan.
Having flown in and out of Jakarta over the last few weeks, from the air you see water everywhere, that capital is sinking, hence the new move. AW
I know AW, lived in both Jakarta and Balikpappan, as you say the environmental destruction is immense but not as large as the graft.
sypkan wrote:
that marabito building or whatever it's called was crazy!
8 stories tall, pools, restaurant, rooms etc.
I assume a bule investor is involved somewhere... as it was target no.1 for their largely symbolic sledgehammer session...
crazy that people thought they could / would get away with that shit indefinitely
ahhh, if it was 8, that might've been the problem,
7 storeys high is 'bout as high as a building oughta grow'
https://au.news.yahoo.com/sad-theories-emerge-as-popular-bali-tourist-s…
seaslug wrote:
Where’s next SF
Who knows how far the government will go . Pretty much all of the Bukit, both sides are on notice . On Lembongan there is a good 1 klm strip up to the mangroves on the north side that has great views of Mt Agung. This has been seaweed farms for years and Jimbaku restaurant was built probably 15 years ago on beachfront government land and everyone slowly followed . The government has for years threatened to tear them down but there’s a cost in that and nobody’s taken much notice and kept building on “ free “ land . On the other side of the island looking across the channel to ceningan there are also many restaurants and warungs on both sides that no doubt are illegal . Bali governor Koster has been wanting to attract a “ higher class “ of tourists and introduce a daily tax on tourists like bhutan has ( about $100 per day ) so getting rid of these unsightly warungs is part of his plan . Taxing surfbreaks is also being put forward as an untapped resource . Bali is changing rapidly and I can’t see the locals just sitting back and taking it on the chin . I have trouble understanding why filthy rich foreigners that don’t surf , choose to live here , they just end up complaining about pretty much everything . It’s a mad mad mad mad mad mad mad world .
When cocoon beach club built in Seminyak years ago , within months small bars and warungs opened up across the road on the beach ( blocking their view ) This type of illegal building is everywhere . Will the government just keep going , tearing everything down and put thousands of people out of work ?
Exactly, where/when do they stop. My experience of Asian countries is that the people generally have a very high tolerance level but when the switch is finally flicked, all hell breaks loose very very quickly
Worth meditating on the fact that we pay the salaries of politicians/govts. They so often seem to forget.
i remember kuta in Lombok 10 or so years ago the same thing must of happened, was a bunch of awesome beach front restaurants came back the next year they were all gone
Supafreak wrote:
Where’s next SFI have trouble understanding why filthy rich foreigners that don’t surf , choose to live here , they just end up complaining about pretty much everything . It’s a mad mad mad mad mad mad mad world .
I've travelled to about 1/3 of all countries (or haven't been to 2/3rds!) and I can't believe people even travel to Bali unless you surf, because the waves are really fucking good.
Yes the locals are awesome but it's crowded, polluted, not even cheap, the worst traffic, bad food by SE Asian standards, expensive beer (!), Russians, insta influencers etc. I'll never forget the yoga pants wearing vegan chicks living their most healthy, #blessed lives in "paradise" when the air is rich with toxic burning plastic fumes and the ground is compressed plastic tea cups and the mountains are just water bottles.
Each to their own. I'm hoping for the best outcome for the locals because they are awesome for the most part and a good advertisement for Hinduism; especially compared with Islam!
I’m guessing this will become landfill for swamp areas so they can build more villas on cheap land . Going to be a lot of trucks moving around out there
Looking for more old pics, but found this. Will scan when I can. It was a different world.
What year was that IB?
Hard to imagine now.
First Bali trip for me was 2003.
It’s been a shame to see the Bukit become so popular and overdeveloped. Particularly in the last 10 or so years.
Island Bay wrote:
1988
What month were you there IB ? may have shared the lineup with you .
Hah, that would be funny.
Late June to late August, Supy. Surfed Bingin with the same 4 Aussies - and one older Seppo - and met the same crew when I ventured up to Canggu. Ulus was really the only semi-crowded spot.
Was there June/July so possibly crossed paths somewhere. Surfed Ulus, Padang, Bingin, Kuta reef, Middles ,Kuta / Legian beachies & Lembongan . The days when not many surfers besides Australian, American & Japanese which the locals all had a different price for . Opening introduction was always “ where you from ? “ followed by “ where you stay ? “ followed by “ how long you stay ? “ I always thought this would give them a gauge by what price they would charge you . If you were Australian staying in a cheap Homestay for a few months then they would go in with a relatively low price compared to a Japanese that was in a high end hotel for a week , and always happy to give you “ sunset price “.
Let's pretend we met and surfed Binging, Ulus, Kuta Reef or Legian Beach together :-)
We stayed between Kuta and Legian, pretty much halfway between Jalan Legian and the beach (Sari Indah?). All paddocks and palm trees. Ate at Depot Viva (epic spot!) in Legian every fucken evening. 700rp Nasi Campur, 400rp mixed juice. Midnight Oil on bootleg tape was de rigueur. My first time outside Europe and needless to say a formative experience.
Glory days Supa and IB. Bloody lucky you got to experience it like that.
That said, on my last couple of trips (most recent 2022) I’ve had quiet / empty sessions for the early if not at Ulus.
Great shot IB.
Stayed there 1990, Suzie's warung, got some print photos somewhere .
Wasn't uncrowded even then at bingin.
Went to a great chicken fighting / dice game gambling night somewhere up the hill to a village
The early days were good there…I can recall Susie’s place…Jerry had his place with dodgy board repairs:-)…I stayed at Julie’s before she married a Hawaiian guy and moved over there. Accom was free if you ate there all day. A crowd was 15 people. Micks place on top of the hill had one villa then and in hindsight was probably the original model for the boutique accommodation that followed. I remember helping him lay stones on his first extension. Simpler times.
Supafreak wrote:
WTF https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM-LRsGPMd7/?igsh=MTZ6ZDRpdDE3cDRqaQ==
That's fooked.
Rodrigo not happy, and rightly so.
No skis at Bombie if people paddling.
Supafreak wrote:
WTF https://www.instagram.com/reel/DM-LRsGPMd7/?igsh=MTZ6ZDRpdDE3cDRqaQ==
There is so much wrong with that I don't know where to begin.
Sanur harbour closed this morning because of swell , luckily I booked with kia koa and we are going to leave from serangen harbour instead. Going to be an interesting ride .
Hey Supa, I remember you talking about it a few times on here but I can't find it.
What do you reckon are the best tides for travelling on fast boat from Bali to NL, NP & Lombok & back? Incoming or outgoing tide?
fitzroy-21 wrote:
Hey Supa, I remember you talking about it a few times on here but I can't find it.
What do you reckon are the best tides for travelling on fast boat from Bali to NL, NP & Lombok & back? Incoming or outgoing tide?
I’m no expert and can’t actually recall talking about traveling with tides but I would say incoming and mid tides ( between full & new moons ) wouldn’t be as strong currents . Landing on Lembongan on big low tides is a pain because you need to get in a smaller boat to get to shore unless you go rocky fast cruise which goes around back of the island to their own wharf . Nusa Penida has good wharfs so no problems there . On Lembongan you either can come into mushroom, tamarind or jungutbatu beach. Most come in too jungutbatu but I would recommend rocky for elderly as their wharf around the back of island is easier to get on off boat . When there’s a decent swell running and tides in , it can be a bit dangerous climbing up back of boat . They are trying to get permission to build a small jetty on jungutbatu beach but it’s taking time to be signed off on & I can’t see it holding up with big swell and water movement . The harbour that was built on ceningan is great , problem is you can’t get a car over the bridge . It was very political in where that harbour was built and sits there now as bit of a white elephant . I showed AW and he couldn’t believe the expense and wasted money .
Insta Page with Ulu Tow in Post been Removed....
How was the Boat Ride today Supa ?
udo wrote:
Insta Page with Ulu Tow in Post been Removed....
How was the Boat Ride today Supa ?
Just big rollers , no drama , plenty of catamarans sailing over to Lembongan . Lacerations was well overhead, didn’t really watch much today, I had booked 90 minute massage for arrival , masseuse thinks hammy is not too bad and should be right in a few weeks .
I love Bali.
You wouldn't think that such a thought could be controversial . But it is.
Many people don't love Bali, in fact they proclaim to hate it. Bemoan what it has become, it's lack of purity, it's lost innocence.
Sure, I can see their point. I can't imagine anywhere on Earth that has been transformed as radically as Bali over the last thirty years. From rice paddies and coconut groves to six story discotheques . It's totally unrecognisable in the most built up areas.
But that's not what this post is about. It's about why I LOVE Bali.
I love Bali because ...
- it's still the home of an intense cluster of world class waves. Roping lefts : Uluwatu, freight train right barrels : Sanur, backlit mega tubes : Padang Padang. Rip able reefs, fun beachies. Short , slabby pits and long mellow points. River mouths and bombies. It's got the lot.
- it's still possible to get uncrowded quality waves in 2015 when it seems as though the entire planet has discovered surfing. I was trading crystal clear , rolling right walls with only two other surfers just this morning.
- it's still freaking beautiful. Watching the mist reveal Mt Agung in that unique Bali morning light from a black sand beach as the sun comes up is still special.
- the food is amazing. Walking around town building up a hunger and knowing that at any given time you are within shouting distance of fresh, exotic and delicious meals with enough variety to make your head spin is priceless.
- the Balinese are legends. Friendly, happy and always keen for a joke. Unfailingly polite and welcoming. Healthy, spiritual and decent.
- the Balinese surfers rip their waves and they still own them. A visiting Brazilian would not think twice to drop in on an Aussie local at Kirra. But you won't see the same in Bali. The Balinese surfers are treated with the respect they deserve. Because as everyone knows, if they are not treated with respect there is consequences.
- the water is so warm it's like swimming in silken angels tears.
- telling people that you are going to Bali will often elicit a response along the lines of ......"why would you go to that traffic ridden, noisy shithole ?" And then as you're kicking back with a Bintang watching the sunset over Uluwatu you can imagine them sitting at lights in their car on their way home from work in Perth. Which , for those that have never been , is a noisy , traffic ridden shithole. And this makes me laugh. Which is something I enjoy doing.
- The fruit is incredible.
- despite the millions of tourists, the fast food franchises and the Aussie over familiarity with the joint it's still exotic. The smell of clove cigarettes, the ogo ogos of Nyepi, the Buddhist offerings , monkeys , food and language are all enticingly foreign.
- there is no overreaching nanny state. You want to ride your motorbike with all four of your children and the missus on the back...whilst texting. Go for it.
- you can live like a king on a regular Aussie income. Maybe not such a great benefit for the Balinese themselves though.
- it's close to Oz. Twenty hour plane ride and a shot at developing deep vein thrombosis.....ummm no thanks. It's actually faster to fly to Bali from Perth than it is to drive to Albany. You can fly from Port Hedland in less than two hours.
- you get an opportunity to regularly witness some of the most foolhardy behaviour imaginable on a daily basis. You ever seen a man being doubled on a motorbike through traffic whilst holding a large pane of glass ? What about seeing someone hold a nail between his bare fingers while his mate tries to grind the tip off it ? It's all there folks.
- you can see people making do with not much and making it work. An exhaust system held on with a T Shirt ? An outboard motor attached to a boat with no anchoring system, just held on with a man's brute force ? Why not ? It might not work forever but it'll usually get em over the line.
- the winds can blow offshore for months at a time and when they blow onshore, well , that just makes it offshore somewhere else. It's an island !
- you haven't seen glassy oceanic conditions till you've seen Indonesian sheet glass. It's like an oil slick. And if you're ever near Benoa Harbour that could well be what it is.
- old people are accorded the respect they deserve.
- it's exciting. It's a melting pot of the world. Wide eyed villages from remote Asia, jaded techno princesses from Russia, sleek surfy chicks from Canada , your next door neighbour from Ipswich....it's a party and everyone is invited.
Including YOU. I'll see you there. You can't miss me.
I'll be the sun burnt drunk in a head to toe Bintang ensemble with hair braids and a fresh tattoo of a unicorn across my back . Don't be shy. Come and say hello.