Bali

Whether you’re a surfer, a photographer, a yoga practitioner or simply an intrepid traveller, Bali has something for all of you.

Surf

If you’re a keen surfer then chances are you’ve already spend time on the beaches of Bali. Back in the day, Kuta was a classic surf spot but with increasing crowds there are some better choices further along the coast.

Batu Bolong was my beach of choice for several weeks. The Canggu area is one of Bali’s fastest growing ‘cool kid’ spots. Uluwatu is the another classic piece of surf action and still a relatively quite part of the island.  The beaches around Uluwatu are mostly at the bottom of steep cliffs. This area is definitely for the more experienced surfer with shallow reefs and serious breaks. If you haven’t surfed Bali yet, get on a plane and go.

Culture

Bali is a predominantly Hindu island which means lots of colour, incense, festivals, rituals and other beautiful celebrations. Most of Indonesia became Muslim during the 14th century but due to cultural barriers Bali remained Hindu making it a very culturally unique place.

Gili Islands

A short jet boat ride from the east coast and you’ll find yourself at the Gili Islands. Gili Trawangan is a party Island, kind of like a mini Ibiza. Gili Meno is essentially a tiny paradise island with white sand beaches and the bluest water you’ll ever see. Gili Air is a bit of both. With a good selection of accomodation and restaurants and safe beaches for snorkelling, Gili Air is definitely a more family friendly Island.

All the islands have amazing snorkelling straight off the beach and with no motor vehicles (only horse and cart, bicycles and the odd electric scooter) it’s a nice escape from the danger and noise of Bali’s busy roads.

Rebekah

I met a fellow yogi called Rebekah Ravonsheed, she had awesome tattoos, we shot some cool pictures.

Fisher People of Amed

The most exciting experience of this trip was spending two mornings photographing the fisher people of Amed. Combining a love for street-style images with photo-essay collections is an extremely exciting opportunity. Especially when the cultures being observed are so traditional and interesting.

The shores of Amed become littered with colourful Jukungs as the men return home from an early mornings fishing. What struck me the most is how well maintained and beautifully painted/decorated the boats are. There are several long beaches on this part of the coast and each one is lined hull-to-hull with hundreds of these traditional fishing boats.

As soon as the men hit the beach the women run to help pull the boat ashore between the surf. They then load up large plastic buckets with the mornings catch and carry it back to the villages on their heads.