Bali Overview
Bali is part of The Republic of Indonesia, which is the world's fourth largest country, with a population of over 200 million people. Its 17,500 islands make up the world's largest archipelago, stretching for over 5120 kilometres from west to east.
Indonesia is the world's largest Islamic country with almost 90% of the population being Muslim. However, Bali is predominately Hindu. The primary language of Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia, but the Balinese have their own distinct language known as Balinese. Indonesia is a Republic and is ruled by an elected president and a parliament. For most of the past fifty years, Indonesia was ruled by President Suharto. But in the late 90's, there was a popular uprising that began a succession of new presidents and a move towards modernization in Indonesia. The current leader is President Joko Widodo.
From a surfer's standpoint, Bali is very special. Kilometres upon kilometres of coastline receive consistent, powerful swells from the huge storms of the Southern Indian Ocean. With no major landmass to block or alter these swells, they arrive on the reefs and shores of Bali as consistent, long lines. This island has some of the best and most consistent waves on the planet.
By the mid 70's, stories of its idyllic beach breaks and long, barrelling reef breaks were beginning to appear in surf magazines. The classic 70's surf film "The Morning of the Earth" brought the Indonesian surf experience back to wide eyed surfers in communities all over the world. Bali gradually became a major surf destination. The beaches of Kuta and the nearby reefs were surfed regularly and gradually adventurers started to explore the rest of Bali’s coastline and beyond.
If you can get past the crowds these days, Bali is still a surfer's paradise. There are so many quality breaks in a relatively short distance. The island’s breaks are basically split into wet and dry season waves. When it is onshore on one side of the island you can travel to the other side for some offshore action.
Bali has an equatorial climate that is influenced by the surrounding seas and determined by the monsoons. The dry season is from June to September and the wet season is from November to March. Relative humidity averages 80% all year round and thunderstorms are frequent. Average annual temperature ranges in Bali are from 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit) to 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) all year.
Indonesia is the world's largest Islamic country with almost 90% of the population being Muslim. However, Bali is predominately Hindu. The primary language of Indonesia is Bahasa Indonesia, but the Balinese have their own distinct language known as Balinese. Indonesia is a Republic and is ruled by an elected president and a parliament. For most of the past fifty years, Indonesia was ruled by President Suharto. But in the late 90's, there was a popular uprising that began a succession of new presidents and a move towards modernization in Indonesia. The current leader is President Joko Widodo.
From a surfer's standpoint, Bali is very special. Kilometres upon kilometres of coastline receive consistent, powerful swells from the huge storms of the Southern Indian Ocean. With no major landmass to block or alter these swells, they arrive on the reefs and shores of Bali as consistent, long lines. This island has some of the best and most consistent waves on the planet.
By the mid 70's, stories of its idyllic beach breaks and long, barrelling reef breaks were beginning to appear in surf magazines. The classic 70's surf film "The Morning of the Earth" brought the Indonesian surf experience back to wide eyed surfers in communities all over the world. Bali gradually became a major surf destination. The beaches of Kuta and the nearby reefs were surfed regularly and gradually adventurers started to explore the rest of Bali’s coastline and beyond.
If you can get past the crowds these days, Bali is still a surfer's paradise. There are so many quality breaks in a relatively short distance. The island’s breaks are basically split into wet and dry season waves. When it is onshore on one side of the island you can travel to the other side for some offshore action.
Bali has an equatorial climate that is influenced by the surrounding seas and determined by the monsoons. The dry season is from June to September and the wet season is from November to March. Relative humidity averages 80% all year round and thunderstorms are frequent. Average annual temperature ranges in Bali are from 23 degrees Celsius (73 degrees Fahrenheit) to 33 degrees Celsius (91 degrees Fahrenheit) all year.