The call of the waves
Fondly known as the Bukit, the limestone peninsula on the southernmost point of Bali is known as a laidback surfing destination. Will the recent five-star developments change its weather-beaten and sea salted face? Eve Tedja investigates.
If there was a turning point when Bali became a surfing destination, it was probably when the cult classic documentary Morning of the Earth was released in 1971. As breathtaking scenes of two surfers nimbly riding 10 ft barrelling waves of Uluwatu unfurled on screen, mesmerised surfers from around the world dropped their board wax and immediately booked their flights to Bali. The island’s fate as a world class surfing destination was sealed.
Its powerful waves and year-long warm waters have challenged and seduced surfers who often come with just their boards, stay for an indefinite time, and spend most days running after the waves Parched, rocky, and dry – the Bukit area is not exactly popular among the Balinese. There’s no possibility of rice farming and water is famously known to be scarce. Perhaps, for that very reason, it has remained untouched for many years. Difficult access is another reason why plenty of the beaches remain pristine and once deemed suitable for the more au naturel inclined. The general consensus is that only surfers make the trek to the Bukit. As Jake Mackenzie, a Bali long-time resident and avid surfer testifies: “There was nothing here when I first arrived on 1973. I found Bali alluring and was deeply enchanted by Uluwatu, which was and still is a surfing mecca.” He ended up raising his family on the island and co-founded Drifter with his partner Tim Russo as a creative retail space that offers curated and limited designs of apparel, jewellery and even surfboards.
“There were few women in Bukit. Without them, there was no food. We used have to go downtown to get a good meal. It has changed now as more cafes and restaurants open,” says Curtis Lowe, who manages Drifter and its tasty array of plant based and sustainably sourced seafood dishes. Lowe says that Single Fin was partly responsible for turning the once quiet hill alive. Its unbeatable location on top of Suluban Beach is still the best balcony to watch the sunset while being accompanied by cheeky monkeys and grooves from a local cool band.
I sit on the breezy backyard of Drifter Surf
Shop and Cafe at Labuan Sait Road to take in the vibe. While images of bare-chested surfer backpackers who spend on nothing but nasi campur and beers are still scooting around Bukit with their rented motorbikes and surfboard racks, they are now accompanied by a more affluent crowd who appreciates luxury and serene wilderness that still pervades the area. Young families, adventurous honeymooners and sea worshippers have started to spend more time in the Bukit, staying in the cliff top private villas like Karma Kandara or five-star resorts such as Bvlgari Resort Bali. The flourishing dining scene and beach clubs also captivate more visitors. World class
DJS are playing their tunes in swanky clubs such as OMNIA Dayclub – a renowned brand in global entertainment. Perched atop the cliff of Uluwatu, its futuristic cutting edge design was a result of collaboration between WOHA and Rockwell Group.
On the winding road of Labuan Sait alone, there are more than 30 cafes and restaurants offering Italian, vegan, and wholesome cuisine to empower the surfers climbing up and down those steep stairs to reach the beach. The Bukit Cafe, Suka Espresso, and Outside Corner are some of the old-time favourites. As I sip my cafe latte and enjoy a fat bite of a maple syrup drenched pancake at Outside Corner, I meet Frazer Wood. English by birth and South African by upbringing, Wood called it quits after working for several years in London’s best restaurants and super yachts; he packed his knives and made Bali his home for the last five years. He ended up in Bukit, having opened the cheerful cafe and skate bowl as well as a soon-to-be-opened Vietnamese restaurant nearby. “Bali ticked all the right boxes: it is sunny all year round, has good surf, and the beach is never far. It also offers plenty of opportunities,” says Wood.
The call of the waves also brought Diego Munoz ashore. The Peruvian chef who once led Astrid y Gastón in Lima to #14 in The World’s 50 Best Restaurants list is now cooking up a storm in the Bukit’s hottest club, Ulu Cliffhouse. Head to the iconic cliff top club, secure a sunbed while feasting on ceviches and tiraditos, and spend a leisurely day being awed by the scenic infinite horizon of the Indian Ocean. Classy, intimate, and
chic with a remnant of retro 1950’s Palm Springs aesthetic, Ulu Cliffhouse makes Bukit more interesting.
It is almost hard to believe how on a craggy and inhospitable topography lies wild, dramatic, and stunning beaches. Padang Padang, Suluban, Bingin, Balangan, Impossibles are names that keep popping up in conversation among the eager surfers. They talk about waves, tide charts, surf, and wind in between their poke bowls and cold beer. The dry season from April to September usually means more visitors in the Bukit.
Young families renting villas are spending their children’s school holidays to bask in the sun, such as on the area surrounding Bingin Beach. With 188 steps to the beach, it is as if the steep steps are what separated hard-core beach lovers from the average visitors who only wish to indulge in taking pretty pictures for their social media accounts. For that very reason, Bingin remains relatively quiet except for the people in the know and the small but close-knit international community living there.
As the proprietress of a Bingin’s institution called The Cashew Tree, Ricki Bradley tells me that Bingin is a good place to bring up a family. “Some families are here for holidays but quite a lot of them also live here so we know each other quite well. My daughters can go around the neighbourhood without me having to worry about them and that is something that
I love about living here,” says the Sunshine Coast native and mother of three, who first came to Bali when she was eight years old to visit her uncle, the legendary Bali’s pioneering surfer, Kim Bradley.
If Bingin were a village, The Cashew Tree would without a doubt be its village hall. A Muay Thai gym, yoga studio, cafe, and a live music and party hangout on Thursday nights, The Cashew Tree and its adjoining Bali Training Centre are the heart of the Bingin community. Little girls in pony tails run to join a gymnastic class, while their mothers catch up over smoothies under the tree when I stop by. On the other side, a group of tired surfers take cover under the hut and happily munch on their freshly tossed salads. The open space is an extension of the convivial Bradley and her husband of 12 years, Made Rudita. Bingin born and raised, Rudita has witnessed the growth of his hometown over the spans of 30 years since his mother opened a bamboo shack down on the beach to cater for surfers. Under his management, in the very same location, now stood Kelly’s Warung. It has morphed into a chic cafe with a stunning view over the beach, proving that change and progress are inevitable, but if it is carefully supported by communities and visitors alike, it can be a good thing.