{"id":843,"date":"2013-05-24T16:32:11","date_gmt":"2013-05-24T16:32:11","guid":{"rendered":""},"modified":"2025-10-17T19:17:17","modified_gmt":"2025-10-17T19:17:17","slug":"arriving-in-bali","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tickettoridegroup.com\/blog\/arriving-in-bali\/","title":{"rendered":"Arriving in Bali"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\tWith only the 1 night in Bali on my Indonesia itinerary, I will keep my account specific to what I experienced (the rest of what happens in Bali is covered in Chris’ updates).<\/div>\n
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\n\tArriving in Denpasar airport can feel pretty intimidating. Having most likely stepped off a long haul flight you must negotiate your way through immigration, this is a mix on landing cards, visa entry fees, alarmingly temperamental cash machines and slightly useless (although nice and smiley) airport staff.<\/div>\n
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\n\tRather than head for oversized luggage I immediately spotted my surfboards circulating the belt, taking out anyone not giving their full attention to the luggage carousel as they tried to establish whether there was a ‘free’ wifi connection in Denpesar airport<\/div>\n
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\n\tWith bags in tact, and entry to Indonesia granted, you are home and dry? Not quite. You must make your way to the semi ordered and rapidly expanding queue for the luggage x-ray machine in the customs area. As unavoidable and pointless as it may seem, you join the line whilst making your apologies to bewildered (non surfing) holiday-makers as they wonder what you could possibly need a seven foot suitcase for?<\/div>\n
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\n\tStepping out into arrivals at Denpasar International, you are immediately hit by the tropical heat as well as gloriously familiar smell of Indonesia. Before you have a chance to enjoy your ‘arrival moment,’ you get bombarded by a crowd of Balinese people hoping to hijack your first monetary moment.<\/div>\n
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\n\t“taxi, taxi” <\/em><\/div>\n
\n\t“where you wanna go”  <\/em><\/div>\n
\n\t“ I carry your bag”<\/em><\/div>\n
\n\t“where you from brudha”<\/em><\/div>\n
\n\t <\/div>\n
\n\tThankfully, and just like so many TTRiders before me, I had our head of TTRide trips, Chris Bond waiting for me. He had a taxi (nice price negotiated) waiting and off we went.<\/div>\n
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\n\tGetting met at the airport never gets old!<\/em><\/div>\n
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\n\tFor our May courses in Bali, we base ourselves at Canggu beach. As well as having a range of perfect waves at this time of year, Canggu has a great vibe about it.  Beach café’s by day and cool little barbeque style restaurant\/ bars by night.<\/div>\n
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\n\tOur accommodation in Canggu is also spot on.  Set just back from the beach Echoland has about 10 (2-3 person) rooms surrounding an immaculate swimming pool that is beautifully lit up in the evening.<\/div>\n
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\n\tAs somewhere to base TTRide trips in Bali Canggu is also perfect, far enough away from Kuta to give it it’s own identity but close enough to Kuta to be just a short taxi ride away for those looking for a good night out. <\/div>\n
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\n\tThe roads in Bali<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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\n\tDriving down the main roads of Bali, really gives you a sense of the fact that you are travelling somewhere totally different. I can’t think of anywhere else that I have been to with so many motor-cycle and skooter drivers on the roads. How there are not more accidents I do not know.<\/div>\n
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\n\tHaving said this, the theme in Indonesia is very much about individuals looking out for themselves and taking responsibility for ones own actions. We in the west could really do with taking a leaf out of this book in this way.<\/div>\n
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\n\tIf you jump on a motor bike and have an accident, you have taken matters into your own hands as soon as you ride onto the road. You knew the risks and if the risk turns to reality, well that is just how it goes!<\/div>\n
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\n\tI will say that we strongly discourage our riders getting on bikes whilst in Indonesia, and whilst this has sound logic due to risk involved, it also demonstrates how western culture is developed in such a way, that should an accident go down, even though that person is over the age of 18 and effectively an adult making his own decision, we would need to be prepared to take some blame in the event of an accident. A <\/div>\n
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\n\tI am not expecting this to ever change and am also soundly aware of the obvious benefits of accountability. However, when you watch an emerging country like Indonesia operate, you have to wonder whether the established world has gone too far when it comes to the transfer of responsibility for ones personal actions. (I digress)<\/div>\n
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\n\tCanggu Beach – Bali<\/strong><\/span><\/div>\n
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\n\tArriving at 17.30, I had just 1 hour of daylight to go.  I was keen to head straight out for a quick wave, there is no better way to wash away a long flight.<\/div>\n
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\n\tLooking out at the line up with the light fading fast, I favored the walling lefts to the east, I also spotted that there was a perfect learner wave right out front as well as a wedging A-frame peak over to the west. You can’t ask for much better than that. Definitely waves for every level of surfer here, I remember thinking to myself.<\/div>\n
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\n\t As we paddled out, Chris told me that the waves were much better yesterday. I didn’t care, there were 50m walls to be surfed and when in comes to surfing in Indonesia, there is ‘bad surf by Indonesian standards’ which by all accounts is ‘great surf’ anywhere else. <\/div>\n
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\n\tHaving surfed till dark, it was time for some food. Just as well the restaurants operate authentic open fire grills on the beachfront with an amazing selection of meat and fish for you to choose to have cooked up for you.<\/div>\n
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\n\tFair to say, it was immediately obvious to see why we base ourselves in Canggu whilst staying in Bali with Ticket to Ride.<\/div>\n
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\n\tUp early the next morning and not before giving the Canggu ‘A-frame’ that I spotted the night before a quick surf, we packed the van and headed over to the ferry terminal (white sand beach) at the village of Sanur.<\/div>\n
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\n\tTomorrow's Indo Post<\/span><\/p>\n

\tTravelling from Bali to Lombok<\/strong><\/div>\n

\n\t <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Title<\/div>\n
Arriving in Bali<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Keywords<\/div>\n
Bali, Indonesia<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Description<\/div>\n
Arriving in Denpasar airport can feel pretty intimidating. Having most likely stepped off a long haul flight you must negotiate your way through immigration, this is a mix on landing cards, visa entry fees, alarmingly temperamental cash machines and slightly useless (although nice and smiley) airport staff.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n