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Bali: The Island I Couldn’t Quit
I’m Luca, a digital nomad who rocked up in Bali with a surfboard, a laptop, and a vague plan to stay a month. That was half a year ago, and now I’m kicking back in a Kuta Beach condo, the ocean’s hum my morning alarm.
Bali’s got this pull — waves that make you feel alive, temples that stop you in your tracks, rice fields that look like they’ve been green forever.
I came to mess around and surf, but the island’s history and soul grabbed me and wouldn’t let go. I want you to feel that too, to get why I ditched my return ticket. These next few paragraphs are my story, my way of dragging you into Bali’s magic, I’m writing it as an intro to the full Timeless Travelers Guide for Bail, which will help you find how to chase it for yourself.
I landed in Denpasar, knackered but stoked, and scored a Canggu villa on Expedia — IDR 400,000 ($25 USD, €24 EUR) a night, with a pool and Wi-Fi that didn’t choke on my Zoom calls. I’d paddle out at Batu Bolong, the dawn light turning the waves gold, carving turns until my legs and arms gave out. Those early days, I was a wide-eyed drifter, bombing around on a rented scooter (IDR 80,000/day, $5 USD, €4.80 EUR), chasing beaches and sunsets.
Bali’s past kept sneaking up on me — stone shrines with incense, old dudes in sarongs telling stories of ancient kings. I knew I wasn’t leaving anytime soon.
For the first month or so I was constantly comparing Expedia with Agoda to find the best deals. It was ace for short stays, but I soon tired of all the moving around and eventually I found my Kuta Beach condo through a local Facebook group — IDR 7,000,000/month (US$420), ocean views, and a balcony perfect for post-surf beers. Now, I’m settled, working remotely, surfing every dawn, and living a life my mates back home can’t stop envying.
A true surfer’s playground
Kuta’s pretty much my turf. The beach is a surfer’s playground — long, forgiving waves where I can slash lazy cutbacks or push for bigger moves. I’m out there most mornings, dodging noobs, swapping grins with local kids who surf like they were born on a board. One day, I’m chilling on the sand, board waxed, when a fisherman named Wayan sits down. He points to the horizon, telling me his great-granddad fished these waters with nets blessed by priests. We crack a coconut, and he spins tales of Kuta before the neon signs, when it was just villages and temples.
Sometimes I wander to the Bali Bombing Memorial, a quiet stone that carries the island’s scars. Kuta’s chaotic, but it’s got heart, and every session here feels like Bali’s whispering, “Stay.”
Ubud’s where I got lost in the best way. I rode uphill towards the north, jungle breeze in my face, and crashed at a guesthouse with rice fields out back. One afternoon, I’m wandering, half-aimless, when I practically trip over someones ancient temple — Pura Taman Saraswati, all lotus ponds and carved stone. There’s incense everywhere, petals scattered like confetti, and I’m just standing there, a sunburnt surf rat in boardies, feeling like I’ve wandered into someone’s prayer.
A lady in a sarong smiles, hands me a frangipani, and I tuck it behind my ear, grinning like an idiot. At the Ubud Palace, I catch a gamelan show — drums thumping, dancers moving like they’re floating. The next day, I’m hiking Campuhan Ridge, green as far as you can see, and a farmer shows me these ancient water channels, still feeding the fields like they did a thousand years ago.
Ubud’s got this quiet power that makes you want to slow down and actually listen for once.
About halfway through my Bali obsession, I found Uluwatu, and it’s now my happy place. The ride south’s a mission, but those cliffs and waves are unreal. Uluwatu Beach is next-level — fast, hollow lefts that’ll spit you out if you’re not ready. You have to watch out you don’t end up eating reef, but catching a tube there’s like flying. One evening, I’m at a warung, salt in my hair, scarfing down rice and fish, watching the sky turn fire-red. Pura Luhur Uluwatu’s up the cliff, a 10th-century temple with stone gates and cheeky monkeys.
I watch a Kecak dance — 50 blokes chanting, flames flickering — and it’s like the island’s telling me its secrets. The guide’s got the lowdown on Uluwatu’s other breaks like Padang Padang, where I scored my best barrel ever, but you’ll definitely want to see it for yourself.
Bali is a fine balance of work and play
Canggu’s where I balance work and play. Echo Beach has punchy waves that keep my shortboard busy, and I’ll surf till noon, then hit a café to edit code over a smoothie. One night, I’m at Old Man’s, reggae blasting, dancing with a crew of strangers under string lights. But Canggu’s not just hipster vibes — Pura Tanah Lot’s nearby, a 16th-century temple on a rock in the sea. I went during a Hindu ceremony, locals laying out rice offerings, waves crashing like they’re part of the prayer. I’m just a dude with a board, but moments like that make you feel woven into Bali’s story.
Sidemen’s my escape when Kuta’s bustle gets heavy. It’s a valley of rice terraces and sleepy villages, like Bali before the crowds. I stayed in a bamboo homestay, waking to roosters and mountains wrapped in mist. Wandering the trails, I meet a weaver who lets me try her loom — my attempt’s a mess, but she laughs and talks me into buying a scarf. Pura Besakih, the big-deal “Mother Temple,” is close, its pagodas climbing the mountain like they’ve been there forever. I dodge a rain shower under a temple gate, sketching the view, and feel like I’m touching time itself. Sidemen’s the Bali you dream about, quiet but alive.
Why you’ll never want to leave Bali
I could go on — Padang Padang’s perfect waves, Tanah Lot’s salty prayers, Ubud’s dancers who move like magic, village warungs where I’ve stuffed myself with roast pig.
Bali’s not just a place; it’s a life that wraps around you. Every dawn surf, every temple offering, every scooter ride through rice fields feels like I’m part of something ancient and unstoppable.
I’m still here, paddling out at Kuta, working from my balcony, living a dream my old self would’ve killed for. You’re feeling it now, aren’t you? That itch to ride Bali’s waves, to stand in its temples, to taste its soul. You want this life, and it’s waiting.
Pack your bags, board or no board, and come get lost in Bali. The Timeless Travelers Guide is your ticket —to the best flight deals, hotels, eSIM’s, insurance, surf spots, temple trails, all laid out to make this yours. It’s got everything to turn your craving into reality. Click the link to the guide below and start living the island’s story.
Bali – Ultimate Travel Guide: Flights, Hotels, eSIMs & Insurance
You’ll remember me, when the west wind moves… Upon the fields of Bali 🎶travel.getthe.info
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