A few weeks ago I went on a surf trip to Batu Karas with a bunch of girl friends. Batu Karas is a small fishing village on West Java, and getting there is an adventure on its own! I kept my expectations low, as I was told that the waves are usually too small to surf, Wi-fi is not great, and I’m just not too sure what to expect.
Coming to Batu Karas was like traveling back in time. It was pretty much beaches and jungles, a stretch of paddy fields here and there, and one main road that barely had any cars. Life was so quiet and slow, it was beautiful. The rain would come unannounced, followed by the rainbow. We saw two huge rainbows within our five-day trip. I never thought I would love being here so much. Though I couldn’t surf as much because the waves were too small, I absolutely loved just driving around that one stretch of road where I could see the beach and the palm tree jungles.
I’d usually be less than happy when my wave count is low, but this place offers so much more than that — a nature fix that I’ve been longing for. I didn’t get my nature fix on my last trip to Bali because I realized Bali is not slow anymore. Roads are filled with traffic, the lineup is always crowded, and I had two project deadlines on that trip. Batu Karas was the off-the-grid vacation that I needed. Nothing fancy, just surrounded by so much nature and less people.
At the end of this trip, I was so grateful that I’ve unlocked a side of me that could truly appreciate living the simple life. A life surrounded by nature, with no hot water nor hair dryer, wearing oversized tees & flip flops — they make me realize I really don’t need much to live and be happy.
I’m also grateful that, in the past two years of living in Bali, I’ve gained genuine friendships with people who share similar interest — surfing! Now I can go on surf trips when I don’t feel like being in the city. It is so liberating to know that I have an option to do life differently and have people to do it with.
