Surfing
The island nation of Indonesia is home to the world's greatest collection of waves and the seven zones below are the pick of the bunch.
From Aceh in the northern hemisphere, past Singapore and Malaysia, all the way down through Sumatra, and then west to Java, Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba and Rote, the Indonesian coastline measures a staggering 99,000km in length, with the southern shores copping every ounce of Indian Ocean swell. If you're a surfer. the archipelago is paradise and trying to unpack the options is your only dilemma.
Indonesian surfing started in the 1970s, with passing Australian and American servicemen spotting the potential of the waves breaking on the white sand beaches of Bali, and leaving surfboards behind for the locals. From the tiny fishing village of Kuta, surfers soon began to venture in all directions, finding world class waves around every headland.
It didn't take long before the more adventurous types started island hopping to Java, Lombok, Sumbawa and beyond, and half a century later there are still new waves being discovered the length of the nation, though the lengths taken to unearth these gems get ever more extreme.
The old classics still retain their allure, despite the ever-growing crowds that 50 years of starring in movies and magazines will ensure, and while Hawaii is surfing's mecca, and Australia and California are the hubs of the industry and the culture, Indonesia is surely home to the richest deposit of surfing's most sought after resource: waves.
With Australia only a few hours away, the neighbouring nations have a friendly relationship, and Aussie surfers have helped to grow a vibrant, talented and successful local surfing community, from pioneers like Wayan Ganti and Made Kasim in the 1970s and 1980s onto 90s stars like Rizal Tandjung.
As well as being the go-to location for big budget surf brand and editorial shoots, Indonesia also regularly hosts WSL Championship Tour events, and in 2022 Rio Waida became the first Indonesian to qualify for surfing's major league, one year after carrying his nation's flag at the Olympics.
While compiling a definitive list of Indonesia's best peaks and points is a near-impossible task, consider the cheat sheet below an excellent first step towards navigating the 18,000 islands as best you can when chasing the waves of your life.
01
Bali
"The Island Of The Gods" has long been a magnet to all manner of foreign travellers; from package-deal tourists to partying backpackers, hardcore adventurers, spiritual folk seeking enlightenment and of course, since the 1970s, surfers.
From the white sand beaches of Kuta, surfers first ventured south to the Bukit Peninsula and were blown away to find Uluwatu, Padang Padang, Bingin and many more flawless lefts reeling off as far as the eye could see.
North of Kuta on the west coast, Canggu is modern surfing's hottest of hotspots, as much for its world-class nightlife and restaurants as for the incredible waves that break on its black sand beaches, catering to everyone from beginners to world beaters all year round.
The east coast also boasts a bounty of riches, and while Nusa Dua, Sanur and Keramas might be the star attractions there are plenty of lesser-known gems that often offer even more reward for those prepared to hunt a little harder.
02
Lombok
Surfing in Lombok is best known for Desert Point, one of the world's great lefts, that spins hundreds of metres down the beach at Bangko Bangko, serving tubes from start to finish.
Lombok is similar in size to Bali, though wildly different in fauna and flora thanks to the Wallace Line, which runs through the Lombok Strait and marks the boundary between Asia and Australia. This narrow yet deep passage is also the confluence of the Pacific and Indian Oceans, making it an incredibly complex body of water, riddled with currents and tides.
Although it may be feared by fisherman and ocean goers, that same current creates the magic found at Desert Point, and its allure is more than enough to draw thousands of surfers to camp rough in the "Dust Bowl" at Bangko Bangko every year.
Not too far from the thunderous tubes of Desert Point lie other options, with Kuta Lombok a burgeoning hub for surfers and tourists alike, and countless surrounding bays offering a myriad of waves for surfers of all levels around the large, volcanic island.
03
Java
Java is not only home to Indonesia's capital city of Jakarta, but with more than 150m residents, it's the world's most populated island. Most importantly for surfers, the world's 13th largest island is teeming with waves.
Between the illusive and treacherous waves found off West Java, to the legendary perfection of Grajagan in the east, lies over 1,000km of southern coastline, riddled with waves.
The string of thunderous lefthand tubes known fondly as G-Land last played host to the WSL Championship Tour in 2022, and was home to a run of folkloric events in the late 1990s, the cornerstone of a run of contests that lead to the coining of the "Dream Tour" nickname for surfing's highest tier of competition.
If you're chasing the dream in Java be warned, the waves can be wildly dangerous, and you're often a long way from the kind of medical assistance that would make you feel somewhat assured.
Our advice? Java is too big to try and tackle in one go. Hone in on a zone, wait for the right conditions needed for it to come alive, and make your move.
04
Sumbawa
Sumbawa is found a 90-minute flight or two-ferry-marathon-drive to the east of Bali, and while the islands mightn't appeal to regular tourists it is a magnet for surfers.
Lakey Peak has long been seen as one of the pinnacles of 1990s exploration since it was first stumbled upon by a boatload of Aussies chasing the dreams. While back then Hu'u was a fishing village rich in untouched waves with not another surfing soul to be seen, in the years since the town has well and truly been put on the surfing map.
From pros filming video parts to everyday tube addicts flooding the line-ups and local stars like Bronson Meydi taking their acts to the global stage, Lakey Peak has become synonymous with incredible waves and spectacular surfing.
Surfing in Sumbawa is far more than just Lakey Peak however. While the roads are treacherous, and require hours of dedication simply to cover what appear to be the shortest of distances, the rewards for those who put in the time are plentiful. Fortune favours the brave has never been more apt, so if you're chasing the waves of your life and up for a challenge, Sumbawa might just be the place for you.
05
Sumatra
Sumatra is the sixth largest island in the world, home to 20m Indonesians, 10 national parks and so much rainforest that it hosts over half the world's plant and animal species. Thankfully for surfers, it also boasts incredible waves.
Sumatra straddles the equator, meaning Aceh in the north turns on in the wet season from October to January, while the waves in the south do their best work over the rest of the year.
Krui is a particularly versatile stretch of coast thanks to its smashed-plate geography seeing all kinds of set-ups work on a variety of swells. There are points and peaks, slabs and sandy beachbreaks, all serving to thin the crowd and catering to a wide range of surfing abilities.
While the islands off Sumatra might attract more fanfare, and the drive into Krui might just be the most torturous in Indonesia – which is really saying something! – there's a reason Sumatra devotees return to both ends of the island, time and again.
06
Nias
The island of Nias, home to the legendary Lagundri Bay, has been the top of surfing's travel and adventure bucket list since it first appeared in a classic Australian television commercial in the 1990s.
While the commercial, which featured professional surfers Luke Egan and Jodie Cooper, was wildly over the top, Cooper's line to local shopkeepers of "Can you tell us where the waves are?" resonated with surfers the world over and the classic tubes the adventurers were rewarded with struck a chord.
From the emerald green heaving tubes to the backdrop of endless palm trees swaying in the tropical breeze, Lagundri Bay was the wave that children drew on their school books while daydreaming in class, and the reality was just as good.
These days Nias is no easier to get to, the crowds can be off the charts, and competitions can often see the line-ups closed, but on its day the thunderous wave itself is as spectacular, alluring and addictive as ever. You should probably go find out for yourself.
07
Mentawai Islands
If Indonesia is the world's richest surfing zone then the Mentawai Island chain is El Dorado.
Off the west coast of Sumatra, 150km across the Mentawai Strait from Padang, lies the Mentawai Islands Regency. These 100-or-so islands soak up swells from every direction and turn them into Indian Ocean perfection, and since the 1990s they have become the dream destination for surfers from all over the world, whether staying in a land camp surfing old favourites, or sailing the seas to destinations unknown.
Such is the appeal of this region that in the depths of the pandemic Kolohe Andino spent his savings on a once-in-a-lifetime adventure with old friends, including Griffin Colapinto, to find a way into the Mentawais to film his career-defining movie, Reckless Isolation.
Kolohe is far from a lone wolf in his passion for the waves of the Mentawai Islands. From legendary charter-boat skippers and explorers opening up the region in the 1990s to the ongoing strike missions of modern day, there is a reason the world's best continue to return time and time again.
Sure, the crowds can be maddening and there can always be flat spells or run of bad winds, but as long as Kandui or HTs delivers pros the waves of their years, and Four Bobs and Lance's Left puts lifelong smiles on recreational surfers' faces, boats will continue to set forth from Padang, loaded with excitement and hopeful expectation.
The list above is far from exhaustive, but such is the joy of Indonesia. Some surfers have spent years exploring every inch of the coast, others have dedicated their lives to mastering just one wave, many more pass through as often as they can while taking timeout from their usual day-to-day lives. Whatever your choice, every drop of effort will be rewarded tenfold, you just need to get out there and do it. Selamat jalan.
