As soon as we got out of the harbor, we hit wake so we were crashing and bouncing. I had to close my eyes, grip my husband's hand, and take myself to a very happy place.
We had heard good things about the surf in Nusa and were recommended to a little bungalow by a friend. Thirty minutes later, we had made the open ocean trek and we checked in to our hotel. Although it was a little rustic (especially coming from the Ritz), with no air conditioning and only cold saltwater in the pipes, it was still adorable. It wasn't until that night when I realized that you need air-conditioning to keep the mosquitoes away while you sleep, and that I am no longer a budget traveler—but we were only there for two nights.
The next day, the manager took us out on the boat around to the other side of the island. We were in this great double outrigger, and it was all hunky-dory until we hit huge wake (again), and when he showed us the surf spot, totally gnarly, with spitting waves, I realized there was no way I could handle it, and there was also no way I was waiting on the boat, bobbing up and down in the killer swells. Luckily, everyone was game to head back around the island to a place that sounded much more my speed, Playgrounds. Turns out Playgrounds was great. It is even slightly challenging and more so on a bigger swell so all of us had fun.
After our two nights in Nusa, we took the terrifying boat back and headed to Ubud. There are no waves in Ubud, as it is in the hills of Bali, but it turned out to be one of my favorite places. We took a five mile walk into the rice paddies that was one of the best experiences I have ever had.
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Bali
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