Welcome back to Bali! Now that Ramadan is officially over, I feel like it’s finally appropriate to share this post. What can I say? Shortly after we got back from Bali, Ramadan came along, yet I’ve got a fun-filled beach post to share. In lieu of the holy month and the mosque tour we got going on, I thought it’d do nobody any harm to share this post after Ramadan. The most fun part of this post is that we didn’t just go to one beach in one day, but two! Yes, two beaches in one day, what?! Only in Bali, folks! If in Java Agung and I usually go Keraton hopping, in Bali we went beach hopping—and both these beaches have something to offer.
Fun fact: despite having been born and bred in an archipelagic country with over 17,000 islands, I had never spent time at the beach before. Thirty years of life in this constellation of islands and I had never even spent one single day at the beach! Crazy, I know. It’s not for lack of trying, mind you. The first time I was in Bali—when I was about 8—my Mom took us to the beach twice. The first time it was closed due to a religious ritual, the second time it rained cats and dogs. The third time was in Anyer and the beach was crazy crowded and awfully littered. No, thank you. And that’s how all that led to this perfect moment of enjoying two beaches in one day. I say it was the perfect first time.
📷 Fujifilm X-T100 with Fujinon Aspherical Superb EBC XC 15-45mm lens
Welcome back to Bali! Now that Ramadan is officially over, I feel like it’s finally appropriate to share this post. What can I say? Shortly after we got back from Bali, Ramadan came along, yet I’ve got a fun-filled beach post to share. In lieu of the holy month and the mosque tour we got going on, I thought it’d do nobody any harm to share this post after Ramadan. The most fun part of this post is that we didn’t just go to one beach in one day, but two! Yes, two beaches in one day, what?! Only in Bali, folks! If in Java Agung and I usually go Keraton hopping, in Bali we went beach hopping—and both these beaches have something to offer.
Fun fact: despite having been born and bred in an archipelagic country with over 17,000 islands, I had never spent time at the beach before. Thirty years of life in this constellation of islands and I had never even spent one single day at the beach! Crazy, I know. It’s not for lack of trying, mind you. The first time I was in Bali—when I was about 8—my Mom took us to the beach twice. The first time it was closed due to a religious ritual, the second time it rained cats and dogs. The third time was in Anyer and the beach was crazy crowded and awfully littered. No, thank you. And that’s how all that led to this perfect moment of enjoying two beaches in one day. I say it was the perfect first time.
📷 Fujifilm X-T100 with Fujinon Aspherical Superb EBC XC 15-45mm lens
Beach 1: Kedonganan Beach
Our initial destination of the day was actually a fishing beach, as recommended by our resident guide Mimin. Kedonganan Beach is located on the west coast of Bali, right next to the Jimbaran beach. Honestly, I don’t know how they can tell where one beach ends and another begins, but that’s what it says on the map (lol). This coast is lined with fish markets and places where you can go get your seafood grilled, which is really practical and considerably cheap.
At first, we were supposed to meet up with Mimin by Warung Bu Wiwin—a good place she recommended to get our seafood grilled—but her dog got sick and she didn’t end up being able to keep us company that day. However, she did leave me with the impression that Kedonganan is a pretty good beach to be a photo backdrop. The area is lined with fishermen’s boats painted in blues, yellows, reds and whites—such a gorgeous setting. You also get to witness them out at sea, getting their catch.
Our initial destination of the day was actually a fishing beach, as recommended by our resident guide Mimin. Kedonganan Beach is located on the west coast of Bali, right next to the Jimbaran beach. Honestly, I don’t know how they can tell where one beach ends and another begins, but that’s what it says on the map (lol). This coast is lined with fish markets and places where you can go get your seafood grilled, which is really practical and considerably cheap.
At first, we were supposed to meet up with Mimin by Warung Bu Wiwin—a good place she recommended to get our seafood grilled—but her dog got sick and she didn’t end up being able to keep us company that day. However, she did leave me with the impression that Kedonganan is a pretty good beach to be a photo backdrop. The area is lined with fishermen’s boats painted in blues, yellows, reds and whites—such a gorgeous setting. You also get to witness them out at sea, getting their catch.
Truth be told, the landscape wasn’t very impressive. The beach was pretty bare, aside from the boats lined up alongside it—away from the edge of the sea. There were some non-intimidating waves crashing the shore repeatedly, which adds the charm for me, really. The sea itself doesn’t have a pretty, crystal blue colour. In fact, it becomes a rather unappealing shade of brown the closer it gets to the sand. Sadly, you can also find some pieces of garbage in the sand—although there are some shells too. I picked up one that looked so uniquely gorgeous—which I left behind in Bali, since it was pretty fragile to begin with. And, of course, since it was a Balinese beach, you can spot sesajen (offerings) here and there.
My favourite part is undoubtedly the lines of colourful boats. There are just a lot of them and we could take photos in between each one without anyone giving a care in the world. The boats are scorching under the sun, though. Other than that, I love the little pier going out to sea—all the way to where the fishermen’s boats are huddling about while catching sea creatures. Agung and I initially wanted to go there, but it was too hot by the time we finished playing on the beach.
Hand-me-down dress // Sejauh Mata Memandang scarf // vintage purse // unbranded sandals //
photos of me by Agung
Truth be told, the landscape wasn’t very impressive. The beach was pretty bare, aside from the boats lined up alongside it—away from the edge of the sea. There were some non-intimidating waves crashing the shore repeatedly, which adds the charm for me, really. The sea itself doesn’t have a pretty, crystal blue colour. In fact, it becomes a rather unappealing shade of brown the closer it gets to the sand. Sadly, you can also find some pieces of garbage in the sand—although there are some shells too. I picked up one that looked so uniquely gorgeous—which I left behind in Bali, since it was pretty fragile to begin with. And, of course, since it was a Balinese beach, you can spot sesajen (offerings) here and there.
My favourite part is undoubtedly the lines of colourful boats. There are just a lot of them and we could take photos in between each one without anyone giving a care in the world. The boats are scorching under the sun, though. Other than that, I love the little pier going out to sea—all the way to where the fishermen’s boats are huddling about while catching sea creatures. Agung and I initially wanted to go there, but it was too hot by the time we finished playing on the beach.
Hand-me-down dress // Sejauh Mata Memandang scarf // vintage purse // unbranded sandals //
photos of me by Agung
After around 10 minutes of being soaked at the edge of the sea—and a little bathroom emergency—Agung and I finally decided to raid the fish market lining the streets at the edge of the beach. There are actually two fish markets at Kedonganan: one is right there on the beach, the other one is inside a roofed shack across the street from it. According to the market vendors, the pricing in these places vary—the roofed shack market is pricier.
Honestly, we didn’t really know what to get—we weren’t knowledgeable on fishes native to Bali—and so we walked around the fish market several times looking at all the sea creatures. The most exotic thing we saw—and one that Mimin was actually dying to try, but didn’t appetise us—was a Dragonet fish. It was so unique to Bali. Anyway, we ended up getting one crab and like 500 gr of squid. And off we went to get it grilled.
When we were still under the impression that Mimin would be coming to join us, Agung and I spent time playing at the beach waiting for her. Technically, it really wasn’t the kind of beach where people would sunbathe or go swimming. As you can see, it is a fishermen’s beach. People go here to catch or buy fish and other sea creatures. However, the beach itself is pretty devoid of people—save for some kids who were playing balls in the low tide. Agung assured me that it would be fine for me to strip to my bathing suit and enjoy the sea for a while. He was right, nobody even batted an eyelash at us, so I went for it. I didn’t really go swimming out to sea, mind you, since nobody else was there—unless you count the fishermen’s boats way out in the open sea. I really enjoyed soaking in the crashing waves though. Gosh, it was so refreshing in the blazing sun.
When we were still under the impression that Mimin would be coming to join us, Agung and I spent time playing at the beach waiting for her. Technically, it really wasn’t the kind of beach where people would sunbathe or go swimming. As you can see, it is a fishermen’s beach. People go here to catch or buy fish and other sea creatures. However, the beach itself is pretty devoid of people—save for some kids who were playing balls in the low tide. Agung assured me that it would be fine for me to strip to my bathing suit and enjoy the sea for a while. He was right, nobody even batted an eyelash at us, so I went for it. I didn’t really go swimming out to sea, mind you, since nobody else was there—unless you count the fishermen’s boats way out in the open sea. I really enjoyed soaking in the crashing waves though. Gosh, it was so refreshing in the blazing sun.
After around 10 minutes of being soaked at the edge of the sea—and a little bathroom emergency—Agung and I finally decided to raid the fish market lining the streets at the edge of the beach. There are actually two fish markets at Kedonganan: one is right there on the beach, the other one is inside a roofed shack across the street from it. According to the market vendors, the pricing in these places vary—the roofed shack market is pricier.
Honestly, we didn’t really know what to get—we weren’t knowledgeable on fishes native to Bali—and so we walked around the fish market several times looking at all the sea creatures. The most exotic thing we saw—and one that Mimin was actually dying to try, but didn’t appetise us—was a Dragonet fish. It was so unique to Bali. Anyway, we ended up getting one crab and like 500 gr of squid. And off we went to get it grilled.
What we didn’t factor in on our visit that time was the upcoming Balinese Hindu holiday, Nyepi (or the Day of Silence), which means various rituals were to take place in holy sites all across the island. A lot of these holy sites are the beaches—but not the touristy ones, apparently—which included the Kedonganan Beach. That was why the beach was to be closed for public use, only to be the site of a religious ritual called Melasti.
We found this out after we purchased our crab and squid, and brought it to Warung Bu Wiwin to be grilled. They told us that we couldn’t dine in anymore, the place was to close in an hour—exactly at noon—or else they would get in trouble with the authorities. They were gracious enough to still let us have them grilled there, though. Around 30 minutes later, they stopped accepting grills altogether—a lot of people came with raw fish and seafood only to be turned away. It was a close safe! So we waited for our seafood to be grilled and rode back to our villa to devour them and chill for a while…before we headed to our next beach.
What we didn’t factor in on our visit that time was the upcoming Balinese Hindu holiday, Nyepi (or the Day of Silence), which means various rituals were to take place in holy sites all across the island. A lot of these holy sites are the beaches—but not the touristy ones, apparently—which included the Kedonganan Beach. That was why the beach was to be closed for public use, only to be the site of a religious ritual called Melasti.
We found this out after we purchased our crab and squid, and brought it to Warung Bu Wiwin to be grilled. They told us that we couldn’t dine in anymore, the place was to close in an hour—exactly at noon—or else they would get in trouble with the authorities. They were gracious enough to still let us have them grilled there, though. Around 30 minutes later, they stopped accepting grills altogether—a lot of people came with raw fish and seafood only to be turned away. It was a close safe! So we waited for our seafood to be grilled and rode back to our villa to devour them and chill for a while…before we headed to our next beach.
Beach 2: Geger Beach
Since we had a couple hours to kill before we had to go to the last day of Joyland, we thought we’d hit up another beach. Maybe one that was more suited for actual sunbathing and playing in the waters. In other words, a touristy beach—but, hopefully, one that isn’t too crowded. That was how we ended up at Pantai Geger. We came upon this beach fully thanks to Google Maps. I used it to scan the landscape and find a beach nearby our villa when I was planning the trip. Out of all the beach photos that I saw, Pantai Geger was the clear winner.
The beach was actually a lot more secluded. You’d have to go through a gate to get to the beach. There was a post at the entrance, manned by a guard who would charge any person and vehicle who passes through. As I remember it, it was IDR 5k per person and IDR 2k per motorbike—cars cost more, naturally—so we had to pay IDR 12k to enter the area.
Since we had a couple hours to kill before we had to go to the last day of Joyland, we thought we’d hit up another beach. Maybe one that was more suited for actual sunbathing and playing in the waters. In other words, a touristy beach—but, hopefully, one that isn’t too crowded. That was how we ended up at Pantai Geger. We came upon this beach fully thanks to Google Maps. I used it to scan the landscape and find a beach nearby our villa when I was planning the trip. Out of all the beach photos that I saw, Pantai Geger was the clear winner.
The beach was actually a lot more secluded. You’d have to go through a gate to get to the beach. There was a post at the entrance, manned by a guard who would charge any person and vehicle who passes through. As I remember it, it was IDR 5k per person and IDR 2k per motorbike—cars cost more, naturally—so we had to pay IDR 12k to enter the area.
As we walked into the area, we noticed a few things. First, there were definitely a lot more people here—all of them foreigners though, we didn’t see any other locals except for the shop tenants. Yet the place was so clean and organised. Everyone seemed to be super chill here—it’s like we all have an understanding to keep the solitude of the beach.
Secondly, the sand here is bigger in size than it was at Kedonganan Beach. It feels rockier, which doesn’t cling in between our toes as easily. It’s so much nicer to walk on, although it’s just as hot. Thirdly, the water here is much calmer and clearer. There is no wave by the shore—you’ll have to swim farther out to greet one, and even they’re not so big.
At first glance, it was clear that this was the perfect beach to swim. Agung was so excited, he even stripped to his swimming trunks and joined me in the water. We saw a lot of children here and concluded that this was a family-friendly beach. We were also greeted by a super friendly golden retriever who kept cuddling to people in the water. He was so cute! Well, it was an overall friendly beach, really.
The clear water is my favourite, since we could see to the bottom of the sea—which is very shallow by the shore, of course—and spot seaweeds here and there. I’m not sure if they’re kelps that we can eat, or simply grass on the seabed. You can touch them and run your fingers through their unique textures.
As we walked into the area, we noticed a few things. First, there were definitely a lot more people here—all of them foreigners though, we didn’t see any other locals except for the shop tenants. Yet the place was so clean and organised. Everyone seemed to be super chill here—it’s like we all have an understanding to keep the solitude of the beach.
Secondly, the sand here is bigger in size than it was at Kedonganan Beach. It feels rockier, which doesn’t cling in between our toes as easily. It’s so much nicer to walk on, although it’s just as hot. Thirdly, the water here is much calmer and clearer. There is no wave by the shore—you’ll have to swim farther out to greet one, and even they’re not so big.
At first glance, it was clear that this was the perfect beach to swim. Agung was so excited, he even stripped to his swimming trunks and joined me in the water. We saw a lot of children here and concluded that this was a family-friendly beach. We were also greeted by a super friendly golden retriever who kept cuddling to people in the water. He was so cute! Well, it was an overall friendly beach, really.
The clear water is my favourite, since we could see to the bottom of the sea—which is very shallow by the shore, of course—and spot seaweeds here and there. I’m not sure if they’re kelps that we can eat, or simply grass on the seabed. You can touch them and run your fingers through their unique textures.
Although this wasn’t a fishing beach, you could still spot some boats anchored a little way into the sea, tethered to a rope leading to shore. You could swim all the way to the boat and perhaps even get on it, although I don’t think there’s much of anything there. It’s a good spot for a photo, though. I’m not sure why these boats are being ‘parked’ here, but I think they kind of mark the limit of how far we were safe to swim. Technically, we could swim further still—and a lot of people do, especially those who want to surf—but we didn’t, since we were afraid of being lost out at sea and had a concert to catch.
Well, that about wraps up our trip to Bali. That took pretty long to go over—since Ramadan stole the show for a while—but I’m so glad I get to put it behind me now with a lighter heart. I’m not going to lie: the first couple weeks of coming back, I had such a “Jakarta blues,” as I call it—which is a condition where I am so sad to be returning to the capital city. I thought I wouldn’t be able to move on for months and months. It didn’t help that the last time I went to a concert, it took me around 5 months to move on from the experience. That’s what I do, I linger on to memories.
But then Ramadan rolled around and Agung and I made more memories together. Then it’s like something faded away. Perhaps a fear that the last memory we made would be our last one—or, at least, our last good one. But it wasn’t. We are making more memories together as we speak—and it gets better every time. We were reluctant to leave Bali—a little sad too, no doubt—but we knew that we could return. Either way, as long as we are together, it’s an adventure.
Stay tuned for more adventures that we’ll be embarking on soon!
Although this wasn’t a fishing beach, you could still spot some boats anchored a little way into the sea, tethered to a rope leading to shore. You could swim all the way to the boat and perhaps even get on it, although I don’t think there’s much of anything there. It’s a good spot for a photo, though. I’m not sure why these boats are being ‘parked’ here, but I think they kind of mark the limit of how far we were safe to swim. Technically, we could swim further still—and a lot of people do, especially those who want to surf—but we didn’t, since we were afraid of being lost out at sea and had a concert to catch.
Well, that about wraps up our trip to Bali. That took pretty long to go over—since Ramadan stole the show for a while—but I’m so glad I get to put it behind me now with a lighter heart. I’m not going to lie: the first couple weeks of coming back, I had such a “Jakarta blues,” as I call it—which is a condition where I am so sad to be returning to the capital city. I thought I wouldn’t be able to move on for months and months. It didn’t help that the last time I went to a concert, it took me around 5 months to move on from the experience. That’s what I do, I linger on to memories.
But then Ramadan rolled around and Agung and I made more memories together. Then it’s like something faded away. Perhaps a fear that the last memory we made would be our last one—or, at least, our last good one. But it wasn’t. We are making more memories together as we speak—and it gets better every time. We were reluctant to leave Bali—a little sad too, no doubt—but we knew that we could return. Either way, as long as we are together, it’s an adventure.
Stay tuned for more adventures that we’ll be embarking on soon!