Balian Beach in Tabanan

Balangan is a very small village on the west coast of Bali. The entire village consists of just a couple of streets. The place is very calm, with its own atmosphere, beloved by surfers. Balangan boasts beautiful natural surroundings.

It takes about one and a half hours to drive from Kuta to Balangan. Along the way, you will encounter many trucks, and traffic is quite active as they head to the main cargo port on the west side of Bali - Gilimanuk.

If you're riding a bike, it's recommended to wear a protective mask. As usual, traveling by car is more comfortable (you won't be breathing in truck exhaust), but on a bike, it's faster (easier to overtake long columns).

It's easy to get there using Google Maps for navigation.

Balangan is known as a "swell magnet." This means that when waves are too small (2-3 feet) at most surf spots in southern Bali, Balangan can have reasonably sized waves. There are good right and left waves.

Balangan doesn't like the wind, as it quickly spoils the waves.

Balangan has been the venue for the Russian fan surf contest SurfJam several times (read about SurfJam 2014).

Board rentals are available.

About 20 minutes further west is the excellent surf spot of Medewi. It's possible to find the longest left-hand wave on Bali there. Medewi also has plenty of affordable accommodation options and warungs (local eateries).

Balian has black volcanic sand on its beach, and due to this, the ocean water is not very clear, and swimming is not common. As far as I know, Balian is the only place in Bali where a shark attack (accidental ;)) has been recorded.

There is a lot of budget accommodation in Balian (starting from 80,000 IDR per room, guesthouses). There are also many warungs (local eateries), and overall, the place is very beautiful. It's a great spot to visit for a few days to surf and relax away from the hustle of South Bali.

There is a shop with groceries and essentials – you need to drive out to the main road and turn left. A bit further from this shop, there is an excellent local fruit stall.