I was never a good surfer, I loved getting out there with my mates and having a paddle and having a crack at the occasional right-hander. If I got two or three half-decent rides I would be pretty pleased with myself! I did love watching my mates though. Some that could have been pro’s if their lives hadn’t taken different directions. Some that lived and breathed the search for the next best wave. Some you couldn’t get out of the water.
Still, even though it wasn’t true love for me, I understood the attraction. As they described their love, I compared it to what I felt when singing and playing drums in my band. It just felt like the most natural thing I could be doing.
A few years ago, I read a story in ‘Traveller’ about a man with a similar love to my mates and his mission to find the perfect wave. That man was Tony Cannon and that story by Max Anderson is a great yarn. Google it and have a read.
My tale is a current one and my discovery of what is now known as Hotel Komune and Beach Club www.komuneresorts.com came about in a totally different manner. A good mate, Shane, was one of those surfers I grew up with and knew of the famous Keramas surf break and had secured a beachfront property just a few hundred metres down the beach. He invited me to come and write a story about Keramas, and its luring appeal. Shane mentioned Komune and how you could go and hang for the day at their beach club, sit by the pool, watch the waves and enjoy a great feed as well. So, I did. I have since returned four times and last year married my now wife with a Hindu blessing ceremony there on the beachfront. That’s the effect Komune has on you. It has not only a lot of conventional holiday essentials but it has a spirit, a soul and it will beguile you into wanting to return not long after you leave. It’s just one of those places.
Maybe that’s what happened to Tony Cannon and that’s the reason that Komune is now the king of Keramas?
Komune is a high-end experience in the Bali sense, but it is a very affordable high-end. The accommodation has a couple of distinct choices and I guess the reason you are visiting there will probably but not definitely have a say in which way you will drift. As we all know there has been a big surge in fitness travel and yoga retreats and the like. Part of Komune is just perfect for you if that’s your deal, and of course, surfers still rule the waves here.
Many with these inclinations will set up camp in the Resort Rooms. These can be arranged for retreat mates, surfing pals or yoga buddies with two single beds or one queen. Private ensuite shower, high-speed Wi-Fi and all the basic necessities. The perfect choice for those happy with the essentials and know they won’t spend a lot of time in their room.
Beachfront pool suites may be more your style though and I totally get that. These are a 5-star affair at a very reasonable rate. Views directly from your balcony pool across the famous break with the shadow of Lembogan Island on the other side of the Bali Sea.
One, two- and three-bedroom Beach Villas are also at hand and would be perfect for the family or a group of close-knit friends.
Whether you are on the health kick or on a free-range kind of holiday your epicurean desires are more than truly covered. The Health Hub is in a central location right near the fully tanked fitness centre and offers a massive range of organic brilliance with choices for Vegans, Vegos and those inbetweeners. An added bonus is that a lot of the produce is sourced on-site from Komune’s gardens, with all other products coming from sustainable organic farms nearby. For those like me, that like a little meatiness in their diet all chicken and pork are free-range and the seafood is sustainable as well.
The Beach Club is also a hot spot for dining options, flaunting the ultimate location it’s ready and willing for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, in fact, it’s an all-day affair. So many terrific choices and embracing all the above sentiments as well.
Then again you may just be happy with a Bali old-style jaffle and an ice-cold Bintang beer from the surfers Warung. Damn, I love me a Bali jaffle! It immediately takes me back to my first visit many moons ago, we lived on them. Happy days indeed.
Hotel Komune also comes up trumps when it comes to respecting the local villages and cultures and has many programs that include assistance and education in waste management and other issues. They also do their bit for the environment with initiatives that include a solar-powered lobby, LED lighting, water harvest and purification, cross-flow ventilation, sewer management, river channel cleaning, and beach management. All-powerful and positive agendas.
Getting there: Komune is just over an hour’s drive from Ngurah Rai International and you can organise a pick-up service direct from the hotel, or like me, you may already have your favourite local Bali drivers number at the ready.
Getting amongst it: Komune has more than a few Yoga classes on offer daily and possibly every known form as well. I absolutely loved the Yin classes down at the Beachfront Shala, such a great way to start your day.
Want to hang out with a vibe get yourself to the beach club pool and stake your claim on the perfect daybed and relax with some Vitamin-D and some sweet tunes.
Kids: Komune has the progenies well and truly sorted too, with daily activities, kids club, playground and they even have a fully blown skate park. There are also family-friendly movies screened nightly giving Mum and Dad the option of supervising from the bar or joining the brood on the grass. You choose?
The little things: Free and fresh available drinking water throughout the whole resort.
Some international electrical sockets in your room, no more adaptors.
Adults only pool, for those who have done their time entertaining the kids.
Free WiFi throughout.
The Deal: The Travelling Guy has a 25% off accommodation deal available for you should you be keen to visit the King of Keramas. Just head to www.thetravellingguy.com for the info.
Scott McRae is The Travelling Guy follow @scottythetravellingguy on Instagram and Facebook