Batu Karas: The Longboarding Heaven in West Java, Indonesia

Photo by jenal_kupu_kupu

Batukaras is a fishing village located in West Java, Approximately 350km from Jakarta. It’s charm is having one of the best and easiest waves to surf in Indonesia, perfect for beginners and surfers looking to improve their techniques.

How to get there?

There are a few ways you can find to get to Batu Karas and in here I will list a few.

Plane

There is one flight that most people take which is from Jakarta to Nusawiru airport. This is the only airport located about 15 minutes near Batukaras in a nearby town called Cijulang. The flight costs about $120 (most prices listed in this post are in AUD) but one way, but I have noticed a recent spike in prices, especially during peak season.

Susi Air is the only flight that makes this route: https://susiair.com/

When coming from out of Jakarta, like Bali or anywhere else in the world, most travelers take a a plane to either Bandung or Yogyakarta and then take a private car to BK.

Private Car

From Jakarta it takes about 9-10 hours, make sure that you are going during off-peak travel hours. Anytime between 7am-9am and 4-8pm and you will be stuck in Jakarta’s horrible traffic. This transport costs 1.8million or about $180.

From Yogyakarta and Bandung it takes about 6 hours, the traffic from Jogja & Bandung is not as bad as Jakarta but still be wary of the evening traffic. This ride costs about 1.2million, or $120. All rides are inclusive of surfboards

If you would like to take this travel route you can contact:

Tomo - +62 812-2321-4508

Or Gilang - +62 813-2306-0496

Where to surf

There are 2 surf breaks in Batu Karas. The Main Point and the Reef. The main point is a point break with a long wave. It works during the dry season from March until October. Generally its between 3-4ft, but on good swell days it can get up to 7ft, and sometimes 9ft if you’re lucky. On a daily basis this is a perfect long wave specially for longboarding. But on a big swell day, I wouldn’t go on my longboard. Right after this break, there’s a short shore break called the second point. This has one of the fastest waves I’ve surfed in my life and in a good day, its perfect barrels.

The reef is my favorite wave I've ever surfed. It only worked during the rainy season from November till April. On a good day this wave is 5ft and its absolute perfection.

The best thing about the waves in BK is that they are perfectly glassy. You do get windy days, but mostly its glass. The reef is great because during the rainy season there’s no wind, and the point is always protected (by the big ass rock).

There are a few more surf breaks about 30 minutes away from Batu Karas, including Batu Hiu & Bulak Benda, and Orange Juice for massive waves. The best person that will help you surf around and other areas is DeniBlack boy.

The people

I am quite objective when it comes to the people in BK because everyone in Batu Karas is my family. Because BK is such a small town, the surfing community here is very small, but it also makes it very special. From young locals who work on the beach or give surf lessons, to a small expat community made of people who decided to give up that city life and live in a small village. BK and its people will become family, and the place that will always want to go back to.

Photo by jenal_kupu_kupu

Living style

*I'll be writing a separate article about top places to stay in BK so keep a look on that

Batu Karas is a Muslim town so it is important to repect the people, religion and culture. On the other hand they see a lot of international tourists and they are very open and welcoming of other people’s culture. Things to keep in mind:

1. Dress respectfully. You can wear a bikini or bathing suit at the beach, but when you’re out of the ocean, make sure you cover up your behind, with shorts or a scarf.

2. Not everyone drinks alcohol. You will find a small and friendly drinking community and you can always join one of my #mabokretreat which are drinking retreats.

3. Daily prayer calls. During the day and night there will be 5 prayer calls from the mosques around the city. Depending on where you will, it may be super loud, or not at all.

4. Respect the locals. Batu Karas is a heavily national community, make sure you respect the locals in and outside of the water, or you may not be welcome there anymore.

Where its located

Batu Karas is located in the East Parahyangan region on the south west coast of Java, about an hour's drive from Pangandaran, which is also a popular beach town nearby.

Daily life

On a daily basis, I would wake up for sunrise, get a cup of coffee and go check the waves first thing in the morning. It's a few minutes drive from anywhere you stay in BK so there’s no time wasting. If the wave is good I’d have a morning session then get real coffee from Coboi coffee shop or House of Sawa. After that I’d get some work done on my laptop while watching the waves, and if it's good and glassy then I’m back in the water. Then lunch and hang out with everyone and finally one last sunset surf session to end the beautiful day. We have bintang after surfing, and then drinks with friends on the beach with a bonfire, while Jenal plays his guitar and everyone sings along. It really doesn’t get any better than that.

All in all this is the best place on earth to be in, it is Longboarding Heaven. The beach vibes, the friends you will make and the waves you will catch are some things that will always stay in your heart, so make sure you visit BK and make sure you cherish those moments.