The location, I had been told, was quite remote. It would take 2 days to get there. It may very well  have been the other side of the globe, in the middle of nowhere, the name was unfamiliar, the details unclear. But the promise of adventure, and of something completely unknown was enticing; Indonesia has always been a wonderful mystery to me.

All I knew was that there would be waves, and that most likely they would be way too big for me.

Nothing new there, when you date a surfer and you’re not exactly at his level, you know what you’re getting yourself into. If you’re not content with laying on the beach for hours at a time (something I am terrible at) you learn to mentally prep with books, cameras, and any other welcome distractions, or you just go out and join in on the surf.

Getting there is half the fun 

The journey had indeed taken two days. From long delays at the airport in Lombok, to a crazy car drive through the island of 1000 mosques and barely making it on the “fast” 5 hour ferry. Sumbawa is indeed a remote place to get to, but that was always part of the adventure. We had booked our trip through The Perfect Wave, a travel company that tailors holidays specifically for surf trips. They were great at organising the entire process.

Cue Theme song from Rob Machado’s The Drifter. This place was like roaming through the jungle on a rusty Deus bike (- Something I wish actually happened). 

I could let the pictures speak for themselves, after all, it doesn’t take much to see how completely wild and exhilarating Sumbawa is. From tropical rains, to perfect barrels, Lighthouse treks and even a surfriders party with the locals, the experience was real, authentic and unforgettable.

 I might even get in trouble for having said too much already. 

The Ocean is Magic

At a location I am not at liberty to name, through a road I cannot remember, there was a day I will never forget. 

You could feel the adrenaline pumping through the air, as every surfer charged down the line and held their own in a perfect blue almond. A little too mysterious, you might think. I confess I am not sharing much about the where’s and the how’s. But I’ll let your imagination do it’s magic.  Or you can ask Perfect Wave.