Client testimonial for D'Bora charter boat in Mentawai Islands

"Dear Rhonda,

Finally recovering from the surf trip of a lifetime.  I really don’t know where to start!  We had pumping waves for the whole ten days including HT’s the best Joey had seen it in his time in the Mentawais Islands. Two to four surfs a day for ten days in world class waves....wow!  I don’t know when it is really going to sink in!

I would recommend the D’Bora team to any person or group wanting to surf the Mentawais.  In my eyes they are the best!!  Some of us were expecting to probably lose a bit of weight on the trip but there was no possible way about that getting restaurant quality meals made for us from the chef (Seeka) every day!  Three cooked meals a day and really healthy meals at that!  At first we all felt that we had to chip in and help with things around the boat like washing dishes and that sort of thing however everything was done for us including making the beds and folding up clothing around the beds in the dorm.

• Captain Ali is a great captain and we all absolutely loved his dry sense of humour.
• Eka provided great local knowledge (including fishing) and his experience on the tender and around the Islands picking us up from the breaks was bloody fantastic.
• Amae took over fixing some dings in my board and did a terrific job and was handy with the tender’s and also had a great sense of humour.
• Herman is a great engineer!  I don’t know how old he is but his engineering skills at what I believe is a very young age is a credit to him.  Being a skipper and engineer in a past life I was totally amazed when they allowed me to have a look in the engine room.  Really clean and well organised.
• Seeka is the newest crew member on the boat and should be cooking at the Hilton or something.  Hardly left the galley all day and provided the best healthiest meals ever.
• And finally Joey.....he is absolutely on the money when it comes to finding the waves.  We basically told him to take us where the waves are and he did that (exceeded expectations).  Joeys passion for the local people shines through and I felt very privileged that he asked us if we wanted to assist him setting up a water filtration system at a health clinic at a village just around the corner from Lances Left on our last day.  Vinnie and myself took up the offer and these memories will stay with me forever.  Joey and Tom are absolute legends for what they are doing to help the local people of the Mentawais!

Meeting other people in the network of friends and associates of the D’Bora the trip on this boat is something really special.  I thank you so much for placing our group on this boat after the trouble the other boat had.  It sounds as though we may have had a nightmare trip on that one!

On a bit of a down note, I would not recommend anyone fly Air Asia.  The way they cancelled the flight on us out of Padang on the way home was absolute bullshit.  I am sure that these things do happen from time to time but after being totally burnt out after ten days of surfing and having the best trip ever it was a very long day of travelling.

Speaking for myself, and I am sure the other feel the same way, I am very grateful of all your assistance in making our trip truly the best holiday I have ever had.  I personally hope to get back on the D’Bora within the next two years and will definitely go through the Perfect Wave Surf Travel Company.

I will be telling anyone interested in a surf trip that the Mentawais Islands is the place to go and that the Perfect Wave and the D’Bora is the only way to go!

Kindest Regards,

Rick"

D'Bora profile, schedule and booking form here

 For more information, please check out the link above or call 1300 00WAVE. 

 

D'Bora Photo Gallery:

Surfing in Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka is an exciting and uncrowded surfing destination and on our most recent trip there, we were pleasantly surprised by numerous things. Good waves, friendly people, more than affordable prices and whole-year-round surfing potential were just a few of them.

The Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, home to some 20 million people, is a small island country roughly of the size of Tasmania. Nestled in the Indian Ocean south of India, its climate is tropical and while north and the mountainous centre are pretty wet, the south gets a good share of sun and dry weather, mainly between November and March. The south is also the place to go surfing, with plenty of good spots around Hikkaduwa, Galle, Arugam Bay and Weligama. Little known fact: Arugam Bay in the south-east coast of Sri Lanka is on the list of top-10 spots to surf in the world!

There are 2 main surfing areas on Sri Lanka’s coast and 2 main seasons: 


1) Between November and April, we definitely recommend you to go to the south-west coastline around Hikkaduwa, about 100 kms south from the capital Colombo. The area around this old town offers a good range of 3-6ft waves, both left- and right-handed. Moreover, in your spare time, you can indulge yourself in Ayurvedic spa treatments, snorkeling, diving and excursions to an old historical town of Galle to see the Dutch Fort, take a train tour to Matara or go fishing to Ahangama.

The swell in this area is pretty consistent during the season and offers options for all levels of surfers. The waves are fun & mellow, although sometimes a bit fickle. The main break called Main Reef offers A-shaped waves and you can ride them both ways. For relaxed surfing, Beach Break offers decent left- and right-handers for beginners, while Benny’s and Inside Reef are more intense and challenging left-handers. Drifters Beach hotel is right at the beach, offering clean air-conditioned accommodation, beach restaurant and tours in the area, including surf transfers. The hotel is close to all shops and nightclubs, but still far enough to give you a good night's sleep. The owner Latih has been in tourism industry for over 10 years and also owns a travel company, so besides the accommodation, you can also get a good local information and transfers if required. Eco Point Lodge is a great eco-friendly surf project that offers lovely accommodation in mango wood cabanas, surfing and cooking classes and excursions. By staying there, you will support the local tsunami regeneration projects, where at least 10% of the profits each month go.

                        

2) The best area in Sri Lanka for surfing between May to November is around Arugam Bay – about 300 kms from the capital Colombo. The morning off-shore winds bring good swells and right-hand point breaks dominate the bay. Three of the point breaks, The Point, Pottuvil Point and Crocodile Rock, are all within a short 30-min tuk tuk ride from town. You have a bit more choice if you are willing to travel up to 1½ hrs by road or by boat.

Arugam Bay Surf Breaks:

• Your main surf spot at Arugam Bay is The Point – a right-hand reef break and therefore produces the biggest waves and is most consistent. It that delivers long, 2-6ft long rides - you can get rides of 400 to 500 meters if you are lucky. It is not a high performance wave but you can get a tube on some days.
• Pottuvil Point is bit further up north from Arugam bay, so it does not attract much crowd but does please you with its long rides, sometimes up to 700m if everything connects. Although the waves would be a feet or two smaller than at The Point, rides can be up to double length.
• Smallest of the three points is the Crocodile Rock – a beautiful beach with great conditions for beginners and intermediates.
• Baby Point: Kind of an un-fitting name because it can be a real fun wave. Inside the bay, they get a seasonal sand bar which produces perfect waves for beginners a people who like to cruise. The length & quality of this point depends on the movement of the sand. Normally, the sand gets good in the start of June, but that depends on the arrival of the first bigger swells of the season as they shift the sand.
• Right in front of the Stardust Hotel, about 150 meters out in the bay, there is a rock in the water which produces the only left-hander in the area (Madam`s Slap). If the swell is big enough, it hits the rock and a pretty gnarly left hand slap jumps up. They had some pros there last year and they pulled into some stand up barrels.
• Okanda - picks up the swell; second best after the main point.
• Lighthouse.
• Komari.
• Whisky Point.
• Elephant Rock.
• Peanut Farm.

The nice thing about the area that most beaches are really deserted and it is likely to find a wave for yourself. Although the main break gets quiet crowded in July and August, you can have good fun if you go to the smaller waves mentioned above.

The points are all accessible by tuk tuk rides of 15-50 minutes and some lie close to beautiful Hindu temples and it is likely to see wild elephants on your way to a surf.

Western-owned Stardust Hotel offers quality accommodation in Beach Cabanas and Luxury rooms (designed by Danish owner Merete Scheller and completed recently by local craftsmen) and it lies right at the beach. The packages include Colombo International Airport transfers (if needed) and breakfast, a dinner in their excellent restaurant is optional and can also be included.

Mambo Surf Camp offer a surf guesthouse-style accommodation in 10 well-sized rooms, including a few that have been recently built. Some have balconies facing the ocean so you can watch and enjoy the beautiful sunset from your room! All rooms are cleaned every day.

Offering quality waves, Sri Lanka’s south and southeast coastline is a heaven for surfers and caters predominately for adventure travellers with budget or mid-range expectations. If you are looking for an unspoiled destination without 5-star resorts that has abundance of national parks, photo opportunities, historical sites and good waves the whole year round, Sri Lanka is the place to visit.

To enquire about your next surf holiday in Sri Lanka, beat the crowds and surf the breaks that are only now starting to appear on the surfers' map (and deservedly so!), please call us on 1300 00WAVE to speak with one of our friendly consultants or click here to send us an e-mail!

Photo gallery: The last 10 days in Maldives

G'day friends,

Check out this photo gallery by our operator and partner in Maldives - Cokes Surf Camp (Core Travel). We are their exclusive partner in Australia so if you have any questions, give us a call on 1300 00WAVE or just check out the photos and enjoy!

For more information on surfing in Maldives, please check out this blog!

April 17, 2011 lazy afternoon: Some tight pockets and clean little walls to hack into. Not quite enough to get your rocks off. Peaceful, clear and quiet on the island making for a relaxing lazy afternoon surf..


April 19, 2011 cleaning up: Full on-shore for most of the day with wind swell choppin it all up, then a small storm passed the island bringing offshores then cross-shores cleaning it up enough for a late session. Swell picked up a foot or so to make it around 3ft lifting expectations for tomorrow. Tide has been super low in the morning with the full moon.

April 20, 2011 calm and pitching: Calm and pitching around 3-4ft. Some nice lips but no one getting real deep out there. 5 guys in the water, a few more over at Chickens. Low tide heading in. Let's see what the rest of the day brings...

April 20, 2011 solid 4ft sets: Yewwww. Good day for surf today. Mid morning to lunch was cranking out the goods with a mild 3-4ft. Early arvo went a bit shmegy, then later on the solid 4ft sets just started to roll in. A bit cross shore but glassy faced.

April 21, 2011 friendly sesh: Not as good as yesterday but only 3 guys out having a friendly sesh to themselves. 2-3ft+ with a 10kn side shore. Still clean enough to really enjoy it.

April 23, 2011 The Cokes Wall: The Cokes wall walling up for only 4 guys. A 15kn+ crosshore wind, I'll let you decide the height today. You have to pick your wave, take the drop and watch it pitch...

April 24, 2011 pristine: Not quite fully offshore, though some pristine little 3ft waves are coming through. The sun is showing it's face today and the current and tide just about right. 5 people in the water having a fun session.

April 26, 2011 just enough: A clean 1-2ft, just enough to whack it up and maybe a little cover up. A handful of people out.

 

Uncrowded waves in remote locations with The Perfect Wave - Part 1

G'day friends,

Are getting sick of your local beach that’s becoming more crowded by the day? Wondering whether there still exist places with uncrowded waves that you can have just for yourself, without waiting in the lineup for too long? We did the homework for you and travelled around the world to discover new frontiers – places with absolutely nobody around, only yourself and your friends in the water.

There still are places where none of your friends went before so you will be the first. Spots with breaks being discovered as you read this blog and local people and culture still untouched by the western culture. Remote islands where you can surf, take awesome pictures, eat fresh local food and absolutely forget about your busy schedule for a week or two!

For this to happen, you will need to get off the beaten track and perhaps take on an extra flight or a boat trip to get there. In some other cases, there may be restrictions on the number of surfers to keep breaks uncrowded, but others may just be far enough away from the commercial areas and frequently travelled paths that only those with a sense of adventure bother going there. Many of these places also do not advertise heavily so they don’t get too crowded or just want to protect their local culture.

Whatever the reason of their remoteness is, these places are just slowly starting to appear on surfers’ maps and we at The Perfect Wave spent some time researching these new frontiers to offer you something new. We were definitely blown away!

Indonesia – surfers’ Mecca. 

Besides Mentawai Islands and Bali area, this country has plenty of other great surf spots - hidden gems, waiting to be discovered. Just off Java lies Panaitan Island, home to an isolated population of wild deer, tigers, panthers, snakes and numerous other forms of rare and endangered wildlife. Most of the surf breaks around the island are only accessible by boat and you won’t see many of them around.

Just Dreaming is our operator in the area and they have received some raving feedback from our previous clients – please see more in the blog. They have excellent Aussie and local crew and the boat is a great value for a group of about 8 surfers – just fly in Jakarta and they will take care of the rest!  If you travel to Bali instead but still want to get away from the crowds, jump on Indocean who offer you good-value 7-night surf trips that will take you up to Lombok, Gili Islands and Sumbawa.

If you want to travel within a smaller group and are happy to travel even extra distance to South Sumatra between March and November, newly-open Damai Bungalows lie close to several excellent beach breaks in the tropical setting. They do take care of everything once you land in Jakarta, so you are being taken care of all the way. If you would like to experience the famous Mentawai Islands and still escape the crowds, WavePark has surfer quotas to make sure your experience is one-in-a-lifetime - check out this blog for more info on this highly recommended resort.

Surf breaks - South Sumatra

• Ujung Bocur - Right out in front of Ombak Indah Losmen and Damai Bungalows, this wave handles most swells and caters to surfers of all abilities.
  
• Way Jambu - Way Jambu or Sumatran Pipeline, as it’s also known, is one of the most perfect waves around - but for experienced riders only.
  
• Mandiri - This quality beach break is a 20 minute drive from Karang Nyimbor.
  
• Osamas - These beach breaks is an ideal learner wave and conveniently close to the camp.
  
• Bali Village - On its day this left and right breaking wave is a must visit.
  
• Krui Left & Right - A quality bowly left hander that needs a bit of swell to start to work. Meanwhile, nearby Krui Right is a superb right hander, one of the best in the area but needs a bit of swell to start to work. While at Krui, you can also catch a boat to Banana Island (see breaks out of Drew's).
• Mosquito’s / The Peak - A heavy peak that offers a short but perfect barrel.
  
• Drew's Right - This idyllic right hander is the perfect surf spot if you want to surf on your own as although there are local people around, there are no local surfers. Breaking for approximately 100 metres, this right breaking wave offers a bit of everything - from decent barrel sections to big open faces. Unlike Karang Nyimbor, this wave’s entry (although steep) is relatively easy. Once on the wave various sections are on offer - depending on the size of swell and its direction. The end section will always close out - and can be pretty shallow. This wave breaks year round, but is offshore more in the off season. It faces more south east, but still receives a large amount of swell - as most swells are from the south or south west. The wave breaks on coral reef and therefore reef boots are recommended. Getting out to the lineup is quite straight forward - you just have to time your entry. Coming in can be slightly trickier on a lower tide as it can get quite shallow.
• Jimmy's Left - 10 minutes from Drew's, this world class left hander produces endless barrels.
  
• Jimmy's Right - A stone’s throw away from Jimmy's left, but nothing like it if you want heavy sucky barrels.
• Walur - Just a short drive from Drew's, Walur produces heavy sets of perfect waves.
  
• Banana Island - Take the short 15 minute boat ride from Krui to ride these two rarely ridden waves that break around the island.

West Java

• One Palm Point - is a reef break, marked by a single sentinel palm. It is one of Indonesia's left-hand wonders. Waves here peel perfectly from outside to inside, barreling the whole way over a shallow bottom that inspires paranoia but creates record-time tube rides. Indeed this is not a place for timid or inexperienced wave riders.
• Apocalypse - is a great surprise because it doesn't look like much as you approach it from behind, but you will discover a feisty wave that peaks, walls, plumes, and fires. The water is quite deep at the take-off point, but a combination of funneled wave speeds, strong offshore winds and a receptive and stationary reef causes incoming swells to rise fast, hover before hollowing out and then break defiantly.
  
  Napalms - a fun barreling left
  
• Illusions – a right hand point break nearly as perfect as One Palm Point.
  
• Dave’s Place- fast barreling left
  
• Crock and Rolls- another classic left hander
  
• SS- Ideal wave for the natural footer looking for the keg of a lifetime
  
• There's also a couple of mellow breaks including Pussy's (left) and the Bommie (right).
  

Papua New Guinea – discovering new breaks by the day.

Purely geographically, Papua New Guinea is not the most remote country as it lies right next to Australia and the flight to Port Moresby only takes about 3 hours (from Brisbane). However, its absolutely different feel, landscape, culture and language will make you feel like you are in the opposite side of the world. Also, there are resorts that limit the number of surfers in the area and boats that will take you to possibly unsurfed breaks before you arrived! Just take an extra short flight from Port Moresby to Kavieng in the New Ireland province and one of our operators will pick you up at the airport.

Nusa Island Retreat offers a low-impact, eco-sensitive accommodation in the form of traditional island style bungalows. Most of the bungalows are set on the water's edge an all have great views, surrounded by an unspoilt natural playground which boasts an excellent variety of numerous surf breaks and waves throughout the surf season. Further down the island lies Rubio Plantation Retreat. This bungalow-style resort starts from the beach and goes up into the mountains. There is never a crowd as they limit the number of the surfers to 15 and Shane Clark, the owner, knows the area and the breaks like no other.

If you are a group of mates and can put together a group of 8, PNG Explorer is quite a phenomenal option as the will take you up north to Mussau Island and further, and you will experience yourself what the captain Andrew Rigby meant when he said that they are running out of names when it comes to discovering new surf breaks. Their food is great and the team is really passionate about the service. They were recently featured by Swellnet (see it here) and for more information, please check out our blog. For a smaller group of 1-4, Tiki-Tu catamaran is a comfortable 10-metre vessel owned by a couple of experienced Aussie surfers from Melbourne. Great food, absolute flexibility and surfer quota limits in the area will assure that you will have the best experience.

Papua New Guinea offers plenty of other activities besides surfing and you can read more about this surf destination in our blog and make sure you check out the video!!

PNG surf breaks

Kavieng in New Ireland Province has numerous reef breaks which have several good options for surfers who are after a bit of variety. The waves you find below are the well established ones which are known in international surfing communities.

• Pikinini- Extremely fast, heavy barreling, very shallow right-hand coral reef break. Given the right conditions and swell direction, waves can peel for up to 200m. Works best on a low to mid-tide, with a west to north-west swell direction. A mini Kirra. Reef boots are a must.
  
• Nusa Lefts (also known as Karanas) - Situated across the harbour from Pikinini, Nusa Left is a fast breaking, very reliable barreling left-hander that jacks up out of deep water, with a very shallow end section. It works best on mid to low-tide with a westerly swell direction and an easterly wind. Keep an eye on the outside bomby, as this can also be ridden on the right conditions.
  
• Nago Island - This picturesque little island has both a left and right-hander. The left-hander is a bit of a wave magnet and very consistent. A great hotdog, fun wave that has a nice tubing inside wall section. Likes low to mid-tide as it can be a bit fat and break too close to the inside ledge on high tide. It does not like too much swell, but can still be fun on a light onshore. This is one of the most surfed breaks in the area. The right-hander on the other side of the island has a very fast, long wall. It likes a mid to low tide, is a little inconsistent, but a great ride when it’s on. Keep an eye on this break when the swell comes up.
  
• Edmago Island - Edmago is a smaller island situated South West of Nago, in between Nago and Ral. It has a very good quality left-hander, given the right swell and wind direction and is best at mid-tide. The right-hander is also best at mid-tide and can pick up more swell than the left.
  
• Long Longs - A right-hander, good on a big swell, works best on a mid-tide with a north wind. Long Long is a more forgiving wave than most of the other reef breaks. The water is deeper and long rides, with a nice wall, ending with a hollow bowl section can be had. Good for long boards and mid size fish fun boards and twin fins.
  
• Ral Island - A small, uninhabited island situated further out to sea. A great place to go if there is no swell anywhere else, Ral attracts more swell than the other breaks in the region. Best surfed on small, clean swells, the right-hander can at times be peaky like a beach break, and sometimes can line up like a point break. The left is not as consistent as the right, but worth checking. Both waves pack a bit of punch once the wave height gets bigger. Ral can also handle more surfers than most of the other breaks.
  

There are uncountable more breaks on offer in PNG, you can discover these by getting out of the Kavieng area by land or by sea.  The other areas have similar surf management systems to Kavieng, so restrictions on surfer numbers are still imposed. Boat charters can often get you to the Islands of St Matthias, the east coast group of islands of New Ireland, and to the Admiralty Islands to the far North West of Kavieng.

• SP's - A right hander anything from 3ft plus this is definitely a more challenging wave. No bottom turns required take off in the barrel and get spat out into the channel. No more said.
  
• Gabe's left - A quality rip able left hander, either log ride on the nose or line up for about 5 turns on a standard ride. A mellow option to SPs which is nearby.
  
• Feeding ground - A swell magnet looks smaller from the boat until you are in the line-up and a huge set comes through. A deep water left hander, a 50 m ride that has a lot of double up and link up sections to produce a gnarly barrel section or a carve able face. If you end up on the reef there will be plenty of kids on hand to offer a refreshing coollah (young drinking coconut).
  
• Lookouts- A left for the more adventurous surfer- a not to challenging take-but then time the horse-shoe that bends around the knuckle in the reef, pull in and aim for the tender in the channel.
  
• Rainbows - A classic long walled left hander that has the best of both worlds with a big long face to tear apart but a quick stall and your locked into a smoking pit. This wave needs a little bit more bite in the swell that many of the other breaks but is a quality left that will impress the most travelled surfer .
  
• Bonsai - A fast hollow right-hander, that has a friendly weedy bottom. Good for all abilities sit deeper around the point and challenge the fast section or sit a bit wider and pick off the easier ones.
  

In Part 2, we are going to have a look at surf breaks and recommended spots Micronesia (Solomons, Caroline Islands), Africa and South America. Stay tuned!

For more information on our product in remote locations without crowds, where you might be the only tourists around, please check out this section of our website. For more questions, you can contact us on 1300 00WAVE or send us an e-mail! We have been there and done that, so we are able to give you personalized information on surf breaks and different operators in the area - we only sell the best!

Surfers "amped" about the new surf options

Plantation Island Resort is nestled on the 553-acre island of Malolo Lai Lai, part of the Mamanuca group of islands and is just 10 miles offshore west of Nadi International Airport.The resort utilises 23 acres of tropical landscaped gardens and coconut palms and has 7km of white sandy beaches, part of which fronts the beautiful sheltered lagoon. The resort is just 10 minutes by air or 50 minutes by boat from Denarau on the main island of Viti Levu.

Plantation Island Resort has joined forces with local company Surfin’ Fiji to offer daily transfers to Fiji’s most famous surf breaks. The surf breaks, including the world famous Cloudbreak, are located only 20 minutes by boat from Plantation Island Resort. They have been the venue for numerous professional surfing competitions, including the prestigious Billabong Pro Surf and Roxy Pro Surf competitions.

Surfin’ Fiji are offering daily transfers to Namotu and Wilkes breaks for FJD$50 per person, and Cloudbreak and Desperations for FJD$70 per person. The price includes return transfers to the surf, 3 hours of surfing time and safety support. Surf board hire is also available from FJD$40 per day.

Surfing has enjoyed a new resurgence in Fiji since the July 2010 release of the Surfing Areas Decree, which gives surfers unrestricted access to any surfing area in Fiji.

 

Mamanuca Islands Breaks:

• Wilkes Passage - This fun right-hander is great for most levels of surfers & is best at mid to high tide. Like most of the breaks in the area, it works best with S - SW swell. The only access is by boat. Unfortunately, it is very exposed and prone to being blown out by the prevailing trade winds. Afternoon glass-offs, though rare, can be a truly wonderous sight as clean right hand barrels peel off mechanically into the safety of the deep channel.
• Desperations - A classic wave that doesn't really work until its 4-5ft but just keeps getting better the bigger it gets. A left and a right with length, speed and nice hollow sections.
• Namotu Left - A left that breaks all year round, best from October to April with lighter winds. When its under 6 ft, it will even suit longboards, but becomes very challenging over 6 ft. Namotu itself is a quality wave, but remember to kick off at the end of your ride - don’t fall into the trap of going for that final barrel section - no one gets out of it.
• Cloudbreak - The world famous WCT location is one of the best lefts in the world. With the new laws prohibiting the exclusivity of surf breaks, you can now surf this awesome waves any day you want. This is a serious wave though, and will definitely sort the crowds out when it gets over 6ft.
• Mini Cloudbreak  - Powerful, fast wave. The best wind direction is south-east. Best around high tide.
  
• Lighthouse – South of mini-cloudbreak, near the lighthouse. Unfortunately, this one rarely breaks, but when it does, it’s for pros or kamikazes only.  Hollow, fast and powerful with a right and a left.
• Restaurants – This is a good, fast left hand reef break for pros or kamikazes only. However, with the new laws prohibiting the exclusivity of surf breaks you can now surf this awesome waves any day you want.

Do you have any further questions?

We would be stoked to assist you with organizing this great surfing holiday! If you have any further questions, please check out the resort profile for more details, send us an e-mail or give us a call on 1300 00WAVE!

Client testimonial:

We stayed at Plantation Island for 10 days in May 2009. We have 3 children aged 4, 9 & 14 at the time of our stay. The resort itself was idyllic with breathtaking views from every angle, with the beautiful aqua waters and clean gold sands of the beaches. It was a fantastic holiday for families as it catered for all of us with Kids Club and the inexpensive and reliable babysitting service, leaving loads of time for us adults to really relax while they were kept busy each day. The accommodation we had was a beach front bure and was very roomy for the 5 of us & tastefully decorated. We had the luxury of spending our afternoons lazing in the seaside hammocks sipping cold beer and reading under the gorgeous palm trees. The atmosphere at meal times was a true cultural experience with the Fijians singing while we ate traditional local foods at tables set on the sand under the light of beach torches. The resort staff were helpful, friendly and full of character. Glen had the best surf experiences most days. A friendly surf guide took him and other surfers to the best spots, where the waves were consistently in perfect form. They were early morning missions so that he was back by 10 - 11am, which left the rest of the day to relax or take the kids snorkeling etc. I would HIGHLY recommend this resort if you want a fun, relaxed holiday with kids and have your man completely thrilled after surfing perfect waves!!! A HUGE thank you to Jamie & The Perfect Wave team for providing such an awesome service and a great "easy on the pocket" getaway package. We'll definately be booking our Bali holiday next year through you. Until then... Amanda.