World Surfaris senior surf travel specialist, Simone Mason has done a lot of travelling around Indonesia in her life. In fact she spent 4 years living in Bali so it’s safe to say Simone is truly an Indonesian surf specialist.
This time we sent Simone to Java. Simone’s mission was to inspect and enjoy the pleasures of a tidy tucked away hotel near Batu Karas called Java Cove Hotel. Here is what Simone discovered:
Wow! What a great spot – Remote – quiet and uncrowded!
Just got back from a week at Java Cove Hotel and it was bang on. I don’t know of another spot in Indo that could offer what this place does in regard to surfing for beginners, kids and longboarders.
If the swell is really working then the short boarders can also get out there and enjoy some long perfect walls, but this place suits longboarders to an absolute tee, which made me VERY happy!
It’s a sand bottom bay and you can basically walk along the side of a cliff over the flat rocks and pretty much paddle straight into the take-off area ready to go, similar to Crescent Head on the NSW mid coast. Surf one in and then walk out again, hardly any paddling, gotta love that!!
The hotel is opposite the wave and a fantastic team of staff for such a remote location, was very impressed. The rooms are great with your choice of 3 room types:
- The Ocean Mini rooms are small and simple rooms on the second floor with great ocean views. These rooms are suitable for single guests or 2 romantic guests who like each others company.
- The Ocean View Deluxe rooms are also on the 2nd floor with ocean and surf views. Perfect for small families (2 adult + 1 child), couples or 2 mates happy to share a room.
- The Terrace rooms are the premium level rooms located on the ground floor with a spacious terrace. These rooms are the most popular and are still very affordable. Great for up to 3 adults but perfect for a couple or family of 4.
The hotel grounds are being maintained constantly which is a big tick in the tropics.
There are great waves nearby and Java Cove staff/drivers will take you to them for a small fee. Most people choose to surf out the front due to how close it is and if Batu Karas is really firing, its unlikely you need to leave and find another break. It also suits every ability level as I covered already.
The only negative I could find with my trip to Java Cove Hotel was the long transfers from Bandung. The flight connections from any Australian capital city are fairly easy. I would recommend a night in Jakarta or Bandung to break the travel up a bit. From Bandung, it is approx. 8 hours to reach the hotel. The positives of this is that the luxury van is fully air conditioned, you stop for lunch and you pass through some beautiful villages along the way, giving you a great taste of local culture which we felt extremely safe in at all times.
To summarise, I would recommend Java Cove Hotel to any beginners, intermediates, longboarders and families. The value for money is outstanding! You can book a 10 night holiday for the family at less than $3,500 including domestic flights from Bali!
Imagery provided by Neil ‘moonwalker’ Armstrong