Hitchhiking in Indonesia: Berawa Beach
18th of February, 2025.
I get a lift with another guy from Jakarta. He’s working as a driver here but takes me for free until half way my next destination, another beach called Kayu Puti, which is right after Kuta Beach.
As I am standing on the road trying to hitchhike, a man talks from his window that he can take me to where I want to go. Marco, from Bali, is also a Grab but he says he can take me there for free. As I tell him the name of another beach, Berawa, as it seem’s nobody knows Kayu Puti, he tells me that it is a party beach, with a lot of clubs, and even the biggest beach club in Asia, a place called Atlas. Now you ask me if I knew that…
I walk for a while, as the entrance which I get in is quite desert, even though there’s still some people. Then, a lot of fishermen boats, and a restaurant. I chill by this area for a while, considering if I want to go to the sea or not. The weather turns stormy and the rain starts. That’s my queue. I stay by the restaurant until the rain stops, and then I give up of the idea of camping on the beach, and decide to ask around in some family house.
That turns out to be very difficult, as most of the buildings are either shops or homestays. What a sad reality. After a few negative answers, I talk with a very pleasant lady in a house which is not a homestay but a motorbike rental place. She’s very kind and listen to my story. But she also says that, due to the many motorbikes they have parked around, there’s very little space left for my camping. She suggests that instead, I could use a space upstairs, in front of her son’s bedroom. He arrives soon, and as I talk to him, he tells me that it’s actually not possible.
I start walking down the street, ask in another house, get another no, and when I’m walking again, the son comes running after me and says I can actually stay in front of his bedroom.
I eat some fruits (they have so many) and keep on talking with the mother. Her two grandsons are around, and I also spend some time with them. Then she tells me I can make some fried rice for dinner. She helps me chopping the vegetables.
I meet some other family members, and also the partner in business for the motorbike rental. Later on I also meet her husband, who seems very surprised with my presence. They are all nice people, but for whatever reason, perhaps simply because nobody ever made such a request, as all the tourists they ever met (and most likely will ever meet), are the ordinary type of tourist, I think they are still a bit suspicious of me, like not trusting me entirely. I can detect that. But it’s OK, I don’t blame them. At least I have a safe place to stay, I can take a shower, I have good food and fruits. And before I go to sleep, they even tell me that, if it starts raining at night, I can come down and stay in the living room.
The only bummer thing is that, as tomorrow morning they have a huge event on the temple, they are all leaving the house at 5.30 a.m., and so I must leave at that time too. To make matters worst, I have another migraine crises at night, and have to come out of the tent, with my mattress and sleeping bag on the floor, because it’s too hot inside my tent. Luckily, by the time I have to get up and start packing my things, I feel better.
They give me a big bottle of water, which is life saving, as I lost mine, and some fruits too. It’s still dark as I start walking, so I plan to just sit somewhere for a while, until the sun rises. Luckily enough, I find a bench not far from the house, so I rest there for a while.
Right after daylight, I get a lift with a motorbike until the main road. There, as I find a piece of cardboard on the floor, I write “Kuta Gratis”, which means Kuta Beach for free. Laugh.
A very kind and polite man gives me a lift in his motorbike. He is really so nice and caring. He tells me a bit about the streets we are passing by and this area. He works at HardRock Cafe, and we pass in front of it. He drops me off right at the entrance for Kuta Beach, and I feel so grateful for his help. What a nice guy!
10 Years Around the World 