Eat, Love, Pray
Welcome to Padang Padang beach, or as it's known, Pantai Labuan Sait. This stretch of 100 meters of beach with its powder sand and crystal blue waters is only 10 minutes from Bingin and Uluwatu. It is situated down in the nook of the cliff face.
Take a walk over to the middle of the bridge and look down. There it is, stunning, and there instantly is your motivation to begin your scale down the steps. They are a little steep up and down and slippery so be prepared for that, just take it nice and easy. Also, keep hold of your things. Yes, Monkeys and these guys here are so audacious. You turn your head for 3 seconds, and your beach food is gone, but never would they take your beer!
Hollywood helped to bring this patch of paradise to fame with the Julia Roberts movie 2010 Eat, Love, Pray. Here in Labuan Sait, in those romantic moments, she and actor Javier Bardem bobbed around in the water all giddy in love. A wonderful movie may I add. Padang attracts a few more Instagrammers to the beach than previously, all hoping for that ultimate photo. Although I imagine that is everywhere now when you visit such a picturesque place.
Pandang gets dominated in July with the hosting of the Padang Padang cup which is huge in Bali. It is one of the longest-running surf competitions and as it says "it's on when it's on "!! Just wait for the swell. It's the perfect break for the competition because as it works, the ocean can throw out smooth long barrels. Never forgetting beginners, on a good day, it can be the perfect playground for learning to surf. Keeping in mind, make good decisions when picking the tide and when to go out as there is a lot of underlying rock and reef which can turn things nasty fast. So, my best advice, as said by all the locals, is if you come off the board, be sure to land like a pancake! You will be ok.
If staying in the Padang area you can also enjoy a leisurely day seeing the sights of Garuda Wisnu Cultural Park, then to Uluwatu cliffs and the Uluwatu temple at sunset which is spectacular with its array of brilliant colors reflecting over the ocean.
Every full moon, they have parties down on the beach that go wild, and they have live music and very cool lighting effects on the rock faces and into the caves. A great experience and well worth timing it with the moon when planning a visit.
There is plenty of accommodation to suit any type of traveler and budget on the Bukit peninsula. The food is well priced, and there is surfboard hire at $15. Motorbike hire is easy to locate in the top car park for a small fee.
"Live in the moment"
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