Selong Belanak and Mawun: surf lessons and buffalo at sunset

A wide white-sand bay where beginners learn to surf on gentle waves and water buffalo are driven across the beach at dusk, with Mawun’s perfect horseshoe on the way.

Area

South coast

Start from

Kuta Lombok

Distance

about 25 km west of Kuta

Time needed

1 day

Best season

All year; best surf for beginners in the dry season

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Scooter or car

Tickets & rules

Small parking fees; surf lesson or board rental optional

Why go

West of Kuta the coast road climbs over hills and drops into a series of bays, each lovelier than the last. Mawun is the first big one: a horseshoe-shaped beach wrapped by two headlands, with calm water and fine sand. It is the kind of place that looks like a postcard even on a grey day.

Further west, Selong Belanak is a long, gently curving bay with soft white sand and small, even waves rolling in over a sandy bottom. It is one of the best places in Indonesia to learn to surf, and surf schools line the beach with boards and instructors. Even if you never stand up, being pushed along by the white water is great fun.

In the late afternoon the beach changes. Farmers drive herds of water buffalo across the sand, from the hills on one side to the pasture on the other, and the animals walk calmly through the surf school, children on their backs, against the setting sun. It is a scene people come back to again and again.

The story

For a long time, these bays were known only to surfers and fishermen. The road from Kuta was rough or nonexistent, and the villages lived from fishing, seaweed farming and small plots of rice and tobacco on the hills. The arrival of tarmac in recent decades opened up the coast, and now villas and guesthouses stand on many of the hillsides.

The buffalo are still an important part of the rural economy here. They are kept for ploughing, for status and as a form of savings, sold when a family needs money for a wedding, a pilgrimage or a new house. Their daily journey across the beach follows routes their owners have used for generations.

Surfing in Lombok became famous through breaks like Desert Point in the southwest and the reefs near Gerupuk, but the beach breaks of Selong Belanak are where many travellers first try it. Local surfers, many of them from nearby villages, now work as instructors and run their own schools.

Mawun is popular with locals on weekends, when families come to picnic and swim. During the week it is often nearly empty, and in the evening, as the light goes, the two headlands glow green and gold around the bay.

Getting there

Mawun is about twenty minutes west of Kuta, and Selong Belanak about forty-five minutes, along a hilly road with some steep sections. A scooter is ideal if you are confident; otherwise hire a driver.

Parking is available at both beaches for a small fee.

A suggested plan

1. MorningRide west from Kuta and stop at the viewpoints along the coast road.
2. Late morningSwim at Mawun.
3. MiddayContinue to Selong Belanak and have lunch at a beach warung.
4. AfternoonTake a surf lesson or rent a board.
5. SunsetStay for the buffalo crossing and the evening light.

Where to stay

Selong Belanak has a growing number of villas and guesthouses on the hills, quieter than Kuta. Otherwise, visit as a day trip from Kuta.

Good to know

• Surf lessons are best in the morning before the wind.
• Rash vests save your skin from the sun and the board.
• Bring cash for parking and food.
• The coast road has steep sections; take them slowly.