Medewi Beach, Bali, Indonesia

5Neil 5:00 PM Jul 17, 2014

A Bali Retreat in Paradise
After scouring the internet for a few hours; looking for a hotel that offered a comfortable, clean and peaceful environment, I came across Medewi Bay Retreat. As I was intending to travel with my 2 sons (15 & 12) a good restaurant, pool and clean room were my priorities. After travelling to Bali for the past 20 years, we were fed up with Kuta, Seminyak, Legian, Ubud, Lovina, Ahmed, etc. We wanted to get back to the 'old Bali' where you're not hassled every day and the waves aren't fought over by hundreds of sunburnt tourists. Medewi proved to be the answer and the Retreat was second-to-none. We stayed in Soka 1, a large, self-contained room with kitchen, large bathroom and a huge room that easily catered for the 3 of us. The staff at the Retreat were AMAZING! They greeting us with smiles, provided us with all the help we needed and bent over backwards to ensure our stay was memorable. Even their management from the Head Office in Sanur came down to the Retreat to run the evening entertainment! I felt like we were valued guests and not just another check-in dollar. On the review it states that they don't have WiFi, but recently they invested in a new system and to be honest, it was a faster service than I have in Australia. I know we were suppose to be retreating from www but it's great to know you have it if needed. The way the Retreat is arranged means it never feels over-crowded, rooms were cleaned daily and staff were always cleaning to ensure guests had a spick and span place to relax. Each morning we would have a great breakfast and then head off to the amazing surf at Medewi Beach. We did the journey to the beach on a local bus (running along the main road every 10 minutes and costing a mere 5000 Rupiah each - 50 Australian cents at the time of writing). This was also a great way to meet locals and the drivers and 'bus ushers' were very accommodating. At Medewi Beach we were welcomed by several Balinese surfers who gave us the low down on when and where to surf, local information and basically gave us a hassle free week as they welcomed us to their waves, lifestyle and culture. Will we go back? You can bet your bottom dollar! Will we stay at the Retreat again? You bet!! I haven't written such a praising review before but Medewi Bay Retreat deserves it. Well done to all the staff, the locals and generally, Bali for giving us some great memories and experiences. I would recommend organising a taxi through the Retreat when booking. It costs us $60 Aus (I little more than a taxi off the street) but the service was great, straight to the door and the driver, Harry, was great!

5Aimee M 5:00 PM Aug 2, 2017

Magic Medewi
People are starting to slowly but surely realise this break is well worth the drive. Depending on where you're coming from Medewi Beach is about 2-3 hours from the main accommodation spots....If you're in Canggu/Tanah Lot you're closer than Kuta/Legian/Airport as it's west northwest of these busy spots. Know that's it's only 50-65 kilometres from these spots however, Bali traffic is always crazy...having said that, the road is actually of very good quality and once you're beyond Tanah Lot 'area' it's pretty easy going and a snooze it always an option! Once at Medewi you will see a number of signs including a large 'Medewi Beach/Pantai Medewi' old, rusted (in a cool way!) sign plus various restaurant and hotel signs...this humble little street is Medewi's 'main' strip! When at the end of this road you will see Medewi Beach Cottages on the left and the new Bombora Medewi Wave Lodge on your right (looking to sea). The best place to go out is about 20-30 metres to the left or right of this main 'carpark' area. Keep an eye on tides as high tide is preferable for surfing and generally makes the beach look much more beautiful in general. Yes, there are rocks, plenty of black volcanic rocks but again, high tide makes these easier to deal with and they're not sharp (unlike reefs) ... Once out in surf you can enjoy LONG, glassy left handers...I have a 1:18min ride on my mobile! Wave size vary but even when big are gentle peelers - average about 3-5 up to 15 but that's rare.. It's prob not the best beach for families/kids as the rocks override the sand so no castles here unfortunately...having said that it's nice to show the kids a different beach and there are plenty of little rock pools to explore in low tide. There is a great ocean front restaurant as well as massages available when not surfing/swimming.. SUNSETS at Medewi are simply stunning without the lights and chaos of Kuta etc. the serenity in and out of the water makes this spot pretty darn magical. Away from the beach it is TRULY worth going for a drive around the rice fields and river. Here you will see authentic, untouched Bali...the greens and shapes of the rice field are a photographers dream. Farmers working in the fields, kids running around their homes and stunning rivers windng through the greenery including huge palm trees...yes, authentic, amazing Bali at it's best. About 10-15 mins from Medewi is a Hindu temple..well there are six temples..it's a huge area and all on the beach front. Again, some awesome photos to be taken with the ocean crashing against the various statues. (I will get the name but it's well known in the area and about 10-15 mins north of Medewi township).