HISTORY OF THE BALI SURFARIS
It was “Pencak Silat”, a type of martial arts, that brought Ari to a training camp in Indonesia in 1989, where he was meant to be preparing for competitions in the homeland of this old Malaysian martial art. However, it wasn’t long before he got hooked on something completely different: surfing, and the enchanting mentality of the people here. And thus the idea of the Bali surfaris was born.
ORGANIZING SURF CAMPS AND SURFARIS SINCE 1995
Of course, lots of things have changed since then, but one thing still remains: Surf
safaris on Bali are a get-together of like-minded people with one and the same passion -
surfing as a lifestyle.
And we all have one commitment: working hard to make the Bali Surf Camp an unforgettable
experience for you.
No matter how long you stay with us, Kima provides you with a maximum of surf-time without
spending time looking for surf spots or the best tides and swells.
YOUR SURFING HOLIDAY IN BALI
We want to make sure you have an absolutely fantastic surfing holiday, but we can't do
everything for you. Bali is a beautiful island, and beside its perfect waves, there is an
enormous wealth of culture, nature and mysticism - you simply have to experience and
explore all this for yourself.
Keep your eyes open and always be ready for new experiences and you'll soon see that Bali really
is a paradise and you'll understand why we've come to call it home.
About Kima Surf
Bali has a way of getting under your skin. The waves, the people and the pace of life here are exactly what Kima Surf was built around, and more than thirty years later, it is still the feeling we try to give every guest who walks through our doors. Kima Surf has been organising surf camps and surfaris since 1995, and today we run five self-owned surf camps: three in Bali (Uluwatu, Canggu and Seminyak) and two in Sri Lanka (Weligama and Hiriketiya).
How did Kima Surf begin?
Kima Surf began, funnily enough, with martial arts. In 1989, it was Pencak Silat, a traditional Indonesian martial art, that brought our founder Ari to a training camp in Indonesia, where he was meant to be preparing for competitions. It did not take long before something completely different got hold of him: surfing, and the enchanting mentality of the people here. The idea for the Bali surfaris was born, and in 1995 Kima ran its first surf camp. The passion that pulled Ari off the mats and into the water is still the thing we build everything around today.
How has Kima Surf grown since 1995?
A lot has changed since those first surfaris, but one thing has stayed the same: the passion for surfing and the community around it. Over the years we have welcomed thousands of guests, and we have learned the way most good things are learned: by trying, paying attention, keeping what worked and steadily improving what did not. That is how both sides of our surf program took shape: the learn-to-surf program for first-timers and the guided daily sessions for everyone ready to progress. And as the surfing side grew, so did everything around it, because we believe the best surf trips are not only about the waves but also about everything in between: the breakfasts, the sunset sessions, the people you meet.
What are the biggest milestones in the Kima Surf story?
If you want the short version of how we got here, these are the moments that mattered most:
Our first real home. We went from running seasonal surf camps to building a place of our own in the late 90s, a surf camp hotel in Seminyak. It was our first fully owned camp and one of the very first surf camps in Bali at the time.
Canggu. Opening Kima Surf Canggu in 2009 put us in two parts of Bali at once. We built it for surfers but gave it a resort feel, with a surf skate ramp, a 400 m² gym, an ice bath and a 15-metre climbing wall.
Crossing to Sri Lanka. We rebuilt the camps in Weligama and Hiriketiya, taking Kima from two camps to four. Kima Surf has operated year-round in Sri Lanka, starting with the opening of our Weligama Camp in 2019, followed by our Hiriketiya Camp in 2021.
Uluwatu. Our most recent chapter is Kima Surf Uluwatu, built from the ground up in Bali's most iconic surf town.
Where are the camps, and why did you choose these spots?
You will find us in Uluwatu, Canggu and Seminyak in Bali, and in Weligama and Hiriketiya in Sri Lanka. And there is a reason every one of these places made the cut. For us it always comes down to the waves first: proximity to and easy access to surf that works for beginner, intermediate and advanced surfers. We choose the waves first; the property, town and logistics follow. That way, wherever you stay with us, good waves for your level are never far away.
What makes Kima Surf different from other surf camps?
Three things set us apart: the Kima Package, the way we look after our guests, and the equipment you will be riding. The Kima Package is designed to cover it all, and both the number of surf sessions and the quality of those sessions go well beyond what most camps offer. The hospitality comes from something simple we care about a lot: we want to build a home, not just a place to sleep. Everything we do is built with you in mind. And when you paddle out, you will be on premium boards.
How will Kima Surf actually help you improve?
Here is the goal behind our surf program, informed by three decades of experience guiding thousands of guests in the water: you should leave surfing better than when you arrived. To make that real, we group people of similar ability together and give every group clear goals and clear steps, all based on our own in-house Kima Surf 6-level system. Our Learn-to-Surf programme provides structured lessons for first-time surfers and beginners. Our surf guiding programme focuses on spot selection, surf briefings and in-water support, helping more experienced surfers make the most of the conditions. Private coaching is available as a separate service for guests looking for more individualised coaching and feedback. Whether you are standing up for the very first time in the learn-to-surf programme, getting support in the water during a guided session or working one-on-one with a private coach, you always know where you are and what comes next.
How do you keep the experience consistent across every camp?
Two things keep the Kima experience consistent, no matter which camp you choose. The first is the Surf Planner, a system we built in-house. It is the central hub for every camp, tracking each guest's progress and letting us manage the quality of guided sessions across all our locations at once. The second is our set of procedures: carefully developed and applied the same way everywhere, so the experience feels just as dialled whether you are in Canggu, Uluwatu or Sri Lanka.
What is the vibe like at a Kima camp?
In a word, family. Most guests arrive alone or in pairs, and within a few days they are part of a whole group. Our camps are built so that people naturally come together over breakfast, in the lineup and around the dinner table, and it works: a lot of our guests come back year after year to see familiar faces again. If you are travelling solo, this is probably the thing you will remember most.
Why does local knowledge matter so much here?
Because knowing a surf break is not the same as knowing when to be there. Our local guides read the tides, swell and wind in a way that only comes from surfing these spots for years, and that is exactly what puts you on the best wave on any given day. Our local partnerships work the same way. They are what let us run the camps properly and give you a real connection to the place you are actually in, not just the beach in front of the camp.
What has Kima Surf brought to the surf camp world?
From the start, our driving spirit has been simple: keep making the guest experience better. Along the way we helped introduce several features that are now standard in the surf camp world, including our Surf Planner, our six-level progression system, guided sessions with structured feedback, video analysis, progress tracking, clear guide-to-guest communication and even surfboard insurance.
What will you take home from a stay with us?
Better surfing, for sure. But if our guests are anything to go by, you will also leave with lasting memories and, usually, a few friendships that outlast the trip itself. That mix of real progress in the water and genuine community is what we have been building at Kima since 1995, and it is what we would love to share with you.
What else is waiting for you beyond the waves?
Bali is a beautiful island, and beyond its perfect waves there is a wealth of culture, nature and mysticism that you simply have to experience for yourself. Keep your eyes open, stay ready for new experiences, and it will not take long before you see why we call this place a paradise.
Awards and recognition
Our guests have been kind enough to put us on the map. Kima Surf has received multiple TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards (2018, 2019, 2021, 2022 and 2023) and a Booking.com Traveler Review Award (2022).
Kima Surf at a glance
- Organizing surf camps since: 1995
- Camps: 5 in total. Bali: Uluwatu, Canggu, Seminyak. Sri Lanka: Weligama, Hiriketiya.
- Ownership: all five camps are self-owned and directly operated, not franchised
- Coaching system: in-house Kima Surf 6-level progression system
- Quality system: in-house Surf Planner, used across all camps
- Surf sessions: twice-daily guided sessions, grouped by ability, for all levels
- Recognition: multiple TripAdvisor Travellers' Choice Awards and a Booking.com Traveller Review Award