Serangan Harbour…..a little secret

We have been here for a week now and are just starting to relax after what was quite a stressful trip from Australia. Of course looking back it wasn’t as bad as it seemed at the time and once we had dropped anchor and had a Bintang or two we decided against selling the boat as life wasn’t so bad after all!
The engine is fixed, for now and hopefully stays that way for a while.  We do have a spare cylinder head that friends kindly brought up from Perth for us, so should we need it its there under the bunk.
If you have looked on the map you will see Serangan is in between Benoa Harbour and Sanur. It is becoming a popular place as an alternate port of entry/exit for yachts as Benoa Harbour is expensive, dirty and a little out of the way. We feel we are in the Bali of old, go back 30 years maybe and that’s what its like. So peaceful and quiet and best of all no tourists except us yachties. How long it remains this way, who knows, I hope forever.
There is nothing here except for a couple of Warungs (local shop/cafe), laundry (luxury), morning market and the very gentle, friendly locals. It is so far removed from the tourist towns of Kuta and Sanur that are just a 15 minute taxi ride.

We have been busy sourcing tools of different sorts to fix the motor from the  local hardware chain which puts Bunnings to shame. They have everything you could need to set up house. Also the local Hypermart is the supermarket from heaven, stocking everything a westerner could want along with all the local foods as well. I remember being told not to fill up with too much food from Oz as it was all available her, but of course I didn’t listen. I wish I had.
We have eaten ashore everyday since arriving, apart from being cheap it saves on gas & water and the boat doesn’t heat up. It’s also fun enjoying a beer with the locals and practising our Indonesian.

So if you are planning on sailing to Bali, stop off in Serangan not Benoa.
Ruth at Isle of Marine services will look after you, Yandi will pop you on the back of his bike to take you to see all the officials  for clearance, Joni Boy will drive you anywhere you want  and Julie will sew your sails or canvas. Bintang is $1.50 nasi goreng $4.00 & a weeks laundry cost me $3.00 and a mooring is $8.00 a day.    








       
  
Around the Village

The only downside is the rubbish ashore and that as it is a harbour it is to dirty for a swim. So we are looking forward to our next stop Lovina Beach on the Northern coast of Bali.