The world is opening back up again. Where are you going to go? Photos: LUEX
Editor’s Note: This feature was made possible by our friends at LUEX Surf & Snow Travel.
It’s been a long year-and-a-bit, hasn’t it? The Coronavirus ran into the planet like a truck, slamming doors shut on travel of any kind, locking us in our houses, and killing millions. It took some adjusting, that’s for sure. Masks, arguments about masks, freedom, arguments about freedom, science, and arguments about science dominated life for a while. But after that very long winter, the sun is peeking over the horizon. The world is slowly waking back up again, stretching its arms and rubbing its sleepy eyes from a long slumber. Traveling is back. Remember traveling? Oh, the excitement! A new place, new waves, warm water, culture, food, drink… it’s all just waiting out there for us, just over the ocean, somewhere far off. If you’re like me, you’re having a hard time deciding where to go for the first surf trip you’ve taken in a long time. Mexico? Maldives? Portugal? South Africa? Indonesia? It’s hard to decide, isn’t it? Well, lemme tell ya, I feel your pain.
There’s a lot of guess work involved in a surf trip, though — which can be part of the fun — but if you want to make the absolute most out of your next post-Coronavirus surf trip, a guiding company is a good option. A company called LUEX Surf & Snow Travel, for example, books surf trips (and snow trips too, for good measure) to amazing waves all over the planet, and they’ve done all the hard work for you. It’s an interesting business model. LUEX doesn’t own, run, or control any of the trips. Instead, they simply connect travelers with operators and suppliers of the trip of your choosing. “It’s your trip,” LUEX writes, “orchestrated according to your taste, budget, style and skill level.” LUEX has also developed a super handy guide that figures out where you’re from and what COVID-19 restrictions might still be in place.
Over the last few weeks, I’ve been mulling over the pros and cons of different places ad nauseam. Tacos (Mexico) and waves? Garudhiya (Maldives) and waves? Nasi goreng (Indo) and waves? Octopus (Portugal) and waves? It’s impossible to decide, but I think I’ve got my list of the next places I’m going dialed in. So here, in order of importance, is my list. I’m very average, so chances are good they might work for you, too.
Six Senses Laamu is the only resort on the virtually uncharted Laamu atoll, south of the Maldives archipelago. Photo: LUEX
1. Central Atolls, Maldives:
I have never been to the Maldives. It’s ridiculous, really, that I haven’t pulled the trigger on a trip there. The best waves in the world trip over its many reefs. It’s always just seemed… too far. Mexico is easy. I have a van sitting there, full of surfboards, waiting for me. Hawaii is a short flight and, depending on the time of year, the waves are guaranteed to be insanely good. The Maldives, both the central atolls as well as North and South Male, have always been a place I plan on going, but I’ve never actually gone. That’s going to change, and it’s going to change fast.
The Maldives are basically what every surfer dreams about. Perfect lefts, perfect rights, and an abundance of waves for all skill levels. And still, even in this day and age, the right guide can put you in a lineup with only a handful of other people out. Since surfing isn’t the only thing that happens on a surf trip, the Maldives also has world-class snorkeling, fishing, and diving.
You can stay in a literal castle. With a REALLY good view. Photo: LUEX
2. Peniche, Portugal:
Right before the pandemic well and truly hit, I was in Portugal to cover a surf contest called the Perfect Chapter. It was February, and the waves were absolutely pumping the entire time I was there. The sun shone every day. The streets were made of old cobble stones, the wine was the best I’ve ever had, and the food was too. Portugal, as far as I’m concerned, is the best place on earth. I’m always game for a dirty surf trip, pooping in a hole in the ground and sleeping under the stars, but man-oh-man, Portugal just can’t be beat. It’s got that European class, mixed with insanely good waves. I went by myself, but the entire time I was there, I swore to myself I’d bring my partner back with me as soon as humanly possible. She doesn’t surf, but she certainly does enjoy good wine and good food… so it’s a win-win situation.
The Hotel Cinco Punta Mita Surf Resort. The coastline of Nayarit has attracted hardcore surfers since the late 1960s. Photo: LUEX
3. Mainland Mexico:
I have spent quite a bit of time in Mexico. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. Getting lost on some desolate road while dust floats in through an open window, passing a lonely donkey with a bell tied to its neck, and pulling up to an empty, firing wave at sunset is my idea of heaven. I like it so much that I leave a van in storage there, full of surfboards, camping gear, and spearfishing stuff. I haven’t laid eyes on it since December — before the pandemic. I miss it. I feel like I’ve ditched an old friend in a dusty parking lot. It’s at the tip of Baja, and I want to take it over to the mainland. Barra de la Cruz, Puerto Escondido, Salina Cruz… I want to hit them all. I want to spend time in the van, spend time in good waves, and spend time in beautiful Mexico hotels with cold tiles and colder drinks. I want the dirt trip and the plush trip. I want it all. And after a long Coronavirus winter, it’s finally there for the taking.
A decent enough place to rest your head at night. Photo: LUEX
4. Sumba, Indonesia:
I’ve been to Indonesia a handful of times, but I don’t feel like I’ve done it right yet. I was there in 2004 when the Boxing Day earthquake hit, so that threw a wrench into things. I was there a few years later, but decided I’d do a trip that wasn’t purely focused on surfing. Which means, of course, that I’ve never actually done an Indo trip where I surf as much as my body will allow. I’m also one of those people who is exponentially worse at going left, so I need to spend a while doing it. Which is why Sumba’s on my list, and specifically Nihiwatu — a.k.a Occy’s Left.
The wave, as you likely know, works from waist high to well overhead. When it gets big, though, it’s on a whole different level — long and barreling, at size, it’s not a wave for the average Joe. There are other waves speckled across the area, though, and all one needs is a boat to get there.
Occy’s Left sits right in front of a luxury surf resort, and as much as I like the Mexican dirt trips and cheap rooms with no air-con, I also like a luxury surf resort. It’s in an isolated part of Sumba, so although you’re in a ridiculously nice resort, you can step away and soak up everything that Indonesia’s wonderful culture has to offer.
Talk about a room with a view. Photo: LUEX
5. J-Bay, South Africa:
I am a regular footer. I, like every surfer on Earth, enjoy a good point break. And is there a better one in this world than the one at Jeffreys Bay? Me thinks not. And if you’re going to go to J-Bay for a surf trip, you might as well stay in a place that lets you surf a LOT. Like, as much as you want. A place from where you can see that world-famous wave peeling away down the line. A place where, if you so desire, you can run in, have a quick snack, recharge for a few minutes, then when the waves turn back on, you can be back out in a heartbeat.
LUEX can help make that a reality. The folks who work there are experts in each region. They’re in close contact with locals, and they guarantee they’ll beat any price on the market… which, if you’re like me, is an attractive offer.
So wish me luck. If I can knock all five of these off my list in the next year, 2021 can be considered a raging success. And you know what? Crowds be damned… I hope I see you there. Because if you’re anything like me, you need a good surf trip very, very soon.
