Skip Bali's Busiest Streets for This Surfside Resort, Where Black-Sand Beaches and a World-Class Break Meet Tropical Serenity
A quieter Bali escape awaits on the Keramas coast, where serious surf is flanked by tropical gardens and a new wellness experience.
Aussies and Bali are practically synonymous, sometimes for all the wrong reasons. If you've visited recently, you'd know we're not doing much to help with the crowds and the traffic that follows. Yet that doesn't mean you should scrub Bali from your holiday agenda — far from it. Instead, choose your destination a little more wisely when you're after the peaceful, sun-drenched experience that occupies your daydreams. With that in mind, Komune Resort stands out.
Situated outside the main tourist hubs but still easily within reach, Komune resides along the Keramas coastline to Bali's east, a stretch renowned for its black-sand beaches and right-hand reef break. In fact, it's this proximity to the waves that has helped define the resort since it opened in 2012. Founded by Australian trio property developer Tony Cannon, former professional surfer Luke Egan and wellness pioneer Tony de Leede, Komune has a deep connection to the waves — one that comes naturally to Cannon and Egan, who have chased them all over the globe.
For guests, that means surfing is no afterthought. In the early morning, before the tide ebbs out, the break almost crashes onto the shore, with a throng of serious surfers — think high-level amateurs and visiting international pros — taking on the fast and unforgiving sets. If you're not quite as skilled on a board, it's a good thing the Beach Club is perched nearby, giving you a front-row view of the action, and all the food and drinks you could need.
Away from the surf, Komune trades dramatic waves for 4.5 hectares of tropical greenery. Through a breezy reception, complete with a koi pond, guests wander past an active veggie and herb garden filled with zucchinis, papaya, chilli and beetroot plants, among others. Once ready to be picked, this produce goes straight into the on-site restaurants, including its dedicated Health Hub for extra-nutritious dining, which runs alongside the adults-only pool.
Nestled along shaded, volcanic stone pathways, Komune offers four room options. Beachfront Pool Suites feature direct views of the Keramas surf break, plus private pools where you can indulge in a floating breakfast. Beachside Villas provide spacious layouts with a living pavilion and your own pools, while the Komune Suites are similar with a more budget-friendly price. Finally, the Resort Rooms are perfect for those catching waves and exploring Keramas.
One of Komune's most recent additions is its Recovery Centre — a new sanctuary with a large Swedish sauna, hot and cold plunge pools, a bucket shower and comfortable day beds overlooking the grounds. Then, the Day Spa is home to treatments like 'The Goddess', a three-hour full-body pampering. But beyond a jam-packed activity program, Komune offers fleeting moments of bliss, like a local duck herder who cuts through the resort daily so his flock can fertilise rice paddies on the other side.
Komune virtually guarantees serenity, but guests are still invited to let loose. Some distance from the rooms, the Beach Club hosts DJ sessions and evening surfing guided by two 25-metre floodlights — claimed to be the world's first permanent night surfing setup. According to Cannon, their first attempt at lighting didn't quite go to plan, resulting in his own bloody encounter with the reef. The solution? Bring in the team behind the MCG's stadium lighting to do the job right.
Thankfully, Komune put more thought into integrating the resort with the Keramas community. The beachfront warung Cannon first walked into while searching for the land's owner is still run by the famed Ida boys, who have operated the spot since 2002. Here, the food is traditional and the prices local. Meanwhile, 80 percent of Komune's staff come from Keramas Village, and the resort donates five percent of profits to local social and environmental programs.
These efforts have helped clean up not only the river that runs through the property, but also many of the surrounding villages, leaving Keramas a little more beautiful for everyone.
Komune Resort is located at Pantai Keramas St, Medahan, Blahbatuh, Gianyar Regency, Bali. Head to the website for more information.
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Images: Supplied / Hudson Brown.
Concrete Playground stayed as a guest of Komune Resort.
