Krui is a remote beach town in the Lampung province of Sumatra that is gaining popularity, especially with the international surfing crowd! During high season the area draws travelers for its unspoiled beaches and epic waves. While in the off-season, the weather is a little cloudy and wet at times but still beautiful in its own way. We recently spent 10 days exploring Krui and checking out the surf! Here’s some helpful tips from our experience to plan your own trip to this magical part of Indonesia.
7 Fun Tips For Visiting Krui Sumatra
1. Krui Flight vs Transfer
Krui is located on the southwest coast of Sumatra and isn’t always the easiest to reach. However, massive updates to the area are making it easier and easier to get to each year.
The closest major airport is Radin Inten II International Airport in Bandar Lampung which will most most likely be your starting point. From there, you can take a 6 hour transfer or 45 minute hopper flight to Krui Sumatra.
Now obviously, that’s a huge difference in time! On our own trip we chose to do the the car transfer. It was definitely long, but went by faster than you might think. Along the route we passed through countless small villages, saw dozens of monkeys, and even had an ice cold Bintang as we got close to the Krui surf.
My sister has done the flight several times and speaks highly of it. Not only do you arrive five hours quicker, but you’ll get unreal views of the Sumatran jungle and coastline. Once you arrive in Bandar Lampung you switch terminals and catch the smaller hopper plane to Krui Sumatra.
One important thing to note is that the route can be canceled if there is bad weather or not enough people to fly. Also, know that it is a tiny plane! If you’re uncomfortable with a flight of this size you may want to go for the car transfer to Krui Lampung.
→ How to Get to Krui Sumatra: 6 Hour Transfer vs Hopper Flight
2. High and Low Season in Krui Lampung
Krui Sumatra has two different seasons which are broken into wet and dry months. High season brings the best Krui surfing conditions and runs form April to October. The low season is from November to March and brings far less tourists.
With that said, we actually spent Christmas in Krui Lampung and had a great time! Even during wet season there were sunny days and amazing sunsets mixed in with the occasional wind and rain. When it was a little stormy we just hung out and enjoyed our beautiful villa.
Our group was a mix of people who came to enjoy the Krui surf and those who preferred to stay on the beach and take in the scenery. Between the few rain showers of wet season everyone had the chance to do something they liked in the area.
3. Book Your Krui Accommodation in Advance
We spent 10 fun days at Kruinaka which is one of the best villas in Krui Sumatra. This is the perfect spot for families or groups of friends who are looking to have their own space steps from the beach.
At Villa Kruinaka you rent out the entire property which has 4 bedrooms, a spacious open-air living room, and private pool. Still, the best part is its beachfront location! Our group was a total of 8 people and there was more than enough room for everyone.
We even arranged to have most of our meals prepared at Kruinaka by local chefs. This way we didn’t need to cook for ourselves and could try some excellent Sumatran specialties.
If a 4 bedroom villa is too large for you there are also Krui surf schools that run tour packages. Remember Krui is still very new to the tourist scene and in a remote region of Indonesia. There are only a handful of accommodations available so book in advance during high season.
4. How to Get Around Krui Sumatra
Once you get to Krui the easiest way to get around will be by renting a motorbike. You can typically do this through your accommodation to avoid any hassle.
This is the best method of transport to get to the beaches and town. Yet, if you aren’t comfortable riding a motorbike you can also arrange drivers to take you between the different Krui surfing spots.
Some of our favorite moments were spent exploring the small side streets and backroads. Cruising through the vast jungle and along the coast with the endless palm trees above us was so surreal!
5. Legend of the Krui Surf
The waves along this stretch of the Indonesia Ocean are incredible and the main reason why travelers have started to come to Krui. It has even drawn international recognition with the World Surf League holding competitions here.
Those making the trip to Krui often bring their own boards. However, if you plan to rent one make sure to contact your hotel before you arrive to set it up. Due to the breaks and size of the waves it’s not known as a place for beginner surfers.
Below we’ve added a helpful map which was put together by World-Class Surf Trips. You can use this as a guide to the most popular Krui surfing spots! When we ventured out on our visit we spent time at the beaches of Mandiri, Ujung Walur, and Krui Left.
6. Where to Eat in Krui Lampung
Our favorite spots to grab food and drinks were Leafy’s Cafe and YOI Beach House. There are definitely more great spots in Krui Lampung, but since we visited in the off season they weren’t open yet.
Leafy’s Cafe is a cute coffee shop that serves up everything from local dishes to avocado toast and delicious coffee. This is the ideal place to grab a quick lunch or smoothie after hitting the Krui surf.
YOI Beach House is also a spot that we really enjoyed and often found ourselves at for sunset. Our go-to beverage in Indonesia is always an ice cold Bintang, but the cocktails and full menu also looked awesome.
Besides Leafy’s Cafe and YOI Beach House we ate most of our meals at Villa Kruinaka. Here we ate almost exclusively traditional Indonesian cooking. One day for lunch we did flag down the local Bakso guy to see what he was working with, too!
7. About the Town of Krui
Krui Sumatra is a far-away destination that you will likely spend many hours and days getting to. It’s off the typical travelers route in Indonesia and a small slice of untouched paradise. With its remoteness, there is a very local side you will undoubtedly experience on your visit.
This brings us to the actual town of Krui! Even for seasoned travelers like us going here was an interesting experience. With that said, our group didn’t spend much time in Krui town aside from going to the ATM and local market.
Honestly, your time is much better spent at the Krui surfing beaches! This is especially important to know when booking your hotel in Krui Lampung. The best beaches, hotels, and things to do are actually in the area surrounding the main town.
Having the right place to stay can make or break your trip to Krui. That’s why we recommend picking somewhere that is directly on the water or at least across the street. This way you can easily access the beach and Krui surf!
Have a longer stay in Krui Sumatra, or looking for activities more off the beaten path? Two of the most popular day trips are the boat tour to Banana Island and a river cruise deep into the jungle.
Have any questions about this article or want to share your own experience surfing in Krui Lampung? Let us know in the comments below!
Safe Travels,
Brigitte & Jake
Where in the world are we? Follow our daily adventures on Instagram @nothingfamiliar!
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Indonesia Travel Planning
Flights: We always find deals using Skyscanner and Kayak. That’s how we got flights from Singapore to Bali for $60 USD, and Bali to Surabaya for less than $40!
Accommodation: Compare competitive sites for hotels such as Booking.com and Agoda. Also, Hostelworld should be your go-to source if you’re traveling on a budget.
Transportation: 12Go is where we look first in Asia for ferries, trains, buses, and transfers! From speed boats to the Gili Islands and bus transfers around the country.
Tours: Check out Get Your Guide for activities all over Bali. We recommend taking a sunrise Mount Batur hike with breakfast, an authentic cooking class in a local village, and the Ubud waterfall tour!
Travel Insurance: Never travel abroad without being covered. We’ve been using SafetyWing for the last few years on the road and they are there when we need them.
Packing Lists: Here’s all the inspiration you need with our Amazon packing lists. Including electronics and camera gear, must-have medical items, and long flight essentials!
We’re Brigitte and Jake! American travel bloggers currently based in Spain. If you can believe it, we started Nothing Familiar way back in 2015 on an Ipad in the Ecuadorian jungle. Ever since, we haven’t stopped traveling! We’ve now been to over 60 countries around the world, with our expertise being Europe and Southeast Asia. We love outdoor adventures, tasting local specialties, and island hopping through tropical destinations. Hopefully, our guides and authentic experiences will inspire you on your own travels!
I have been visiting the Krui area for 10 year. Some points that might assist surfers when making their plans.
1: Flights from Bandar Lampung to Krui are on a single prop plane that does do not take surfboards.
2: Krui surf is notoriously fickle so you need some luck and enough time to experience the surf at it’s best. 10 day flat spells are common even during peak surf season. Recommended length of stay to score good waves is 3 to 4 weeks. If you only have 10 days then you might go back home empty handed and dissapointed.
4: Crowds are far less than Bali but the crowds are still large and you will need to complete for waves. Best to mentally prepare yourself for this.
5: Waves in the Utara district, Jenny’s Right, Honey Smacks and Jimmy’s left are no longer crowd free as there are now 3 surf camps in the area (2023).
6: Surbreaks south of Tanjung Setia, like Bali Village, Three Sisters, Temples etc are being effected by large amounts of effluent being pumped into the ocean by the growing number of onshore fish farms. This has lead to serious pollution risks and an increase in sharks, the local surf industry will not warn you of this. Until this situation changes these surf breaks are probably best to avoid.
Author
Thank you for sharing these details to help future travelers visiting Krui!
You write a surf guide in 2014 detailing breaks with photos, telling people to come here. Now you complain about the uptick in crowds. Your surf guide says how consistent and good the waves are and now the waves in Krui are fickle?
“The swell is very consistent and all the breaks are an easy paddle out from the beach.” – Milosav Pelic (https://www.travelblog.org/Asia/Indonesia/Sumatra/Bandar-Lampung/blog-820986.html)
You can surf almost everyday in Krui if you know where to go when the winds switch or the swell gets too small or too big.