This is a throwback to my healing trip in June 2023. At that time, I had just quit my job after working for five years. Before moving on to my new job, I decided to take a break to recharge and prepare myself for a new environment. At the beginning, I was a bit confused about what to do during the break, as I wanted something new and unique to fill my time but had no idea where to go or what to do. After sharing this with my friends, they offered me a brilliant idea: a surf and skate trip to Cimaja, Sukabumi, West Java. When I first heard about the idea, I was a bit skeptical, as I had no idea that there were good surfing spots in Indonesia other than Bali or Lombok. So, what is it like in West Java?
However, my doubts soon disappeared after they told me about a beach called Cikembang. The beach might not be as stunning as the white-sand beaches in Bali or Lombok, but it has mellow waves and is very suitable for beginner or regular surfers looking for mild, chill waves. Moreover, you can take surfing lessons there, where you’ll be taught step by step how to surf properly. It is perfect for newbies like us, as none of us had surfed before. Apart of Cikembang, there are few others beaches like Cimaja, Cikepuh, etc. But as we were all newbie, we chosen Cikembang But the most interesting part was the place where we would be staying. It’s called Cimaja Square, a beautiful cottage surrounded by green rice fields, with a huge skatepark right in the middle of the fields! Since all of us skate as a hobby, this was a big plus. As the location is only about a three-hour drive from Jakarta, it’s a great beach-and-nature getaway compared to Bali or Lombok, which are quite far away. So I said, “Let’s go then!”
After unpacking our stuff in the cottage, we took a rest for a while after the three-hour drive. Our cottage cost 500.000 IDR (around 29 USD) / night, pretty cheap and chill. It’s semi-indoor, so there’s no need for air conditioning. It has two bedrooms, a small kitchen, one bathroom, a fridge, and a water dispenser. There’s no TV or Wi-Fi in the cottage, but who needs them when you’ve already found peace in the surrounding nature? This was exactly what we needed at that moment !
We took a rest for a while and ordered some coffee and snacks from the reception. In the resort, they have a small resto where you can have food like munchies, pizza, fried rice, noodle, etc and drinks like coffee, tea, juice and beer. But, should in case you want something else, there are plenty restaurant, street food, cafe and canteen around.
Finished resting up, it was time for some activities! We did our first “surf,” but not in the water yet—it was on concrete, skating! Yes… the resort facility we were so excited to try. We immediately grabbed our boards and started skating. Skating with rice fields around us, a laid-back vibe, friendly locals, and watching the sunset—what could be better?! If you didn’t want to or weren’t able to skate, you could also play pool in the lobby area. We played until late at night, then had pizza for dinner. The first day went so great; we were ready for day two.
Day 2, woke up in the morning, took breakfast then we are ready for the real game which was surfing in the sea ! We had booked a lesson package which costed us 350.000 IDR (around 75 USD) / person. The package included basic lesson for 1,5 hour, surfboard rent and documentation. The instructor came to our resort, we took our stuff and followed him to his place to grabbed the surfboards. After picked the surfboards, we then headed to Cikembang Beach. It was located not so far from the resort and took about 30 minutes drive by car. The beach is a black sand with mellow waves, when we arrived, there were already some people did surfing there, some were taking lessons, some are regular surfers. Our excitement was on the rise ! The instructor introduced us to his team, there were 4 of them in total, 3 would assist us and 1 took documentation. We then changed clothes, applied sunblock to our whole bodies and faces then ready for the lesson !
Before entering the water, we began by stretching our bodies. After finished our stretches, we were given a detailed explanation of all the basic moves, starting from how to hold the board, paddling techniques, standing on the board, catching wave momentum, what to avoid—everything explained step by step. After watching the tutorial, we realized that surfing is actually quite technical and not as simple as it looks. It requires a lot of focus, strength, proper momentum, and balance. Now it was time for the real game… getting into the water and catching the waves!
We started by paddling out toward the sea. The paddling itself requires quite a bit of power as you move against the current, so make sure you’re in good physical condition if you want to surf. The instructor escorted us, overseeing and correcting our movements. Once we paddled far enough and a wave came, the instructor also helped by giving our board a supportive push so we had enough speed to ride the wave. Still, it wasn’t easy, and we failed many times on our first attempts.
But the instructors were great—they kept cheering us on and encouraging us to keep trying while correcting our techniques until we were finally able to stand on the board and ride the wave. Once you manage to do that, it’s one of the best feelings ever. You feel a sense of progress and achievement! Happy, satisfied, and a little sunburned, we ended our surfing session with big smiles and stories to share.
After surfing, we continued with more chilled and relaxing activities, as we didn’t have much energy left. Surfing turned out to be quite physical, but it was great exercise and a wonderful experience for us. We had lunch at a nearby restaurant, chilled at a local coffee shop, played guitar at our cottage, and ended the day with a movie night in the evening.
Day 3 marked the end of our short escape. We wished we could stay longer, but before heading back, we managed one last morning skate to enjoy the park for the final time. Despite the brief stay, the experience was truly memorable. Beyond the cozy cottage and surfing lessons, what stood out most was how close this place is to Jakarta. For those looking for an affordable way to try surfing while enjoying a quiet nature getaway, this spot is highly recommended. It’s also a great alternative for surfers who want to avoid crowded destinations like Bali. During our visit, the atmosphere was calm, with relatively few tourists, making the experience even more enjoyable. Hopefully, this hidden gem will gain more recognition in the future—while still being managed responsibly.
As for us, we’d love to come back again. Now that we’ve learned the basics, we're ready to surf in the next level !