Dive hard, play harder! or the contrary…
Ok guys, so you’re in sunny Bali, awesome place, diving with Crystal Divers, the best operation around… Whether you’re here on holiday fun diving or more seriously for your DMT, IDC or whatever great Padi level or course you joined, everybody needs a bit of fun out of the water as well… And yes, it can happen!
So let me tell you about something one of the Crystal’s instructor whose name I won’t mentioned, in order to be able to blackmail him when the time will come… (I’m DMT at the moment and will go on with my IDC, so it can always be useful, specially as they don’t take bribes here).
The infamous Kuta’s Legian road Bogan Run… Same as the Hotel California this could be heaven or this could be hell, but that’s definitely something worth trying (once was enough for me but I’m 35 and slightly posh as any respectable Paris born person should be). We as divers have the tendency to forget that most people that come to Bali don’t get the chance to see and do the amazing stuffs we experience under water. That’s why they spend most of their days and nights drinking 😉 And if there’s a place to go to get wasted on a budget, it’s Legian road.
So me and the instructor with no name were both off on the following Tuesday (remember, don’t drink and dive), and decided to meet up on a Monday night for a couple of drinks. But where to go? Proper clubs I like to go to in Seminyak, closed. So, both in our mid 30’s, we decided to go on a Bogan run for fun… Never heard this expression until then, but sounded good. So he offered and I accepted the challenge! Please keep in mind that I’m not making fun of people who love to hang out there, if I had been 15 years younger this would have been my favorite place.
So here comes the insider’s tip. Passed on to me by my role model, a guy that navigates as well under water with bad visibility and strong currents than in the dodgy narrow alleys of Kuta beach… Quick reminder, this is not part of any package Crystal Divers offers, even the adrenaline one… Him and I became friends because that’s normally what happens when good people with a common passion spend time together, specially when your passion is scuba diving…
So any good bloody messy Bogan run starts by the Green Box, basically a hole in the wall next to Sky Garden. For the address, check Google maps or ask around, this is not the Lonely Planet blog and I don’t even get paid for this… So as the name tends to indicates it’s a tiny little green place with the cheapest booze you’ll find on the market that won’t make you blind. 150k Rupiahs the tray of 20 shooters…
The young guys tending the bar are super nice and you’ll even get to plug your phone to play your own music, as long as it’s loud and heavy. You’re on Legian road for God sake!So any good bloody messy Bogan run starts by the Green Box, basically a hole in the wall next to Sky Garden. For the address, check Google maps or ask around, this is not the Lonely Planet blog and I don’t even get paid for this…lug your phone to play your own music, So as the name tends to indicates it’s a tiny little green place with the cheapest booze you’ll find on the market that won’t make you blind. 150k Rupiahs the tray of 20 shooters. The young guys tending the bar are super nice and you’ll even get to pas long as it’s loud and heavy.. You’re on Legian road for God sake!
Then, here comes Bogan place number 2! The Alleycat Bar, 5min walking, same as before, check Google maps or blablabla… Completely different setting, Alleycat is a « cool » surfer bar with a mix of real surfers, wannabe surfers, locals and plenty of girls… Dresscode: Bintang shirt, sunglasses even though it’s night time, act cool, high five everybody, call them dude and you may score… 20k Rupiah the vodka redbull… even though the redbull was served from a large bucket or a bin, no problem for me… So gofor it! You only live once!
Bogan place number 3! since it was the third bar i didnt really pay attention to the name i had other things to think about, but basically any bar playing loud music on Legian road next to Sky Garden…
And, last but not least, Bogan’s heaven! SKY GARDEN! Even if it’s a place I love to hate, it’s the biggest and most impressive nightclub of Bali. Open everyday, always crowded, mix of tourists and locals, different floors with different music and design, half naked dancers, always something going on there… Depending on the night between 100k and 200k Rupiah the entrance fee which includes 2 drinks. Best way to go is to by a bottle !!
OK, that’s pretty much it, if you survived the night, didn’t end up sleeping in jail or on the pavement, accepted a weird massage from a dodgy girl or boy, lost your wallet and/or passport, woke up with itchy private parts in a complete stranger’s bed… Well, you made it! A successful and unforgettable Legian Street Bogan Run! Just don’t expect a certification card for this… 😉 all you get is a hangover !!!
