Kima Surf Reviews 5

From the moment you step through the gates, Kima Canggu doesn’t just welcome you — it sweeps you off your feet. This isn’t a surf camp. It’s a sun-drenched sanctuary where the waves kiss your soul, the staff greet you like old friends, and every sunrise feels like a personal gift from the universe.

Date of experience: April 15, 2025

Date of experience: April 23, 2025

They are hiding the google reviews for a reason!!

The reason I'm reaching out is to get a deal on the 20 rooms over two weeks. They tossed me around from four different people over the past three days just to say check the website? After jerking me around for three days they just said: check and book on the website? What a team of imbeciles! Clearly your customer service sucks! We will NOT be using you.

Date of experience: May 10, 2023

My most shocking experience at Kima that was when one of their surf-guides who was driving us to a surf spot ended up in a car accident (and could have got us all injured or killed!) and ended up in a hospital himself… Why? Because he simply didn’t stop at one police check point, where instructed to do so, and instead drove away like a crazy person, ending up being chased both by the police and two innocent families on cars after he crashed into one, and again, instead of stopping and despite our pleads on the back seat to just please stop the car, drove away again - when the car finally had to stop because it was cornered by the others, my partner had to step out of the car to defend ALONE the Kima guide who was been beaten by the other angry people (who he hit with the car before)… It was a very scary experience. When we left, we were surprise to learn that Kima kept on working with the same guide even after that accident… Good luck then when driving next time to hopefully just go surfing!

In fact, I was at Kima Canggu several times, starting from 2011, when the camp was true piece of paradise and the only thing standing between itself and the sea was a green meadow with peaceful cows, and the last time now at the end of 2022 - sadly, no more green meadow, but piles of stinky rubbish, loose wild dogs and tons of new (next to already abandoned and ruined) buildings, encircling the Kima’s camp from all sides - the sight of grey walls and the sound of new constructions directly next to the camp replacing what was once an unobstructed sea view and the sound of the waves — all gone now to concrete and hammers - at any time of day and even night!

The nearby beach (10 minutes walk passing wild dogs and rubbish… no more cow grazing on a - now gone - green meadow) and wave where many sessions take place is unfortunately so polluted (in one of the sessions there, among other strange “appearances”, was a floating plastic bag filled with what turned out to be some animals - putrified - intestines…) that almost all people at the Kima camp during the time I was last there were mostly sick over several days - at one point, people were scared to go back in the water - super preamble when you are in a surf-camp!

Next to the lost unspoiled nature there, I also remember the generous portions of excellent food - now the food is still okay, but funnily from years to years to food portions had literally became smaller and smaller - to make it less noticeable though the glasses they used, for juices instance, have also become thinner and thinner. There is no sign of the generosity towards guests I remember from the first years - before Kima turned a (greedy) victim of its own success somehow. It is less about offering top service now, than squeezing the most out of the guests - and those who “dare” to (politely) speak up, instead of simply bowing their heads, get “banned” - so better to get used to bow your heads and be complacent, if you can turn a blind eye to be treated as a walking bancomat and wish to come back.

By the way, even booking a place at Kima has become very telling of its own approach to guests now: you need to pay everything at least 2 weeks _before_ arriving, and that by accepting all surplus charges (about 3% on top of the due amount) by either paying with a credit card or bank transfer to Singapore — even though the owner as far as I know is still partly based in Germany and most of the guests are in fact Germans - of course, there used to be a German bank account, free of charges then - that that option too has now been taken away. Well, good luck getting your money back from a bank in Singapore now, in the event there is ever an issue and the (in my opinion) mercurial owner decides he does not need to honour his agreements with you…

Aside from the still genuinely nice and always friendly local employees, I am sad that so much of the good had been lost at Kima - luckily there are many other new surf-camps now, especially outside of the main hub in Canggu, and some of those in fact run by smart ex-Kima surf-guides, who are still unspoiled by their own success and where guests (not money) are still at the center and treated with respect.

Date of experience: November 09, 2022

We stayed at kima surf canggu for 5 nights, and had booked learn to surf for 4 days and 4 days board rental. When we arrived to the camp we were told no surfing on the first day, which we had not been informed of and therefore we had to change our plans for the departure day so we could get all 4 days of surfing.
Furthermore they told us on arrival that board rental was included in the price when you book surf school, which also was not mentioned anywhere not even the person we personally were in contact with provided that information!
When we talked to the reception they told us we couldn’t get a refund (due to their no refund policy apparently), and for each 10 euros we could get a 8 euro voucher for the restaurant at check out or keep them as credit? This has been so frustrating - that we have paid 80euros for a board rental we thought we needed and now for nothing, since we couldn’t use it on the food there nor get a refund. It’s such bad management.

For surfing you have to travel min. One hour (always between 5-7 in the morning) to get to the surfs spots, if you choose seminyak camp you can walk right to the beach.

Really bad wifi as well.

The pool was closed for 2 days also, due to cleaning, which is one of the main attractions at the camp. So that was pretty disappointing.

70% of the people staying at the camp got Bali belly from the ocean (diarrhoea/vomiting bad), which isn’t Kimas fault but they provide no help what so ever when it comes to helping with medicine against it. Also this means you have to prepare yourself to have at least one-two days of none surfing.

So if you book this place don’t book anything from home, besides the room.

The good things are that the guides are local sweethearts who will try their best to make your surf experience great, the local who works at the camp are very friendly also, many sweet travellers and the place is pretty. But it does not equal to the management issues, that are so bad which really makes it an annoying farewell.

Date of experience: August 11, 2022