BONO RIVER

Surely the strangest surf discovery in Indonesia. This remarkable tidal bore wave was found on Google and then first surfed in 2010 by French surfer Antony Colas. Locals had been riding it in their sampan boats since the 1940’s. The wave only appears during the highest New Moon and Full Moon weeks, often 4 to 6 foot, sometimes up to 10 foot plus.

As the lunar high tide rushes into Sumatra’s otherwise calm Bono River, waves appear, disappear and reappear as the river winds through the jungle. Sometimes the wave breaks on sand banks in the middle, then along the edges, ripping trees out of the riverbank. The only way to ride it is by being towed in by motorboat, and then rescued afterwards wherever you end up, often kilometres away from where you started. Very long rides possible.

More suited to longboards than shortboards, the Rip Curl Seven Ghosts film shows the largest waves ever seen here, caused by 1 in 100 year high tides. A totally unique surfing trip.

The most experienced surf tour is Antony Colas

PHOTOS THANKS TO ANTONY COLAS