Ask any Padel player in Singapore where they would consider the “Mecca of Padel” in Asia, and 9 (if not 10) out of 10 would give you the same answer. Bali.
Also known as the Island of the Gods, Bali is no stranger to popularity given its beautiful scenery, hospitable people and overall affordability. Tourists have been flocking there for years, until of course COVID-19! Needless to say, this hit Bali pretty hard, bringing the tourism industry (which makes up around ~80% of Bali’s economy) to a complete halt.
One "positive" C-19 did have around the world was it helped transform how people work, where they work and how they structure their days. Companies and employers alike were open to hiring talent in remote locations, they created work-from-anywhere policies and this in turn provided flexibility to the traditional 9 to 5 working days. It also led to a BOOM in the digital nomad culture.
Right about now you may be asking - “But why is this important? I’m here to read about padel” - but bear with me and read on, as this extra context will make sense I promise!
Once the borders reopened, people began taking advantage of this new norm of working outside of big cities, and instead moving to places like Bali where they could have it all. Sun, sea, mountains, jungle, cheaper cost of living and more balance in their lives.
In the meantime, Padel, which as we all know was traditionally played in places like Mexico, Spain and across Europe - made its way to Bali in the shape of Toni Montesanti, his wife (Elisa) and a few other business partners with a passion for Padel and an appetite for some risk. Toni and Elisa had relocated to Bali in March 2021 to escape the lockdowns and having recently fallen in love with the sport back in Europe, took the plunge to open a Padel court in Canggu.
In June 2021, construction began on the first Padel court in Bali, and on 14 February, 2022 (❤️) - Jungle Padel was officially launched. The team had done a soft launch a month before, where people were allowed to try Padel for free, learn about the game and get hooked. I’m sure you will agree that JP deserve the bragging rights / mantle of being the “First Padel Club in Indonesia” - which they have added to their homepage for all to see.
Little did they know that (the aptly named) ‘Court 1’ would ignite a surge in clubs on this small piece of paradise and the sport would grow to where it is today. At time of writing, Bali and neighboring island, Lombok - now boast 27 Padel Clubs and counting! Not including Hotels and Resorts who are installing them to keep guests onsite vs them needing to go to the clubs directly.
For those that haven’t been to Bali to play, they have everything. Games are more affordable (when compared to Singapore), they have steam rooms, plunge pools, bars, eateries, chillout areas with beanbags, pro shops, full time staff including physios, world class coaches and much much more. You name it, they’ve got it! Some of them even have club dogs who began as strays who now call these clubs home, and the players family.
Also, given that the majority of them are covered, you're guaranteed game time - which I can't say the same for Singapore. The courts being covered also make it easy to avoid disappointment of not playing, allowing you to plan and book an almost risk free Padel holiday. Something else I plan to write about in the future 😉
Going back to my previous note about C-19 and how it’s influenced this Padel success story - is that with the "new normal" of working (remote, flexible hours etc.), no matter what time of day it is, you will find matches going on in Bali. I would go as far to say that most clubs operate at ~75% capacity on most days, with early mornings, evenings and weekends being difficult to book and having long waitlists.
With so much demand, Bali's flexible working culture and Indonesia’s somewhat lax land and building regulations - there is no wonder so many clubs have sprung up!
So if you’re short on ideas of where to go on your next holiday, and you love Padel as much as I do - then Bali is the place to go!
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