How to get fit on your Bali surf trip?

How to get fit on your Bali surf trip? In 2014, we here at The Perfect Wave are offering 9 unique surf and fitness trips in Bali, in cooperation with Active Escapes.

The Active Escapes Villas are a perfect haven for your Bali surf holiday. Luxury, privacy and well serviced accommodation is the main aim. Set in the peaceful Pererenan Village, Canggu, the villas will provide the luxurious seclusion only a private villa can offer.

Active Escapes will take you on a 6-day retreat to Bali, offering many fun-filled fitness, relaxation and social activities. Staying in luxury villas in Canggu, all meals, activities, equipment hire and transfers are included. They guarantee you’ll have an amazing week full of laughter, fun, new friends (and a bit of hard work, too!).

Josh from The Perfect Wave has caught up with Zanna, the founder of Active Escapes, and a former lifeguard and surfing enthusiast who loves getting outdoors and having a good time.

(tpw) Zanna, Tell us a bit about yourself. How long have you been a personal trainer/surfer?

Since I was very young I have had a background with loving the outdoors and in particular the ocean.  As a grom, I remember my parents taking me to Portsea Backbeach in Victoria and being the furthest offshore and giving my parents headaches on how they were going to get me out of the water to go home.  I became a surf lifesaver and pool lifeguard in my early teens so have spent many hours in the surf. I have also had big interests in other sports such as Australian Rules Football, water skiing, snow skiing, boxing and jet skiing just to name a few.

(tpw) How did Active Escapes come about? And what is it you do?

After going on many surf trips myself and being blasted by girlfriends for going away to beautiful places without them, I thought it would be a great idea to have a fitness/surfing style holiday that everyone can enjoy. So I have set up some amazing escapes with my experience and contacts to ensure that everyone has the time of their lives!!

On the trips, my main focus is to make sure everyone has a great time.  I coordinate the activities and take the guests who are keen to learn to surf to some secret spots and make sure they get up standing and get a photo or 2 of them for their memories. Actually, we provide all the guests with a copy of all the photos we take during the week!

(tpw) Can you tell us more about your trips to Bali? What’s the accommodation like, what do you do on a daily basis etc…

Bali, as I am sure most people know, is an amazing place. Areas like Seminyak, although have some beautiful hotels, bars and restaurants is extremely busy and hectic – so we stay in our beautiful villas near Echo Beach, which is about a 25 min car ride from Seminyak. The villas themselves are very beautiful with experienced Balinese staff ready to wait on you.  Each Villa has it’s own pool and each bedroom has it’s own ensuite.

Each of our ‘Fitness Escapes’ to Bali includes our specialist Australian trainers to take you through a week of fitness training, ropes course and surfing.  We also have leisure activities, such as sunbaking, shopping, horse riding, cooking class and checking out some of the exclusive bars in Bali.  All activities are optional, so do as much or as little as you like.  Where delicious healthy foods are served all day and the whole time staying in luxurious villas with private pool and like minded people to share it with.  6 nights in Echo Beach Canggu is exactly what you need.

(tpw) Do your trips suit all levels of surfers as well as all different fitness levels?

Everyone is welcome to our trips, of all fitness levels.  While we have a morning run for the truly fit ones others choose to just have a morning stroll along the beach. We have guests as young as 18 and have even had people in their 60’s. All training and activities are optional, so you can either join in or let the friendly staff pamper you at the villa

(tpw) Anything new in the pipeline for 2014? I heard you are off to the Maldives in August with another AE group!

Yes, we are very excited to announce our first trip to The Maldives in August 2014.  I have been there many times myself to make sure that everyone will have an amazing time… A real ‘Bucket List’ item for anyone!! We also are looking at other amazing escapes which I would rather keep quiet at the moment but… one of them might be Fiji

(tpw) You regularly bring ‘guest trainers’ on your trips, tell us a bit about them and why you think its good to have numerous trainers on one trip?

At Active Escapes, we get a selection of trainers on board with us which we hand select. This means each trip has a different twist with the training run by a different PT.

(tpw) Finally Zanna, how do people sign up for an Active Escape?

Prices start from $2,390 per person twin share. Just contact The Perfect Wave and they can sort everything out for you including your flights.