Solo vs group trip in Bali: why a surf camp wins
A solo vs group trip in Bali is a false choice. At a surf camp in the heart of Canggu, you get the freedom of going solo and the social life of a group, starting from your very first session.
The solo vs group trip Bali debate is one I used to overthink, and I've watched a lot of other travellers do the same. Travelling solo gives you total freedom. A group trip gives you people to share it with. So how do you choose? Here's the honest answer: at a surf camp, you don't have to.
I've done both in Bali, and the surf camp version quietly beats them both. You arrive alone, you keep your independence, and you instantly land in a community of like-minded people doing exactly what you came to Bali to do. That's the middle ground most people are actually looking for. They just didn't know it existed.
01 The honest problem
The problem with travelling completely solo in Bali
Solo travel is incredible right up until the moment you're sitting at a restaurant table for one, watching a perfect sunset, wishing you had someone to share it with.
Bali attracts an enormous number of solo travellers every year. Most arrive hoping to meet people organically: at a cafe, on the beach, in a yoga class. Sometimes it happens. Often it doesn't, and you end up spending more time scrolling your phone than you planned.
The other option, booking a group tour, solves the social problem but kills freedom. Suddenly you're on a bus with thirty strangers following a flag on a stick, eating at restaurants chosen for logistics rather than quality.
A surf camp sits right between these two extremes. You arrive alone, you keep your independence, and you instantly land in a community of like-minded people. Because so many of Bali's surf travellers base themselves in Canggu (the creative, surfy heart of the island), the social conditions are already ideal. A camp structure makes the rest happen naturally.
02 The case for it
Why a surf camp is the perfect solo travel Bali base
The structure of a surf camp solves every problem solo travel creates, without taking away any of the freedom that made you choose solo travel in the first place.
You wake up when you want. Daily surf sessions run in the morning, so there's always a shared anchor to the day. The rest is yours. But unlike a hotel, there's always something happening and always someone to happen with.
A built-in social calendar for solo travellers
At Elsewhere, the weekly schedule runs well beyond surfing. Themed dinners bring everyone together around the long community table, the kind of setup where conversations start between strangers and somehow end up lasting three hours. Social events run every day of the week: trivia nights, karaoke, darts, ping pong, and a proper pool party. There's a BBQ night, a DJ night, and a sunset walk that somehow becomes a highlight for almost everyone who does it.
None of it feels forced. You join what you want, skip what you don't. But the option is always there, and that changes everything about how a solo trip feels.
Real coaching on your Bali trip, not a crowd
The surf itself is structured properly too. Coaches work in a 2:1 ratio (two students per instructor, never more than 3:1), so you get real feedback in the water, not vague encouragement from someone watching thirty people at once. Daily video analysis means you can see exactly what you're doing and fix it. That ratio makes a measurable difference to how quickly you progress, especially in the first few days.
The surf camp middle ground
Come solo. Leave with a crew. A Bali surf camp gives you the freedom of solo travel and the social life of a group trip. Without the compromises of either.
03 The social side
You'll meet people faster than anywhere else on a solo travel Bali trip
The surf line-up is one of the great social equalisers. Waiting for waves, you talk. After sessions, you debrief. Over breakfast, you plan the day. By day two, people you'd never have met in a normal travel context feel like friends you've known for weeks.
Surf camps attract a very specific kind of traveller: curious, active, open-minded, and almost always up for something. The mix of nationalities, ages, and backgrounds makes for conversations you won't find in a standard tourist bubble.
Solo travellers consistently say the same thing after a surf camp week: they came alone and left with a group chat full of people they actually plan to see again. Some travel together again. Some book the next trip from the same group chat six months later.
That kind of connection doesn't happen in a hotel. It barely happens on group tours. So however you frame the solo vs group trip Bali question, a surf camp creates the conditions for it almost by accident.
04 Your independence, intact
The freedom you keep on a group trip Bali alternative
Here's what a surf camp doesn't take away: your ability to do exactly what you want.
Want to rent a scooter and explore the island on a rest day? Go. Want to find a quiet cafe and work for a few hours? Nobody stops you. Want to skip the evening event and just sit by the pool? Also completely fine.
The difference is that when you come back, there's somewhere to come back to. A table, a community, a default evening that doesn't require you to plan anything or put yourself in awkward social situations from scratch.
For solo travellers, that base matters more than almost anything else. It's not about having every hour filled. It's about having a home to return to in a place that isn't home. Elsewhere sits in the heart of Canggu, which means everything Bali is known for is within easy reach: rice paddies, beach clubs, temples, and the best warung food you've ever eaten.
05 The honest comparison
Solo vs group trip Bali: what you actually get at a surf camp
Most people frame this as a binary choice: go alone or go with friends. A surf camp makes that choice irrelevant.
In fact, you get the solo travel upsides: freedom, flexibility, the personal growth that comes from navigating somewhere new on your own terms. You also get the group trip upsides: shared experiences, built-in social life, people to eat with, surf with, and explore with. What you don't get: the compromises of a group trip, or the loneliness that can creep into solo travel when the novelty wears off.
Solo travel Bali
What you get
- Total freedom and flexibility
- No compromises on pace or plans
- Personal growth and independence
But evenings can feel isolating. Meeting people is hit or miss.
Group trip Bali
What you get
- Built-in social life from day one
- Shared experiences and memories
- People to eat, explore, and surf with
But constant compromise on plans, pace, and budget.
For beginners especially, this combination is powerful. Learning to surf is humbling, and doing it alongside other people in the same situation makes the hard days easier and the breakthrough moments genuinely worth celebrating. Coaches give you the technical foundation; the community gives you the motivation to keep showing up.
Camp life in the heart of Canggu: solo arrivals, crew departures.
06 Is it for you?
Is a Bali surf camp right for solo travellers?
If you're asking yourself whether you'll feel out of place arriving alone, the answer is no. The majority of guests at most surf camps arrive solo. It's the norm, not the exception.
However, if you're still on the fence, consider what you actually want from the trip. Do you want real progression in the water? A social life that doesn't require you to engineer it from scratch? A base in the heart of Canggu (one of Bali's most switched-on neighbourhoods), with rice paddies, beach clubs, and the island's best warung food all within reach? Because that's what a surf camp delivers.
A surf camp in Bali is the best version of a Bali trip for a certain kind of person: someone who wants real experiences, real progression in the water, and real connections with people who chose the same thing. You arrive alone. You won't leave that way.
Still, the choice is yours. But I'd rather be Elsewhere.
Ready to stop choosing between solo freedom and a social trip? Elsewhere is in the heart of Canggu: daily surf lessons, 2:1 coaching, daily video analysis, and a community that makes the social side sort itself out.
See the Bali campConsidering Sri Lanka instead? Our Weligama camp offers the same setup in one of the most underrated surf destinations in the world: daily coaching, proper social life, and uncrowded waves.
See the Sri Lanka camp07 Good to know
Frequently asked questions
Is it weird to go to a surf camp alone in Bali?
Not at all. It's actually the most common way people arrive. The majority of guests at Elsewhere come solo, so you're walking into a room full of people in exactly the same position. Within a day or two, the group tends to feel like a crew rather than a collection of strangers.
What's the difference between a solo trip and a group trip to Bali?
A solo trip gives you full flexibility but can feel isolating in the evenings. Meanwhile, a group trip solves the social side but means constant compromise on plans, pace, and budget. A surf camp gives you both: the freedom to do your own thing during the day, and a ready-made social base for the rest of the time.
Do I need to know how to surf before arriving at a surf camp?
No. Most guests at Elsewhere are beginners or near-beginners. Lessons run daily and coaches work at a 2:1 ratio, so you get proper individual attention from your first session. All boards and equipment are provided.
Where exactly is Elsewhere Surf Camp in Bali?
The camp is in the heart of Canggu, one of Bali's most popular areas for surf and culture. You're close to Echo Beach and Batu Bolong for surfing, and within easy reach of Canggu's cafes, restaurants, and rice paddies.
Is a surf camp suitable for solo female travellers?
Yes. A significant proportion of Elsewhere's guests are women travelling alone. The camp environment is safe, sociable, and well-structured. For more on this, see our guide to female solo travel in Bali.