December Selong Belanak is wet-season dead — wave gone, schools closed, beach empty. Skip for surf trips, quick visits work as Kuta-based escape only.
Selong Belanak in December is firmly wet season. The wave is dead or messy throughout most of the month, surf schools at the parking area run skeleton operations or close entirely, and rainfall climbs to 300mm across 20 days. The Australian Christmas crowd in Kuta (December 19-January 5) affects nearby accommodation pricing but doesn't reach Selong Belanak. The bay itself stays empty and quiet. Skip for surf-focused trips entirely.
# Selong Belanak in December: The Wet-Season Bay
December at Selong Belanak is essentially the same as January — wet season has fully arrived, the famous beginner surf wave is dead or messy, surf schools at the parking area run skeleton operations or close entirely, and the bay sits empty under dramatic wet-season skies. The Australian Christmas crowd that fills Kuta (35 minutes east) doesn't actually reach Selong Belanak — the bay stays quiet even during peak Kuta holiday week.
For a destination defined by surf, December is the wrong month.
300mm of rain across 20 days is full wet season. The pattern at Selong Belanak's exposed south coast:
Sunshine averages 5-6 hours daily. Temperatures hold at 30°C high and 24°C low. Humidity sits at 86%.
The exposed south coast experiences stronger onshore winds in December than the sheltered west coast (Senggigi). The Selong Belanak bay opens directly to the south-west, so storm winds blow straight into it. Even on dry afternoons, the wind kicks up sand on the beach.
The same conditions that killed the wave in November-January apply in December:
Result: surf schools that ran 30-50 lessons per day in July run 0-2 lessons per day in December, and only on the rare days conditions allow. Most schools close entirely or run minimal operations.
Don't plan a December Lombok trip around surfing at Selong Belanak. The wave doesn't work.
Honestly, very little. The same short list as January:
Beach walks on clear mornings: When the sky clears (perhaps 30-40% of December mornings), the bay still looks stunning. Empty 7km beach, dramatic clouds, good photography. Sunrise around 5:50am.
Buffalo herd at dawn: The herd of 30-50 cattle still wanders the beach in the early morning, especially with low crowds. Photography opportunity if you make the early start.
Quick visit lunch: A few warungs at the parking area stay open through wet season (reduced hours). Basic Indonesian food at low prices.
Photography: Dramatic wet-season skies, empty crescent bay, buffalo at dawn — the photography opportunities are good if you accept the weather variability.
That's about it.
The Australian Christmas school holiday wave (December 19-January 5) creates significant occupancy spikes at Kuta and the broader south coast tourist hotspots. Hotels in Kuta hit 80-100% occupancy. Rates double or triple. The vibe at Kuta is festive, busy, family-resort holiday mode.
None of that reaches Selong Belanak. The bay sits 35 minutes west of Kuta and isn't on the Christmas tourist circuit. Even during peak Kuta holiday week:
This actually makes Selong Belanak a useful escape for Kuta-based Christmas travellers wanting a quiet contrast to the resort scene.
The pragmatic Kuta-based escape:
The trip is essentially: drive 70 minutes round-trip for 4 hours of empty-beach quiet. Worthwhile only if you specifically want quiet and aren't surf-focused.
December sees year-low prices at Selong Belanak homestays (when they're open):
The pricing irony: Kuta is at peak Christmas pricing while Selong Belanak (35 minutes away) is at year lows. This makes Selong Belanak homestays a smart budget option for December travellers willing to accept the bay's limitations and commute to Kuta for resort access. Realistically though, most travellers prefer Kuta's infrastructure for a December trip.
For Kuta-based Christmas trips: book Kuta accommodation 2-3 months ahead minimum. Christmas Eve dinners at Kuta restaurants 2-3 weeks ahead. NYE dinners 1-2 months ahead.
For Selong Belanak day visits: walk-in works at the few open warungs. Don't bother with surf lessons (mostly closed).
From Kuta (35 minutes): quick morning visit works fine as a peace-and-quiet escape from the Christmas resort scene.
From Senggigi (90 minutes each way): not worth the drive in December. Three hours of road time for an unreliable beach destination.
From the Gilis: not worth the boat-and-drive combination.
Selong Belanak makes most sense in December as one stop in a Kuta-based south-coast exploration:
A 5-7 day December Kuta-based trip can hit all of this.
Surf-focused trips entirely (wait for April-September). Multi-day Selong Belanak commitments. Sunset beach plans (afternoon storms). Booking accommodation directly at Selong Belanak (use Kuta as base).
The narrow audience:
For the standard "I want to see Selong Belanak" traveller, December is the wrong month. Reschedule to April-September for the actual Selong Belanak experience.
December Selong Belanak is essentially January Selong Belanak — wave dead, surf schools closed, beach beautiful but exposed to onshore winds and afternoon storms. The Australian Christmas crowd in Kuta (December 19-January 5) doesn't actually reach Selong Belanak (35 minutes away) — the bay stays at crowd level 1 even during peak Kuta holiday week. If you're staying in Kuta for Christmas family vacation and want to escape the resort scene for a few hours, a quick clear-morning Selong Belanak visit can be a peaceful contrast — empty beach, buffalo herd at dawn, lunch at one of the few open warungs, and back to Kuta before afternoon weather. Don't make Selong Belanak the destination of a December trip.