Bali's hidden gems for adventure seekers

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₹10,000 per session) and kitesurfing is no walk on the beach. I spent the first day learning the basics of the kite, which is bigger than any other that you might have flown, and how to handle it. If the wind picks up, it can literally fly you, so kite handling skills are critical.

The kite dragged, pulled and even took me on a short flight that I didn’t desire, before the instructor caught hold of my harness and pulled me back down. But after two hours of trying and listening to the instructor’s tips, I was standing shin-deep in water and controlling the kite well enough for the instructor to let me hit the water the following day. I came in early, practised with the kite on the beach for about 20 minutes and then we jumped on to a boat, loaded it with the kite and a board and took off to a spot where the water was waist deep.

If I was dreaming of moving smoothly through the water with the kite in the air, I was in for a rude surprise, since handling a kite in water is a different proposition altogether. Following instructions, I had to let the kite pull me along, while trying to control its speed and direction. As a result, I had to first learn how to drag myself in the sea, while controlling the kite.

Only after about 45 minutes, during which time I tried to do things by the book, while ending up crashing the kite into water a couple of times, did my instructor throw me the board. Getting on to the board while controlling the kite was a brand new challenge. I’d get one foot in but before I could get the other on the board the kite would come crashing down.