High Waves Batter Traders’ Stalls at Kusamba Beach in Klungkung

Dozens of traders’ stalls at Kusamba Beach in Dawan district, Klungkung, Bali, were battered by high waves again on Monday (26 October 2026). Worsening coastal erosion has brought the surf against stalls along the shore, causing damage.

“This was the biggest one. The waves reached the rooftops. Many traders had to move their goods,” trader Sumilah Eka, 49, told detikBali.

Sumilah recounted how the large waves hit the area at around 11am Central Indonesian Time.

Some traders were not open because the waves coincided with Nyepi Segara at Kusamba Beach. However, some had come in to clean their merchandise.

Those who had closed their stalls also ran back to them after hearing that large waves had struck.

“The big waves came twice. They hit everything and broke through the barrier in front of the stalls, letting water in. So we all came here to check our own stalls,” Sumilah said.

The waves were among the worst the area has experienced. Seawater reportedly rose as high as the roofs of buildings and stalls along the coast.

The damage was compounded by erosion advancing closer to the land. Fortunately, most tables and stall equipment had been secured tightly with stakes and were not swept away by the current.

“Usually the water just comes up, but it doesn’t break through everything. This time it reached the rooftops. Maybe it’s because the erosion has come too close,” Sumilah added.

The traders were nevertheless grateful for the existing wave barrier and a community-funded effort to build a stone embankment. Without those defences, they said, the stalls along the Kusamba coast would have suffered severe damage from the waves.

Sumilah hopes the government will speed up construction of a seawall. The traders believe their stalls will eventually be swallowed by erosion if the problem is left unaddressed.

“Please, we really ask you to build us a seawall as soon as possible,” Sumilah said.