The Balinese status quo
After reading a story in the Australian Financial Review about the Bali digital nomad community yesterday, I decided to take a look at PARQ, north of Ubud. The owners of the place bill PARQ Ubud as a city of the future on their website. The article billed it as a Russian and Ukrainian enclave, full of digital nomads, setting up camp in Bali to escape the war in their neighborhood. The place is enormous. Someone obviously spent a lot of dollars or rubles to put it together, but I didn’t feel threatened by it, nor the people there. In fact, it’s all rather suburban, like a shopping mall with accommodation.
It’s a complex of apartments, swimming pools and restaurants. There’s also a flash gym. But the main thing is the peaceful people. There’s no aggression, just people going about their business – most probably digital business like everywhere nowadays. There’s even a hint of sadness at these people’s plight.
There are other complexes around the island inhabited by Australians, French or Germans, maybe not as big, and like them, I wouldn’t feel threatened.
Bali has an inclusive environment that welcomes all to its shores. Just like Aussie bogans or Pommy hooligans everyone has to learn the local way and feel the local energy if they want to settle here. I expect these new settlers will eventually do the same.
The world and Bali is changing now at a rapid pace and there is no holding it back. Fortunately, we have a banjar system on this island that will keep the status quo the same as it has been for centuries, as was seen with recent deportations of unruly wannabe new settlers.
At sunset there weren’t so many people around the complex. A friend said there were more punters about at lunch. We took off down the hill for dinner in town and had a pleasant evening in Ubud.
More about that later.
Space Konnekt – Locca Edition
Space Konnekt – Locca edition
Space Konnekt is a one day festival celebrating togetherness, inclusivity and the good times through carefully curated, one of a kind line up of dance music and art from only the finest artists and collaborators across the island of Gods. It’s on for one day only at Locca Sea House in Jimbaran on Saturday, March 25, 2023.
Along with diverse activities ranging from workshops and markets to fun kid’s activities, it’s also a space where you can be yourself as the day and festival is highly committed to equality, radical inclusion, and accessibility for all.
Step into the Space Konnekt multisensory universe located in an open air venue with a breathtaking ocean view in Jimbaran. The event is organized by Kozmik Kollektive, a group dedicated to art and music, connecting artists with a multidisciplinary background with electronic dance music, lighting installations, visual art, projection mapping, and art installations. Space Konnekt offers you an experience to indulge all the senses.
With curated Djs coming from across the island, ranging from dub, dnb, to jungle, house & techno with live PA format, to our very own expertise of psytrance, they are on the bill. Bring extra cash for their fun workshops and markets that have been especially curated for this event.
Kozmik Kollektive and Locca Sea House together aim to create a safe space for anyone to express themselves, to connect with kindred spirits, and collaborate together, in the hope of finding networks and support between different grassroots collectives on the Island.
The link to join the event and support the movement is right here.
Click right now to find out more.
Free entry for kids under 12 yo
Let’s connect with the Flow!
Bali Nightlife – Where to go and what to do.
Bali Nightlife – where to go and what to do.
Where do you go out nowadays in Bali? Well, that would depend on what style of entertainment and nightlife you’re looking for. A lot of people nowadays are into the day time/early evening beach clubs and bars along the coasts of Bali. Most of the big beach clubs are open seven days and pumping out the good times day and night (until 10pm or 12 midnight). Savaya (formerly known as Omnia) on the south coast is still the must-visit location with international and local DJs, great service, drinks, and for a clientele who like to see and be seen. Not far away from Savaya is Ulu Cliffhouse, which has had some phenomenal international shows recently and Single Fin. They both look west near Uluwatu surf break and catch a bit more of the sunset−and that’s when they are at their busiest. More on Uluwatu here.
Closer to town and in Seminyak you can try a more casual and very popular beach bar La PLancha and their multitude of neighbors on Seminyak beach from Double Six to Gado Gado. Further north along Seminyak Beach, Cout d’etat has been a mainstay giant in Bali food, style, tunes and parties for the past couple of decades. Up to the new Batubelig Beach Moriand the more casual beach bars nearby like 707, Il Lido are worth a look, especially on Sunday afternoons. Further up in Canggu, Cafe del Mar, Finns Beach Club, LV8have a new neighbor, Atlas Beach Club on Berawa beach, which opened last year. Some love it and others are less enthusiastic about the dignity of it all. It looks to be the perfect spot for people who like banging EDM by the beach – there is also a massive indoor venue at Atlas too. Echo Beach area has a few casual bars on the beach and further north near Pererenan beach some nice bars have popped up recently on the beach. All along the coast from Jimbaran, Kuta, Seminyak there are plenty of small beach side warung bar options – think upturned beer crates and styrofoam cool boxes – mostly with cheap, cold beer, but most get quiet after sunset.
More about Bali Beach Clubs here
The proper nightlife still starts around midnight in Bali clubs but some venues manage to get some punters in earlier.
PETITENGET
Petiteneget has been taken off right from where it stopped after the pandemic closure in March 2020 and is still the main area to hang out at night. Most of the clubs and bars were clandestinely open for almost the entire pandemic.
Some clubs like the three floors ShiShi in Petitenget offer free flow drinks to entice an early crowd and it works. ShiShi is the home for commercial pumping music from EDM to Hip-Hop, so if that’s your style, it’s the place to be and if you’re early enough you might even get a free drink, too. Wednesday’s Ladies Night is the pick for girls (free drinks and food) and guys understandably hanging out to chase all those gals. Early till late.
Just down the road is the smaller club, Red Rubywhich has taken the mantle in recent times of being THE house/techno spot on the Petitenget strip. It does get busy with people who enjoy the underground scene and vibe, but mostly late. Some Wednesdays you may even catch The Beat crew spinning a few tracks there. After midnight.
Further down Jl Petitenget and into a side lane Mrs Sippy is back in action and already bringing in the big star DJs. Daytime/early evening.
Back up and across the road from Red Ruby is the Faith Rooftop which is super stylish and uber-chic spot with a view. Hip hop features twice a month, but DJs on rotation other nights. They do have some good underground sounds too. I like this place. Sunset and some later parties. (Temporarily closed for renovations)
Heading north up around the bend is the new Shady Flamingo with top notch cocktails, DJs and vibe. It’s looking good. 8pm to 3am.
If you are into live music and especially live indo pop music you can’t miss Nineteen Lounges just up from The Shady Flamingo. They have the best local bands playing mostly Indonesian hit songs (Indonesian hits). early.
The Forge is up the road and around another bend. It’s a fun place with great food and drinks. Being owned by the same folks as ShiShi (and previously Sky Garden) you’re guaranteed a great vibe with DJs every night. It is open 24/7.
Ling Ling’s, next door is still a fave spot for the younger crowd, with their waitresses in funky costumes and a real hip hop urban kinda feel. There are all kinds of offers every night to keep you entertained and fed. Early till late.
Right at the top of Jalan Petitenget you can find Da Maria which pumps the DJs from Hip Hop to house techno depending on the night. Also offers pretty decent Italian food. And further up and across the road the clandestine, recently renovated and enlarged 40 Thieves is a cool and casual bar/club. From 11pm.
Back down to Jalan Kayu Aya, every night of the week La Favelas is turning it on with hip hop through the main two floors of the venue while upstairs the third floor is the house techno area. Great drinks can also be found on the third floor bar called Attica. La Favela packs in a generally younger crowd, but everyone is welcome and seen in this fun and busy club. From 10pm.
Across the road is the mainly older crew’s Red Carpet which has a lot of sophistication and up-market carry-on with mainly 80’s style pop music. Early till late.
One of the kings in the Petitenget area has to be Mexicola. The Mexican restaurant turned nightclub has a great formula of fun, mostly older, mashed up tunes and flowing tequila shots keeping the dance floor pumping seven nights a week. They have Balinese nightlife style down to a T and packed every night with a full on tourist party crew. Early till late.
SEMINYAK
Seminyak still has some hot spots but mainly down Jalan Dhyana Pura (now officially named Jl Camplung Tanduk). At the top we have Kingsway which offers fin-ish dining and small room clubbing. A very cool spot. 11pm.
The alternative clubs are further down the road, which can’t be missed, with people spilling out onto the streets every night of the week in all kinds of garbs. Flamboyant is a word that comes to mind in this area. Mixwell, Bali Joe, 66 Bar and more offer all kinds of entertainment, diversion and loads of fun for anyone that’s game. From 10pm.
Very good late night clubbing can be experienced on the same road too. Opera or is it now called Obsession (a former name of venue on the same site) and The Warehouse have been the places to be after midnight and beyond with underground sounds going till very late. Dat Dash is another smaller late late night club down the road further on the right. late.
One of Seminyak’s most loved underground clubs, Jenja is back open on Jalan Nakula. With a new management and outlook they are now open on the weekends with most nights packing them in. It’s always great to be back enjoying some great sounds and shots with Mac and the crew.
Now, if you are looking for something local you can always try Phoenix KTV which has a rather pumping local and some Caucasians crowd late into the night. Last drinks possibly here. Late Late.
CANGGU
Canggu starts basically over the bridge from Jalan Batubelig into Berawa. First happening spot right there is a beach club called Cafe del Mar. It’s a spacious area right in front of the ocean and their sunsets are generally pumping most days. Big acts sometimes pass by too. Behind the Green Door has a pretty young expat and local crowd. It’s a smallish bar upstairs from a now rather fancy restaurant called Maize, with a variety of DJs playing. It can definitely be fun after midnight and onto late. Finns and Atlas beach clubs fight it out right next to each other on Berawa Beach. Always packed out there with mainly Aussie and Indonesian tourists. They both have big name DJs, but probably Atlas more often than Finns.
There seems to be many nightlife spots opening in Berawa lately, but if you like cozy bars you can’t beat The Shady Pig that opened during the pandemic and being a hidden speakeazy was a huge hit from day one. Miss Fish has suddenly become a hit on the same road – it’s a classy Japanese restaurant and lounge bar with cool DJs and vibe seven nights a week. Also worth a look is Riviera restaurant near Frestive supermarket which has a very cool expat bar feel about it, reminds me of the old A Bar in Seminyak many years ago. An early start down there.
Need some more Canggu information? Click here
Burning Beach Festival to be held in Bali
Burning Beach Festival is set to be the biggest House and Techno festival ever held in Bali, Indonesia and will be held over two days and nights on three stages at the incredible new beach club Canna Bali in Nusa Dua.
The main stage will be hosting ten international world-renowned headline DJs, as well as over forty DJs based in Indonesia hailing from Bali, Jakarta and around the globe across the rest of the festival.
On top of this, the organizers have activated and collaborated with some of the most well-known and beloved brands in Bali, Jakarta and beyond, including Escape, Mixmag Asia, Designer and Nebula from Jakarta to name a few. Together with the outstanding line-up, this will create an absolute not-to-be-missed atmosphere and experience never seen before in Bali.
Over the two days of the festival, guests will be able to enjoy a journey through house and techno, all spun in one of Indonesia’s most breath-taking beach clubs on the white sands of Nusa Dua.
The event originated from a collective of passionate like-minded music enthusiasts living in Lombok who wanted to curate a space for genuine musical connections, combining their collective backgrounds in large-scale renowned events across Europe. The fire was lit, so to speak, after they curated a series of successful beach parties that drew increased attention and hype. Initially the festival was due to take place in Lombok but after listening to the feedback from hundreds of inquiries the promoters made the brave decision to move it to Bali and this is great news for the island.
Organizers are also pleased to announce they have added two more international DJs to the roster including an absolute giant of house and techno in Darius Syrossian (main stage) and, as if the line-up wasn’t big enough already, one of Europe’s brightest young stars in Ale De Tuglie from Italy (Escape Stage).
Canna is one of the hidden gems in Bali with its absolutely stunning location and plenty of space and home comforts to ensure a quality experience for all attendees including a state of the art two level nightclub for the Burning Box late night revelers who don’t want stop!
Phase two early bird tickets (10% discount) are currently on sale and are available on www.burningbeach.com.
The Burning Beach experience is still growing and more will be revealed over the next few weeks.
‘Let’s start a fire!’
John Digweed & Bedrock to release new ‘Quattro III’ compilation
Bedrock Records has announced the third installment in its ‘Quattro’ series, with John Digweed again in charge of mixing and compiling the album himself. It is slated for release on December 3rd in CD, vinyl, and digital.
‘Quattro III’ features four mixes of new and unreleased music, including an exclusive artist album from UK house & techno producer Miles Atmospheric. The compilation will showcase over 50 exclusive new tracks, from club-oriented beats to texturized cinematic soundscapes and its acclaimed ‘Redux’ remixes, including music by David Morales, Pig&Dan, Frankey & Sandrino, Dino Lenny, Robert Babicz, SOEL, Quivver, Sasha Carrassi, and many more.
John Digweed told electronicgroove.com, “It has been a year and a half since ‘Quattro II’ and I have spent many months searching out some incredible music for the latest edition. For me, these albums seem to get better with each edition. I have always been about finding new and exciting music from fresh up and coming producers. This time I have added an additional CD full of incredible breaks that really add an extra dimension to this series, alongside an artist album from Miles Atmospheric which has delivered some quality warm deep ethereal techno that is a breath of fresh air and perfectly complements the other 4 CDs.”
Bedrock Records’s ‘Quattro III’ will be out on December 3rd. Pre-order your copy here.
Catch the latest John Digweed Transitions show on The Beat Radio Bali early Saturday evenings.
Hemingway Chef Cookoff at Bali Beach Glamping
Pictured above; Mandif representative, Chef Wayan, Chef Alexander, Chris Salans, Chef Fabian Sorlury, Bayu Retno representative.
Roast Mental Health. February 18th, 2023. The event was organized by the Disciple Escoffier Indonesia and Chris Salans.
This Saturday evening is going to be a special moment for all food buffs on the island with a gourmet dining event happening at Hemingway, the spectacular, beachside restaurant and bar at Bali Beach Glamping, north of Tanahlot.
The proceedings of the event will go to Bali Together Can (balibersamabisa.org), a group providing inpatient rehabilitation services in Dalung for people all over Bali with mental health issues.
The Beat asked DJ Denton, one of the organizers of the event and fundraising organization, Right Reasons, what the event is all about.
DJs: There are five chefs from around Bali fine dining restaurants coming together to cook one dish each. The chefs found out last Monday what dish they will be cooking at a presentation at Beachwalk Mall. They drew cards like a raffle to find out which protein (more or less) they would be cooking on the night. The guests at the dinner will be the judges of the competition, choosing which dish they feel is the best. It should be a load of fun and remember, the proceeds will be going to a good cause.
Tell me more about the BBB organization and how the money will be used.
DJs: Bali Bersama Bisa is a community center with support groups – for people diagnosed with cancer, HIV, or are physically disabled, bipolar, schizophrenia, transgender, blind/deaf and have mental health issues. They have workshops on suicide prevention and other mental health related activities. The facility/community space has a total of 10 beds and will eventually cost about 100 million a month to operate at full capacity. Hopefully the Cookoff can get it started on a smaller scale now and then we do more events and things later in the year.
Is the facility already operating?
Yes, but not with stabilization and 24 hour care. Now it’s just “dropped in” and with some scheduled groups…. But psychiatrists and psychologists are already available to meet and provide treatment.
balibersamabisa.org
There are still a few spaces left for the dinner. Be quick to join up for a great night out and in turn help the community at the same time.
Tickets
Uluwatu Turns on the Nightlife
Uluwatu has become one of the major areas of Bali to holiday and live over the past few years. It has come alive with people from all parts of the planet, mainly surfers first, but now also people from all walks of life. There are contributing factors for this migration to the south, including beautiful white sand beaches, not so much rainfall, less traffic issues getting around, and nowadays, a plethora of new dining and entertainment options busy most days and nights of the week. Young people are turning their backs on places like Canggu or Seminyak and moving to the Bukit, and really, I can see why, the place has a lot going for it.
We asked rising star DJ Papū, who happens to be playing and living most weekends nowadays in the Uluwatu area, what he thought the best run-down would be to get among the good times on the weekend in that south west corner of Bali.
“Thursdays are all about cashew tree. They normally have great live music and the place is pumping.
Fridays. You can’t beat Tabu restaurant and bar, they have DJs (me included) and it’s busy. Ulu Cliffhouse always has a crowd and weekly house DJ nights till late. Half price selected drinks too. Recently opened Baracca has a bar/club vibe on Friday nights as well till late. Savaya day club on the south coast has hip hop or special events on Fridays.
Saturdays. Savaya is normally rammed with big international guest DJs (hip hop & electronic music). Get there about 5pm. Tabu has DJs and classy electronic music most Saturdays. There is a special event on the deck at Ulu Cliff most Saturdays, or if there is a big international act the main stage will be set up next to the pool.
Sundays. Single Fin is an institution in front of the Uluwatu surf break and has live music and DJs most nights of the week, but Sunday is when it really grinds. (Commercial house music). Savaya gets tribal with Southern Tribe (Afro house vibe) & international headliners.”
There are also a number of great dining options in the Uluwatu area too. What do you think are the better options Papū? “Ours, Rolling Fork (Italian), Suka (brunch & dinner), Tabu (dinner), newly opened Mason, Ulu Cliff, Lucky Fish (local fish BBQ on Bingin Beach), Yeye’s (best Nasi Campur), El Kabron (Spanish ).”
Hey Papū bro, thank you for your time and the words of local knowledge.
You can catch Papū playing his tunes in Tabu, Ulu Cliffhouse and Savaya, among other hot spots on the Bukit and down town, too.
Get in Uluwatu, folks. You’re sure to have a great time.
5 Best Hidden Beaches in South Bali –
Bali is known for its famous beaches and you might think there are no more hidden beaches left in Bali as almost everyone already knows every beach here. But, if you are looking for a new adventure to find an isolated, quiet, and far from crowd beach, the list below is for you!
1. Bingin Beach
A reason why Bingin Beach is included as a hidden beach in South Bali is because it’s relatively hard to find. But once you find the beach, you’ll get treated by the gorgeous chilled out vibe. There are some great cafes along the cliffside too, making it perfect for weekend relaxing time. If you are into surfing, the waves here are perfect for surfers looking for a challenge.
2. Kubu Beach
Kubu Beach is located next to Ayana Resort Jimbaran. You will get a little adventure finding the beach since it is a relatively new discovered beach. From the parking area, you need to hike and trek for about 30 minutes through woods, swamps and rocks until you see the beach area. But the views are totally worth it! This beach is popular for its natural arc formation as the photo has become famous in social media. What a sight it is!
3. Nyang Nyang Beach
Nyang Nyang beach, located in the Pecatu area, is pristine of white sand and lined by a towering green cliff. If you are looking for some solitude, this secluded beach is perfect since it’s far from the crowds. You will get a little journey from the parking area to the beach by trekking down the rugged terrain. But don’t worry, the journey is rewarded by splendid views that you’ll find in no other place.
4. Gunung Payung Beach
Gunung Payung Beach, once known as Secret Beach, is just an hour’s drive away from Denpasar. It is a remote and quiet setting overlooking stunning seascapes that offer powder white sands, warm tropical waters and a lush green backdrop. The natural reefs barriers here also mean calm and swimmable waters most of the time. Must visit the beach!
5. Thomas Beach
Thomas Beach is one of the quietest beaches in Bukit. Its secluded strip of white sand beach, rolling turquoise waves, and shady beach umbrellas make it the perfect spot for a day of swimming. From the parking area you need a short 10 minute walk down the steps to reach the shoreline. You’ll most likely get to enjoy the beach almost to yourself since it’s quite an underrated beach in the Southern area.
Read the more articles here: