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
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.
Bali New Settlers – What’s Next?
The traffic is next level nowadays.
I reside on the north side of The Great Wall of Canggu. This means every day by 2pm the only way in and out of Canggu, or at least Berawa, are congesting more than a wet market attendant’s nose in Beijing, no way in or out. If you are in a car forget it. Abandon ship ASAP. You’re better off walking except you are likely to be hit by some crazed motorbike rider most probably high on something trying to escape the reality of the new Bali traffic. Some days it’s not so bad—you can fly through the wall without even stopping, but they are few and you have to give thanks for such moments.
During Covid it was different. I used to pop the dogs in the back of the old Kijang and trundle off to Double Six Beach without a care and the wind in my hair. It would take 15 to 20 minutes from Berawa, unless there was a hold up in front of Monsieur Spoon or somewhere with some random uber-large Jakarta plated Alpha trying to park. That could hold you back enough time to go in and buy a croissant. The beach was like some deserted island without a person, umbrella or day bed in sight. Just the sound of the cracking waves as they broke on the pristine white sand.
Fast forward to now. It does make you wonder where all the traffic comes from nowadays. I read that international tourist numbers are running at about 40% of pre-covid numbers. The Chinese aren’t even back. Obviously, there are many local domestic tourists continually arriving (with their cars), but there are no concrete figures on that hand. Possibly there is another answer for this traffic/jam phenomenon and that could be that half the people arriving here aren’t going home again. Are they coming here with one-way tickets and setting up shop? It makes you wonder.
All that time to think about life, or the lack of it, during lockdown in some god-forsaken part of the world looking at pretty pictures of this tropical island on Instagram may have done it. “That’s it, I’m outta here!” is heard as a collective rush or stampede for the gate at airports around the world heralded the beginning of the re-opening of the world – and an opportunity to get away once and for good. The central government has also made it easier for prospective new settlers too with a new 10 year second home visa proposed to open the flood gates even wider come the New Year.
But as another restaurant, bar, store or beach club opens one can only wonder, first, who is going to staff these new fashionable places that are literally opening every week because there aren’t any staff left on the island, and then, who is going to visit them. It’s hard to say. Maybe the new settlers will feed each other’s new venues to keep them alive. But the reality is probably most of them will be gone in the next couple of moons and only the strongest will survive – as usual.
Or maybe not, maybe it all just gets bigger and bigger with more people arriving every day to feed all these new businesses. But then that brings us back to the traffic and lack of new roads to cater to more vehicles and people. #rollyoureyes
These are interesting times on the island and it will be very interesting to see what will happen over the next year. For good or bad, there is no stopping it. Suggestions. Doing your moving around town early in the day, or late at night is a good way forward.
5 Great Surf Spots in Bali –
Bali is one of the favorite destinations for every surfer in the world. Blessed with a diverse selection of waves making it perfect for surfers of any level. Here are 5 great surf spots in Bali you should try!
1. Batu Bolong Beach
Located in Canggu, this beach is a great place to choose if you are a beginner surfer. The fat and mellow waves make you super comfortable to learn for hours. Sometimes, there is a bit of small swell that might take you closer to a rocky patch, so you need to be aware. The low tide here produces some mushy and messy waves but in general, it is great at high or low. This spot is also perfect if you’re traveling with kids and they want to learn to surf.
2. Green Bowl Beach
After a 30 minute walk around a cliff and down a flight of stairs, you’ll be greeted by a beach that faces south, directly in front of pretty big swells, and is best at high tide. Its currents are super powerful which tend to pull you all over the place, so the paddling doesn’t stop. The tides here are usually very high in the morning, so midday is the best time to visit.
3. Suluban Beach
Suluban Beach is definitely perfect for advanced surfers. The tide produces big and powerful waves all day long that give the surfers perfect left and right breaks. Its beautiful and mystique vibes make us feel like surfing for a movie scene. The beach itself is also very unique since it is mapped out among the caves.
4. Balangan Beach
If you are into picturesque waves and beaches, Balangan Beach is on your number one list. Many surfers come here because it has a feeling of the true surfing culture. The waters chuck out waves no matter the tide and the bay are still really untouched. This spot is suitable for any level of surfers. The beginner can enjoy its smaller swells and when they get bigger that’s when the waves will be lined with the pros.
5. Table Stone
Last but not least, another favorite surf spot especially if you’re a pro one. The waves are super powerful and consistent, making them perfect for advanced surfers. This beach has attracted many surfers both locally and internationally. The perfect conditions are usually between mid and high tide since the low tide is too low over the shallow reef. A heaven for surfers.
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