Seminyak Beach (Pantai Seminyak)

In addition to some of Bali’s most luxurious accommodation, Seminyak Beach hosts a world-class selection of beach clubs and restaurants, including KU DE TA, Potato Head Beach Club, La Lucciola, and Mejekawi (within KU DE TA).

The spectacular sunsets on Bali’s west coast are made for sundowners; in fact, some Seminyak beach tours duly focus on bars, nightclubs, and nightlife. However, there’s more than consumption to these sandy shores. Leisure activities include surfing, horseback riding, and kite-flying (popular with young families). Alternatively, simply pull up a beanbag at a beach bar and chill out.

• Perfect for the good-time traveler who likes to flaunt their bathing-suit bod, Seminyak’s beach club scene is world class.

• Most high-end bars, beach clubs, and restaurants in Seminyak have a dress code that forbids sports- or alcohol-branded attire—that means no Bintang singlets.

• You normally don’t need to reserve ahead of time for Seminyak beach clubs. That changes on nights with big-name international acts or events such as New Year’s Eve.

• Seminyak Beach is no place to learn how to ride a motorbike.

There are limited public transport options in Seminyak, although the tourist Kura Kura Bus service stops in the general area of the beach. It’s easy for unqualified, inexperienced motorcyclists to hire scooters and ride them through the area’s hectic traffic, often drunk and without a helmet. If you’re bar hopping, hire a driver for the night, or haggle with taxi drivers: Blue Bird cabs are most likely to use the meter.

A sundowner overlooking those epic Seminyak sunsets is a must. Arrive between 6pm and 7pm, depending on the time of year. Like the rest of Bali, Seminyak Beach is at its busiest in August. During peak rainy season (December to February), avoid visiting early in the morning and wait until workers have removed the plastic trash that sweeps onshore.

Indonesia has extremely high taxes on alcohol, both domestic and imported. This means spirits-based drinks are relatively extremely expensive. Illegal home-brew liquor, often sold in fake international-brand bottles, is hugely common, and kills scores of people every year in Indonesia. If a spirits-based drink seems suspiciously cheap, avoid it: It’s almost certainly fake.