By Katherine Scott|
Bali has long been the destination Aussies have gone to par-tae, though it's hard to deny the island's partying options have matured significantly over the last decade.
From its bad boy past, these days Bali's hip and design-forward club venues wouldn't be out of place in Palm Springs or on the covers of design magazines.
Better yet, there's a chic new beach club to suit every kind of holidaymaker. Here's our favourites:
A far cry from the pulsating Bali clubs of yore, this laidback offering feels unusually European (think Old Town Dubrovnik's sun-bleached aesthetic, with weathered wood pergolas and white-washed stone). Sitting pretty with an enviable spot smack-bang on the beach, guests can access the club via an inclinator at the clifftop Karma Kandara resort, lending it that private retreat feel. It's more loungey than clubby, making it ideal for families.
The club's larger thatched restaurant is perfect for enjoying a cold brew out of the sun, while an array of comfy daybeds topped with plump azure cushions beckon from the shore. It's just 650,000 rupiahs ($65) entry for two, and includes a further 300,000 rupiahs ($30) towards food and beverages, and use of their water equipment (stand-up paddleboards, sea kayaks and snorkelling gear).
If you prefer your ocean views cliffside, head upstairs to Karma resort's Veritus restaurant for multi-tiered high tea platters and a spectacular view of the turquoise-rimmed Ungasan coast.
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Location: Karma Kandara Bali, Jalan Villa Kandara, Ungasan, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80362, Indonesia
Price: IDR 650,000 ($65) entry for two
Rubbing shoulders with Karma Kandara Beach Club next door (there's just a minute's beach stroll between them), there's nothing kitsch about this hidden patch of paradise, accessible via the very plush Ungasan Clifftop Resort. If you're arriving from the street level, your experience begins with a likewise scenic ride down a funicular through lashings of jungle, only to arrive at a postcard-perfect beach, all white sands, stunning steeply-pitched thatched-roof huts, white umbrellas and daybed service.
Arrive between 5pm and 6.30pm for half-price cocktails, Bin Tangs and elegantly simple pizza options (go for the burrata with cherry tomato, basil and chilli for around $9.50 during happy hour). You'll wholly approve of touches like complimentary gourmet ice-blocks, ferried around by staff, and dusk bonfires lining the beach (as if this place wasn't 'grammable enough).
If you're after some respite from the heat — and some serious VIP action — why not organise your own private beachfront bale, complete with daybeds, a private butler and your very own bathroom and shower? There are dinner and party packages also available, with 24 hours notice.
The meals and 'Small Snax' menu come courtesy of Aussie export and multi-hatted chef James Viles, who also oversees the culinary offerings in the posh adjoining resort, so you know the nosh is anything but ordinary. Think home-baked corn chips, three cheese croquettes with wakame salt, and char sui pork bao buns.
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Location: Jalan Pantai Selatan Gau Banjar Wijaya Kusuma Ungasan, Pecatu, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80362, Indonesia
Price: IDR 350,000-400,000 ($35-$40) adult day pass, includes IDR 200,000 ($20) food and beverage credit
In 2018, the former Nikki Beach Club within the Sofitel hotel underwent a major five-month face-lift. The result? A cool and clubby new chill space for the beautiful set, complete with a striking new checkered pool, a fern-covered lounge terrace and revamped restaurant.
There are plenty umbrella-shaded sunbeds to commandeer on the beach, but if you're looking to avoid the steady procession of roving vendors on this popular stretch then you'd best arrive early and request a daybed by the pool.
Go for the signature 'Peas Out' cocktail (130,000 rupiahs / $13) a refreshing blend of vodka, elderflower liqueur, cucumber juice and garden green pea cordial. If you're feeling peckish, there's a wide selection of dishes but their take on local specialty babi guling (a waroeng-style suckling pig) is pretty hard to top.
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Location: Beachfront at Sofitel Nusa Dua Lot N5 BTDC Nusa Dua 80363, Jl. Nusa Dua, Benoa, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80363, Indonesia
Price: Free entry
Most cocktails in Bali lean towards the eye-squintingly sweet side. That said, purists will delight in this cliffside gem, spruiking a drinks menu worthy of Melbourne's speakeasies.
Oozing old Hollywood glamour and providing the ideal vantage point for sunsets that'll stay etched in your mind for a lifetime, this trendy new kid on the block specialises in margaritas, and we're delighted to clock a Tommy's on the list (an agave twist on the classic drink, beloved by bartenders the world over). Furthermore, they're available in a glass or a carafe (big tick). Other notable mentions: the Barrel-Aged Negroni, and the refreshing Cucumber Number, a muddled blend of vodka, wild apple liqueur, cloudy apple, cucumber, thyme and soda.
It's also one of the only venues we spot serving up cold drip coffee, which really needs to be more of a thing over there.
The slick seaside digs is also attracting some of the biggest names in electronic music, with DJ sets by Carl Cox, Eric Powell and Fatboy Slim to name a few.
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Location: Jalan Labuan sait, Jl. Uluwatu No.315, Pecatu, Kuta Sel., Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Price: Free entry or IDR 1,500,000 ($150) minimum spend for daybed
Underwater speakers, swim-up bars and DJ towers have long been part of the Finns experience, but that hasn't stopped this party palace from seriously upping the ante with a spunky new reno.
Still the Big Kahuna of Bali's beach clubs, the sprawling venue is on the cusp of unveiling the first phase of its of its schmick new revamp in mid-May, which will elevate it to world-class levels.
You'll think you've landed in Ibiza when you step into this aquatic playground comprising submerged party beds, an adults-only infinity pool, an enormous new lagoon pool and VIP section.
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Location: Jl. Pantai Berawa, Tibubeneng, Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Price: From IDR 1,000,000 minimum spend for single daybed, and from IDR 1,500,000 minimum spend for single VIP daybed
Like a pastel-laced Katy Perry music video come to life, this 1950s tropical themed beachfront club is Seminyak's shiny new party toy. And judging by the proliferation of attractive couples staging photoshoots all around the pool, it's also the new Instagram goldmine.
Visit before dusk and nab a table overlooking the beach for some serious sunset porn. The cocktails are just as flamboyant as the colourful decor — go for the signature Jungle Bird, a heady blend of dark rum, Campari, pineapple and lime, or the crowd-pleasing Porn Star Martini, featuring vanilla vodka, citrus and fresh passion fruit.
The menu is simple but exceedingly seaside-friendly, with options such as crispy friend fish tacos and grilled king prawns with chilli, lime and pickle veg. You'll want save room for the deliciously retro dessert options, which include a decadent twist on a banana split, as well as popsicles and pavlovas.
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Location: Jl. Pantai Batu Belig No 5, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Seminyak, Kerobokan Kelod, Kuta Utara, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80361, Indonesia
Price: Free entry, single daybeds available on first come first serve basis with minimum spend IDR 400,000 ($40)
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