While many travelers head to the Indonesian island of Bali for relaxation in a tropical paradise – and a massage or treatment at one of the world-renowned spas, this tiny nation is also well known for its night life. From giant “mega clubs” with several levels of pulsating dance music to more intimate jazz clubs and luxurious hotel bars, Bali nightlife offers something for almost everyone.
On your next visit to Bali, try one of these impressive nightspots:
The Rock Bar
Hotel bars are often unimpressive places, usually populated by business travelers and convention attendees. Not the Rock Bar, at the AYANA Resort in Jimbaran, though! Tagged one of the best hotel bars in the world by CNN, the Rock Bar is far from your average bar. Ride a specially-designed cable car down a rocky cliff to the glamorous club itself, perched just a few dozen feet above the Indian Ocean. Watch a spectacular sunset while you enjoy a signature cocktail and then dance the night away to some of the best entertainment in Indonesia.
The XL Shisha Bar & Lounge
Ubud Bali has been attracting visitors from all over the world as well as locals, and as a result, offers a wide array of evening entertainment options. The casual cool, Middle Eastern-inspired XL Shisha Bar & Lounge offers a full menu, as well as Shisha (hookah) pipes in several flavors. Weekends feature karaoke and on most nights, expect impromptu musical performances from all genres of music imaginable.
The Sky Garden Lounge
You’ll find the most nighttime entertainment options in the Kuta area, including the huge Sky Garden Lounge, a four story mega-club that plays techno, R & B and dance music into the wee hours of the morning. Sky Garden’s Bar is on the fourth floor, but you can find plenty of cozy lounge areas on the three stories leading up to the bar.
Café Havana
You might not expect to find salsa dancing in the Indian Ocean: but it’s here, right at Café Havana in Ubud. Most nights you can check out the salsa music. On Saturdays you can take a free lesson in the early evening. Even if you don’t have a partner, you can still join the fun; the entire staff at Café Havana is willing to shake and shimmy to the Cuban beats.
The Jazz Café
Looking for some live music – or music that’s more than simply thumping beats – then check out the Jazz Café in Ubud, the first jazz venue in Bali. Offering live entertainment every night, ranging from jazz, blues, soul and world beats, the Jazz Café is the place to go for a meal or cocktail and to sit back and enjoy the tunes. The Jazz Café closes earlier than most Bali nightspots (usually by 10 p.m.) so you can enjoy a show before you head to one of the swankier nightclubs on the island.
The Hard Rock Café
Singles tend to gather at this Bali outpost of the American chain, situated on the beach road in Kuta. Like the popular institution’s other outposts around the world, the club is loud and rowdy and the party is ceaseless. The Hard Rock Café also operates Center Stage, a popular live music venue at the adjacent Hard Rock Resort. While the prices are high by Balinese standards, the Hard Rock Café is still fun for a younger crowd.
Paddy’s Pub
While the original Paddy’s Pub in Kuta is notorious as the site of the tragic bombing in 2002, the rebuilt site has returned to its glory as Bali’s arty destination. A hotspot for the young, beautiful and ready to party, Paddy’s hosts theme nights, regular drink specials and more. Expect over-the-top partying until the wee hours of the morning – and not a whole lot of clothing or “proper” behavior.
Bali is one of the world’s hottest destinations for clubbing, but outside of Ubud, don’t expect the party to start until close to midnight. Most of the major clubs don’t even open until after 10 p.m., and the party doesn’t heat up until after midnight and lasts until sunrise. If you want to get out, though, hit one of these clubs; plan to sleep it off on the beach the next day.
This was contributed by blogger Andrew Fritts.
Robert Schrader is a travel writer and photographer who’s been roaming the world independently since 2005, writing for publications such as “CNNGo” and “Shanghaiist” along the way. His blog, Leave Your Daily Hell, provides a mix of travel advice, destination guides and personal essays covering the more esoteric aspects of life as a traveler.
