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Browsing Category " Bali "

Best Nightclubs in Bali (COVID Update 2021)

By Tibs →
Note: I updated this Bali nightlife review in 2021. Read also my guide: Canggu and Seminyak Nightlife . I just stayed in Bali for a month and I visited all the happening nightclubs and bars from Kuta to Canggu. The venues I chose on this list are the busiest and most happening spots for partying. They are not ranked in a particular order as each of them targets a different crowd. If you don't know where to start your night out, I generally recommend the following: → Kuta : Go there if you are a tourist who wants crowded clubs with mainstream music → Seminyak : Go there if you want more sophisticated and expensive venues → Canggu : Go there if you are young or if you are staying in Bali for a few months on a budget You can also read 10 Best Nightclubs to Meet Girls in Bali . Please feel free to comment if I forgot an important nightclub! Best Hotels Near Bali Nightclubs It's better to choose a hotel near a nightclub. You'll avoid 4 things: Drunk motorb

Cheap Travel to Bali: 16 Ways to Save Money

By Tibs →
Enjoying a budget holiday in Bali is possible if you are well-prepared and well-informed. The following guide is a must-read for any visitor wanting to get the most out of her/his dollars without sacrificing quality. I've lived 3 years on the island, enough time to know the best tricks and tips to save money on what is unnecessary. My goal is to help you make the right decisions regarding your flights, your hotels, your meals, your transportation, and the attractions you visit. If you have any questions about your trip, you can leave a comment below or contact me directly: thibaud@jakarta100bars.com. 1) Choose Your Season Carefully

Rumours (Seminyak)

By Tibs →
In Seminyak, Rumours is probably one of the best value for money restaurants you'll find. Not every dishes on the menu is a hit, but if you go for seafood or meat, it should be decent. At night, Rumours is also a popular drinking joint albeit it closes early. They may have DJs playing occasionally but the schedule is uncertain.

Is Bali Becoming a Sex Tourism Destination?

By Tibs →
One of the biggest changes to Bali nightlife since the past 5 years is the seemingly growing number of prostitution or semi-prostitution venues in Bali. Those places were once discreetly located in Sanur or in some seedy streets in Denpasar, but they are now everywhere and they are certainly not trying to hide. In Kartika Plaza, you have the new District Club which features sexy dancers and karaoke rooms with Lady Companions. It is owned by Tommy Winata, famous for being behind naughty clubs like Golden Crown in Jakarta. Other naughty KTVs include EC Bali, Tang Chao (for Chinese) and Level One. In Denpasar, Akasaka was extended with a new room called A-Club, also with sexy dancers and prostitutes. The old room in Akasaka is packed on weekends and during my visit there, I saw fully naked women trying to sell tequila shots to customers in exchange for private lap dances. Considering the head-banging music that was played there, we can imagine most people inside were taki

Karma Beach Club - Bali

By Tibs →
    Karma Beach Club (previously called Nammos Beach Club) is the bar/restaurant of the Karma Kandara resort. Located on one of Bali's most beautiful beaches, it is unfortunately very expensive, snob and pretentious. It is also a pain in the ass to get there, especially if you don't have your own car.

Swich Sandwiches (Bali)

By Tibs →
Swich is a cheap sandwich joint with several locations in Seminyak/Kuta. It is friendly, tasty and healthy. Unsurprisingly, it is very popular with expatriates, especially those in their 20s. The owners themselves are trendy young mixed Indonesians with a fine sense of marketing, branding and public relations. Their website is a good testimony of that ( www.swichbali.com ). I never tried their signature sandwiches, I always prefer making my owns (around Rp50,000 for one): Overall : Recommended, I visit Swich on a pretty regular basis. The only criticism I have is that as it is small and often crowded, it can get messy when you want to order a sandwich during rush hours. You have to struggle a bit with other customers and the order may take a while to come to your table. Swich (Legian Branch) Jalan Werkudara 538, Legian Bali

Holycow! Steakhouse And Steak Hotel by Holycow! What Differences?

By Tibs →
My title was voluntarily misleading. I don't believe there are true differences between both brands as they operate with the same concept. Both are chains of affordable steak restaurants which are lively, colorful and with a viral marketing all about Twitter and Facebook. They offer decent steaks, but it isn't the best imports or the best cooking you will find (except if you take their most expensive cuts). Holycow! was opened by self-trained Chef Afit Dwi Purwanto (who worked previously as a manager on RCTI channel) and his wife Lucy Wiryono, a TV host. So far, they have 6 branches in Jakarta, 1 in Bali and 1 in Yogyakarta. Their menu is short and features Sirloin, Ribeye and Tenderloin steaks from Australia and US. They also serve Wagyu beef. I visited the Bali branch which was very busy in the evening. Most of the customers were Indonesians, seemingly from Jakarta. I had the prime Tenderloin steak (imported from Australia) (91k +12,5% tax and service). I

Motel Mexicola (Bali)

By Nyoman →
The Hype is there, in this place of Seminyak... You feel it as soon as you get in this Restaurant & Bar. First you have the decoration: How to describe it ? The owner of the place, Australian Adrian Reed, tried to imitate a 1960's Acapulco ambiance (in Mexico), with images of Mexican Wrestlers and "Dia de Muertos", the Mexican Holiday. It is very colorful and very impressive at first sight. When you look closely at it, it is mostly an accumulation of old objects, weird paintings on the wall and other decoration that doesn't make any sense. The people who are going to this place are 90% tourists and expats. That is the case for all the hype venues in Seminyak. Basically all the people who stay in Potato Head Beach Club during daytime are coming to this place after Beach/Pool time. The music is good and the place hosts many events since they have a stage in the middle of the Bar. I like to go there for a drink since the place is very open. Pricewis

La Favela (Bali)

By Tibs →
La Favela is one of the trendy bars and restaurants in Seminyak. It was opened by the same team behind the very popular La Plancha and the defunct La Barca (closed for administrative reasons). I believe they owe their success to 3 key factors: - Great design with an attention paid to every single details. The atmosphere they create is always unique and it is worth having a look even if you are not a party-goer. - Strategic location in the heart of Seminyak - A huge network among the expat community that enables them to organize happening parties just by posting a word on facebook.

Bebek Tepi Sawah Restaurants

By Tibs →
I visited the original branch of Bebek Tepi Sawah in Ubud a few years ago. I was disappointed at that time as it was expensive, overcrowded with groups of tourists, and the taste was really unexceptional. I blacklisted it in my mind and considered it a tourist trap. In the past few years, the brand has opened outlets everywhere in malls in Jakarta, Yogyakarta and Bali. I thought that the management may have changed and that it would be worth having another try. I did so in Beachwalk in Kuta. My first impression was not too good. I was greeted by an apathetic waitress that I felt I was bothering. She gave me the menu and left. It took me 10 minutes to get another waiter, more friendly, to come to me and take my order. The menu features all kinds of Indonesian and International dishes with a large choice of drinks. It is so big that I cannot imagine the team in the kitchen is able to prepare them all correctly. Since Bebek Tepi Sawah means "the duck from the ri

Anomali Coffee (Jakarta & Bali)

By Nyoman →
So many Coffee places in Jakarta ! Indonesia is in the Top 5 Coffee producer in the world, no wonder there are so many Coffee Shops in the city... It is not difficult to source coffee beans here. Anomali Coffee is a small and upscale coffee chain with 4 outlets in Jakarta and 2 in Bali. The different outlets in jakarta are mostly located in the South of the city. They claim themselves to be "Kopi Asli Indonesia" whick means Original Indonesian Coffee. It is one of the competitor of Liberica Coffee . What I like about this place ? Well it's quite intimate, the coffee is good and the service is pleasant. It's hard to tell the difference between two types of coffee when you are not a connoisseur. But each time I tried a beverage here, I was not disappointed. I had a Sandwich and a  Vanilla Eclair and it was also quite tasty, with a reasonable price (30 000 Rp for the Vanilla Eclair). Last but not least, the WiFi connection works quite well there

Tony Roma's (Jakarta & Bandung)

By Tibs →
Tony Roma's is the equivalent in taste and quality of most of the thousands of family restaurants you can find anywhere in the US. It serves basic American dishes, mostly steaks, ribs and burgers, in a very casual atmosphere. It is very pricey compared to buying Nasi Goreng: If you take the ribs, you will have to pay close from Rp 300,000 for one person. That's the price for tasting meat imported from the US. I went for the cheeseburger, which is good value for Rp85k++. A coke costs Rp15k++. It isn't the best food ever, but the quality standards are constant: When you eat in Tony Roma's, you get good meat, professional service and no surprises. It is a favourite among expatriates, especially Australian and American, but most clients are Indonesian.