Where to Party in Bali? A Complete Nightlife Guide (2021)
By
Tibs
→
This article was updated on 19th June 2021. Partying is one of the best things to do during a trip to Bali. Bars and nightclubs can be found in every major city, especially in the southern part of the island. I already wrote an article about the best nightclubs in Bali , but here I will focus on the nightlife areas and their specificities. I hope it will help you decide where to party, what kind of atmosphere to expect and how much you will spend. I will also recommend the best hotels in each area. As usual, you can ask any question by leaving a comment at the end of the page and I will do my best to answer them.
Note: I updated this review of Jakarta's best nightclubs on May 2021. The following is a ranking of the most happening nightclubs in Jakarta at the moment. If you are new to the city and you don't know where to start your night out, I recommend going to either one of two areas with clusters of bars/clubs: The first one is in Mega Kuningan, with popular venues like Basque/Moonshine/Flow/Loewy and the other one is in SCBD, within the Fairgrounds complex (home to Fable and Swillhouse). The line between a club and a bar can be thin. Some places are great for dancing and drinking but I didn't include them here because I considered they were bars. Check my guide of the Best Bars in Jakarta for more party recommendations. If you think I forgot to mention a venue, please leave me a comment! Tips About Clubbing in Jakarta: Here are a few things you should know before heading for a night out: - All the nightclubs in Jakarta are expensive . Expect to pay IDR150,000
This Jakarta nightlife guide was updated in May 2021. I removed many bars and clubs that have closed down because of COVID-19, and I added a few as well. If you are a first-time visitor, you might also be interested in my Jakarta Travel Guide . Nightlife Areas There are so many nightlife areas in Jakarta that it can be confusing even for residents.
This is my updated ranking of the best bars in Jakarta (2021). Because of COVID-19, many venues have closed down, permanently or temporarily, but the majority of them are still open. Even better, I have added quite a few names here such as Caspar, Chao Chao, Holywings, and Black Pond Tavern. I'm sure there are plenty more that I forgot so don't hesitate to drop me a message/comment with your recommendations. For more information about where to party in Jakarta, you can also read: 10 Best Nightclubs in Jakarta Jakarta Nightlife Guide Best Beer Garden and Beer Houses in Jakarta Best Expat Bars in Jakarta Currently, the top bars in Jakarta are:
Bali is a fantastic destination for single guys who want to meet girls. As soon as you'll arrive, you can download some popular dating apps and you'll be surprised by the high number of matches you will get. To be fair, there are also many prostitutes - especially on specific websites like Seeking - so be aware of it. Another great way to meet girls in Bali is to visit bars and nightclubs, especially if you are staying around Kuta, Seminyak, and Canggu. I wrote extensively about the nightlife in those areas, most recently here: Bali Nightlife . In the following article, I will focus on the most recommended spots to meet girls. I've made sure to mention a diversity of venues so you are certain to find exactly what you are looking for. Review last updated on June 19th, 2021
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
Updated in April 2021. Palembang is the second largest city in Sumatra after Medan . It does not receive a lot of foreign visitors apart from Malaysians and Singaporeans. As with most provincial towns in Indonesia, its nightlife is limited. Most clubbers are guys, and the few girls who accompany them are often professional. There is usually no dancefloor: Customers book tables and they just stay within the same group, without trying to mingle with other people. The DJs are pretty much always playing the same famous EDM or Rn'B tracks. Most often, they are women who are chosen mainly for their looks.
Updated in April 2021: I removed Babyface (+ several other venues) and I added Blackroom. Semarang is the 5th largest city in Indonesia with almost 2 millions inhabitants. Yet, its nightlife is not very developed apart from a few male-oriented bars and clubs. As a friend from Semarang told me, the problem is that most young people fall into one of these categories: - They are single but they still live with parents - They are conservative or not interested with clubbing - They married young and already have kids - They left Semarang for Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali - They cannot afford partying In the end, the few people you see in clubs are local businessmen/government employees, some Indonesians on business trips or traveling, very few expats and occasionally, students.
I have always enjoyed Surabaya nightlife even though the options for nightclubs and bars are limited and somewhat provincial. 3 million people live there, making it the second largest city in Indonesia. Compared to Jakarta, it still feels laid-back and unsophisticated. The streets are rather clean, you can walk on the sidewalks and the traffic is not horrible. There are several modern malls, but none of them as chic as Plaza Indonesia or even Grand Indonesia. Few expats live in Surabaya and even fewer tourists visit it. As a result, you may get more attention than usual from locals. I remember being at McDonald's and people were pointing at me as if I was some sort of curiosity. Since COVID happened, a lot of places have closed down in the city and the opening times may be shorter now. It can be a good idea to make a phone call to the venue you want to visit beforehand. If you are completely new to Surabaya, the best way to start your night out is to go to a mall li
Malang is one of the nicest cities I've been to in Java. It is a mid-sized mountain town just 2 hours from Surabaya, relatively clean (for Indonesia standards) and with a pleasant weather (though it can be rainy). As you would expect, Malang nightlife is not the most happening. The current hotspot is actually the brand-new Starbucks, in front of which you may surprisingly see a couple of Ferraris. If you want to party, you have a few good bars and nightclubs though, enough to keep you busy for a weekend. Most bars are laid-back beer houses or live music cafés that are popular with students. These venues are not so sophisticated and their prices are as low as they can get. There are some reputed universities in the city (Universitas Negeri Malang in particular), so the crowd is rather educated and you can easily make friends if you are not shy to socialize. Clubs are more diversified. The best ones are modern, with a rich crowd, sexy girls and decent entertainment (D
I've partied in all the major cities in Indonesia (as well as in much smaller ones!) so I thought it could be useful to summarize everything I've learned in one article. Hopefully it will give you ideas for your next trip! Without further ado, please find below the 12 best cities/regions for nightlife in Indonesia: Jakarta Jakarta is without any doubt the best city for partying in Indonesia. There are at least 20 decent nightclubs, more than 100 bars, and thousands of restaurants. The mindset is also quite liberal (at least in the upper class) and you'll find some wild venues like no other in the country (strip clubs, luxury massage parlors, etc). Since most of the clubbers are expats or wealthy Indonesians, you'll need to dress up and to spend quite a lot to have fun. If you are looking forward meeting beautiful women , Jakarta is fantastic too. → Most recommended venues: Jenja , Immigrant , Dragonfly , X2 , Basque → Where to stay near the nightlife
Note: I updated this review in April 2021 (I removed Entrance nightclub). I spent a few nights in Medan, on weekdays. I had the opportunity to try a few clubs there. Most weren't too busy but I imagine it is more lively on weekends. If you need to book a hotel in Medan, I recommend Grand Delta Hotel , which belongs to the Delta Spa group. As you would expect, Medan is far from being a party town. It is more conservative than many other Indonesian cities and there are also very few tourists. Most foreigners living there are Singaporean and Malaysian businessmen with a small community of English teachers. The police is active in controlling nightlife activities, in particular when it comes to drugs or spas. Last February, the Lee Garden club was shut down after ecstasy pills were found. In spite of this, recreative drugs seemed to be common in clubs such as Tobasa, XXX3 or Retrospective. I strongly recommend you not to take anything illegal as you have no idea
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
Updated on September 10th, 2018 The Djakarta Warehouse Project (DWP) is an electronic dance music festival happening every December. It is normally in Jakarta, but the 2018 edition will be set in Bali's GWK cultural park (Garuda Wisnu Kencana) on the 7th, 8th and 9th December. The relocation is a way to celebrate the events' 10th anniversary. GWK is a fantastic venue for a music festival and a perfect match for DWP. The park recently got the spotlight after a massive 121-meter high Vishnu/Garuda statue was completed. As it turns out, the mythical Garuda bird has often been the main theme of the previous DWP editions. The setting of DWP in GWK The DWP is organized by Ismaya, an Indonesian lifestyle group behind some famous nightclubs and bars in Indonesia like Dragonfly, Skye, Blowfish or Social House. It is also heavily sponsored by all kinds of brands and particularly cigarette manufacturers. It is a mainstream festival featuring mostly commercial DJs who pla
I was disappointed with Yogyakarta nightlife. As a city famous for attracting students and tourists, I was expecting a fun party atmosphere with busy bars and nightclubs. On the contrary, Yogyakarta is quite conservative: Most girls wear the jilbab and you can see all over the city some aggressive banners against gays or Shia Muslims. I've read also about some incidents against a feminist group just a few days ago. This gave me the impression to be in Saudi Arabia more than in "tolerant" Indonesia. In spite of this, I still had fun but I had to try quite many venues before figuring out which ones were crowded and which ones were boring. The objective of this guide is to save you some time and give you the best tips to enjoy Yogyakarta nightlife if you are a single traveler there. If new bars and clubs open, please mention them in the comments to help me keep this review up-to-date. Last update: September 2018. Hotels in Yogyakarta Near the Nightlife:
Nightlife in Batam - Overview: Batam is a small island in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) located about 45 minutes from Singapore by ferry. With a population of 800,000 souls, it is the home to a small community of expatriates , most of them working in the Oil & Gas or in the High Tech manufacturing. Unlike in other parts of Indonesia, you'll find that Batam is rather well organized and clean. Close to Singapore and very little traffic. NEW REVIEW October 2016: 18 Best Hotels Near Batam Nightlife and Spas The Indonesian island of Batam has long been one the best kept secrets as a low cost getaway for Singaporean local and expats. The island has seven golf courses, several resorts and the costs are a fraction compared to Singapore and Bali. There is also an expat entertainment area like Blok M / Kemang.
I wrote this summary of Gili Trawangan nightlife (Lombok) after spending 3 nights there in May 2017. I had not visited the island in almost 10 years, and yet it didn't change much. It is just a bit more crowded, more expensive and dirtier. Most visitors are young Westerners between 20 and 30 years old. Among them, many are couples on their honeymoon or backpackers on a 6-month Southeast Asia tour. The latter aren't as numerous as in Bali or Thailand, probably because of the prices (overall you'll spend twice as much in the Gili's). They tend to stay for a short period of time only, on their way to other parts of Indonesia. The ones who stay longer usually work in diving centers and form the only real expat community on the island.
The SHVR Ground Festival 2018 is the most exciting dance music festival so far this year in Jakarta. It will take place in the Allianz Eco Park, Ancol, on May 4th and 5th, 2018. In this review, I will tell you everything you need to do about it: Which artists will attend, where to stay nearby, how to buy tickets (with discount), and how to prepare for the D-Day. Don't hesitate to leave a comment at the end of this article if you need more information! Artists Line Up: The line-up confirmed for this year's event features some of the world's most famous DJs and composers on the EDM and Trance scene. There are also several up-and-coming artists, some of them that you should follow closely like the band FKJ (French Kiwi Juice). Here are some of the names, along with videos of their most famous songs: Alan Walker (DJ Mag No. 17 Best DJ in the World) Nicky Romero (DJ Mag No. 50 Best DJ in the World) Gareth Emery Disclosure (DJ Ma
As you can imagine, Bengkulu nightlife is not the most glamorous in Indonesia. This coastal town is quite small, with only around 300,000 inhabitants and very few foreign tourists visiting it apart from surfers/backpackers. It does have an interesting history as it used to be a British possession from 1685 until 1824. Once called Bencoolen, it was given to the Dutch who, in return, agreed not to oppose British settlements in Singapore (among other things). The options for sleeping in Bengkulu are limited but they are all rather cheap. I stayed in Tanjung Karang Hotel , which is clean, comfortable enough and costs only Rp300,000. You also have hotel chains like Santika or Amaris (closer from the nightlife). If you are on a budget, the cheapest option is Xtra Hotel . What to do at night in Bengkulu? I don't think you can have a real party during weekdays and the best thing you can do is simply eat in a seafood restaurant by the beach. On weekends, you may want to try one of
Small in size but touristy, Solo (or Surakarta) is often considered the little sister of Yogyakarta. I was in the city to visit a French friend who lived there for 8 years. He showed me the nightlife on a Friday and a Saturday night. Hotels in Solo near the Nightlife The city is home to plenty of hotels, but beware as many are conservative and may not accept if you are staying with your boyfriend or girlfriend. As a rule of thumb, avoid small family guest-houses and any hotel with the name "syariah" on it (obviously).