So after battling through the traffic we made it to Hotel Indigo which is right on the beach, at the Southern end of Seminyak. Check in was a fiasco so we headed to the beach for the traditional Bintang on beanbag while watching the sunset. I had been nervous the pollution here would be awful but given the amount of people it was actually pretty clean. When we eventually got into the room the manager offered us a free lunch the next day, so that worked out well! After a quick dinner at a local restaurant we headed to bed. The hotel is actually really nice but a huge resort so a bit of a shock after the boutique feel in Ubud.
The next day after breakfast we decided to make use of the hotels beautiful pool and indulge in a few cocktails of course! We then went for our free lunch at the hotels beach restaurant and went all out as you do, Dan had swordfish sushi and wagyu and it was one of the best meals of the holiday! After a delightful nap at the secret jungle pool we put on our glad rags and set off to explore the bright lights of Seminyak, this actually turned out to be a 4mile stomp! We weren’t really sure what to expect as it has quite a reputation as a party town but most of it was pretty nice, endless shops, bars and restaurants. We stopped at Motel Mexicola as it had been recommended by a couple of people and it was great fun, it’s decent food, bright lights and everyone singing their hearts out to the classics, we left just as it was getting seriously rowdy. After a bit more wandering we stopped at La Favela, a very cool and cavernous bar with a mini Christ the Redeemer, for a nightcap before heading home (the long way).
Next day was the long anticipated Potato Head Beach Club! We had a lovely breakfast including our new favourite, Pitaya bowls, these are are combination of frozen dragon fruit and other delicious, healthy goodness, then set of walking up the beach, about 30mins. We arrived a good half hour before it opened but already at least half the beds were gone so we picked our spot and waited for the the action to unfold. I did worry the crowd would be questionable but it was actually fine, a good mix of people. Tunes were inevitably on point and it wasn’t long before we were sipping our first cocktail at the swim up bar, although I admit they looked better than they tasted! The weather was glorious and we spent the rest of the day between pool and cabana enjoying more drinks and some really good food, bruschetta, jack fruit nachos and sweet potato fries, not our healthiest of choices but you have to soak up some of the booze right? We stayed put as the sun went down and watched the place really fill up ready for the evening. After a top quality Neapolitan pizza and a 1945 or two we headed back down the beach to our bed.
Another day brought another beach club, this time Sunday’s in Uluwatu, an hour or so drive right on the south of Bali. You have to get a funicular down the the private beach and the setting is absolutely breathtaking, gorgeous white sand, perfect blue sea and surrounded by lush green cliffs. One thing is was lacking was a nice sea breeze and it was a scorcher! Some bat and ball, a spot of kayaking and a few beers later we headed off to explore more of Uluwatu. We stopped at Single Finns, a cool cliff top bar to watch some surfing before going to the nearby temple to watch the traditional fire dance. This was a very different experience to the one in Ubud, the setting was epic, far too many people were packed into a small amphitheatre as the sun dropped down with the temple silhouetted against the skyline. The dance was also impressive, around 30 men chanted for over an hour as the story unfolded, the climax was a dramatic and fiery one, highly recommend this experience.
Shame some of the tourists rudely left before the end but once we got out and into the traffic, you could kind of see why. 2 hours later we reached the nearby beach town of Jimbaran which is famous for its seafood. To say it was average would be kind, there are much better beach front dining experiences to be had, although the chaps signing from table to table were entertaining to say the least.
And that was then end of that part of the trip, the next day we would head to out final stop, Nusa Lembogan. I think if we came again we would choose to stay in Uluwatu and it would have been good to see Canggu but you can only do so much!
If you like Piña Coladas... 