Surga Beach Club should not be confused with the popular Surga Villa Estate. Instead, it’s a simple place on the beach in Ungasan far away from the usual crowds.
So, we sent out our determined group of reviewers to this spot on the Indian Ocean to determine whether it’s worth a special trip to this part of the island for. This is what they discovered.
Introduction – Getting To Surga Beach Club
Surga Beach Club is on the Melasti Beach in Ungasan. That means it’s about as far South as you go in Bali on the Bukit Peninsula.
It’s a long drive from most of the island to get to Melasti Beach but the area is relatively popular and is home to many beach clubs.
You will need to park in the Melasti Beach car park at the top of the hill and then either walk or get a moto-taxi down the hill to the beach.
Where Is Surga Beach Club? Ungasan, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali
Website: Surga Beach Club Instagram
Opening Hours: 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. every day except Nyepi
What’s Inside Surga Beach Club?
The Surga Beach Club has bar and restaurant facilities as well as various types of seating. There is no pool but there is access to the beach and the Indian Ocean.
Our Review Breakdown For Surga Beach Club
We review every beach club in Bali on the same terms in order to try and ensure fairness for you, our readers, and for the clubs themselves.
That means we send out our team to visit the venue and then they rate the club from 1 to 5 (worst to best) against the 20 criteria listed below.
Then, our team get together after they return to the office and vote on the final grade in each category.
Finally, somebody from the team types up a review based on everyone’s feedback and it gets posted on our site – where it will remain for at least a year before we revisit the club and amend scores as needed.
Pre-Club Advertising
There is no advertising for this place whatsoever, this is probably because the phrase “beach club” in this place’s title is aspirational – it’s really just a pleasant beach bar by the Indian Ocean.
We like pre-club advertising because it helps to fill up a place and give it a buzz.
But we have to be realistic and say that a small family-owned place is unlikely to be competing in the big leagues too.
Location
Ungasan is right at the bottom of the Bukit Peninsula on the South Coast and it’s very difficult to get to from most of Bali.
The parking situation isn’t great and you have to park at the Melasti Beach car park which is on top of a hill and then walk to where you want to go or pay for a moto-taxi which you have to pay for in cash.
There’s also not much within walking distance of this beach club. On the bright side, Pantai Melasti is a very attractive beach with soft golden sand.
Booking Process & Seating Options
Surga Beach Club doesn’t have a website. This is very common with Balinese businesses and it doesn’t reflect on the quality of the food, drink, etc.
But it does mean that you cannot book a space at this beach club in advance, you will have to walk-in and take a chance on getting a seat.
The good news is that Surga Beach Club hasn’t been discovered by the masses, yet, and you should get a seat particularly if you turn up early but there are no guarantees.
Entry Fee
One thing we definitely love about Surga Beach Club is that there’s no entrance fee.
You can walk inside and find a seat in most of the area without any minimum spend too.
We think all beach clubs should be like this, you should be able to go inside and work out whether you want to be there and maybe have a beer and only pay for the beer.
Minimum Spend
They don’t have a minimum spend per se at this beach club but if you want a sun lounger on the beach (and most people will, we think), you have to pay a 200,000 IDR rental charge for it.
This is actually quite steep when you consider that in many beach clubs here in Bali, you may have to commit to a minimum spend but the sun loungers (which are often much nicer than the ones at this beach club) are free.
However, if you don’t want a sun lounger, there are no fees of any kind, you just pay for what you want to eat and drink.
Welcome And Security
This is a very humble place and you will get a lovely traditional Balinese welcome when you arrive.
However, there’s no security check and while we appreciate this is a small business and probably doesn’t have budget for a security check – we like security checks, they make Bali safer for everyone.
Inclusions
If you take on a sun lounger for 200,000 IDR, then you are entitled to a towel as you would be at any beach club in Bali.
Otherwise, there are no inclusions at the other seats and there are no additional tiers of inclusions available for a fee.
Service
Bali is famous for its traditional hospitality and while this beach club may lack the polish of some of the big names, it’s a charming and traditional place with excellent service.
The wait staff here clearly value their guests and aren’t looking to treat you as just another number, but rather to deal with you as a welcome traveller.
We love great service in all its forms and we commend Surga Beach Club for excelling in this area.
Entertainment
This isn’t a beach club that sells entertainment. You can make your own or listen to the background music, which is piped.
That seems fine to us, playing frisbee, surfing, etc. on the beach is what this place was made for and you don’t always need entertainment laid on, using your own imagination makes you feel alive and happy.
Pool Quality
There is no pool and without a pool, we don’t think a beach club is really a beach club at all.
That’s not the end of the world as the sea on Melasti Beach is friendly and welcoming and the water is very clear and clean.
However, if you want a family day out around the pool, you won’t find Surga Beach Club to be the best place to go.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
You can’t argue with the prices on the menu here, we’d argue that they’re among the cheapest in Ungasan.
50,000 IDR for a plate of spring rolls? We don’t mind if we do, in fact, at that price, we’ll take two.
Beers are sensibly priced as are the cocktails and we can’t complain about nice cold drinks by the Indian Ocean.
Food And Drink Quality
The food and drinks are actually very good for the money – no, it’s not fine dining but it is hearty fare prepared with love and care.
The cocktails use cheap alcohol, but then, the prices should have told you that.
Overall, this place is better value for money than many of the other more expensive beach clubs on the food and drink front.
Sunset View
Ungasan is point in the wrong direction to get the best of Bali’s sunsets.
If you want the dramatic view of the sun dipping below the horizon above the Indian Ocean, you need to go to Canggu, Kuta, Seminyak, Uluwatu or Jimbaran.
But you do get a nice light show above the cliff at the end of the beach here.
Music And Ambiance
The vibe at this club is pure chill and the sound of the waves of the Indian Ocean lapping at the beach is very soothing.
There is a little piped background music, but overall you can’t go wrong with this – it’s like days out in Bali, before the tourist boom, used to be.
Payment Options
You can pay by card or by cash here but there’s no option for QRIS or e-wallet payments.
Exit Process
This is a tiny beach club and you won’t have any problem finding you way back out.
Just head to the front door and wave goodbye. The staff will say farewell if they see you leave, but it can be very busy at times here and they don’t have a huge number of servers on the door.
Transportation
This part of Bali is terrible to get to and it’s even worse to get from.
When you leave the club, you need to either walk up the hill in the heat or pay (only in cash) a moto-taxi to take you to the car park.
Then, if you have transport, you can leave. If you don’t you will be harrassed endlessly by the taxi mafia until your Grab or Gojek arrives (which can take a long time because there are not a lot of drivers in this area).
Social Media Presence
It’s a family-owned beach club by the Indian Ocean. They do have social media – it’s their only website but it’s only updated sporadically and it doesn’t contain a lot of info about the place.
Overall, you can get a feel for what it’s like but not much insight into prices, etc.
Other/General Comments
As a beach bar, we really like Surga Beach Club. If we lived nearby, we’d go regularly as it’s on a lovely beach and the drinks are cheap.
However, as a beach club, it’s not so great with very limited facilities and a charge for sun loungers.
Our Overall Opinion Of Surga Beach Club
This is one of those odd situations where our final review score is, perhaps, quite harsh on the beach club.
This isn’t a beach club, it’s a family-run beach bar in an unspoiled part of Melasti Beach and it’s very nice.
Sure, it’s not got the cachet of the big beach clubs in this area or elsewhere in Bali but who cares? If you want cheap drinks on a pretty slice of beach, this is as good a spot as any.
However, as always, if you only visit one beach club in Bali, then we’d recommend you spend some more money and go to FINNS.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Surga Beach Club?
You can swim in the sea at Surga Beach Club but there is no pool facility.
Fortunately, swimming on Melasti Beach is reasonably safe and as long as weak swimmers and children are carefully supervised, a dip in the Indian Ocean should be fun.
What Can You Do At Surga Beach Club?
You can eat and drink at Surga Beach Club and chill out with some friends or your family.
Is Surga Beach Club A Family-Friendly Venue?
Children are welcome inside this beach club but there are no special amenities for kids here, either.
Who Owns Surga Beach Club?
This beach club is owned by a Balinese family and many of their family work at the club in service and management roles.
Final Thoughts On Surga Beach Club
Surga Beach Club is a lovely place. If you want a cheap-ish beach bar in Ungasan, this would definitely be a good candidate.
What it’s not, however, is a beach club and it simply can’t compete with the amazing beach clubs along the shores of Bali facing the Indian Ocean.
If you bear in mind what to expect at Surga Beach Club, we think you’ll have fun there. It’s actually quite nice to find a secluded part of Melasti Beach where you don’t have to take out a mortgage on your soul to have a drink and some snacks.
