Having reviewed all the beach clubs in Bali, we’ve been turning our attention to the pool clubs recently and the jungle clubs.
A jungle club is a pool club with a view of the jungle, and as there are nowhere near as many pool clubs in Bali as there are beach clubs, we’re going to group the jungle clubs and pool clubs together.
Our team is always keen to spend a day chilling by the pool with some drinks, even if they have to go to Celuk before they can kick back. So, they jumped at the opportunity to visit The Jungle Club, and this is what they discovered when they got there.
Introduction – Getting To Jungle Club Ubud
Ubud is in Central Bali, and while the town has become hugely popular with visitors ever since the book Eat, Pray, Love and the movie based upon it were released into the world, it remains reasonably accessible.
If you’re staying in Ubud, it’s actually a fairly long drive to the Jungle Club, but for those coming from further afield, we need to stress that the distance isn’t the issue, but the traffic will be. Yes, the Jungle Club Ubud isn’t actually in Ubud.
You will need to set off much earlier than the map suggests is reasonable if you want to make your reservation time at the Jungle Club Ubud.
The club is right next door to Bali Zoo, which is closer to the coast than to the city, and you will find there’s plenty of parking here as well as the facility to be dropped off right in front of the building if you arrive by Grab or Gojek.
Where Is Jungle Club Ubud? Jl. Jaga Raga No.8A, Celuk, Kecamatan Ubud, Kabupaten Gianyar, Bali 80582
Website: Jungle Club
Opening Hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Nyepi
What’s Inside Jungle Club Ubud?
There is a variety of seating options available to you at Jungle Club Ubud, all of which require a minimum spend of some kind. They also have restaurant and bar facilities, a pleasant pool area and an onsite spa – Svaha Spa Celuk.
We should note that access to the spa is not included in the costs associated with Jungle Club Ubud, and you will need to make reservations for this service as well as pay for any treatments, etc. that you receive.
Our Review Breakdown For Jungle Club Ubud
We conduct a uniform evaluation for every beach club to ensure fair consideration for owners, management, and staff, and to provide reviews in a consistent format that allows for effortless comparisons between venues.
The evaluation process is detailed as follows:
- A team is assigned to review the venue.
- Each member must visit the beach club, with the allowance to visit independently and on varying days.
- During their visit, every reviewer completes a scorecard, rating the club from 1 (least favourable) to 5 (most favourable) in designated categories, while also capturing their observations.
- After all team members have finished their visits and scorecards, they meet to discuss their experiences and decide on final scores for each category.
- A designated team member then drafts the review, including the team’s discussions and final scores, before it is published on our website.
- The review remains live on our website for at least one year before it is updated or changed
Pre-Club Advertising
We were quite surprised by the fact that we’d encountered no advertising for Jungle Club Ubud either online or offline.
That’s because we know that Ini Vie has a huge marketing team that has been tasked with bringing bodies through the door of their various properties.
Sure, this is one of the better-known pool clubs in Ubud, but there are plenty of other pool clubs to choose from.
The big factor in pre-club advertising is that the busier a place is, the better the social interactions are, and thus, the more you enjoy your time inside a place.
Jungle Club Ubud wasn’t empty by any means on our visit, but nor was it packed out.
Location
It’s in Celuk, which means it’s not that far, in theory, from the other beach towns and popular tourist destinations in Bali.
However, in practice, the traffic on the roads can be really heavy, indeed.
And that, in turn, means that what ought to be a 30-minute drive can easily become an hour or even two hours in a car.
Then, there’s the issue of sunsets. Everyone wants an amazing Bali sunset, but without an ocean view, you’re only getting half that view at best.
That’s not to say Jungle Club Ubud is in a terrible spot; it’s not, but could it be better? Yes, it could. But we’ve docked marks for pretending to be in Ubud when they’re not.
Booking Process & Seating Options
To be fair to the Jungle Club Ubud, their booking system is better than about half of the island’s beach club booking systems. Unfortunately, that’s not saying very much more than there’s a lot of work that needs to be done in this area all over the island.
You can make a reservation at this pool club, and it’s relatively straightforward to do so. However, you can’t choose where exactly you want to sit, just the type of seating that you want.
And we felt that the data acquisition on the booking form was a touch excessive for what is, after all, just a ticket to get in the door of a day club.
Overall, it’s not the best, but it’s far from the worst booking system on the island.
Entry Fee
If you’re a regular reader of this site, you will know that we feel pretty strongly about entrance fees. In our opinion, they shouldn’t exist unless the club is hosting an event.
It’s fine to charge people to cover the costs of hosting Duke Dumont or Akon, not so much just to let people in the door to find out what your restaurant with a pool looks like.
And while they do disguise the entrance fee as a “first drink fee”, a 150,000 IDR charge to get through the door (whether or not you can swap the ticket for a drink) is an entrance fee.
There is some good news, though: you can avoid the entrance fee, sort of.
Minimum Spend
If you want to opt for specific seating and a minimum spend, you can avoid paying the entrance fee.
In fact, this is probably the best deal you can get because the club actually boosts the value of your minimum spend to a value greater than your deposit.
So, if you opt to pay 900,000 IDR for the basic daybed package, you will be given a voucher for 1,000,000 IDR to spend on food and drinks during your time at the club.
You should note that they don’t offer change from these vouchers, so you must spend the lot or forfeit whatever’s left.
However, we can’t fault this minimum spend deal, which is reasonable when compared to other beach clubs and pool clubs and comes with a bonus.
Welcome And Security
We felt that the welcome at this pool club was pretty good, which we’d expected given that they are owned by a large hospitality company.
But, our bags were not searched as we entered the pool club, and we found that a touch alarming.
Sure, Ubud’s never been the scene of any incident, but we think that’s down to the fact that so many clubs in Bali work hard to ensure their guests’ security. Bag checks are easy and cheap, and every venue should do them.
Inclusions
Your minimum spend gets you a comfortable seat, a small bonus to the cash amount you agreed to and a towel.
That’s about standard for a Bali beach club or pool club. We think it’s a shame there’s no VIP tier or Premier tier of inclusions, though, for an additional fee.
When we’re on holiday, we don’t mind splashing out some cash on a little extra pampering.
Service
The service was very good in this pool club, while it wasn’t quite the best we’ve ever experienced, there’s no doubt that the staff work hard and are a credit to their employer.
You will experience the kind of warmth and gracious hospitality that Bali is justly famous for, and you will feel like you’re more than just a number while you chill out here.
Entertainment
This isn’t a party spot, and that means there’s nothing really in the way of entertainment at Jungle Club Ubud.
There are no DJs (unless you hire the club and bring your own), no dancers, no magicians, nothing at all, in fact.
So, while we think that’s fine and in keeping with the vibe of this club, we also can’t award any points in this category.
We should note that they do host occasional events at this club, and on those days, there will be DJs.
Pool Quality
The pool is very nice, and we thought it was both clean and well-maintained. However, we also have to note that the pool is quite narrow.
We know that this is meant to help evoke river vibes, but it also means that if things get busy in the pool, it’s harder to swim in that it needs to be.
The venue does provide towels to anyone who has agreed to a minimum spend.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
The menu prices in this pool club are much higher than normal in this part of Bail and, in fact, are often more expensive than in the best beach clubs on the island too.
We should be fair and note that they often have promotions running that can bring some items back to a reasonable price, but you may not want what’s on offer, and if you don’t, you’re going to have to spend some money here.
We don’t think that Jungle Club Ubud is a rip-off, mind you, the quality of their offerings is excellent, but it is pricey.
Food And Drink Quality
The food here is delicious and the portions are excellent. Sure, it might be top-tier pricing, but the prices are partially justified by the top-notch quality of the dishes.
Likewise, the drinks are very good, and while we did flinch at the cost of the mocktails, in particular, overall, they were beautifully presented and delivered quickly.
You’re certainly going to get some lovely shots for your Instagram when you eat and drink at this day club.
Sunset View
Sadly, there’s no real sunset view at this jungle club. The famous Bali sunset is always best appreciated on the coast.
Then, the light show in the sky can be reflected in the azure waters of the ocean and often in the water trapped in the sand of Bali’s black sand beaches to spectacular effect.
Of course, there’s a sunset over the jungle, and it’s not terrible, but it’s also not the same, and if you’ve come to Bali for the sunsets, this isn’t the place to experience it.
Music And Ambience
The music at this venue is piped, and it’s OK. This is very much what we’d expected at a day club like this, and we don’t feel that they promised anything different or that we were disappointed by this.
It’s just a touch unmemorable, but if you want somewhere to chill with friends and talk all day long, the background music here isn’t going to get in your way.
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card at this pool club, and that’s probably more than good enough for most visitors.
However, we didn’t see any signs advertising QRIS payments, and we find that’s the most convenient way to pay for many expats and locals.
We expect to see more clubs offering this service over time.
Exit Process
Leaving the Jungle Club Ubud is very much a matter of following the way you came in, but in reverse.
It’s not the biggest of clubs (that’s by design, according to the marketing material – they wanted to create a smaller, more intimate space), so you’re not likely to get lost on the way out.
The staff will also wish you a cheerful farewell as you depart the club in the best Balinese fashion.
Transportation
It’s not that hard to get a Grab or Gojek in this part of Ubud, but thanks to the heavy traffic in this area, you may be waiting a while for one to arrive.
You might even want to book your car at your daybed and then slowly head to the door when you see movement on the map of your app.
However, if you parked by this club, you should have no problem retrieving your vehicle and getting under way though it may be slow going thanks to the traffic.
Social Media Presence
The club’s social media presence is fairly regularly updated and does a decent job of showing you what the place looks like.
It’s not as good, however, at conveying the vibe or what it feels like inside when things are a bit busier.
Other/General Comments
The design and overall aesthetic of this pool club are quite charming, but nothing can quite distract you from the fact that it would be much better if there were a beach nearby.
While the pool club features often look amazing on your Instagram shots, the jungle views are nowhere near as breathtaking.
Our Overall Opinion Of Jungle Club Ubud
We can sort of see the appeal of Jungle Club Ubud, except for the fact that there are cheaper, better beach clubs within not too long a drive from this place.
We’d rather spend the day at FINNS or Potato Head than spend it in the middle of the jungle drinking expensive drinks and eating expensive food, which isn’t quite as good as that served in the beach clubs.
We also felt like we were really missing out on the sunset when it arrived; it’s so muted over the jungle rather than the ocean.
However, putting that to one side, this is a nice place, it is comfortable, and it’s reasonably secluded. If you’re looking for a quiet day with friends and you’re in Ubud and don’t want to travel, Jungle Club Ubud is going to scratch that itch.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Jungle Club Ubud?
Yes, there’s a nice pool area at this pool club, and you’re welcome to swim in it as long as you’ve agreed to the minimum spend.
The “River Pool”, as it’s known, is long and thin and is meant to evoke the flow of a river through the jungle; however, this design feature can also mean that when the pool is busy, it’s hard to swim here.
We’d recommend getting to the Jungle Club early in the day if you want to be certain of the freedom to swim. Otherwise, you can always kick back with a cocktail in this pool at any time of the day – it’s great for cooling off in the heat of the day.
Towels are provided at this club, and you cannot bring in towels from outside (we’d recommend leaving them at home or in the vehicle you arrived in – they will be confiscated if you try to bring them inside).
Overall, the pool area is kept clean, and it’s reasonably well-maintained too.
What Can You Do At Jungle Club Ubud?
You can eat, drink, swim, relax, converse and read a book at this day club. In addition, you could book into their onsite spa and enjoy a massage or treatment of some kind.
It’s important to note that this is not a party-oriented club, and unless you are attending a private party (where the venue has been booked out in its entirety for use by a single group of guests) there won’t be any dancing, singing or entertainment.
Is Jungle Club Ubud A Family-Friendly Venue?
No. While many pool clubs are kid-friendly, Jungle Club Ubud is not a family-friendly venue. It is an explicitly adults-only venue designed to create a space for adults to enjoy each other’s company and drinks without being disturbed by children.
There are no exceptions to this rule, and if you arrive at Jungle Club Ubud with your kids in tow, then they and you will be denied entry.
We should note that this club is often recommended for solo travellers, at least in part, because of the no-children policies.
Who Owns Jungle Club Ubud?
Jungle Club Ubud is part of Ini Vie hospitality, a consortium of hotel and leisure property owners that share marketing and other services on the island of Bali.
They are a large but opaque local company, and their specific ownership structure is not in the public domain.
Final Thoughts On Jungle Club Ubud
We confess, we just prefer beach clubs, there’s something about beaches and Bali that promises the ultimate experience.
Sure, Jungle Club is good at what it does and sure, the pool is very nice. But it feels like settling for second best.
If you’re only visiting Ubud or if you’ve already been to a beach club, then maybe Jungle Club Ubud is a nice way to spend a day.
But otherwise, we’d recommend heading to the coast and experiencing the beach club scene that Bali leads the world in, rather than spending time sipping expensive cocktails in a destination that used to be synonymous with low cost.
