OK, you’re heading to Bali and you can’t wait to spend some time at a beach club and who can blame you? The appeal of warm sand, turquoise ocean, cold drinks, great food and amazing entertainment is universal.
The good news is that Bali has the best beach club scene in the world, and if you know how, you can craft an epic day out that is fun and easygoing too.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a sun-worshipper, a foodie, a partier, or an observer (or any combination of these things) there’s something in the beach club scene here for you and we’ve got you covered, our guide will help you plan the perfect day out without any stress.
Beach club life in Bali is all about being laid back and enjoying the island vibes and this is how you go about it.
Our Ten Step Guide To Planning Your Bali Beach Club Day Out
Step 1: Decide On Your Beach Club Vibe
Before you can plan a day out, you need to choose your beach club and there are plenty of beach clubs here to choose from – over 100 of them, in fact.
Each of them has its own personality and identity and you’ll want to make a choice based on what you want from your day out.
FINNS Beach Club is Bali’s most popular beach club and, in our opinion, the best. It’s all about high-energy pool parties, DJs pumping beats and the most amazing live entertainment that you’ve ever seen.
Whereas, our number two beach club, Potato Head is more about the laid back chilled out vibe. It’s a great place to nurse a hangover or spend a day in the sun reading a book or casually chatting with some old friends.
La Brisa in Canggu, in contrast, is one of our favourite warm up spots, its unique styling from fully recycled materials combined with the hammocks and boho-chic makes for a pleasant afternoon in the heat.
Step 2: Get The Timing Right
You’re going to find that most beach clubs are best enjoyed when there are plenty of other people around you having fun too – there’s a big social aspect to beach club life and for sociability you need a crowd.
While most spots tend to open in the mid to late morning, they often don’t start to fill up until the early afternoon and things really start to hot up around sunset. However, if you turn up at sunset, you will probably find there’s nowhere to sit and that’s not much fun.
At most places, we’d book a daybed in advance to be sure of a seat (and at FINNS, we’d say it should be mandatory to book, they sell out so often that it can be really disappointing to leave it too late – the bars and restaurants there are amazing, but we like a spot by the pool) and aim for 2-3 p.m. to rock up.
That way when the sun sets (at around 6.30 p.m. give or take 30 minutes) you’ll be comfy with a cold drink and ready to enjoy the way that the sky lights up in a million colours, Bali’s sunsets are the best on Earth.
If you’re more of an early bird, some of the beach clubs (mostly smaller clubs) even have a breakfast option and if you’re on the East Coast of Bali – you might even be able to catch Bali’s equally spectacular sunrise.
It’s also worth checking the weather forecast before you book your daybed, while the rain here in Bali is usually only for a short time in any given day, you might want to book a day when there’s less chance of rain.
Step 3 – Do Book In Advance (But Don’t Panic If You Don’t)
We always recommend that you book a daybed in advance. Some of the beach clubs here are seriously popular and on weekends and in high seasons, particularly, but at other times too – you’re not likely to get a daybed if you don’t.
You will usually have to commit to a minimum spend when you book in advance and pay a deposit equivalent to that minimum spend.
However, in our experience, it’s very much worth it – most people easily spend more than that amount in a beach club and the daybeds are way better than a seat at the bar.
We love lounging in comfort, right next to the pool, with amazing and uninterrupted views over the ocean. That’s why we love beach clubs.
Having said this, if you’re one of those people who just can’t plan and isn’t capable of committing to something in advance, don’t panic.
While you may not be able to get a daybed, you will usually be able to get a spot in a walk-in area of a club. Get there a bit earlier in the day to increase your chances of this.
If you do get a daybed, don’t be surprised if you’re required to commit to a higher level of minimum spending than those who booked in advance. That’s very standard at beach clubs.
We would note, that big groups are much less likely to get a seat as a walk-in than a small group of 4 or less people. If you’re in a huge group, booking is pretty much essential.
Step 4: Pack Light And Pack Smartly
We’ve got a good guide on packing for a beach club day out, but if you just want the basics to ensure you have a nice day, the key is to keep it simple but to cover all your needs.
We’d take:
- A swimsuit
- Sunglasses
- A hat
- Some sort of light cover up and a sarong or a light shirt for the guys
- A waterproof bag to keep everything in
- Your smartphone (to call a Grab ride when you’re done)
- Your wallet (but with only one or two cards in it, leave the rest in the hotel, and some cash)
- Sandals or flip-flops (sandals if you want to dance and party at the end of the day, flip-flops for lounging by the pool)
What we wouldn’t take:
- A towel (you won’t be allowed to take it into the club with you, clubs provide their own towels either for free or at a charge)
- Camera kit and drone kit (most clubs won’t let you in with this and you will have to leave it with security at your own risk)
Step 5: Getting To Your Beach Club
Let’s be blunt about this, traffic here in Bali can be a bit of a nightmare and you want to make sure you leave longer to get to your reservation than the distance on the map indicates.
It can take an hour or more to go from Seminyak to Canggu or vice-versa in the worst traffic (usually around the Xmas/New Year period) and even at the best of times, 20-30 minutes is pretty normal.
We’d recommend that you don’t drive to a beach club, particularly if you intend to drink, if you have an accident on a scooter under the influence here in Indonesia that will automatically invalidate your insurance.
And given that Grab and Gojek are so cheap – you don’t need to spend a fortune on getting to a beach club (200K IDR – $15 USD or $20 AUD – there and 200K back in a comfortable taxi, at the most, for a fairly long journey and much less than that for most journeys).
Heck, you could even hire a private driver for the whole day for 500K IDR (that’s about $35 USD or $50 AUD).
Then, you can kick back and enjoy the day without any stress on the poorly maintained, traffic-packed roads of the island.
Step 6: Let’s Talk Food And Drink – Enjoy And Don’t Overthink It
Eating in a beach club is a major treat and, in our book, one of the best things about spending a day at a club. They’ve got it all, fresh seafood, wood-fired pizzas, top quality steaks, salads and so much more.
Every club has its own menu and most of them publish online, so you can check out what’s available before you go.
Vegans will enjoy Potatohead’s sustainability menu with its focus on plant-based creations, though there’s plenty at Potatohead for omnivores too. FINNS has a lot of different kitchens and can give you a culinary tour of the world from your day bed, using fresh, local ingredients.
Don’t forget the drinks. We’re big beer drinkers, but we can’t deny that the cocktail game in beach clubs is first-rate and you can get amazing creations that look awesome in your Instagram feed.
Alcohol in beach clubs is not dirt cheap, but that’s a reflection of the elevated setting you’re in and 100-150K IDR ($6-$10 USD or $10-$15 AUD) for a world-class cocktail is pretty fair and don’t forget that many beach clubs have a happy hour when you can get two for the price of one.
Step 7: Activities – Do What You Want To Do Or Just Do Nothing
We confess, we rarely go to a beach club to do more than chill by the pool, eat great food and drink cold drinks. We work hard for a living, beach clubs are our chill out time.
Though we do occasionally get into the party mood after sunset and dance the night away at FINNS.
But some beach clubs, like Sundays in Uluwatu, offer water sports equipment and every beach club has a pool. Others have beach BBQs and bonfires. And so on…
Or you could just play a (drinking) game of “spot the influencer” which should be a lot of fun on a Bali afternoon and everyone’s guaranteed to get a good score at this here on the island.
Step 8: Dress For It (But Stay Casual)
Bali doesn’t do strict dress codes at its beach clubs and you will almost never bump into someone wearing a suit. The idea is to go with effortless but awesome beach style.
We have a full guide on what to wear at beach clubs but here are the basics:
- Ladies – go flowy – bikini, sundress or kimono, accessories should include sunnies, hat and sandals and maybe a shell-style necklace
- Guys – board shorts, t-shirt and sandals or flip-flops and you should be good to go
You don’t want to look like you’re trying too hard when you visit a beach club in Bali, save that for the nightclubs.
Step 9: When The Sun Goes Down
Some beach clubs kick out just after sunset, these are “day clubs” and as the name suggests, they do day times.
But many beach clubs have a party vibe after sunset and you will find that places like FINNS or Savaya are all about busting a move on the dance floor.
We’d recommend that if you’re leaving after dark, that you book a Grab or Gojek home and that you choose a place where you can get a pick up at or very near the front door of the beach club.
Step 10: Bonus Tips For Having The Most Amazing Bali Beach Club Day Out
That’s the day over with but here are a few miscellaneous tips that will help ensure you’re having a great time all day long:
- Hydrate – it’s hot and humid and alcohol has a much higher impact than it does at home, make sure to enjoy a glass of water between cocktails
- Tipping isn’t mandatory – you can tip if you want to but don’t forget beach clubs already charge a service charge that goes to the wait staff, we only tip if we feel the service was extraordinary
- Live in the moment – take photos and videos by all means, but the best way to enjoy a beach club is with your phone in your bag and you living in the moment
- Talk to the staff – often the staff will be able to give you inside tips for getting more out of your time at the beach club and in Bali
Final Thoughts On Planning The Ultimate Beach Club Day In Bali
There you have it, our guide to having the best time possible at Bali’s beach clubs. Choose your spot, go with the flow and enjoy the slice of paradise that is island life.
Now, all you need to do is book your daybed and we’d recommend that you make FINNS Beach Club your first port of call. It’s the world’s best beach club for good reasons.
