Our intrepid team has been out reviewing all sorts of hotel beach clubs in the last few weeks, and it seemed reasonable to also review what may be Bali’s only hostel beach club.
Yes, BARacuda in Amed is sort of a beach hostel with a beachside frontage where they’ve installed an attractive beach bar/club.
It is open to outside guests, which is pretty awesome given how many hotel beach clubs exclude anybody except their guests from using their facilities, and our team was very happy to spend some time by the beach in Amed, composing their review of this facility.
Introduction – Getting To BARacuda
If you don’t know, Amed is in East Bali and on the Northern Coast. That means it’s a substantial drive from the beach towns on the South Coast and even from Ubud in Central Bali.
So, you’re going to need to hire a car and driver for the day to get out to Amed or drive yourself on a scooter (something that we never recommend in Bali) if you want to enjoy BARacuda.
Fortunately, as this is a destination where you’re going to want to stay, at least one night – BARacuda offers accommodation and it’s very reasonably priced.
In fact, on the day we wrote this review, you could get a room in Baracuda for 182,000 IDR for the night. That’s about $12 USD or $18 AUD!
Once you get to Amed, there’s parking at the venue and nearby if their parking lot is overflowing.
You can waltz right in from the street, and they will make you feel welcome and at home. Overall, the travel to Amed is a pain, but if you’re in the mood for deep-sea diving or snorkelling, then Amed is a great place to do it.
Where Is BARacuda? Amed St, Purwakerti, Karangasem, Karangasem Regency, Bali 80852
Opening Hours: 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily, except Nyepi
What’s Inside BARacuda?
This is a very basic hostel facility, so there are some comfy daybeds along the shoreline and restaurant and bar facilities. You can swim, but only in the ocean; there’s no pool on hand.
Our Review Breakdown For BARacuda
One thing we strive for here at Best Beach Clubs Bali is to treat the clubs that we review fairly. This ensures that the owners have no room for complaints and that our readers can easily compare two beach clubs on a like-for-like basis.
The thing is that BARacuda doesn’t quite fit the standard beach club format, and that means it’s going to get lower marks than a “beach club beach club” if you like, but that doesn’t mean that it’s bad at what it does.
So, please treat the scoring in this review with a pinch of salt and take a look at what this business might offer you if you’re passing through Amed.
However, this is how the review process works. The whole team visits the venue (though not always together or even on the same day) and each of us grades the venue from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) against the categories laid out below.
Then, we all meet up at a later date and take a vote on the final score in each category and we discuss and debate our feedback in those categories.
Finally, one person is nominated to write up the review and they will include the final scores as well as take into account the discussions.
Once a review goes live, it stays up on our site for at least one year until we revisit the club and amend our scores as needed.
Pre-Club Advertising
We’re big fans of pre-club advertising because it helps to guarantee that a club will be busy, and that leads to the best social vibe that you can get.
The social side of things is a major reason to go to a beach club, so this matters.
However, we’re not unsympathetic to the fact that a $12 a night hostel in Amed isn’t likely to invest a fortune into advertising, either.
But in the interests of fairness, we’ve never seen an advert for this place either on or offline, and they don’t even have a website of their own. So, we can’t offer any points for this category.
Location
Amed is what some travel agents might term as “up and coming” and most of us might consider “rarely visited”. It’s actually a very pleasant place which provides a nice gateway to North Bali and some of the best snorkelling spots and dive sites on the island.
But, it’s a long drive from Canggu, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, Ubud, Kuta, Legian, Jimbaran and Seminyak, and thus, it’s not going to be on most people’s Bali itineraries unless they want to spend a lot of time in traffic.
If you do make the drive, then you’ll find that BARacuda is in a great beachfront location where you can enjoy some lovely views over the ocean. Though you are on the wrong side of the island for a great sunset.
There is also parking available, and that’s pretty handy too.
Booking Process & Seating Options
We’ve already mentioned the absence of a website, and we find this incredibly frustrating in 2025. Sure, this is a hostel in Amed. But a website won’t cost you more than $100 a year, now, and it’s a matter of basic courtesy to provide some easy form of contact for your customers.
Without a website, you can be guaranteed that they won’t (and they don’t) have a booking process or any way to choose a seat.
This is pretty annoying if you’re travelling a long distance to Amed and you want to be sure that you have a daybed when you get there.
As is, you will need to rely on the first-come, first-served system to enjoy some beachside comfort.
Entry Fee
In keeping with best practices at the best beach clubs all over Bali, there is no entrance fee at this beach club.
In fact, you don’t have to stay in the hostel to use the daybeds or other facilities at BARacuda, just turn up and you’ll be welcome.
There really is no need for beach clubs to charge people to come inside and have a look, so we respect BARacuda for sticking to the best principles of hospitality.
Minimum Spend
There is no minimum spend at BARacuda, either. You can claim your spot on a daybed by buying something from the food and drinks menu.
That sounds pretty generous, but it has one major drawback, and that’s the fact that it gives this place no financial incentive to operate a booking system.
Without a booking system, it makes it less likely that people will travel any distance to come to BARacuda, because who wants to spend two hours in a car in the Bali traffic to learn that they can’t enjoy a nice spot by the sea?
It also leaves the owners with less of an incentive to finally build a website.
Welcome And Security
You will be given a warm welcome at BARacuda, and it’s very clear that you are really welcome here; it’s not just a ritual to keep the owners happy.
However, there is no security of any kind, and while we understand that there may be budgetary constraints preventing this at a small hostel in Amed, we still feel that security checks matter.
It’s been nearly two decades since Bali last saw any kind of major incident, and we’d like to keep it that way, and one way to reduce the odds of problems is to carry out bag checks.
Inclusions
Given that there’s no minimum spend or entrance fee, the fact that you can sit on the daybeds all day long in exchange for buying a drink is a very good deal.
However, it might be nice if they could also include a towel in that, and we agreed to a small minimum spend in return. As is, you can hire a towel from the hostel team or just bring your own.
After all, there’s no pool to swim in, you’ll need to go and throw yourself in the ocean to cool down, instead.
Service
The service here is genuinely charming, and they go out of their way to make you feel like you’re part of the family.
Sure, it might not be polished like in a 5-star hotel, but that’s not their vibe, and what they do at BARacuda, they do extremely well.
Entertainment
There’s no entertainment at this beach club. It’s not really big enough or set up for parties to merit much in the way of entertainment either.
That’s OK, if you’re prepared for some chill times on the beach.
Pool Quality
There is no pool of any kind at BARacuda, and thus we can’t award any points in this category. It’s worth noting that you can swim in the sea here, and there is direct access to the beach.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
The cheap room prices are definitely also reflected in the menu prices. You’re not going to break the bank for a plate of nasi goreng in this place.
The drinks are also very reasonably priced; they’re competing with the local warungs as opposed to the big-name beach clubs in the South, and it shows.
Food And Drink Quality
We enjoyed the food here very much; it felt like the sort of thing that came straight out of somebody’s home kitchen.
The drinks were also more than strong enough, and at these prices, that’s all we really ask for.
Sunset View
This side of the island is the wrong side to enjoy an amazing sunset view. If you were to get to this beach club bright and early in the morning, you could witness a glorious sunrise, but we don’t think many holidaymakers are going to get up that early.
It’s a bit of a shame as there’s no doubt that many people come to Bali to enjoy an epic sunrise, and it’s one of the best bits of a beach club day.
Music And Ambience
There is some piped music at this beach club, but it wasn’t particularly memorable, and the sound system didn’t really seem capable of competing with conversation or the sound of the ocean waves.
That’s OK by us, after all, not every beach club day needs to be about a non-stop party.
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card here, and we found there was no problem using QRIS, the local payment system, which is very popular with expats and Indonesians.
Exit Process
As you’d expect at a small place like this, you just need to walk back out the way you came in or walk off along the beach.
The staff will give you a cheery goodbye as you leave, which is a nice way to round off a day at BARacuda.
Transportation
Amed is not the greatest place to get a Grab or Gojek ride; it’s not impossible, but there is a shortage of drivers in this area, and you might need to wait a while.
If you brought a driver with their own car or a scooter, you won’t have any trouble getting away from this spot.
Also, if you’re staying in Amed, somewhere that isn’t BARacuda, it’s probably within a short walking distance.
Social Media Presence
There is an Instagram account at BARacuda, but it’s been neglected for a very long time (the last post was in 2023), and really that seems like another wasted opportunity.
This is a fun spot in Amed with decent amenities, food and drinks, and we don’t think it would be too hard to get some pics of people having a good time here and put them online.
We’re not expecting razzle-dazzle from a small hostel team, but at least we’d expect them to put the basics in place.
Other/General Comments
Sure, it’s not a beach club, but as long as you’re not expecting glitz and glamour, the old school beach bar vibe has plenty of charm, and it’s something that is slowly disappearing from Bali.
Enjoy it while you can.
Our Overall Opinion Of BARacuda
We really liked BARacuda. If we were in Amed more regularly, you’d probably find us on their daybeds on a lazy Sunday afternoon.
No, it’s not a party spot, it’s not polished, and it’s not in the same league as FINNS or Potato Head, but it is a great hostel beach club, and you won’t spend a fortune having a nice day out with friends here.
You wouldn’t travel to Amed just for BARacuda, but once you’re in Amed, you most definitely should look it up and spend some time here.
FAQs
Can You Swim At BARacuda?
Yes, you can swim at BARacuda, but only in the ocean off the beach at Amed. You should be warned that the beach itself is very rocky and can be uncomfortable underfoot, so wear flip-flops or something similar.
The ocean itself is great for swimming in, and it’s a very popular place with snorkelling enthusiasts. In fact, you’re not far from a reef which is positively overflowing with wild turtles.
Towels are available from the beach club, though you will have to pay a small rental fee for one. You’re also welcome to bring your own towels. This isn’t a heavily commercial operation, and they’re very much live-and-let-live folks.
What Can You Do At BARacuda?
BARacuda isn’t a full-scale beach club; in fact, it’s really a hostel beach bar with some decently comfortable day beds along the shoreline.
You can eat and drink here (for a very reasonable price, though don’t expect haute cuisine, it’s simply homely fare designed to fill you up, not win awards), and you can walk on the beach and swim in the ocean.
There are no parties of any kind at BARacuda, though there is a rickety swing mounted on the beach where you can get some nice Instagram photos at sunrise or even at sunset if you don’t mind the light behind you.
Is BARacuda A Family-Friendly Venue?
There’s nothing stopping you from taking children to this venue, and they will be welcomed by the staff there.
However, there are no facilities for kids, and you will need to keep a careful eye on your children if they are playing on the beach, as even though this is a good swimming beach, accidents can happen.
You will also be expected to keep an eye on your kids and make sure that they don’t cause any problems for other people in BARacuda.
Finally, this is a hostel environment, which means the crowd can be young, bordering on teenage, and the antics may be a bit wild at times for young eyes.
Who Owns BARacuda?
This hostel is owned by Onggkok, a local Balinese man who is originally from Amed, and he is helped on a day-to-day basis by his Swiss Wife. Many visitors to BARacuda say that they felt like they were treated as family by the couple, and it makes staying in this place very pleasant.
Final Thoughts On BARacuda
BARacuda is a pretty great hostel bar, and if you go with that in mind, you’re bound to have a very pleasant day at this beach club.
However, if you go expecting a polished performance and a genuine beach club feel, you’re going to be a bit disappointed; it’s simply not geared up for that market.
We don’t think anyone would visit Amed just to spend an afternoon on the daybeds at BARacuda, but if you are snorkelling or diving in the area or just passing through, it’s a lovely place to stop at, and it reminds us of “old Bali,” and that’s never a bad thing.
