The Karma Beach Club is on Karma Beach Bali and it’s part of the Karma Kandara Resort. Many people think it’s a private beach but you can’t own a beach in Indonesia and the club
Introduction – Getting To Karma Beach Club
Ungasan is on the Southern edge of Bali on the Bukit Peninsula and that means that Karma Beach Club is quite a long drive from most of the island.
In the Bali traffic, even coming from Nusa Dua or Uluwatu may take some time and it will take 2 hours or so from Canggu, Kuta, Seminyak, Ubud, Sanur, etc. So, make sure to set off early for your reservation.
When you arrive at the Karma Kandara car park, you need to take the shuttle bus to the hotel – this is included for free if you are using the beach club or staying in the resort.
Where Is Karma Beach Club? Karma Kandara Bali, Jalan Villa Kandara, Selatan Ungasan, Kuta Selatan, Ungasan, Kec. Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80362
Website: Karma Beach Club
Opening Hours: 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. every day except Nyepi
What’s Inside Karma Beach Club?
Karma Beach Club has some watersports facilities, various seating areas and restaurant and bar facilities. There is no pool, though.
Our Review Breakdown For Karma Beach Club
We review all of Bali’s beach clubs on the same terms to ensure fairness and consistency in our reviews.
Our review team visits the beach club and each person grades their experience in 20 different areas (listed below) from 1 (worst) to 5 (best).
Then, on their return to the office, the team votes on the final score in each category to ensure that the number is representative of everyone’s experience there.
Finally, a member of the team writes up the review and once it’s published, it remains up until at least one year has passed and we revisit the club.
Want more reviews? See all the best beach clubs in Bali.
Pre-Club Advertising
We’ve seen adverts occasionally for the Karma Kandara Bali Resort every now and again, but we can’t recall ever seeing an advert for Karma Beach Club.
This seems like a missed opportunity as it’s a decent-sized venue that would benefit from having a few people inside when you visit, otherwise, it will feel a bit lifeless.
Advertising matters because it’s what helps bring people in to create the perfect beach club atmosphere.
Location
Ungasan is a real pain to get to and while Karma Beach itself is an attractive white/yellow sand beach, it’s a long drive from most of the island.
You also have to park at a car park and take a shuttle bus to the resort when you get there and that also creates problems when trying to book a Grab or Gojek home as you have to leave much earlier than you will be ready to get in a car.
There’s also not much within walking distance of the Karma Kandara Bali and that means you will need a ride at some point during the day.
Booking Process & Seating Options
The booking engine for Karma Beach Club is surprisingly good and it’s very easy to select a date and then see what seating is available to visitors.
You can pick a seat in a specific area, so you know roughly where you will be sat and the charges are made very clean with each click.
You will be expected to make a deposit of the minimum spend associated with the seat when you book.
We’d still like to be able to pick the exact seat, but it’s a decent way to book your time at Karma Beach.
Entry Fee
Karma Beach Club has the worst kind of “free entry” as it’s attached to the highest minimum spend in the venue.
If you want to sit on any ordinary seat it will set you back 250,000 IDR to walk through the door and you have to commit to a minimum spend.
But if you commit to a bigger minimum spend for a cabana, then the entrance fee is waived.
That’s not free and we encourage all of Bali’s beach clubs to allow people to see what they’re getting before they have to spend any money, there’s really no reason not to.
Minimum Spend
There is a minimum spend of 750,000 IDR per person associated with nearly every seat inside the Karma Beach Club.
This is then broken down as a 500,000 IDR credit to food and beverage with 250,000 IDR as your entrance fee.
If you want to opt for their private cabanas then the minimum spend goes up to 1,250,000 IDR per person (with a minimum of two guests) but they do waive the entrance fee.
Overall, we don’t object to the minimum spend at Karma Beach Club, which is in line with most other clubs, but we don’t think the entrance fee represents value for money.
Welcome And Security
We received a fairly standard welcome at the Karma Kandara Bali and went through a brief bag check. We’re fine with bag checks, we think they’re a good thing, they make the venue safer for everyone who visits.
Overall though, this wasn’t anything to write home about.
Inclusions
Assuming you booked regular seating, your entrance fee includes the use of a towel, participating in any beach activities that the resort and restaurants are organizing that day and the use of the shuttle bus to and from the car park.
If, however, you opted for the cabanas, you also get a welcome drink and a “utility box” which contains a power bank and sunscreen that you can use inside the club but must return at the end of the day.
This is a reasonable set of inclusions and we do like that there are perks for booking better seats, but we don’t understand why people couldn’t pay a little more for these perks at every seat.
Service
There’s no doubt that Karma Kandara does a great job of training the staff at the Karma Beach Club and they’re very helpful and enthusiastic.
We liked the fact that they really took some time out to talk to us rather than just rushing through an order and disappearing.
Entertainment
There’s not much in the way of entertainment here at all, there are some water sports and beach activities but what’s available seems to vary with the day.
What is a bit less entertaining, however, is that despite the fact that they advertise an elevator ride down to Karma Beach from the resort – this elevator is out of order and you will have to climb downstairs to get there.
Pool Quality
There is no pool at Karma Beach Club. This is a bit of a stunning omission given that this is meant to be part of a luxurious resort that is overlooking the beach and sea.
You can take a dip in the sea itself, of course, but we feel that a pool ought to be mandatory in a place charging 250,000 IDR just to come in and sit down.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
You know that a place is going to be expensive when they hide their prices on their website.
In fact, this is a problem with most beach clubs in Ungasan, they’re all charging incredibly high prices for food and drinks.
We don’t mind people making a profit, but we honestly can’t see where all the money’s going here.
Food And Drink Quality
The food and drink quality was very good and we were glad to see they weren’t stinting on the amount of alcohol they include in a cocktail.
However, they didn’t do enough to justify the high price tags, we’d expect fine dining quality at these prices and it wasn’t quite there.
Sunset View
Ungasan is not the best place in Bali to witness the sunset from. That’s because it’s facing South rather than in the direction of the setting sun.
The cliffs here don’t help with getting the best view of a sunset either.
You get a bit of a light show in the sky, but if you want to see one of Bali’s most memorable sunsets (and they are incredible) then Canggu, Seminyak, etc. are better spots for it.
Music And Ambiance
The little music there is at Karma Beach is piped in and that’s fine, it was pleasantly inoffensive during our time at the club.
We don’t mind music staying in the background while we chill and listen to the ocean sometimes.
There are occasional events where the music is played by DJs, but we didn’t catch any DJs while we were there.
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card throughout the venue but there were no signs for QRIS or e-wallet payments.
Exit Process
Without the lift, you have to climb the cliffs, get to the front door of the resort, and then get a shuttle bus back to the car park.
Sure, the shuttle bus is “free”, but this seems like a lot of effort at the end of the day.
You will get a cheery farewell from the staff at Karma Beach Club.
Transportation
Ungasan is not the best place in Bali to get to as we’ve already said and while getting out is OK if you brought your own transport – getting a Grab or Gojek isn’t always easy.
Worse, because of the kerfuffle getting out of Karma Beach Club, you may have to wait in a car park in the Bali sun until you manage to get around.
Even worse, this area is rife with the taxi mafia and you may be hassled for overpriced rides while you wait.
Social Media Presence
Karma Beach Club does maintain its own but it’s not updated very regularly and barely showcases the beach club at all.
It gives very little indication of what to expect when you visit this beach club.
Other/General Comments
We felt that a lot of dealing with Karma Beach Club was a hassle even the act of getting there and getting away at the end of the day.
With so many beach clubs in Bali now, we expect an upmarket resort like Karma Kandara Bali to take as much care over day visitors as they do over resort guests.
Our Overall Opinion Of Karma Beach Club
Like many of the other beach clubs in Ungasan, there’s a feeling that you’re more of an ATM than a guest at Karma Beach Club.
High entrance fees, a minimum spend, no pool, and expensive food and drink all add up to poor value for money. Sure, Karma Beach is very pretty and the service is good, but it’s not quite enough.
We’d visit this club if we were staying at Karma Kandara but we’re not sure we’d go much further than that.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Karma Beach Club?
You can swim in the sea at Karma Beach Club but there is no pool facility. This part of the island has some of Bali’s safer waters if you do decide to swim in the ocean.
What Can You Do At Karma Beach Club?
You can take photos of your time on Karma Beach, enjoy food and drink from the restaurants, swim in the sea and lounge around in the sun.
Is Karma Beach Club A Family-Friendly Venue?
Yes, this is a family-friendly beach club and while there are no specific provisions for children they are welcome to come and enjoy the beach with you.
Who Owns Karma Beach Club?
Karma Beach Club is part of the Karma Kandara Resort and it’s owned by the Karma Group. The hotel on the cliffs above the beach club offers private villa accommodation, spa treatments and yoga sessions among other highlights.
Final Thoughts On Karma Beach Club
Karma Beach Club is in a nice location on a semi-private beach and the resort on the cliffs above overlooking the beach is very attractive.
However, the steep entrance fee, compulsory minimum spend and lack of a pool make it hard to recommend this beach club when there are so many other great choices on the island.
If you’re staying in the resort, then this club is going to be a “must do” but otherwise, you may not want to make the drive out to Ungasan just for this.
If you enjoyed this review, why not take a look at the review of The Beach Club at Courtyard Marriott or Sundara Beach Club at the Four Seasons?
