North Bali is not famous for its beach clubs and the Kayu Kayu Beach Front appears to be trying to break the mould. But is it worth heading out to the less visited side of the island for this club?
That’s what our team went to find out when they reviewed the Kayu Kayu Beach Front and after spending an enjoyable day sipping cocktails by this spot on the ocean, this is what they learned about the Kayu Kayu Beach Front.
Introduction – Getting To Kayu Kayu Beach Front
Tembok is in near Lovina and Singaraja (Bali’s second largest city). It’s a fair drive from the most popular destinations in Bali and for most people, this is too far to drive for a day trip.
That means you may want to consider staying at the Kirana Tembok Resort which the Kayu Kayu is part of or somewhere else in the vicinity.
Parking is easy at this hotel property and Grab and Gojek are welcome to drop you off at the door too.
Where Is Kayu Kayu Beach Front? Jl. Singaraja-Amlapura, Tembok, Kec. Tejakula, Kabupaten Buleleng, Bali 81173, Indonesia
Website: Kayu Kayu Beach Front
Opening Hours: 8 a.m. to 9.30 p.m. every day except Saturday which is 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., as with all businesses in Bali, this restaurant in Bali, Indonesia will be closed for Nyepi
What’s Inside Kayu Kayu Beach Front?
The Kayu Kayu Beach Front has a lovely pool area with an oceanfront view as well as a strip of tropical garden by the beach. There are various seating areas and bar and restaurant facilities throughout this location.
Our Review Breakdown For Kayu Kayu Beach Front
We review every beach club in Bali in the same fashion to ensure that each property is treated fairly and that we deliver a consistent picture of the club in question.
Our team visits the club and each person assesses the place on a rating scale from 1 to 5 in a series of 20 different categories.
Then, when they return to the office, they vote on a final score in each category to ensure that the score is representative of everyone’s experience at the club.
One of us then types up the review based on everyone’s votes and comments. The review is published and remains online for a period of, at least, a year before we revisit and update it.
Pre-Club Advertising
We’ve never seen an advert for the Kayu Kayu Beach Front and, in fact, we don’t think we’ve ever seen one for its parent hotel, either.
This isn’t too surprising given the location, the acquisition cost per guest is probably too high to make it financially viable.
However, this is still a downside for visitors as the lack of advertising and remote location make this club a little emptier than we’d like it.
Location
If you’re in North Bali this is a great place to be and you won’t struggle to get here from Lovina or Singaraja.
However, from the rest of the island, this club is a long drive away (thanks to the road system and the traffic) and that means you’re not going to do a day trip to Kayu Kayu, you’ll want to stay overnight.
Maybe even book a room in the resort that it’s attached to, to ensure you get a properly relaxing day at this club.
Booking Process & Seating Options
You cannot book a seat or a daybed at this club in advance. You have to arrive as a drop-in guest. Given where this club is – that’s unlikely every to cause a problem, particularly if you arrive early in the day.
However, if we were making a long journey to get here, we’d appreciate the security of a reserved seat, just in case.
Entry Fee
There is no entrance fee at the Kayu Kayu Beach Front and we love that. There’s no reason to require an entrance fee for someone to come in and take a seat and buy some food and drinks.
In fact, we wish every beach club in Bali would learn from those that don’t charge entry fees.
Minimum Spend
There is no minimum spend associated with any area inside this club. Seats are available on a first-come, first-served basis with additional priority for resort guests.
This seems fair to us given that it’s in a quiet part of North Bali, there’s no need for a minimum spend.
However, this does mean that you can’t reserve a time slot, either which is a little inconvenient for those coming from far away.
Kayu Kayu is one of our picks for the best Bali beach clubs with no minimum spend.
Welcome And Security
There’s a very warm welcome at this club and they offer great Balinese hospitality.
However, there’s no security check and while we tend to think that out of the way places like this are at a lower risk of an incident – we’d still prefer to have a bag check.
Inclusions
The hotel provides everyone with a towel as part of the overall service (you will need to buy food or drinks for this).
Otherwise, there are no inclusions to speak of. To be fair with no entrance fee or minimum spend, we weren’t expecting any.
However, this means there’s no option for a premium or VIP service, either.
Service
The service here is excellent for North Bali and it feels very traditional and welcoming without the commercial taint in some other parts of the island.
That’s not to put the service in the same league as in the very best clubs, but it’s certainly more than good enough.
Entertainment
This simply isn’t a beach club built around entertainment. No live music. No DJs. No dancers. Nothing. It’s a place to come and chill by the ocean.
Pool Quality
We loved the pool here. There may be only one pool but it has a great view of the ocean, there’s more than enough room to swim.
And most of all, it’s clean and well-maintained. It’s a great spot for lounging around in the heat of the Bali day.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
If you’re used to the prices of the clubs in South Bali, you’re going to love the menu here which contains a range of local and international food for very reasonable prices.
The drinks are a little more expensive, but still cheaper than you’re going to find in most spots in Southern Bali.
Food And Drink Quality
We thought the food was very good, but the portions were unacceptably small, we’d rather pay a bit more per dish than have to order two dishes to get a full meal.
Having said that, they do make what we’d consider to be the best Mie Goreng on the island.
The drinks were fine though and we really enjoyed the cocktails and the mocktails here, they were expertly mixed and the alcoholic ones were plenty strong enough.
Sunset View
This isn’t the best side of the island for a sunset view, you’re perpendicular to the path of the sun and that means the sunset isn’t as dramatic as it is in Canggu or Seminyak.
Having said that, it’s also a better sunset view than you get on the East Coast and the light over the ocean as the sun dips below the horizon here is very attractive.
Music And Ambiance
The vibe here is very much relaxing and there’s only some gentle background music which is barely audible.
We’re fine with that, not every club needs to have a dance floor and DJs, we’re big fans of conversation too and that’s best facilitated by the gentle sounds of the waves and the breeze through the palm trees.
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card throughout this venue but we were surprised not to see QRIS or e-wallet options given how popular these payment methods are in Indonesia.
This resort sees more local guests than many of the resorts in the South so this is, perhaps, a more surprising omission here.
Exit Process
This is a very small club in a remote part of Bali. You will find that leaving this spot is as painless as getting through the door in the first place.
The staff will wish you a warm farewell as you retrace your steps to the front door and make your way onward.
Transportation
This part of Bali does not have a huge number of Grab and Gojek drivers and you may need to ask the hotel to arrange a pickup service for you if you don’t have a driver or your own transport.
On the bright side, parking is very easy at this hotel and you won’t need to drive around for hours looking for a space.
We should also note that because this is a relatively remote spot, there is no taxi mafia around to harass you, but you will still need to wait for a ride in most circumstances.
Social Media Presence
There is no social media presence at all dedicated to the club at this resort and their social media presence as a resort is muted as a whole.
You can get some idea of what it’s like at the club from the Kirana Tembok Hotel Instagram and other social media, but it’s not regularly updated and it’s hard to distinguish what’s included with the hotel and what’s with the club.
To be fair, with nearly no competition, they probably don’t see this as a major priority when it comes to bringing in new visitors.
Other/General Comments
This is a small regional four-star hotel beach club property and that means you simply can’t expect something like FINNS when you visit the Kayu Kayu.
However, if you’re looking for a pleasant spot as part of a trip North to see the dolphins, explore the lakes and temples or even to visit Singaraja itself, then you will find that the Kayu Kayu fits the vibe of this side of Bali very nicely.
We’d put real emphasis on this being a very calm and sedate day out, but who doesn’t need a little downtime in their lives?
Our Overall Opinion Of Kayu Kayu Beach Front
We had a lovely day out at this club and would be happy to recommend it to anyone passing through North Bali.
It’s the kind of place you need when you just want to get away from it all and enjoy some chill time with a drink and a book, or kicking back with friends and family.
By the way if you want to see how the Kayu Kayu Beach Front measures up – check out our list of the best beach clubs here in Bali.
Additional Information On The Kirana Tembok Hotel
This is a resort experience and you can book a room in the Kirana Tembok Hotel for a reasonable rate if you’re passing through this part of Bali.
You should be aware that there’s not much within walking distance in this part of Bali and it’s a very quiet area.
It’s ideal for spending time at the pool (in the beach club) relaxing or walking around the lovely gardens. But you won’t find a party easily on this side of Bali. If that’s what you’re looking for – we’d recommend sticking with the more traditional beach towns on the Southwest Coast.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Kayu Kayu Beach Front?
Yes, there’s a decent-sized pool at the Kayu Kayu Beach Front. There’s more than enough room to swim and given that this part of Bali is rarely busy, we doubt that you’ll find that it’s ever overcrowded with other guests.
We had an exceptional experience of this pool, it was very clean and pleasant to swim in. However, there’s not much in the way of “beach” in this location and swimming in the sea is difficult.
What Can You Do At Kayu Kayu Beach Front
You can work your way through the diverse menu of expertly prepared international favorites or do some outdoor activities on the beach, as well as swim in the pool or drink some lovingly prepared drinks from the bar.
Is Kayu Kayu Beach Front A Family-Friendly Venue?
Yes, while there are no special facilities for children at this location, the restaurant is very much open to children and guests are welcome to enjoy family time together.
The only proviso is that parents must ensure that their kids are not annoying other people in the restaurant or pool area.
Who Owns Kayu Kayu Beach Front?
Nyoman Suastawa is a director of the Kirana Tembok Hotel which owns the restaurant. This suggests that the resort (and its sister resorts in Canggu and Jimbaran) are owned by Balinese business people.
Final Thoughts On Kayu Kayu Beach Front
Kayu Kayu Beach Front can’t compete with the likes of FINNS, Potatohead and La Brisa, but it’s not really trying to, either.
This is a lovely chill place in North Bali, where you go for a day to destress and enjoy the calm ocean waves. There are no real distractions here and certainly no parties.
If we were going to watch the dolphins or spend time at the lakes in North Bali, we’d certainly drop into Kayu Kayu Beach Front again.
Having said that, we definitely wouldn’t travel long distances just for this club – it doesn’t offer the kind of unique experience that we’d expect for that kind of drive.
If you want more beach club reviews, have a look at our reviews of Kubu Beach Club and Manarai Beach House too.
