If there’s a natural sight on Nusa Lembongan that you don’t want to miss, it’s the Devil’s Tears. One of the most stunning places in Bali. It’s a collection of blow holes that formed along the cliff face and when the power of the ocean hits them, they create huge water plumes and misty spray.
Right next to this wonder, is the Sandy Bay Beach Club, a popular part of the emerging beach club scene on this small island.
But we wondered if Sandy Bay Beach Club could measure up to the real competition on mainland Bali, so we sent out our team to find out and this is what they learned.
Introduction – Getting To Sandy Bay Beach Club
Sandy Bay Beach Club is on the island of Nusa Lembongan and that means you will need to take a boat to get there.
The journey normally takes about 45 minutes on a fast boat (though the ferry, which we don’t normally recommend, can take longer).
If you join a day trip to Nusa Lembongan, you will be rushed from site to site and get no time to spend at a beach club, so you will need to organize your own trip and stay for more than just one day.
Once you reach the island, you will either need to rent a scooter or hail a scooter taxi to take you to the beach club. It’s not too hard to get to and it’s in one of the most developed parts of this small island.
It’s also on the Western side of the island, which means you can look forward to the best sunset views here each evening.
The beach club isn’t huge and when you get there, you’ll be welcomed inside and given directions to your seat.
Where Is Sandy Bay Beach Club? Jl. Sandy Bay, Lembongan, Kec. Nusa Penida, Kabupaten Klungkung, Bali 80771
Website: Sandy Bay
Opening Hours: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily, except Nyepi
What’s Inside Sandy Bay Beach Club?
There is a small swimming pool area, which is big enough for a few people at any one time (given that Sandy Bay isn’t that busy, this is fine), a children’s playground area, some nice daybed-style seating and restaurant and bar facilities.
Our Review Breakdown For Sandy Bay Beach Club
It is important to us that we review every beach club in the same way. This allows us to be fair to the owners of the beach clubs by treating them equally.
It also means that you, our reader, can rely on us to provide you with the same format of review every time, so you can easily compare and contrast two particular beach clubs. Hopefully, that makes it easier for you to decide where to go.
Thus, our review process is as follows. First, the team visits the beach club. They may not visit at the same time or even on the same day, but every person will spend some time at the club.
Then, they each grade the beach club against the criteria laid out below this section using a grading system from 1 (worst) to 5 (best).
The next step is for the whole team to meet up and discuss the visit. They also take a vote on the final grade against each criteria.
Finally, one member of the team is selected to write up our review and ensure it reflects the discussions and grades.
Once a review goes live on our site, it will remain there for a minimum of one year, until such a time as we revisit the club and amend any scores, comments, etc. accordingly.
Pre-Club Advertising
We’re big fans of pre-club advertising because it means that when you visit a beach club, it’s likely to be busy. Given that half the fun of these places is the social side of things, this matters.
However, we also understand that clubs in remote locations like Nusa Lembongan may be reluctant to advertise given the small catchment area that they serve.
Nonetheless, this means we hadn’t heard of Sandy Bay Beach Club until we started doing our research for this project and there’s no real offline or online promotion for the place.
Location
Nusa Lembongan is clearly a little awkward to get to for many tourists as it’s not on the mainland. However, it’s not that hard to get to (though the crossing can be a bit rough in stormy weather).
It is hard enough to get to that for most people, it’s probably going to take half a day to get across Bali to a port and then get on a boat and make the trip.
So, you’re going to want to stay for, at least, a couple of days to get the most out of a visit and to make the travel time worth it.
Once you’re there, Sandy Bay Beach Club is very accessible and it’s located near several major tourist attractions and is right next to the famous Devil’s Tears.
It’s also on the right side of the island to experience a Balinese sunset and that’s a plus.
Booking Process & Seating Options
In a process right out of the dawn of the internet, you can either email, call or WhatsApp this beach club to negotiate reservations.
We don’t get this, they’ve spent a lot of time and money on making a decent website for this beach club (which is a bit of a rarity for more remote beach clubs in Bali) and then skipped the most important thing – a booking engine.
Sure, it’s not the end of the world to go back and forth with a member of staff to get your daybed, but it’s time consuming and frankly, unnecessary.
Entry Fee
In keeping with the best practices of the best beach clubs in Bali, there’s no entrance fee at Sandy Bay Beach Club and we heartily approve of this.
There’s just no reason that you should be charged to walk into a place, where you intend to sit at the bar, have a drink and grab some food.
No restaurant does this, no pub and nor should any beach club. So, good work Sandy Bay, we applaud this.
Minimum Spend
We do like minimum spend requirements, however. If you want the best seats in a beach cub (a daybed by the pool, usually or something similar), you usually have to commit to spend a certain amount of money in the beach club.
You may also be asked to pay this in advance as a deposit to secure your daybed. This is a good thing, it means that the beach club has a financial incentive to keep your reservation rather than giving it away to a customer on the doorstep with money in their hands.
And the minimum spend at Sandy Bay Beach Club is pretty reasonable at 100,000-200,000 IDR per person depending on the season. That’s about 1-2 drinks or a plate of food, you can’t argue with that.
Welcome And Security
There’s a warm Balinese welcome at Sandy Bay Beach Club and that’s always a nice way to start a day.
However, this beach club doesn’t carry out a bag check on the way into the venue and while we understand that there’s never been a major incident at Nusa Lembongan’s beach clubs, we’d like it to stay that way.
Bag checks are for the safety of all guests and they’re not hard to implement.
Inclusions
Given the low minimum spend requirement, you wouldn’t expect much in the way of inclusions at this beach club but they do provide a towel and changing room access, which seems fair enough to us.
We’d like to see an additional layer of service (we’d be happy to commit to a higher level of spending) however, with little touches like power banks loans, suntan lotion pumps, etc. included. These things can really boost your enjoyment of a day out at a beach club.
Service
We thought the service was as good as anything you can find on Nusa Lembongan and the staff are a credit to Sandy Bay Beach Club.
It wasn’t quite up to the standards of the very best beach clubs or 5-star hotels in Bali, but it was very good and we found them to be warm, pleasant and attentive.
We also like that this beach club offers a free shuttle service to and from your accommodation if you’re staying nearby, so there’s no need to drink and drive here.
Entertainment
This is a chill out and kick back kind of beach club, rather than a party hard beach club (though we do like that they have two happy hours).
So, there’s not much in the way of entertainment and that’s fine. The piped music is more than enough for this kind of setup.
Pool Quality
The pool area is very nice and it’s kept clean and well-maintained. However, there’s no escaping the fact that this is one of the smallest beach club pools that we’ve encountered.
It’s enough in the early part of the day when there aren’t too many people around for some swimming, but by late afternoon, you’re going to have to content yourself with standing in it and sipping on a cold drink.
Menu/Drinks Pricing
This part of Bali is usually a bit cheaper than the mainland due to lower rents and staff costs even though the ingredients are usually shipped in and cost more to buy.
This isn’t reflected in the menu pricing at Sandy Bay Beach Club and while the double happy hour takes some of the sting out of this, there’s no doubt that they charge the kind of money that a premium beach club in Bali charges on the mainland.
This isn’t the end of the world because…
Food And Drink Quality
They may charge high prices but that’s because the food here is exceptional. The black pepper squid is to die for and we were very impressed with everything that came out of the kitchen.
Each dish felt like it used the best ingredients and had been prepared by a skilled chef, looking to create dishes that make an impression. The drinks were strong enough too and well-presented.
This wasn’t quite “the best” food we’ve ever had in a beach club, but it’s certainly heading in that direction. Eating at Sandy Bay Beach Club is a real highlight of a visit.
Sunset View
That position on the Western edge of Nusa Lembongan doesn’t just give you a great view of the Devil’s Tears, it also gives you an incredible sunset vantage point too.
Bali’s sunsets are legendary and experiencing a sunset here with a cold drink in your hand, kicking back on a daybed is one of life’s finest pleasures.
Sandy Bay Beach Club delivers that experience in exactly the way that we’d like it to be delivered.
Music And Ambiance
The playlist was varied enough, but it is piped music and while we felt there was something for everyone during the course of the day – there was no real musical identity to this beach club, either.
It was fine though, we came to relax in the Balinese sunshine and we did just that.
Payment Options
You can pay by credit card, debit card or cash here and that’s probably enough options. There are ATMs within walking distance as the beach club is in a small town on Nusa Lembongan.
We didn’t see any signs advertising the QRIS system though, which is a bit of a shame as it’s one of the most convenient ways to pay for those using local bank accounts.
Exit Process
The Sandy Bay Beach Club is a pretty small beach club and you shouldn’t have any real problems retraining your steps to the front door.
You will be wished a warm farewell as you depart and the staff will offer you access to the shuttle bus service to get you home too.
Transportation
The shuttle bus is a great deal. It’s completely free to any customer of the Sandy Bay Beach Club and can be used to pick you up from your hotel or take you back there after your time at the club.
This avoids any drink driving issues and means you can really let your hair down at the beach club.
There is some parking in this area, but really, why park when you can ride for free?
Social Media Presence
Sandy Bay Beach Club is part of a larger complex and it doesn’t merit its own social media accounts. It’s included as an afterthought on the Sandy Bay Resort’s Instagram and Facebook pages.
That’s a shame really, as though you can get an idea of what the beach club is like from these accounts – you may also find yourself thinking certain resort facilities will be part of your beach club experience when they won’t.
Other/General Comments
Sandy Bay Beach Club is one of our favourite spots on Nusa Lembongan. While it’s not quite the fully polished experience of the mainland’s best beach clubs, it is a very pleasant day out.
The facilities are well maintained throughout the venue too.
Our Overall Opinion Of Sandy Bay Beach Club
Sandy Bay Beach Club isn’t worth booking a trip to Nusa Lembongan for by itself, but assuming you want to see this pretty little island, then Sandy Bay Beach Club should be a “must-see” while you’re there.
The food is the real highlight of a very pleasant day out at Sandy Bay Beach Club and we’re very much looking forward to returning to try some more of the menu items in the future.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Sandy Bay Beach Club?
Yes, you can swim at Sandy Bay Beach Club. While you can’t swim in the sea at this beach club due to the powerful currents in this area (they could pull even the strongest of swimmers out to sea), there is a pool area.
However, while the pool is very well-maintained and clean, it’s not the biggest pool that we’ve ever seen. If you want a pool to do lengths in, this is not the pool for you.
If, on the other hand, you want a pool to splash about in during the heat of the day and soak in while drinking cold cocktails at sunset, this is ideal.
What Can You Do At Sandy Bay Beach Club?
You can swim in the pool, lounge in the sun on the attractive sun loungers and eat and drink. If you have children, they can enjoy the children’s play area.
This isn’t the biggest beach club, so don’t expect much in the way of entertainment or organized activities, but if you want to chill out for a day – it might be a good choice.
Is Sandy Bay Beach Club A Family-Friendly Venue?
Yes, Sandy Bay Beach Club is a family-friendly venue.
Who Owns Sandy Bay Beach Club?
The owners of this beach club are Suhs Ingram and Rolly (surname unknown) two Indonesian businessmen who say that they are interested in sustainable tourism not just beach club fun.
The two men have a commitment to eliminating plastic in their venue and using environmentally friendly materials instead. The majority of ingredients that they use at this beach club are locally sourced too.
Final Thoughts On Sandy Bay Beach Club
Sandy Bay Beach Club is an excellent beach club on the island of Nusa Lembongan and while it’s not in the same league as the FINNS and Potatoheads of this world, it’s exemplary for small island beach clubs.
If you’re passing through this part of the world, we strongly recommend that you check it out. The sunset view over the Devil’s Tears is worth the time and money spent here alone, and the food is awesome too.
