Savaya Bali is one of the most expensive beach clubs in Bali and we wondered whether it was worth the entrance fee and substantial minimum spend that they levy?
So, our team headed off to Ungasan for a day in the sun to put Savaya Bali under the microscope and this is what they discovered.
Introduction – Getting To Savaya Bali
Savaya Bali is Ungasan which is on the Southern side of the Bukit Peninsula in South Bali. That means it’s a super long drive to get there from most of the island.
If you’ve booked a daybed for a certain time, you will need to set off earlier than you had planned to be certain of getting there on time.
Where Is Savaya Bali? Jl. Belimbing Sari, Banjar Tambiyak, Pecatu, Uluwatu, Kabupaten Badung, Bali 80364, Indonesia
Website: Savaya Bali
Opening Hours: Savaya Bali is open daily with the exception of Nyepi and it has some of the most confusing hours of any club on the island. On Monday, Tuesday and Thursday it’s open from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m., on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday it’s from 1 p.m. to 12 a.m. and on Saturday it’s from 3 p.m. to 12 a.m.
Clear as mud, right? We’re not sure why Savaya Bali thinks this is a good idea, but we’re not sold on it.
What’s Inside Savaya Bali?
Savaya Bali has a nightclub-style set-up, a pair of pools, many different seating areas as well as bar and restaurant services. It’s also on a cliff edge rather than directly on the beach.
Our Review Breakdown For Savaya Bali
We review all beach clubs using exactly the same process to ensure fairness. Our team visits a club like Savaya Bali and then they rank that club on a rating scale from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) against a series of 20 different categories.
Once they return to the office, they take a vote on their individual rankings to bring out a single team ranking for each criterion.
One member of the team then writes the review incorporating feedback from everyone involved and once the review is live, it remains in place for, at least, one year before we revisit the club.
Pre-Club Advertising
Savay Bali appears fairly regularly on TikTok feeds for the nightclub facility inside the grounds and there are some posters in the area.
You can also find some online advertising but not as much as you might expect for a beach club with the ambitions of Savaya.
This matters because the best experience at beach clubs comes from being surrounded by other people, the less they advertise, the fewer people come through the doors.
This isn’t usually a problem in peak season at peak hours but can leave a club empty in the off-season in off-peak hours.
Rating: 2/5
Location
Uluwatu rivals the Canggu/Seminyak strip for the number of beach clubs it contains.
However, unlike Canggu and Seminyak, it’s a long drive from most of the island (it’s on the Southern tip of the Bukit Peninsula) and the traffic often makes it a hellishly long drive).
Savaya has opted for a spot a world away even from the beach clubs in this area which means there’s nothing within walking distance of the venue.
However, the actual spot on the cliffs of Uluwatu offers some spectacular views.
Rating: 2/5
Booking Process & Seating Options
If you’re coming to Savaya Bali for its status as a nightclub, then it’s super easy to book your tickets or a seat at one of their events online and it’s clear what you’re going to pay for entry or a seat.
However, if you’re visiting Savaya Bali because of the beach club side of things, you’re asked to fill in a fairly vague form with no pricing, submit it and then wait for someone to get back to you.
That’s worse than using WhatsApp and we can’t fathom why a place as expensive as Savaya is using a booking system that wouldn’t have been out of place on the Ark.
Really, we know that this corner of Asia isn’t the most technically advanced but we surely can’t continue running clubs without basic booking systems? Particularly when so many others have this right already.
Rating: 2/5
Entry Fee
There is an entrance fee of 150,000 IDR ++ to 600,000 IDR ++ for all guests. This seems to vary on a daily basis too. We were charged 200,000 IDR but we know people who’ve been asked to pay much more.
These fees relate to the artists that they have playing here each day. So Savaya Bali may feel that a stiff entrance fee is justified.
We don’t approve of this. Most beach clubs will allow you inside to look around and have a drink at the bar without levying a charge for the pleasure of doing so and that’s how it should be.
Nobody should agree to spend $50+ before getting a chance to decide if a place is for them or not.
Worse, as you might expect, this entrance fee comes with no inclusions, except the music, and leaves you sitting right at the back of Savaya Bali on busy days.
Rating: 2/5
Minimum Spend
Incredibly, once they’ve extorted a large chunk of change from their guests just for walking through the door, Savaya Bali then levies one of the highest minimum spends in the business too.
If you want a nice seat in Savaya Bali, you’re going to have to spend a minimum of 3,000,000 IDR++ (this can go up at the busiest times of year) and some of their seating comes with a minimum spend of 10 million IDR or more.
We don’t object to clubs charging a minimum spend, we understand they have to make money, but we do feel that the clubs in Uluwatu are particularly greedy in this respect.
It shouldn’t cost the world to spend a few hours by the sea in Savaya Bali on a nice sunbed.
Rating: 2/5
Welcome And Security
We were impressed by the welcome at Savaya Bali not only did the greeting team make us feel like they were pleased to see us but their security was kind and jovial too.
On that subject, you will be subject to a bag search at Savaya Bali and we completely approve of this. It’s a good thing to ensure the safety of all the guests inside.
However, if you’ve brought any outside food or drink with you, they will throw it out rather than hold it at the security desk.
We can understand that this saves a bit of space, but given how isolated Savaya Bali is from the rest of the island, we feel that many people will bring drinks and snacks for their journey home and this could be better managed.
Rating: 3/5
Inclusions
Savaya Bali, like most beach clubs in Bali, does provide a towel in exchange for your committing to a minimum spend.
However, there’s no premium tier or VIP tier with better inclusions for a slightly higher minimum spend and that seems like a wasted opportunity.
Rating: 3/5
Service
In this category, we felt that Savaya Bali finally excelled. Our solo female teammate found them to be the friendliest staff that she’d encountered in this part of the island.
They made small talk with all of us and they offered to watch possessions or find locker space for them if we wanted to swim.
It wasn’t quite the best service in a beach club in Bali but it wasn’t far from it, either. This was a real highlight of our time at Savaya Bali.
Rating: 5/5
Entertainment
It’s almost like Savaya Bali is divided in two by the clock. In the early part of the day, there’s no real entertainment and just some piped music.
Then, after the sunset, the DJs turn up and the party gets started. We can imagine this is fairly jarring if you’ve spent the whole day chilling by the pool and are hoping for the day to carry on in the vein.
However, it’s fair to say that when Savaya Bali does turn up the volume, it does a good job of getting people out of their seats to dance the night away.
Rating: 3/5
Pool Quality
There are two pools at Savaya Bali and they’re both quite small which means that if you want to swim at this venue, you’ll want to get here early.
There’s a swim-up bar inside one of the pools, so that pool tends to fill up pretty fast with people seeking a nice view (and the view from this area is lovely) and a cocktail rather than any kind of exercise.
The water was clean enough and we felt that we’d be happy to swim in these pools when they weren’t crammed with other people.
Rating: 3/5
Menu/Drinks Pricing
They seem to be competing down in Ungasan over who can charge the most for some simple food and drinks by the sea.
This may help you run up your minimum spend in a matter of minutes, but it makes us feel like we’re not valued guests so much as valued wallets.
175,000 IDR (++) for fish and chips in Bali seems excessive as does 240,000 IDR (also ++) for a beef burger.
Yes, we know they’re aiming to sell you the prices through carefully thought-out descriptions you can read on the menu, but it’s still overpriced.
Rating: 1/5
Food And Drink Quality
We’d be OK with high prices on the menu if the food was amazing. But it’s not, in fact in some cases, it’s downright terrible. The ham on the pizza we ordered looked like it was from a packet.
We also thought the cocktails were on the weaker side and there’s absolutely no excuse for that. Sure, everything was nicely presented but we expect value for money and at these prices, we demand it.
However, our non-drinking team member wanted to stress that her mocktail was very good.
Rating: 2/5
Sunset View
You will never get the best sunset views in Bali in Ungasan because it’s facing South and that means it’s not facing the sunset.
However, the raised platform of Savaya Bali on the cliff edge rather than being directly on the beach does improve the view that you have.
It won’t win any awards for “best sunset” spots but you can continue to enjoy a cocktail or two while there’s a bit of a light show in the air.
Rating: 3/5
Music And Ambiance
The daytime vibe is very much chilled and the piped music is that bland beach club standard you can find in about half the clubs in Bali.
The party vibe at night is better, however, and the DJs are very good. There’s no doubt that the majority of the crowd at Savaya Bali comes for the parties.
Rating: 3/5
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card in Savaya Bali but we didn’t see any QRIS payment options or e-wallet options.
Rating: 4/5
Exit Process
Leaving Savaya Bali is easy enough and unlike many of the clubs in Uluwatu, you’re already on the cliff, so you won’t need to undertake a long walk back up the hill when you’re done (or pay a moto to take you there).
You will have a warm and pleasant farewell from the staff as you go.
Rating: 5/5
Transportation
The location is remote and that brings problems when it comes to transport. If you drive, you can pay to use the car park and be on your way quickly enough.
But if you came by Grab or Gojek, you will find that there aren’t many drivers in this area and that if you come outside to wait for your driver, you are mobbed by the taxi mafia.
We recommend you order your ride in the club and then only emerge when it’s about to arrive. Be prepared for a long wait, though.
Rating: 1/5
Social Media Presence
Savaya Bali has a fairly active social media presence and its Instagram and other accounts are regularly updated.
Sadly, they’re mostly full of flyers for their events and you may have to scroll a long way to work out what it’s like inside Savaya Bali.
Particularly, because they seem to have fallen into the trap of showcasing an empty club in the Savay Bali social media.
Rating: 3/5
Other/General Comments
If there’s an event on at Savaya Bali the admission costs go up to 400,000 IDR on weekdays and 600,000 IDR on weekends. Every Friday, the admission cost goes up to 250,000 IDR.
You will also be asked to provide your name and e-mail address when you arrive at Savaya Bali.
It’s also supposed to be a venue for over 21s, but our 21-year-old team member was not asked for any kind of ID when she entered the venue.
Rating: 1/5
Our Overall Opinion Of Savaya Bali
We didn’t hate our time at Savaya Bali but we weren’t impressed either. The excellent service couldn’t compensate for the endless fees, the poor quality food and drinks or the small pool area, for that matter.
The place is better as a nightclub where their focus on DJs and entertainment makes a big difference but not enough of a difference to see us make this trip on a regular basis.
Rating: 51/100
Looking for alternatives to Savaya Bali? Check out all the greatest beach clubs in Bali for ideas.
FAQs
Can You Swim At Savaya Bali?
Yes, you can swim at Savaya Bali but the two pools are very small and if it’s crowded inside the venue, you may find it hard to get a spot where you have enough room to swim.
What Can You Do At Savaya Bali?
Savaya Bali has a decent pool for swimming in. You can eat and drink here as well as relax on a day bed. It’s best known as a music club and if you want to dance in this part of Bali, Savaya has a decent range of artists playing in the evenings.
Is Savaya Bali A Family-Friendly Venue?
No. Savaya Bali is officially an over 21’s venue only. Children aren’t allowed inside. However, as with most places in Bali, it seems likely that (based on our review team’s experience) you would be allowed into this venue as long as you look roughly old enough. There’s no ID check.
Other more adult venues include Single Fin Bali and FINNS Beach Club.
Who Owns Savaya Bali?
Savaya is owned and managed by Alex Cordova an entrepreneur with various holdings around the world in the entertainment industry.
Final Thoughts On Savaya Bali
Ungasan rarely offers amazing value for money but Savaya Bali is so over the top about reaching for your wallet that even excellent service can’t compensate for it.
We’d be interested in revisiting this club if they ever refocus on providing an amazing experience for their guests but until then? We’ll stick to some of the better examples of beach clubs in Bali.
