Yeh Gangga Beach Club is not a name that trips off the tongue of most beach club regulars and that’s because it’s quite a drive West from Canggu along the Southern Coastal Road here in Bali.
But is it worth a trip for some old-fashioned Balinese hospitality? Well, our intrepid team decided to head past Tanah Lot and see if this is a nice spot for some beach club chilling and this is what they found.
Introduction – Getting To Yeh Gangga Beach Club
If you want to visit Yeh Gangga Beach Club and you’re not staying in the immediate area, you’re in for a bit of a drive. It’s going to take around 2 hours (or more if the traffic is particularly bad) from Canggu and it’s further still from Ubud and the other beach towns.
The good news is that once you reach Yeh Gangga Beach Club, you will have no trouble finding a parking spot nearby and if you have a driver or caught a Grab or Gojek, they can drop you at the door without any problems.
Where Is Yeh Gangga Beach Club? Jl. Yeh Gangga I, Kabupaten Tabanan, Bali 82115
Website: Yeh Gangga Beach Club
Opening Hours: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m. daily, except Nyepi
What’s Inside Yeh Gangga Beach Club?
This is a simple beach club with two bars, a restaurant, various seating areas (including bean bags on the sand) and a pool.
Our Review Breakdown For Yeh Gangga Beach Club
We review every beach club in Bali in the same manner to ensure that we’re being fair to the clubs and so that you, our readers, can expect consistency and make easy comparisons between places.
The team visits the club and every person, individually, scores the place against the 20 criteria below on a rating scale of 1 (worst) to 5 (best).
After their visit, they get together to discuss their thoughts and to vote on the final rating in each category. This makes our reviews representative of everyone’s experience.
Finally, one team member writes up a review based on the discussions and votes. We then publish and the review remains on the site for, at least, 12 months before we revisit the club and amend as necessary.
Pre-Club Advertising
We have never seen an advert for Yeh Gangga Beach Club and that’s probably partially because of its location – if you’re out in this part of Bali, there aren’t many options and most people won’t travel just for a club.
And partly, because it’s a smaller more local place and that means there’s less budget for promotions.
However, we believe advertising is important as it means that there’s more of a crowd around as the sun sets and that leads to a better overall vibe inside the club.
Rating: 1/5
Location
There’s no getting around the fact that it’s going to be a long drive to Yeh Gangga Beach Club and we don’t think we’d head out to this spot unless we’d booked a hotel nearby – there and back is too much for one day.
We recommend that you stop at Tanah Lot temple on the way there or on the way back as it’s one of Bali’s best temple sights.
Once you get there, the beach itself is very pleasant and you children can play on the sand while adults chill by the pool.
Rating: 3/5
Booking Process & Seating Options
You will have to hunt around for a “Reservation” button on their website but once you click it, you will be sent to a bog-standard contact form.
That’s not good enough in 2024. If you have a website, it costs almost nothing to use Chope or to add your own booking engine to book seats more effectively.
You can go back and forth with the staff by e-mail but it makes booking a drag and leads to people driving long distances to risk being a walk-in guest, instead.
Rating: 1/5
Entry Fee
There’s no entrance fee at Yeh Gangga Beach Club and we completely approve of that.
You should be able to walk into any beach club, grab a seat at the bar and enjoy some drinks without paying for the privilege of walking through the door.
We wish some of the bigger-name places on the island would take their cues from places like Yeh Gangga Beach Club on this.
Rating: 5/5
Minimum Spend
There is also no minimum spend and bean bags, day beds by the pool, etc. are all allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.
We don’t mind this, it’s cool to sit in a nice spot and not feel pressured to spend a fortune.
But at the same time, a lack of minimum spend is what fuels the difficulty in making a reservation.
It also means that when you go make a reservation, even if you’re only a few minutes late, you’re likely to lose it if there’s a walk-in waiting for a seat.
Rating: 3/5
Welcome And Security
The welcome here is a lovely example of Balinese hospitality in action and we felt that we were ready to explore Yeh Gangga Beach Club as soon as we arrived.
However, there was no bag check and while we appreciate this more remote location may feel like it’s less likely to be a target of problems – we still like bag checks.
They make sure we’re all safe as we enjoy drinks in the sun.
Rating: 3/5
Inclusions
You will be provided with a towel if you want to use the pool at this spot which is pretty generous given that they aren’t charging a minimum spend.
However, nothing else (except the Wi-Fi) is included and there are no options for any kind of premium tier inclusions.
We feel that beach clubs are missing a chance to provide a better standard of perks and to make a little more money from their guests when there’s no VIP tier.
Rating: 3/5
Service
This place is all about classic Balinese hospitality and the staff are warm, friendly and attentive.
However, they don’t quite have the polish of the staff at the big beach clubs or 5-star hotel clubs and that’s just fine.
We like the authenticity of the service at this spot and we feel it adds to the overall vibe of the place.
Rating: 4/5
Entertainment
They have occasional acoustic performances at this club as well as a Saturday Sunset DJ performance.
That’s not bad given this is quite a remote place and doesn’t get the crowds of some of the other beach clubs.
They even have fire jugglers some evenings!
Rating: 3/5
Pool Quality
The pool is a decent size for the club, but it’s on the smaller side for beach clubs overall.
We found the water to be clean and the area to be well-maintained.
We also appreciated the fact that there’s a pool bar, so you don’t have to go far to get some drinks.
Rating: 4/5
Menu/Drinks Pricing
While the food is on the pricey side for the neighbourhood that Yeh Gangga Beach Club is based in, it’s very reasonably priced compared to many other beach clubs in Bali.
They also have a happy hour each day which makes buying drinks much cheaper than it could be too.
Rating: 4/5
Food And Drink Quality
Overall, the food was OK. It didn’t really stand out in any way but it wasn’t unpleasant or inedible either.
We wouldn’t drive very far for this food, but wouldn’t complain if it were served to us anywhere.
The drinks are just fine too and their mocktails are absolutely excellent.
Rating: 3/5
Sunset View
This is a nice spot for sunset watching as the sun sets on this side of the island and you get the best view of the sun dipping below the horizon in the centre of the ocean here.
Many people come to Bali just to enjoy the sight of the sky as the sun sets and this is as good a place as any to watch it from.
We also felt that you could see the sunset from anywhere inside the venue without trying very hard.
Rating: 5/5
Music And Ambiance
The emphasis at this place is very much on chilled-out vibes and the music policy reflects this.
We missed the DJ on our visit but the acoustic live music was very pleasant and definitely added to the overall experience of being at this beach club.
Rating: 3/5
Payment Options
You can pay by cash or card at Yeh Gangga Beach Club but we didn’t see options for anything more exotic like QRIS or e-wallets.
Rating: 4/5
Exit Process
Yeh Gangga Beach Club is a relatively small beach club and getting out is simply a matter of walking out the way you came in.
As with any place that shines with Balinese hospitality, you will be given a warm farewell by the staff on the door.
Rating: 5/5
Transportation
You can drive to this place easily and there is parking nearby for cars and scooters.
However, if you want to get home again, you will need to drive because there’s very little Grab or Gojek service in this area – if any.
You won’t even be beset by the taxi mafia as there aren’t enough visitors to make it worthwhile.
So, you may have to wait a long time for a ride back if you’re not coming under your own steam.
Rating: 1/5
Social Media Presence
We were surprised to find that Yeh Gangga Beach Club has an active social media presence (especially Instagram) and that it’s regularly updated.
They don’t have the best photographer on Earth but they are definitely trying to promote the beauty of their club.
Overall, we felt that their social media presence was an accurate reflection of what it’s like to visit this club.
Rating: 3/5
Other/General Comments
Yeh Gangga Beach Club is a charming little place if you accept it for what it is – a stopping point on the coastal road or somewhere to get out of the towns and kick back a little for a quiet weekend.
The sand on the beach might not be as white as in Nusa Dua but it’s soft underfoot and great for building sandcastles.
Rating: 3/5
Our Overall Opinion Of Yeh Gangga Beach Club
It may not compete with the biggest clubs in Bali, but Yeh Gangga Beach Club is surprisingly good given its more remote location.
We think it’s a nice spot for breaking a long journey or for combining with a visit to Tanah Lot.
If we’re in the neighbourhood again, we’d definitely go back to this club without a second thought.
Rating: 61/100
FAQs
Can You Swim At Yeh Gangga Beach Club?
Yes, there’s a nice pool at this spot with a pool bar by the side of it. It’s not the biggest pool in Bali but given this beach club is pretty quiet, it should be more than enough to swim in.
You can swim on the beach too, but we don’t recommend it, this part of the Balinese coast isn’t always safe to swim on and there are no lifeguards, etc.
What Can You Do At Yeh Gangga Beach Club?
You can swim, enjoy cold drinks, have a meal from the restaurant and relax in the Bali sun. It’s a nice spot to enjoy the light show as the sun sets over the ocean.
Is Yeh Gangga Beach Club A Family-Friendly Venue?
Yes, Yeh Gangga Beach Club is a family-friendly venue. Children are very welcome inside and while there are no special amenities for kids, they can play on the sand or swim in the pool and have a very enjoyable day out.
Who Owns Yeh Gangga Beach Club?
The name of the owner of this beach cub is not public but I Wayan Katio is the owner’s representative from the Uname group.
Final Thoughts On Yeh Gangga Beach Club
Yeh Gangga Beach Club is a nice spot to stop if you’re heading up the coastal route to Padang Bai or West Bali National Park.
It’s also a cool place to go if you’re looking for a weekend away from the busier parts of Bali and are heading West to explore.
It’s probably not worth the drive in its own right, but if you’re visiting Tanah Lot, you might be prepared to justify a bit longer in the car to justify checking this place out.
