What To Do in Seminyak

Seminyak is like Kuta but quieter and posher. Seminyak actually covers a huge area with some incredibly posh places in the area but also some more normal ones too so if I covered everything my list of what to do in Seminyak would be endless.

My favourite part of Seminyak is around what’s know as Double 6 beach at the end of Jalan Arjuna though so I’ll focus mostly on there..

There aren’t any sights as such to see in Seminyak, unless you class beaches and restaurants/bars, but if you fancy a day trip you can go to Ubud, Canggu or Uluwatu and back in a day. See the end of this post for how to get to each of them.
 

Double 6 Beach in Seminyak

Double 6 beach is great for hanging out on during the day. There are multiple options as to what you can sit on from deckchairs, to beach bags to the beach if you’d prefer. There are also a number of restaurant/bars that line the beach if you fancy a snack.

The view from the restaurants if you go right along the beach . La Plancha is the most well known one and can be seen on google maps

These restaurant/bars are, unsurprisingly, more expensive than places not along the beach front but they’re not as bad as you’d expect. If you arrive at Double 6 beach on Jalan Arjuna, the restaurants that line the beach are to the right, and in the evening they all have live music (sounds a little bit like bad karaoke at times just to warn you) and it’s a great place to have a relaxed drink on a bean bag.

The view is beautiful for sunset

They’ll be a lot of people in the beanbag area but although busy the bar/restaurants there are not very lively. They’re best for if you fancy watching the sunset in a comfy seat with a beer and having an early dinner.  They empty out pretty early in the evening.

Turn left when you hit the beach from Arjuna and this is where you’ll find all the local stalls renting out surf boards, deck chairs and selling drinks.

In the photo at the top of this page my friend and I are stood in front of the stalls where they rent out surf boards and deck chairs on the right however behind us in front of the big hotel are the restaurants that go along the right of the beach.

A deck chair should cost 50,000 Rupiah for the day and surf lessons should be the same price as in Kuta at 400,000 Rupiah for 2 hours and surf board rental 50,000 Rupiah for a half day.

If you’re looking for surf lessons along that beach, who to rent a deck chair off or people to chill with for a beer I can highly recommend going the Jiggy Jig Surf (contact the admin of the group for further info but it’s the third stall along the beach just in front of La Trattoria Restaurant. Don’t be put off by the name, it’s just the Bali sense of humour) or Santai Surf School a couple of stalls further along to the left or So Surf School which has a shop 5 minutes from the beach and will come and pick you up for lessons from your accommodation or can help with surf guiding if you’re a more advanced surfer.

If you want to watch sunset and have a beer on the beach but not pay the more expensive prices of the restaurants/bars on the right of the beach just go to one of these stalls on the left listed above instead.

Where to get Cheap Food in Seminyak

Warung Murah

Along Jalan Arjuna that heads down to double 6 beach is Warung Murah which is similar to Warung Indonesia and Bamboo Corner in Kuta. It will cost you about 20,000 – 30,000 Rupiah (£1/$1.50 USD/ $2 AUD) for a good meal and it has both a menu option or a counter where you can pick the selection of food items you’d like to go with a bowl of rice (The local dish known as Nasi Campur which means “rice mix”).

Down on the beach itself there are also a couple of local food stands where you can get Mie Goreng (fried noodles) and Nasi Goreng (fried rice) during the day.

Souvlaki Greek Restaurant

For what it is Souvlaki Greek Restaurant is incredibly cheap. Most Western food costs a significant amount more than local food in Bali but at Souvlaki a meal will still only cost you about 50,000 (£2.50/ $3.75USD/ $5 AUD) and the food is amazing. They also have some of the cheapest wine by the glass around, which if you’ve been in Asia a while and are travelling on a budget may be something you miss.

Jalan Nakula Night Market

Jalan Nakula Night Market is perfect for cheap eats. On the road that runs directly straight on from Jalan Arjuna this market has a wide selection of local food stands from which to choose a quick and tasty dinner. A number of them are also open 24 hours in case you happen to find yourself in need of some food at 3am in the morning at any point!

Marzano Pizza

Getting a bit more expensive now as venturing into Western food but if you want Pizza or Pasta in Seminyak go to Marzano Pizza, it’s the best in the area. It costs about 70,000 Rupiah for a pizza (£3.50/$4.75 USD/$7 AUD).

Taco Casa

If you ‘re craving a good burrito Taco Casa is the place to go. Similar prices to Marzano Pizza where a burrito will set you back about 70,000 Rupiah but it’s worth it.
 

Where to go out in Seminyak

Beach Bars in Seminyak

As I mentioned earlier if you turn right at the end of Arjuna there are a lot of restaurants/bars that line the beach which are great for a few quiet beers in the evening. The most popular and well known of which is La Plancha. If there is ever a bigger party night on the beach at Double 6 this is where it is.

To the left along the beach at Double 6 sometimes the local stalls stay open later and have BBQ’s with everyone sitting around drinking beer and playing guitar. Get down there for sunset to see if there’s anything going on that night.

La Favella

La Favella is one of the best places for a night out in Seminyak. The location is beautiful with an outside area and inside. The décor is stunning and the music is good. Drinks are expensive but there is no entrance fee.

Motel Mexicola

Motel Mexicola is another absolutely beautiful venue like La Favella.

They play a mix of Latino music and chart songs with live bands earlier on in the evening. They also host theme nights with fancy dress competitions.
 

Best Breakfast/Lunch Restaurants in Seminyak

Shelter Bali

Frequently packed to the brim this place is so popular Shelter Bali has some of the best breakfast and lunch food around. They are also linked to Nalu Bowls Bali, which make smoothie bowls filled with fruit, nuts and granola (if you haven’t heard of them just have a little look at their Instagram and you’ll see why people get so excited about them). As well as great food they also serve Revolver coffee, which is some of the best coffee in Bali.

Revolver Espresso

As I mention above Revolver Coffee is widely known as the best in Bali. They also do great breakfast, brunch and lunch food in their café in Seminyak. The décor of the restaurant is really cool too. Well worth a visit.

Watercress

I don’t spend money on Western food that often as if I did I wouldn’t have been able to travel for as long as I have but when I do Watercress is always one of the first I think of. Their breakfasts are great (and they still serve them at lunchtime), the smoothies are delicious, they serve revolver coffee and their salad bar is incredible. A meal plus drink will probably set you back about 100,000 Rupiah (approx. £5/ $8 USD, $10 AUD).

If you’re from the UK too you may also get excited by the fact that not only does Watercress have great food but they also sell Pimms!

Where to stay in Seminyak, Bali

I stayed at M hostel my first week in Bali and it’s a great hostel. Even the dorm rooms don’t have bunk beds and the private rooms have TV with cable movies! There’s a comfy common area inside if you want to chill and watch a film but a more socialable outside common area too. There is also a pool but it’s tiny. You wouldn’t really even be able to swim in it, just float. The wi-fi is really fast for Indonesia.

WARNING: To access the hostel during the day you walk through a pharmacy but after midnight you have to walk round a dark, small side street. When doing this one evening two guys on a motorbike followed us down the alley way and tried to grab my friend’s handbag, dragging her along the floor in the process since the strap was across her body so it didn’t come off when they pulled. If you’re staying there make sure you always get a taxi back and get them to drop you right round by the back entrance to the hostel, no matter how close you are and how pointless it might seem.
 

How Long to Spent in Seminyak, Bali

Like with Kuta there aren’t really any sights as such to see in Seminyak therefore how long to spend there does just depend on how much beach/chill out/surfing time you’d like

How Long to Get From Seminyak to Canggu

If you’re hired a scooter, it’s quick and easy to just drive on up to Canggu and will only take about 30 minutes. Otherwise your best option is to get a taxi during the day and ask them to put it on the meter to ensure you get a fair price. If you’re going up to Canggu as a day trip hire a taxi for the day for 600,000 Rupiah (£30/ $45 USD/ £60 AUD) as there’s only one taxi company you can get taxi services from in Canggu so they charge a lot more.

How Long to Get From Seminyak to Ubud

My suggest route for Bali is to go up to Seminyak or Canggu after Kuta however in case you want to do a day trip to Ubud from Kuta here’s how to do it.

From any accommodation you stay in you’ll be able to book a bus to Ubud which takes a couple of hours however when booking the bus be aware, if you want to come back the same day you won’t be able to come back by bus again. I’ve watched hotels and hostels tell people time and time again they think there’s a later bus in the afternoon you can get back from Ubud to Kuta or Seminyak. It’s a lie, there isn’t . They just want you to book the bus through them and it doesn’t effect them if you then can’t get a bus back later and have to pay more for a taxi. If you want to spend a couple of days in Ubud a bus there and back will be your cheapest option since you can get a bus in the morning back from Ubud, it’s just there are no afternoon options meaning taking the bus both ways in one day is not possible. A taxi one way back from Ubud costs about 200,000 Rupiah (£10/$15 USD/$20 AUD). But it will also have cost you 80,000 Rupiah (£4/$6 USD/$8 AUD) each person for the bus to Ubud which means if there’s few of you it would be cheaper to not only get a taxi there and back but actually hire one for a half-day or full-day and make it a lot easier for you to get around and see everything whilst in Ubud. A taxi for half-a-day costs 400,000 Rupiah (£20/ $30 USD/$40 AUD) or 600,000 Rupiah (£30/ $45 USD/ £60 AUD) for a whole day. Even though the center of Ubud is small to get around to all the things you might want to see whilst there, like the rice fields, it will really help to have a car to get you between places unless you want to hire scooters once you arrive. The distances between attractions in Ubud are not walkable.

How Long to Get From Seminyak to Uluwatu and the Bukit Area

As I mention above I’d suggest you head to Seminyak from Kuta however if you’d like to take a day trip to Uluwatu and the Bukit Area it’s perfectly feasible. It only takes about 30 to 40 minutes to get there. The cheapest way to do so would be to drive down by scooter or hire a taxi for the day (don’t hire one just to take you down there to one place and then have to find other taxis in between different locations as it will cost you A LOT more). A taxi for the day will cost you 600,000 Rupiah (approx. £30/ $45 USD/ £60 AUD) or you can hire a scooter for 50,000 Rupiah (approx. £2.50/ $3.75 USD/ $5 AUD) a day.

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