The Departure: Seminyak and Sanur
Bali, Indonesia is home to a few of the most beautiful places in the world, and our creative director, Lindy, embarked on a month-long journey through Bali herself earlier this year. Follow along for one of our final two posts detailing her adventures in Seminyak, Sanur, and Uluwatu, and read about her time spent in Ubud here and here.
Of all three locales just listed, Seminyak is definitely the biggest party destination- start here to get out any pent-up energy at the Potato Head Beach Club, designed by architect Andra Matin to be the most popular and electrifying nightlife spot in the area. This is the place to be for hours of dancing and artisanal cocktails, all with a gorgeous beachfront backdrop. Or, return during the daytime to work on a tan and see a sunnier and quieter-but-no-less-fun take on things. Lindy did both, and she suggests renting a vintage-shuttered cabana by the pool for the day to detox from the night before from a beautiful vantage point.
Sanur, then, has the widest variety of exciting yet relaxing experiences to offer, so Lindy says to venture over here to ease back into the calm, natural lifestyle Bali is generally known for. There’s a gorgeous beach in Sanur, and the best pairing for a day spent by the ocean is a great book, so walk or drive off to Ganesha Book Store, which is dedicated to intriguing books on Indonesian cultural topics. Bali: Sekala & Niskala is Lindy’s top pick for the way in which it highlights the aesthetic aspects of Balinese culture while explaining the traditional belief systems which underline them. As for the expansive, placid Sanur Beach itself, come armed with book in hand and settle down with a drink in the other, preferably served in a coconut.
A beach day should be concluded with an appropriately winsome dinner, and luckily, options abound in Sanur. For something casual but wholly authentic, Warung Mak Beng is the way to go. There are plenty of warung — small roadside cafés, each presenting their own speciality dishes — around Bali, but none is better than this one, in Lindy’s opinion. With its amazing BBQ fish that locals flock to and some visitors are lucky enough to stumble upon, it’s both fast and fantastic. Three Monkeys Café is the more formal recommendation, with its tropically modern atmosphere and upscale Mediterranean-Indonesian fusion menu- whether it’s pizza or java noodles, they have it.