We’ve just spent 10 delightful days in Seminyak on the magical island of Bali for a family holiday. We rented a beautiful villa that had four spacious bedrooms, and could sleep 11 people. I decided to write a roundup about our holiday, and hope you enjoy this Seminyak guide, and my tips and hints for your own Bali vacation.
I’ve been to Bali 5 times but never to Seminyak. I really enjoyed the colourful vibe, the variety of shops, and the quality of the restaurants. Seminyak is known as Bali’s trendiest district for good reason – it’s hip, it’s colorful and it’s very happening.
The atmosphere is both vibey and energetic. There is something going on everywhere you look and don’t look. The colours on the beach at night take your breath away, and there’s music at nearly all beachside restaurants around sunset.
But be forewarned, this is not the old Bali full of traditional culture and temples. It feels like a playground for the western world. Temples have been pretty much swamped by shops, restaurants and massage parlours.
However, for those on holiday there are some fabulous places to stay in Seminyak, and wonderful places to eat, or you might be wanting to get into the vacation vibe and drink inexpensive cocktails – for the prices are much lower than those in Australia. So overall it’s a great place for a luxurious family holiday at a fraction of the price Western Australian’s would pay to fly and go elsewhere.
I loved staying in a Villa, and this was my first time. It’s just perfect for a family holiday. The villa we rented was roomy and modern with a wonderful swimming pool – scroll further on down this post for my review of the villa.
Table of Contents
Seminyak Guide from the Inside
So what’s Seminyak really like?
Personally, I didn’t enjoy the cacophany of scooter noise, the crowded beaches and the busyness of Seminyak, and I wonder if the southern beaches of Bali in general have become oversubscribed.
But coming from Western Australia I’m spoilt with our quiet and wide open spaces, so perhaps my tolerance for noise, crowds and frenetic activity is low.
If you’re after the real, magical, mystical Bali I’d say you won’t find it in Seminyak. Although there are traces of tradition, and religious practices if you look for them.
I’d recommend spending time in Seminyak for some hedonistic R & R in a beautiful villa or fantastic hotel, visit the boutiques and dine at some wonderful restaurants, then head out to central or northern Bali for your cultural pursuits and scenic discoveries.
Due to the density of traffic it now takes about 3 hours in a car from Seminyak to get to Ubud (link goes to an Ubud tour) so in reality it’s probably better time management to do a two centre holiday, than rely on day trips from Seminyak.
Things to Do
We often book things to do via Get Your Guide. I’m not going to go into all the excursions and places to see in this post, so do take a look at some of the Get Your Guide offerings.
Restaurants and Eateries
There’s ‘eat street’ and then there are many other wonderful streets to find quaint eateries in the melange of central Seminyak, and along the beach.
We dined at some wonderful restaurants and the food was fabulous. Some of the places we tried and really enjoyed were as follows:-
Neon Palms
Such a colourful and quaint restaurant! You’ll find Neon Palms located on the second level above the super cute Bali Boat Shed boutique – enter via the pink door.
Neon Palms has a long list of delicious cocktails, tacos & tapas style food with a breakfast menu starting from 8am – 12pm, and a lunch/dinner menu starting from 12pm – 11pm daily. We loved the array of tapas and cocktails.
Ginger Moon
Apparently a Bali icon that first opened in December of 2012. The decor is very appealing, and the menu is varied and upmarket.
This restaurant has a strong focus on community, which includes supporting and promoting local suppliers, producers, fishermen and farmers, and working towards a sustainable future. The mission is to bring guests the best of Bali whilst striving to help Bali become the best it can be.
Chai Ba (Indian)
Ahh the flavoursome tastes of Northern & Southern India. Here you’ll find both authentic and fusion dishes, prepared fresh with the finest ingredients and spices.
It’s centrally located in the heart of Seminyak, and the menu and the dishes are sublime. Chai Ba blends the aroma of Balinese culture with Indian spiced home cooked meals. There are comfortable cushions and high chairs for toddlers making it welcoming for the whole family. A classy dark wood bar, indoor and outdoor seating and traditional Indian food and drinks make this a fabulous night time treat.
Made’s Warung
Made’s Warung was established in 1969 and has become a social eating and meeting venue for locals, expats and tourists.
It’s grown from a traditional roadside warung into a cosmopolitan restaurant serving a variety of local and international food in Bali. We loved the history and the traditional feel of this restaurant. Expect tasty Balinese food and a casual atmosphere, with lovely waitstaff.
Chez Gado Gado
Situated on the beachfront this is a lively spot with a great vibe. The food was delicious. We had dinner here twice and were not disappointed. It’s touted as ‘beachfront casual fine dining’ Pan-Mediterranean cuisine with menus thought up by a Dutch chef.
You can sit casually outside on a raised decking area under shady trees overlooking the beach, or venture inside in a more refined atmosphere.
Overall it’s bold, classic and playful with wonderful views over the ocean. It’s been operating for over thirty years, and you’ll find it to the side, tail-end of Camplung Tanduk Street, in the hub of Seminyak. Look for the golden seahorse emblem on the building.
La Planche
La Planche is right on the beachfront. Expect Spanish style food inspired by the founder’s hometown back in Spain.
Launched in 2010 it’s lively – be ready for loud hit music and a party atmosphere. There’s a great upstairs area to watch the sunsets, or you can sit out on the beach on colourful beanbags. This was a fun spot to while away a couple of hours and eat a casual dinner.
It was apparently the first beach bar of Chiringuito style in Bali with Spanish vintage craft, colourful bean bags and bright traditional Balinese umbrellas.
Farmers Brews Roastery
Aah Farmers! We had breakfast here several times as it was close to our villa, the coffee was amazing and the choice of breakfasts were fabulous too.
We also loved that they use ingredients from the farm and support farmers with local roasting of beans sourced from villages. Service was super friendly and efficient too.
The Koop
This was also close to our Villa, and we wished we had discovered it sooner.
It’s a small, quaint and traditional place for fabulous coffee and breakfasts. The delicious food was served in delightful wooden bowls and really well presented.
There are a few gift items to buy as well if you want to support local farmers. We loved this place.
Sol’s Deli
Down a quiet lane on the way to the beach (and past a second hand book shop) we found Sol’s Deli.
It’s tucked away from the cacophany of scooters and taxis, and you can sit on benches overlooking a shady pool area surrounded by gorgeous Balinese flowering plants.
The breakfast menu was great, and the staff were lovely. Oh and if you’re a collector there’s a great selection of vinyl records to choose from and purchase.
Seminyak Beach
Seminyak is of course famous for it’s beach scene; surfing by day and partying at night. If you head to the beach at about 4.30pm and grab a cocktail then by the time you’re finished you’ll be rewarded by an aerial palette of pastels followed by an orange sky.
Sunsets are an almost nightly photographer’s dream.
In the late afternoons and evenings the beach area is like a fairyland with the added benefit of music, and lots of different beach cafes and restaurants which adjoin a walkway (without scooters!) where occasionally a street hawker might be barbecuing corn on the cobs, or selling coconuts ready to savour.
If you want to find a beanbag, brolley or a table, then it’s wise to get there early.
We found that some of the restaurants along the beach wouldn’t take bookings between 4pm and 7pm, possibly due to the family ‘rush hour.’
The wide beach at this time is likely to be scattered with families, children playing, people riding horses, singles getting ready to party, and romantics strolling along the beach holding hands.
Look up and you’ll most likely see an array of huge kites, high in the sky, which light up with a green neon flicker at nightime.
We bought two kites from street hawkers; an eagle and a pirate ship for the equivalent of $15 each, which our kid-men and kid-ults managed finally to get into the air near our villa – after getting them tangled around the power lines!
Look up for blue sky, but look down in the mornings you’ll see the results of mass tourism.
Walk along the pavements (watch your step, as they are uneven and randomly obstructed by scooters) and you may have to duck under stray power chords. You’ll see a lot of tangled power lines in Seminyak – many a street corner like this one.
Seminyak streets bustle with life and traffic from dawn to late at night.
Prepare yourself for lots of honking, and the loud putt-putting of scooters, as well as the ever ready call of “Taksi”.
If you need a Taksi then ‘Bluebird’ (see image below) have a set meter, which I recommend. Or if you have the Apps, then GrabTaxi or Gojek are also options operating like Uber, and the fare is agreed in advance.
Shopping in Seminyak
In between the chaos of traffic and tattoo artists standing infront of their stores asking, “Tattoo? Want Tattoo? you’ll find lots of boutiques.
I failed miserably on the shopping count and it wasn’t for lack of trying.
I have a feeling that many of the boutiques are now owned by foreigners because the price of clothes and shoes and jewellery seemed no different to those in Australia. These kind of boutiques looked classy, cool, and not very busy.
However, I didn’t do a lot of boutique shopping, and people in the know will have better ‘intel’ about which shops are their faves, or the ones to look out for. I also popped to the open air market but I found that most stalls sold the ‘same old, same old;’ sunglasses, cheap fake shoes, cheap clothes, nik-naks etc.
On first hunting the shopping scene was loud, encumbered, hot, noisy and uninspiring. I realise that there are many of you reading this who will disagree, so please feel free to share your shopping suggestions.
Where We Stayed : Villa Smilla
We stayed in a new villa called Villa Smilla, which is just off the beaten track away from the frenetic activity of the main streets of Seminyak.
The villa sleeps 11 people.
It currently has a 10* rating. You can find all the details and reviews here on Booking.com.
It’s approached via a lane bordered with large tubs containing pink Bougainvillaea, which first skirts a meadow on the left where white-bottomed cows graze, and to the right an open piece of land some of which is being built upon.
As you turn the corner there’s a wetland to one side, and here you get a glimpse of old Seminyak.
Lilly Trotters and Cinnamon Bitterns could be spotted enjoying the last of their habitat here before it gets eaten up by new tourist villas.
The entrance to Villa Smilla is un-showy. You enter via a big wooden door bordered with a gorgeous Bengal Clockvine.
Inside the area opens up into a magnificent space with a feature swimming pool.
We hired a pool fence as we had babies and toddlers in our group. It cost around $25 a day. The pool fence was made from wood, and it didn’t make the pool area look ugly, but gave us peace of mind.
The kitchen and living areas are spacious and open to the pool area. Three large fans whir overhead to keep the space cool. It’s all very modern, bright and fitted out well.
Four large bedrooms adjoin the pool area. All have king size beds. Three rooms have an extra single sofa bed. We found the beds comfy, and the bathrooms are lovely.
Friendly and helpful cleaning staff came in every day to clean the villa, and sheets and towels (both bathroom and pool towels) were changed regularly.
The cleaning staff also arranged for our personal laundry to be washed, dried and ironed for an extra (inexpensive) rate when required.
Budi, the villa manager visited to make sure everything was going well, and was always available on WhatsApp if we needed to arrange things like taxis to and from the airport (at 1am from the airport and 4am to the airport a taxi for 4 persons cost around $25 to $30 per taxi. There were also extra costs for cots or high chairs and the pool fence. We paid cash for the extras.
Budi also arranged for us to have a special Balinese dinner cooked at the Villa by private chefs. There was a choice of menus, and we chose the traditional Balinese – which was delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The overall cost was the equivalent of around $300. No buying ingredients, no cooking or washing up – wonderful! There were 8 of us, and there was masses of choice – we also had plenty of leftovers for lunch the next day!
The beach, and lots of beachside restaurants are about a 15 minute walk away.
We found we could always hail a taxi on the main road just a short walk from the villa.
The villa is well situated for most things. There’s a mini supermarket at the end of the road, 5 mins walk from the Villa, and beyond that lots of small restaurants, bars, dress shops, more mini-marts and places to get massages and beauty treatments.
Massages and Beauty Treatments
We were all keen to have massages and beauty treatments! I had a massage, or reflexology or a beauty treatment on most days, because … well it’s so rejuvenating, and they are so much less expensive in Bali compared to Australia!
We chose beauty spas close to our villa.
Putri Beauty and Spa
I found you could walk into Putri Beauty and Spa (Jl. Drupadi Corner No 99M. Seminyak, Badung, Bali) at most times and get a massage there and then. The massage girls were friendly and experienced, and there were a choice of different massages and beauty treatments. I generally chose the Balinese massage which was lovely.
However, I didn’t rate the pedicure highly because there wasn’t much massaging included – but my nails looked good afterwards!
I was always invited to sit down and offered bottled water when I entered the salon.
Eden Spa and Beauty
Eden Spa and Beauty (JL Drupadi No 20, Seminyak) was probably slightly better. The staff were really friendly and the massages were lovely. It all felt just a little more professional. On entry you’re given slippers to wear, and then you’re asked to sitdown in the foyer area for a foot wash, as well as being offered some fruit and water before the massage.
After the massage you’re offered delicious Rosella tea (you have to try it!)
Things to Do
We often book tours and excursions via Get Your Guide.
Discover Seminyak : 5 Insider Tips for Your Bali Vacation
- For a family vacation in Seminyak, you can’t beat renting a villa. You each have your own room and a modern communal living arrangement – often open sided. There’s plenty of villa choices on Booking.Com or find Villa Smilla here. Most villas in Bali have a central area situated around a swimming pool – if you have small children with you, do consider hiring a pool fence. Things like cots and high chairs are also likely to cost extra.
- Bring comfy non slip shoes. The pavements in Seminyak are uneven, pot holed, sloping (or non existant) and shopkeepers wash their storefronts with soap and water which can make the going dangerously slippery if you are wearing flip-flops.
- If you are visiting a beauty salon ask to see their massage rooms first, and make sure that you are comfortable with the cleanliness.
- Eat out! There are so many choices. And if you do want to eat in, then consider hiring a private chef. If there are several in your group, it’s really not an expensive option.
- Everyone in Bali communicates by WhatsApp rather than messages. So if you want to book a restaurant, a massage or have your laundry collected make sure you have WhatsApp installed on your mobile.
Bonus Important Tips
Dengue Fever
Dengue fever is an unpleasant fact about travel in Bali and other places in southeast asia. It’s mosquito born and on the rise.
We didn’t take the risk lightly. We took adequate mosquito repellent, with us which we applied frequently both day and night, and we asked the villa staff to spray the rooms and outside areas regularly with mosquito repellants which they provided.
Remember you can’t take flammable mosquito repellants on the aeroplane. So take gels or creams or roll-ons. Especially remember to take sensitive options from your home country for your babies or children. You can buy adult spray repellent in Bali. Seek advice from your doctor or healthcare professional before you leave home about what’s best for you and your family.
We took mosquito repellent patches as well, although we didn’t solely rely on them :-
Mosquito Patches Stickers for Adults, Kids and Toddlers (Deet Free)
NATPAT Buzz Patch Mosquito Patch Stickers for Kids Citronella Essential Oil Insect Patch, Plant Based Ingredients, DEET Free, for Toddlers, Kids
Bali Belly
In order not to get a tummy upset there are important precautions you can take.
Don’t drink the tap water.
Don’t clean your teeth with tap water.
Don’t eat anything that is likely to have been washed in tap water.
Only eat food that is well cooked.
Wash your hands frequently.
Pack small packets of disinfectant wet wipes, and small gel hand sanitizers (links go to a selection on Amazon) that you can carry around in your handbag and use wherever you go.
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Related Posts
How a Walk in Bali made me realise I’m a Worrier.
Bali Holidays : What to Pack for a tropical break
I’ve written extensively about Bali on my travel blog ZigaZag. Scroll to the end of the post about Ubud and you’ll find links some other posts about Bali.
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