Ambient Lounge – Best International Chill Out Bean Bag Destinations – Seminyak (Bali)

Each month we will feature a travel series article from our Aussie and European team of Ambient Lounge designers who are so well travelled that they could easily get a job at the Lonely Planet! These are destinations that they have gone to and love. Our "bean bag" travel series. This month it's Seminyak Bali.

Whether you’re doing the “Eat, Pray, Love” journey or you simply want to experience the incredible beauty of Bali, it’s important to know that you have options. As one of the go-to places in Indonesia (and frequented by most Aussies at one point in their life), Bali itself can be very crowded by both locals and tourists, especially in semi-bogan Kuta. If you want to get away from all that, still enjoy a laid-back lifestyle and easy access of the beach, you can head north and proceed to Seminyak.

Seminyak is mostly a residential and shopping area, but has also become a growing tourist destination because other businesses (such as beautiful boutique hotels) have been structured to cater for a slightly older demographic of expat market living there. Compared to other towns in Bali, Seminyak is upscale, a luxury destination, so you must be prepared to spend more for your accommodation and goodies for the trip.

But you’ll be greatly rewarded by the fact that, because it’s still a growing market, it remains less crowded at any time of the year. There are also a number of places that are awesome chill-out spots for 'bean bag' style ambient living.

Samaya Seminyak

Although there are budget and mid-range accommodation choices in Seminyak, most are villas and high-end hotels. One of the most beautiful is Samaya Seminyak. It’s found in two locations, one near the beachside and the other the surrounding a courtyard. There are more than 7 Royal Pavilion villas and over 20 villas near the beach. All these places, nevertheless, are excellent locations to deck out in luxury on your beanbag and relax. If you’re looking for some privacy, you can head to the Pool Villas, where there is a more private or exclusive lap pool.

Seminyak Beach

The most popular beach in this side of Bali is the Seminyak Beach. It has a long stretch of white sand, excellent water quality, and waves that are perfect for surfing. Even if you don’t know how to surf, you can still enjoy watching the pros and passionate enthusiasts do so in true bean bag chillin' spirit. The beach is also open to the public, and facilities such as restaurants and shops are nearby. Most of all, it’s open 24 hours a day, so you can drop by at any time you like.

Tanah Lot

If you’re a great lover of sunset or photography, you can get both if you head to Tanah Lot. About 40 minutes away from Seminyak, it’s a gorgeous rock formation that contains a temple.

Petitenget Beach

Because of the interesting quality of the sand—it’s uniquely colored gray—there are fewer tourists that ever go here. But it’s a great place if you want to chat with the locals, swim with more privacy, or catch the amazing sunset with your beanbag. There’s even a temple right at the beach, an attraction that’s hard to come by in any beach you go to.

Local Cafés and Restaurants

The food in Bali is amazing - and Siminyak is at the heart of Gormet cuisine.

Baku Dapa is extremely popular, so too is the amazing Potato Head (which could be in Ibiza if you didnt know where you were) . There’s also Café Tahu, which features a wide courtyard where you can find on Indonesian food usually centered around tofu.

The choices are endless... and the prices are reasonable (compared to Aussie) so expect to have your taste buds dancing every night of your holiday.

Then, one hour after your amazing meal, after chilling out by the pool on your bean bag - hit up one of the $10-20 massage spa's. That's living!

Pictured Below: You could easily be living like this in Seminyak Bali. It's how our Ambient Lounge design team like to roll.