Bali bars and pubs

By far the largest and busiest bar and pub complex in Bali is Kuta beach itself, where thousands gather for every sunset of the year, to down some bottles of Bintang, the local beer, and watch the sun go down. Apart from this open air ad-hoc wonder, there are plenty of Irish themed pubs, Australian-owned pubs and other recognisable pubs and bars in Bali. It goes without saying that Bali’s tourist central of Kuta is where most of the pubs and bars in Bali are to be found but there are some venues in Nusa Dua and Ubud.

Exile Bar and Funky Monkey are two of the most popular bars in Ubud, but visitors to Bali shouldn’t travel to this sleepy, artistic hill town expecting rocking nightlife. Most places close around midnight. Likewise, Nusa Dua bars shut around midnight though the cocktail bars and piano bars of some of the luxury resorts in Nusa Dua operate much later into the morning. The Trophy Pub is Nusa Dua’s most popular, and one of its oldest, pubs.

At Kuta, open air bars like Casablanca attract a mixed crowd of very drunk Aussies and jaded observers. The Bounty Shop is an enormous club in the shape and style of an old pirate boat, and it is packed to the gills on weekend nights. M-Bar-Go specialises in premier DJs and great dance music.  The venerable Mama’s in Kuta is one of the last places to close, so it fills up in the wee hours as other places empty out. Many people swear it is still rocking on after dawn, though the official hours state the opposite.

More elegant Kuta bars and pubs include Kori and TJs. the open street bar at Nero Bali and the nearby La Luciola and the Living Room attract an older, slightly better-heeled crowd and also contain their own acclaimed restaurants. Made’s Warning is a very popular mixed venue where the restaurant tables are packed away for dancing somewhere around 23:00 seven nights a week.

Pricey drinks are served to the beautiful people at Ku De Ta, Bali’s most exclusive nightclub. It is located opposite the Oberoi hotel and its decks and terraces afford visitors splendid sunset views. The Hulu Cafe is not the only gay bar in Bali but this is how it advertises itself and its outrageous drag shows which start at 23:00 seven nights a week. The nearby Bali Beach Shack provides stiff competition.

The evergreen Hard Rock Cafe looms large over the Kuta scene – literally as it is one of the only mutli-storey buildings in the area. The thumping rock music and huge crowds here dominate the aural scene for blocks, too, though there is a quieter section towards the rear of the Hard Rock Cafe in Kuta.