24 hours in Seminyak
Seminyak is one of the busiest cities in Bali. Tourists flock here for the nightlife, shopping, and dining. The hustle and bustle made Seminyak my least favorite of the three that we visited. The city was very saturated with cars, motorbikes, tourists and tourists on motorbikes. Starting our adventure in quieter areas, made Seminyak seem very noisy. The noise level also had a lot to do with the taxis’ honking at tourists to let them know they are available for service, versus the tourist trying to flag down a taxi. The honking can get annoying when you’re walking around. I would recommend starting your stay here first, so that the rest of your trip is a bit more peaceful. On a positive note, Seminyak had many unique cafes and adorable boutiques. The perfect place to shop for items you may have forgotten to pack, or bring back home.
WHERE WE STAYED: Seminyak is packed with beautiful AirBnb’s with an open terrace and a pool. You can find a beautiful villa for less than $100 a night. Our was located in a quiet neighborhood and a good walk to the main streets. Our villa was very beautifully decorated with all white and macrame details. The pool was surrounded by plants and shaded by a tree. The three rooms were all spacious and two came with a private bathroom. The common area was an open patio attached to a small kitchen. There were menus where local businesses could deliver food to your door. The atmosphere was lovely and relaxing.
WHERE TO EAT: Seminyak has what seems like a million places to eat. I found a lot of places through Pinterest, that I saved all here. Because of our short stay, we only were able to visit a couple of places, but here is my list of locations I kept in my back pocket.
Sister Fields is a must for breakfast and the wait is definitely worth it. Right next door is a Sibling Espresso Bar. We grabbed a coffee and waited until our table was ready. The decor is very minimal with a lot of plants. The bathroom is a long pink hallway with fun quote in each bathroom on the mirror. The food was, again, delicious! The portions were big enough to share and the options made it very difficult to choose what to pick. Ultimately I ordered an affogato and eggs benedict. Everyones plate looked amazing as we “ooo’d and ahh’d” when the food came out.
Motel Mexicola has an incredible vibe and the decor was fun. Everything had a Mexican flare, from the decor to the food. It almost felt like one of the over the top clubs in Cabo. The food and drinks however were a rip off. The quality of the food was poor, and the drinks were made with cheap alcohol that you could barely taste if you order a mixed drink. The bill was insanely high for what we ordered, appetizers and a few drinks, especially when compared to what we were paying through out our trip for food and drinks. The dancing and the atmosphere was a lot of fun, just be sure to eat and drink before hand if you choose to check this place out.
These are all the places I had on a list to check out, which we ultimately didn’t have time for. From blog post to Youtube, these places were all highly recommended from other sources.
Wacko Burger || Mamasan Bali || Cafe Organic Bali || Naughty Naui || Barbacoa || Kaum || The Junction House Bali || La Plancha || Kynd || Kim Soo || Nalu Bowls Shelter || Revolver Espresso || Coffee Cartel || Potato Head Beach Club || Boss Man
WHERE TO GO: Beach clubs and bars are the thing to do here, but we took it easy, I think mainly because we were pooped out from all the exploring we did in the other locations. The main event we did, that Ketut recommended was a temple located in the ocean, Tanah Lot. In order to get to Tanah Lot you need to walk through aisles and aisles of shops and tents, a great opportunity to get last min souvenirs. The temple is surrounded by water, especially during high tide. Be prepared to get wet! The water is clear and felt so refreshing in the heat. In the cave there are men that will bless you and place rice on your forehead.. For a small donation of course. The temple is small, with not a lot of exploring to do but you can take your time and sit while enjoying the sounds of the ocean. From here Ketut took us to another beach, where my friends were able to get a drink at a local beach club, I on the other hand went down to the water and walked along the sand. I found some beautiful shells and pieces of dead reef to bring home. It was a great way to end this adventure in Bali and start our way back home.
