Keabe Mautla
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Travel | Seminyak, Bali

After a week's stay in Ubud, I headed south for a week in Seminyak. I immediately felt like I had just landed on another island. Seminyak is fast paced, flashy and very dynamic compared to Ubud's relaxed atmosphere. It’s the energetic sister which never sleeps. I had spent a week immersing myself in Bali’s traditions. I was excited to spend hours relaxing on the beach, sipping on cocktails and partaking in a little retail therapy. My one and only plan was to spend the week eating my way through Seminyak and practicing “la dolce far niente”. The art of doing nothing.

KeabeMautlaxADW

In Seminyak, I stayed in a small, boutique hotel called the L Hotel. L Hotel is a few minutes walk from Seminyak’s main street which is home to popular beach clubs like the Potato Head and Woo Bar at the W Hotel. Although the hotel was small and quaint, there were a few luxury frills which made my stay there so enjoyable. Each floor had a dedicated butler who’s purpose is to take care of guests' requests at a touch of a button. Restaurant reservations, booking activities, directions to a beach club, organizing a cab, recommendations … nothing was a task too large or small to organize and they were available 24/7. I could contact my butler from wherever I was in Bali because I was given a cellphone when I checked in. I thought this was so useful, especially since I was traveling alone. If I got stuck somewhere and had no idea how to get back to my hotel I could always be in contact with someone to help organize a taxi. Every evening the pillow menu was left on my bed so I could choose which pillow I wanted to sleep on as well as a cute bedtime story to send me off into la la land. The hotel staff was very helpful and so friendly that it made me feel at home. It's the small details which made my stay so enjoyable. When I returned in the evening of my first night's stay, I found a goldfish in my room to keep me company as a solo traveler. I didn’t have to feed it (hello, that's what butlers are there for)  but it was a cute gesture to stop me from feeling lonely. Not that one could ever feel lonely in Seminyak. I thoroughly enjoyed my stay at L Hotel and was really happy to call this chic little gem home for a few days.

With The L Hotel as my base camp, I ventured out into Seminyak and explored different cuisines, lazed around on the beach and ordered countless cocktails while appreciating Bali’s golden sunset from different vantage points. Below are the places, restaurants, stores and beach clubs which stood out for me.

Best Breakfast | Sisterfields  
Open from 7 am - 10 pm, Sisterfields is a modern Australian restaurant which serves some of the most delicious food I’ve ever tasted. The decor is light and minimal with a large marble bar table to sit at to enjoy a cup of coffee. You can also sink into a couch and enjoy a boozy brunch with interesting combinations. Think brioche french toast served with custard and banana and yoghurt sorbet, acai berry bowls and spicy breakfast burritos. My favorite thing on the menu was their blueberry and ricotta pancake with pistachio and pumpkin seeds. Sisterfields is lively, always busy (I happened to stop by for breakfast and dinner on one day and it was bustling at both times) and everything I tasted was simply amazing!
Best Beachclub | The Potato Head
I had my whole itinerary planned out for my week in Seminyak when I decided to take a walk on the beach on my first day and happened to stumble on The Potato Head. I had planned to only visit on my third day but I ended up stopping by for a drink and meal more than once during my stay. With it's antique, mismatched window shutter wall, the lure of The Potato Head is impossible to ignore. You think beach club and you imagine a small, informal bar along the beach serving snacks and cocktails. No. The Potato Head is more like a double story building housing 2 restaurants, 3 bars, an infinity pool and large garden area all overlooking the ocean. It’s large, it’s lavish and a new word needs to be created to describe it because “beach club” simply doesn’t cut it.
Best Homeware Store | Kim Soo Cafe
Kim Soo is a contemporary homeware and design store which is difficult to box. They manage to strike this perfect balance between minimal modern and traditional which left me wanting to take home a large majority of the items available. Kim Soo sources products from all across the Indonesian Archipelago, as well as designing and manufacturing their own unique pieces. Wood, metal, textiles, stone, grass and paper are centre stage to produce a diverse range of beautifully crafted and interesting products. Not only are the products amazing, the actual is store is so beautiful you simply don’t want to leave. Kim Soo is not just a store but an environment which takes you on a sensory journey. Kim Soo Cafe is an extension of Kim Soo, which offers a living experience of the Kim Soo product range. Frequented by a more mature crowd, Kim Soo Cafe is the perfect spot to read a book while you enjoy a slice of cake and sip on a freshly made fruit and veggie juice. The menu is small and simple so they’re able to focus on every plate and bring you delicious, generous meals bursting with flavor. I’m obsessed with Kim Soo!
Best Snack | Dough Darlings
I generally don’t like donuts, they’re too sweet and oily for me, but I walked past Dough Darlings one day and the cute store beckoned me inside. The staff is friendly and inviting and I ended up leaving with 2 donuts to eat in my hotel room which was a few steps away. I’m always one to try something new out but who would’ve known I would be back to try out more gourmet donuts. They’re so good, tasty and are available in an array of interesting flavors. They have the usual traditional glazed and cinnamon donuts, but they also have flavors for the more experimental. New York cheesecake, salted caramel almond and Taro ganache and Oreo. Or take it even further and order something from the plating menu like salmon and cheese, bacon or mango and passionfruit. Yes! I’m still talking about donuts here! They were a little on the pricey side but so worth it because they were absolutely delicious. My favorite flavor? Mozzarella!
Best Vibe | Woo Bar @ W Hotel
I spent a day beach club hopping and ended up at The Woo Bar at the W Hotel. By day I lazed around on a sunbed and read. Around 4 pm the place comes alive as the sun begins to set and chilled, eclectic beats start to play. Between 4 pm - 6 pm you get to indulge in a 2 for 1 cocktail special and you get a complimentary pizza with every order. Families and kids playing in the pool make way for a more vibrant, hip crowd who have come out to enjoy good music and great beats. Culoe de Song was scheduled to perform a few days after I left. It’s a pity I missed out.
It's not hard to find a spot to view Bali’s beautiful sunset. Just stand out on the beach and it’s enough to take your breath away, so while doing a little research I noticed a few publications (including CNN and The New York Times) heralding Rock Bar at Ayana Resort as one of the best bars in Bali. I knew I had to see what the fuss was all about. Located on the coastline, Rock Bar is perched 14 meters above the ocean at the base of Ayana’s towering cliffs. I heard it gets full so I decided to head to Ayana Resort in the afternoon well before sunset. In hindsight, I should have waited until later in the afternoon because
  1. It gets really hot. You are outdoors, basically sitting on the side of a cliff with nothing to shield the sun's rays. Waiters give you an umbrella to sit under, but that also made me feel like I was in a little black, very hot igloo. (The juxtaposition is not lost on me)
  2. Only guests staying at Ayana Resort get to enter the hanging bar area with tables and chairs. As day visitors we had to sit along the long, bar table on the cliff side, even though the bar area wasn’t full.
  3. The food was expensive and tasteless and so the drinks tasted watered down. I felt like I was paying a premium for the views rather than for my food and drinks. I didn’t enjoy anything I had and the portions were ridiculously small.
The views are unparalleled and I would do it again but I would definitely go later in the afternoon, stay just for sunset then visit a more reasonably priced restaurant on Jimbaran Beach for a seafood feast.
Best sunset view, worst bar.
Best Resortwear | Daun & Co
Bali’s fashion is characterized by printed dresses, linens and crocheted bohemian style island wear. That’s not me. Seminyak is brimming with stores selling clothes, but I could only find 3 which really appealed to me. Kim Soo (mentioned above), Paulina Katarina (I'm wearing a jumpsuit from PK here and romper here) and Daun & Co. Daun & Co is a small boutique style store which sells simple, light weight clothes perfect for Bali’s humid temperature. The fabrics used are luxurious and the cuts make for comfortable, stylish island wear.
They make maxi dresses in basic hues which you can wear in multiple ways, skirts which billow in the breeze, flowy tops, lightweight shorts and shoes, and accessories made using natural materials. Items from Daun & Co are timeless, elegant and sexy.
KeabeMautlaxADW
KeabeMautlaxADW

Whittling down my Bali highlights to a list short enough to share on my blog was hard. There are so many beautiful places to visit and so many interesting things to do. Think of this as a taste. I would absolutely recommend this a destination for someone looking to get away for a while and see myself booking another trip in the future.

KeabeMautlaxADW
Hat | Kim Soo
Kimono | Kim Soo
Bikini | Cotton On (old)
Sandals | Country Road (old)
KeabeMautlaxADW

Photographs of Me | ADW Photography

Location |Melasti Beach

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4 Comments

  1. Kef_T!na
    May 22, 2017 / 3:10 PM

    Greatly appreciative of the tips. Love em all. Looking stunning as usual babe.

    • Keabe Mautla
      Author
      June 7, 2017 / 6:28 PM

      Thank you! I’m glad you like my tips!!

  2. Anele
    December 5, 2017 / 3:58 PM

    Hi , I just discovered your blog just today, and I must say pretty insightful ….I would appreciate an approximation of prices especially on the hotels, pretty please. Thanks

    • Keabe Mautla
      Author
      December 5, 2017 / 9:03 PM

      Hi Anele,

      Thank you!
      In Ubud I paid around 9mil IDR for 6 night’s stay at the resort. That’s just below R9000.
      At the L Hotel in Seminyak I paid less than 7mil IDR which is less than R7000 for 7 night’s stay. I did book late so I think had I planned my trip in advance I could have got even better prices. I hope that helps!