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Seminyak Travel Guide

Seminyak Travel

Seminyak is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Bali. People gravitate here for that little bit of luxury and relaxation that lacks in its neighbours Kuta and Legian. Think boutique shopping, luxury spas, a range of dining options, and beach bars.

It has a huge variety of shops, including boutique clothing stores, furniture stores, markets and art galleries. There is something to suit everyone’s taste of food, with local warungs and fine dining, and a variety of international cuisines.

Seminyak is buzzing with people and things to do. You could easily spend an entire day at the beach. Or getting Balinese massages and other spa treatments. Or shopping. Or eating. Or a little bit of all the above. We particularly love Seminyak’s breakfast and brunch offerings.

One thing you shouldn’t miss is watching a beautiful sunset either on the beach or at one of the many beach bars. Seminyak has something for everyone, but we would definitely recommend combining your trip to Bali with another area. If you’re only in Bali for a short time this area is probably a great base. But if you have longer, venture out to Ubud, Uluwatu, the north of Bali or the east coast.

What’s Nearby? 

Kuta and Legian (walk or taxi). Depending on traffic… Canggu is 20 minutes by taxi. Jimbaran is 30 mins – 1 hr south. Uluwatu is 45 mins – 1 hr south. Ubud is about 1 – 1.5 hrs away. 

Seminyak is just north of Legian and Kuta, so it’s easy to explore these areas into part of your day. You could also head north to Canggu for the delicious food, beaches, or bike rides through the rice terraces (although this is probably best done when staying in Canggu).  Another option is visiting Tanah Lot, a Balinese Temple on the coast. You could do a day trip to Ubud although I think staying there would be much more enjoyable. And then there is always a tasty seafood dinner on the beach in Jimbaran

FEEL // Sophisticated beach vibes.

BEST FOR // Sunsets, Beach Bars, Dining Options, Boutique Shops, Spas.

LOCATION // On Bali’s west coast, Seminyak is just north of Kuta and Legian.

GET THERE // Seminyak is about 30 minutes from the airport, depending on traffic. You can get a taxi from the official airport stand at the airport when you arrive, or arrange a transfer with your hotel. If you’re coming from another area in Bali, you can take a taxi or a private driver if you want to stop off along the way.

GET AROUND // The best way to get around Seminyak when you’re not going far and in the cooler moments is walking. Otherwise, Bluebird taxi’s are the way to go.

THE UGLY TRUTH // If you came to Bali for rice fields and tranquility, it’s still busy and not overly cultural. Traffic can get quite congested.

THE SILVER LINING // Although Seminyak is busy and lacks some culture, you can easily day trip to other areas of Bali, or combine your stay here with a stay in another area of Bali. The food options here are delicious, albeit less local.

ACCOMMODATION // Predominantly mid-range to luxury hotels and villas, although there are definitely budget options too. Read More.

TYPE OF HOLIDAY // Fun, Friends, Family, Couples, Luxury, Romantic, Honeymoons

READ MORE // Find all of our Seminyak Blog Posts here.

A Day In Seminyak

Morning: Enjoy breakfast in one of the many delicious cafes in Seminyak. Relax, explore the streets or do some shopping.

Lunch: Try Warung Sulawesi for some casual Indonesian food or Watercress for a less touristy/more expat-y feel with delicious food.

Afternoon: Relax and unwind at the beach.

Sunset: Have a cocktail whilst watching a beautiful Balinese sunset at one of Seminyak’s beach clubs or bars.

Dinner: Splurge on a nice dinner at one of Seminyak’s best restaurants. One of our favourites which will also give you a taste of Indonesian food is Merah Putih.

26 Comments

  1. Hi Mandy and Chris,

    I am going to a yoga retreat in Tejakula at the end of August, I will be travelling alone, can you suggest anywhere in Ubud for 2 nights before,

    and maybe somewhere on the beaches Seminyak/Canggu area for 2 nights at the end,

    Thankyou Karen

    1. Hi Karen thanks for your comment and hope you’re looking forward to your trip :)
      There are some incredible places to stay in Ubud, all of our favourites are: https://almostlanding-bali.com/ubud-accommodation-guide-where-to-stay-in-ubud/
      Our picks for Canggu are: https://almostlanding-bali.com/where-to-stay-in-canggu/ and our picks for Seminyak are: https://almostlanding-bali.com/seminyak-accommodation-guide-stay-seminyak/
      Hope this helps! Have a great time in Bali :)

  2. Hi guys, really enjoy the blog! We are 3 girlfriends in our mid thirties going to Bali on the 19th of March. We are arriving the night late and then plan to fly to Lombok and stay in Kuta for 5 nights. We will do a day trip to Gili and surrounding islands. Do you think 5 nights is too long? We will then move on to Ubud for 4 nights and then Seminyak for 3 nights. Would you change anything? Looking forward to your advice! Best, Christelle

    1. Hi Christelle, thanks for your comment :) It depends, you could always stay on a Gili island for a couple of nights if you’re not sure about 5 nights in Kuta Lombok. It depends how active you plan to be and want to be. To do a day trip from Kuta to the Gilis, it’s a long-ish drive then boat then the same to get back. It will be a long day. Other than deciding between day trip or staying in the Gili’s (we would stay rather than day trip), you have picked a great few spots and sure you and your girlfriends will have a great couple of weeks!

  3. i trvel bali with family for 7days
    i book hotel in semiyak for for days for ubud water activity and uluvatu temple tour
    last 2 days can we go for 1 night stay at lamboagn or syay in nusa dua and day tripe to nusa penida
    which is better nusa penida or nusa lanboang

    1. Hi Vipul,
      Looks like your trip will be quite busy! Some great places to visit though :)
      If it were up to us we would stay the night on Lembongan rather than just doing a day trip to Penida. That said, both islands are beautiful and you will enjoy either choice! Have a great time with the family :)

  4. Hi Mandy and Chris,

    We love your website. Great info. We will be in Bali in October for 9 days for our honeymoon. The first 3 days in Nusa Dua and the next 3 in Ubud. The last 3 days we want to be on a nice beach (trash free). Somewhere that has some nightlife (nothing too crazy), great food, and nearby outdoor activities. We’re looking into spending around $200 USD/night for hotel. I’ve been looking into Seminyak, Sanur, and Nusa Lembongan. All have pros and cons. We are having a hard time deciding! We are also open to any other places you may suggest. Thanks so much.

    1. Hi Shem, thanks for the comment, so excited for your honeymoon :) The plan sounds good (Nusa Dua and Ubud). I would say perhaps Seminyak may be your option. Both Sanur and Nusa Lembongan are great but if you are after nightlife and food, in particular, then Seminyak is in front. Seminyak beach is not the best beach in Bali, but it is not bad either and has a really great atmosphere, especially at sunset. It can be really nice on its day, but sometimes, depending on weather/currents etc can have some trash, but generally is ok. There are some nice hotels in your price range too.

      Some Seminyak Accommodation Ideas:
      https://almostlanding-bali.com/seminyak-accommodation-guide-stay-seminyak/

      To see some of Bali’s best beaches perhaps visit the Bukit Peninsular/Uluwatu area or Pandawa Beach whilst you stay in Nusa Dua.

      These are our favourite Bali Beaches
      https://almostlanding-bali.com/bali-beaches/

      Hope this helps :)

  5. I just discovered your blog and all I have to say is great timing! I leaving for Bali in six hours and your website has been so helpful!

  6. Hi
    Really enjoying your great blog!!
    My husband two daughters and a son in law are going to Bali , Seminyak next week for 14 days…. You have given us lots of ideas thanks
    If we take a tour up to Ubud or up in the hills is it safe to eat at most restaurants ?

    1. Hi Carmel,
      Thanks so much! Ubud is full of great restaurants, so you won’t have any trouble there. As for stopping along the way, if you are going with a private driver, he should know some good warungs and restaurants to stop off at. We have never really had any trouble in Bali :) Have a great trip!

  7. I’ll be heading to Bali for the first time for a get away with my girlfriend and your recommendation of U Paasha Seminyak Hotel seems pretty good. Do you have other recommendation of similar price range as U Paasha?

    1. Hi Ben, we loved U Paasha, especially the 24hr check-in/check out (so if you check in at midnight, you can check out at midnight). Other options are Courtyard By Marriott in Seminyak, which we just stayed at and loved. Otherwise there is the IZE hotel, in similar location to U Paasha, that looks good but we’ve never stayed there.

      Have a great time in Bali :)

  8. Hi guys,
    Great blog!
    We are going to Bali for 18 days next summer, but I am unsure of where to start the vacation and in which order to travel.
    We want to experience the culture, food, snorkeling and adventure (trekking, rafting etc)

    I was thinking of something like this:
    Seminyak (7 days)
    Gili T (3 days)
    Ubud (6 days)
    Amed (2 days)

    Any thoughts? would you reccommend other places? or more/less days in some places? We are not Beach “people”, but would like to to do some surfing and snorkeling.

    Thank you! :)

    1. Thanks Jeanette, how exciting sounds like a great plan. Only minor things, Amed is known for good diving, but as you only mentioned snorkelling and there will be plenty of this on Gili T, it might not be worth the extra drive for 2 days in Amed, although it will give you a different look at Bali. Amed is also a little far from the Airport, if you had an early flight I wouldn’t finish here. When in Seminyak, I’d try and venture to Canggu for some surfing. Otherwise all looks great, even if you didn’t change a thing :) Have a great time in Bali!
      Mandy and Chris

  9. Thanks for this excellent site – we’re heading to Bali soon on business (mixed with some down-time) and are loving all the great tips. Very practical and insightful!

  10. hi,
    we are going to bali next week. It´s our honeymoon and we are quit not sure if the the anantara seminyak resort is the right hotel for a honeymoon.
    i really like the style of the hotel and the near to the beach. but what about the pool? is it big enough to swim if swimming in the ocean is not allowed?
    what hotel would you prefer for a honeymoon. is seminyak the right spot?
    thank you very much for your request.
    best regards
    björn

    1. Hi Bjorn,
      We loved our stay at Anantara Seminyak. The rooms are huge and very luxurious, the pool is smaller than some in big resorts, but it’s still great for swimming in. Anantara is a boutique hotel and I think it would be great hotel for a honeymoon :)

      Is Seminyak the right spot? This is a harder question… it depends on so much and is pretty individual. Seminyak is quite touristy, but it also has some amazing restaurants, lot’s of boutique shops, the beach, beautiful hotels etc. What I liked about staying at Anantara is that it was on the beach, which is a little away from the main section of shops/restaurants. Although there is pro’s and con’s of this, I felt much more relaxed at Anantara.
      If you are going for 1 week or more, I’d suggest staying in two locations, e.g. Seminyak and Ubud. That way, you get the beach, food, natural scenery and culture.

      Hope this helps, if you have any more questions let us know.
      Have a fabulous honeymoon and time in Bali :)

  11. Mandy and Chris, your blog is amazing!! Congrats!! we are going to Bali on December for our honeymoon and you guys covered everything that I was looking for!! :)
    Do you have any special tip (a really romantic spot or a romantic restaurant.. anything that would suit honeymooners?) it would be great to hear it…
    Thank you very much!

    1. Hi Lais,

      Thanks so much, so happy to hear that!

      In terms of Romantic restaurants, here’s a few:

      Seminyak: Merah Putih, Breeze at Samaya, Metis, Chandi
      Ubud: Locavore (must book)
      Jimbaran: Cuca (one of our faves), seafood dinner on the beach, Rock Bar for sunset cocktails
      Uluwatu: Some beautiful restaurants at hotels in Uluwatu
      Nusa Dua: Bumbu Bali, Magnifique Brunch at Sofitel

      For things to do try a luxury spa or some of the many beautiful places to watch a Bali sunset… we should have a post coming up soon on this :)
      Spending the night on Nusa Lembongan is amazing or going to one of the beautiful beaches in Bali’s south like Bingin, Padang Padang, Pandawa.

      Hope this helps, if you have any other questions let us know.
      Have a fabulous honeymoon in Bali :)

  12. Mandy and Chris, your website is great! It saved me a lot of time in researching Bali. I’ll definitely recommend every friend to browse the website before going to Bali! I love your travel guides, brief and to the point.

  13. Hi! Your blog has saved me! My partner and I are traveling to Bali on Wednesday for my first visit, not his, and this has covered so many of my questions!! Thanks a million! :-)

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