LOUNGE LIFE
Twenty years ago, the beachside village
of Seminyak — these days a fashionable
hub of shops, eateries and nightclubs
— was little more than sleepy streets
and rice paddies. “It was a bit on the
coconut-palm side,” says Arthur ‘Arch’
Chondros, the brains behind the now-
legendary restaurant and lounge bar Ku
De Ta. Arch bought a plot of land in the
1990s, and opened Ku De Ta in 2000. The
concept was remarkably simple: sun
lounges overlooking the Indian Ocean,
well-mixed cocktails, tasty international
cuisine and chill-out music. Yet many
will attest that Arch’s vision changed
nightlife not just for Seminyak, but
for Bali as a whole. Tourists and locals
alike now flock to Jalan Laksmana to
enjoy the restaurants and bars that line
the pavement. And beautiful people
descend on the island to be part of Ku
De Ta’s famous house-music parties.BALI FOR HEDONISTS
Forget the dive bars and clubs of Kuta
— you can party in style at these popular
and classy establishments.Unsurprisingly, plenty of other local establishments have
duplicated Ku De Ta’s blueprint, including Potato Head Beach
Club, a Jakarta export known for its quirky style. In Bali, design
whimsy has been injected into an amphitheatre-like Seminyak
space with a soaring wall of colourful antique shutters salvaged
from across Indonesia. There are multiple restaurants and bars
beside an infinity pool and DJ booth, but come sunset, the only
place to be is on the grassy area overlooking the ocean.
In neighbouring Canggu, The Lawn is exactly as it’s named
— a sprawling green expanse with requisite pool and sun
lounges, steps from the sand. There are daybeds by the water
and tables on the deck, and when the live music starts, the
best seat in the house is close to the bar. Finns Beach Club has
also moved into the area, ofering poolside lounges, live tunes
and a stacked menu that will easily see the day away.062 VIRGIN AUSTRALIADECEMBER 2017
CLOCKWISE
FROM TOP LEFT
The sublime setting
of the Ulu Clihouse;
quirky details at
Potato Head Beach
Club; lounge around
at legendary eatery
and bar, Ku De Ta.