Seminyak Travelers Recommend

Two days in Seminyak gives you time to experience the area’s signature charms: spas, shopping, fine dining, seductive sunsets, and world-class beach clubs. But you’ll also have time for outdoor adventure in Ubud and a sunset over beautiful Tanah Lot Temple. Here’s how.

Day 1: Foodie Fiesta

Morning: Food is a highlight of any Seminyak stay, so start your stay with a Balinese cooking class. Shop for fresh produce at a local market, then mix up fresh roots, herbs, and spices into a fragrant feast. Savor dishes such as sate lilit (aromatic minced seafood satay), Balinese salads, and banana-leaf chicken.

Afternoon: After a stroll down “Oberoi” (Jalan Kayu Aya), Seminyak’s No. 1 shopping street, settle in for a spa splurge. Unwind with a classic Balinese massage; freshen tired skin with upscale esthetics; or indulge in a facial with organic products handmade on the spot. Alternatively, learn the art of massage at an intimate class.

Night: After sunset on Seminyak Beach, take a street-food safari that showcases the different cuisines of Indonesia’s 18,000-odd islands. Sample the spicy, Indian-influenced cooking of Padang; try pan-Indonesian favorites such as bakso (meatball soup) or nasi goreng (fried rice); and don’t miss the archipelago’s unique take on Chinese food.

Day 2: Ubud Excursion

Morning: The highland town of Ubud is Bali’s arts and spirituality capital. Discover its timeless rice-field landscapes, traditional craft villages, tumbling waterfalls, and atmospheric temples on your second morning. Don’t miss the chance to mingle with macaques at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary, capture shots of Tegalalang Rice Terrace, and taste fresh coffee at a plantation.

Afternoon: Still in Ubud, treat yourself to a little adrenaline rush. Capture the Instagram shot of a lifetime as you soar high above the jungle on the Bali Swing; roar through the rice fields on an ATV; or brave the white waters of the Ayung River on an inflatable raft.

Night: Return to the coast to wrap up your stay in style with an Indian Ocean sunset overlooking the stunning sea temple of Tanah Lot. Back in Seminyak, savor contemporary cuisine at a fine-dining restaurant on Petitenget (“Eat Street”), then party the night away at a high-end beach club, such as Potato Head or Ku De Ta.

With three days in Seminyak, you can go beyond the area’s signature charms of spas, boutiques, restaurants, and beach clubs. You’ll also have time to get a taste of Ubud, watch the sun set over Tanah Lot Temple, and head even farther afield, to volcanoes, offshore islands, or timeless water palaces. Here’s how to get the most of three days in Seminyak.

Day 1: Balinese Cuisine and Spa Time

Seminyak is known for its food scene, so start your stay the Balinese way, with a trip to the market and a Balinese cooking course. Grind up fresh roots, herbs, and spices into a flavorsome feast of dishes: Bali-style salad, banana-leaf parcels, fragrant minced seafood satay, and more. Once you’ve eaten the fruits of your labors, check out the stores on “Oberoi” (Jalan Kayu Aya), Bali’s boutique epicenter, then hit a spa for a couple of hours of pure indulgence with a massage, esthetic treatment, or organic facial. Alternatively, take a class in massage or even yoga. Wrap up your first day with a spectacular sunset at Tanah Lot Temple or Uluwatu Temple; at Uluwatu, you can watch a kecak performance and fire dance too.

Day 2: Ubud Adventures

If you’re not planning to stay in Ubud while on Bali, spend your second morning exploring its rice terraces, arts villages, and temples. Get up close and personal with macaques at the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary; learn how coffee is roasted at a plantation; or shop for wood carvings in Mas Village. After lunch overlooking the rice terraces, head to the highland landscapes around Ubud to zip through the paddies on an ATV, race down the Ayung River gorge on a raft, or enjoy one of the area’s tumbling waterfalls. Hit Seminyak Beach in time for an ice-cold beer at sunset, then set out on a street-food safari. With around 18,000 islands, Indonesia’s cuisine is exceptionally diverse. Savor spicy small plates in a classic Padang joint; try Obama’s childhood favorite, bakso (meatball soup); and discover the nation’s distinctive Chinese-Indonesian fusion.

Day 3: Volcano, Snorkeling, or Water Palaces

Devote your third day in Seminyak to discovering the island’s farthest reaches. Rise in the small hours to scale the active volcano Mt. Batur for sunrise, then feast on a breakfast cooked in volcanic steam and lounge in hot springs. Alternatively, discover the underwater world on a snorkeling trip to the island of Nusa Penida, known for the giant mantas that flock to its fast-flowing currents. Instagrammers won’t want to miss the delights of east Bali: the Gates of Heaven at Lempuyang Temple, the Tirta Gangga Water Palace, and perhaps the Ujung Water Palace as well. Back in Seminyak, wrap up your stay with a fine-dining feast on Petitenget (“Eat Street”), then party into the small hours at a beach club such as Potato Head or Ku De Ta.

Bali’s shopping, dining, spa, and nightlife capital, sexy Seminyak runs along the island’s west coast, north of Kuta. One day in Seminyak gives you enough time to sample a spa, soak up a sunset, feast on Indonesian food, and party amid the glitzy beach clubs and high-end hotels on Seminyak Beach. Read on to find out how.

Morning: Culinary Culture

The spices and fragrances of Balinese cuisine are a highlight of any visit to the island of the gods. Discover them with a hands-on cooking class that starts amid the hustle and bustle of an authentic local market. Learn all about the roots, herbs, and spices that make up Bali’s signature spice pastes; master the traditional mortar and pestle; and discover favorites such as sate lilit (minced seafood satay), fried banana, Balinese salads, and banana-leaf chicken. Finally, enjoy the fruits of your labors over a leisurely lunch washed down with coconut water fresh from the shell.

Afternoon: Shopping and Spa

Take a stroll down “Oberoi” (Jalan Kayu Aya), Seminyak’s signature shopping street, to stock up on goodies from surf wear and homewares to indie fashion and silver jewelry. Then settle in for another defining Seminyak experience, a classic Balinese spa. Unwind with a massage, blending international techniques and indigenous oils; enjoy a facial with fresh products made on the spot; or rejuvenate tired skin with a wealth of upscale esthetic treatments. You can even learn the art of massage at a hands-on class. Whatever you choose, no Indonesian spa treatment would be complete without a cup of ginger tea.

Night: Sunset Seduction

Begin your perfect Seminyak night by savoring an Indian Ocean sunset. Head north to Tanah Lot Temple, where rolling waves surround black-lava towers, or south to clifftop Uluwatu Temple, where you can watch a fire dance and kecak performance against the setting sun. Alternatively, keep it local, with an ice-cold beer overlooking Seminyak Beach. Once the lights go down, dress to impress (tropical style). Start the night at one of Seminyak’s elegant fine-dining restaurants, such as Merah Putih or Métis, then party till late at a classic beach club, perhaps Potato Head or Ku De Ta.