Just north of Kuta and Legian is the up-market area of Seminyak, a busy village offering a glimpse of the island\'s growing reputation as a stop on the international jet-set circuit and favoured by Europeans as well as the local \"expat\" community.
Seminyak, only a 15 minute drive from Bali\'s Ngurah Rai International Airport, runs from the trendy Blue Ocean Boulevard across Double Six Road to the restaurants and bars of Dhyana Pura Street. With the combined allure of being close to town and yet far enough away to maintain a semblance of serenity. The famous Oberoi plays host to luxury hotels and fabulous beachfront restaurants and bars, and properties with excellent views. There are plenty of car and motorbike rental places on Jalan Dhyana Pura, plus the usual omnipresent transport tours.
Seminyak is quiet and pleasant, attracting return visitors seeking more peace and seclusion second time around. Many expats with businesses in Bali choose to live here, so the shops and restaurants tend to cater for these more discerning tastes. The further north you go the classier the hotels get, with a particularly exclusive enclave now occupying the fine stretch of shoreline near Pura Petitenget, off Jalan Laksamana. A combination of beautiful beaches, sunsets and rice fields make Seminyak area a perfect place for relaxation. Lifestyle here is peaceful.
Seminyak features some of the most beautiful new resorts, villas and highly rated restaurants in this area (e.g. The Living Room, KuDeTa, Made\'s Warung, Gado Gado, La Lucciola & Warisan). Hotels and Villas in the Seminyak area are set in lush tropical gardens with the luxuriously comfortable rooms and excellent service. Most hotels and villas in this area are designed for privacy with the tropical touch of Bali Architecture all suited for a relaxing island vacation. The extravagant private villas, spacious restaurants and up-market hotels, attract and inspire function organizers.
Along the Seminyak stretch of surf beach, Bali\'s fashionable crowd lives, shops, eats and parties. The shopping in Seminyak is also much better than Legian and Kuta with a variety of crafts, hand made and fashionable items to be found. It has some of the best boutique shopping and restaurants in Bali, offering a diverse range of products that range from artifacts and clothing to gourmet foods. If you enjoy shopping, dining and nightlife then Seminyak is now the place to go.
The Seminyak beach is also popular amongst surfers looking for a less crowded area to surf and to enjoy the sun drenched beach. A quieter more relaxed area, Seminyak is charming and quite chic.
Bars and Clubs
The Gay Scene is becoming more developed, with dedicated gay bars such as Q Bar and Kudos on Jalan Dhyana Pura in Seminyak, and a strong gay presence at other venues on the same road and in the nearby late-night disco Double Six. Most of the other Seminyak clubs attract a good mixed crowd of Indonesians, expats and tourists.
Just north of Kuta and Legian is the up-market area of Seminyak, a busy village offering a glimpse of the island\'s growing reputation as a stop on the international jet-set circuit and favoured by Europeans as well as the local \"expat\" community.
