Bali, According to Me
For the friends. Base yourself in Canggu. Give it 9–10 days.
Bali is one of those places where everyone has a list, everyone has a recommendation, and somehow you can still end up wasting half your trip figuring out where to go.
So this is mine: everything worth knowing, nothing you don’t need.
This was very much a girls’ trip version of Bali — villas, dinners, bars, beach clubs, one very committed Savaya day and enough recovery time built in to make the whole thing enjoyable.
And my first opinion is a strong one:
Stay in Canggu
For the kind of Bali trip I like, I would choose Canggu over Seminyak.
It feels newer, prettier and much more current, and if you stay in the right part of it, so much is genuinely walkable.
Seminyak still has plenty going on, but it feels older and more commercial. Canggu is where I’d personally base myself again.
Where I Stayed
Villa Kina by Umami Villas, Canggu
We stayed here when we were a smaller group and it was genuinely lovely.
It has two bedrooms, it’s close to everything, the service was great, it was spotless, and most importantly: nothing felt shady.
That sounds like an odd criterion until you’ve booked villas online.
Would I stay again? Yes.
Jipsy Villas, Canggu
Jipsy Villas, Canggu
For a bigger group, this was such a good find.
It’s essentially six bedrooms across three interconnected units, so you get a huge amount of space without everyone feeling completely separated.
The interiors are modern, but the real winner is the location.
You can walk to restaurants, clubs and shops, and Finn’s Beach Club is around five minutes away.
For a bachelorette or group trip, this kind of location makes a huge difference because you’re not organising cars every thirty minutes.
Where to Drink
Segno
This was my top bar recommendation.
It has been recognised by Tatler as one of the best bars in Indonesia, and you understand why once you’re there.
The hospitality is exceptional, the cocktails are genuinely good, and the entire experience feels considered without trying too hard.
If you only save one cocktail bar from this guide, save Segno.
The Mail Room
Completely different energy.
This is a tiny speakeasy with a live band, darts and very fun cocktails.
One combination we particularly loved was:
The Mail Room → Shady Pig
Start with cocktails here, then move into the night.
Bali Nightlife: The Actual Weekly Schedule
One thing nobody explains properly before Bali is that nightlife is very day-specific.
You can love a venue and still arrive on completely the wrong night.
So screenshot this.
Monday
Luigi’s Hot Pizza
The island is relatively quiet on Mondays, so I’d keep this one more low-key.
Tuesday
Desa Kitsuné
My favourite night.
Best night of the week, no contest.
Wednesday
Miss Fish
Thursday
Mesa → Shady Pig
And honestly, you can end up back at Miss Fish too.
Friday
Desa Kitsuné
Saturday
Savaya
Always check Savaya’s website beforehand because the experience depends heavily on the lineup.
Which Clubs I Actually Liked
Miss Fish, Shady Pig and Mesa are all basically within the same cluster, which makes the night very easy.
The music leans more towards house and techno, and I personally found this to be the nicer party scene.
Motel Mexicola and La Favela in Seminyak are more established, more commercial and have a much more mixed crowd.
Not bad — just a different type of night.
Closing times worth knowing
Miss Fish — around 5 AM
Shady Pig — around 5 AM
Mesa — around 5 AM
La Favela — around 5 AM
Savaya — around 2 AM
Motel Mexicola — around 1 AM
And make reservations.
Especially for Miss Fish.
WhatsApp works extremely well in Bali and most places reply surprisingly quickly.
The Savaya Day
Savaya is far enough from Canggu that I would not treat it like a casual evening plan.
Make a full day of it.
Our ideal version:
Step 1: Lunch at El Kabron
El Kabron is roughly 15 minutes from Savaya, and the ocean view is ridiculous.
It is genuinely one of those places where the view does most of the talking.
But go early.
The vibe dies down considerably by around 7 PM, so this is very much a lunch / afternoon place rather than somewhere I’d schedule late.
Step 2: Savaya
From there, head straight to Savaya and stay for the party.
And if you’re travelling as a group, this is where I’d very strongly suggest booking the party bus.
It turns what is otherwise a long drive across Bali into part of the day.
Where to Eat
I’m not going to give you a list of 35 Bali restaurants because I don’t think that is useful.
These are the ones I’d actually save.
Brunch
Milk & Madu
Reliable brunch option.
Sisterhood
Another easy breakfast/brunch save.
Dinner
Nude Restaurant
This one is especially convenient because it sits opposite Hand Spa and inside the same general Miss Fish / Shady Pig cluster.
It does burgers and European food, the portions are generous, and there are genuinely good vegetarian options.
A good choice when everyone in a group wants something different.
Mamasan
A more seafood-forward option for dinner.
Sushi
Sushimi
Opposite Hand Spa.
And this was genuinely some of the best sushi I’ve had.
Very easy recommendation.
Hangover Food
Because at some point the green juice has to stop.
Aunty’s
For chole bhature.
Exactly what you need after one of the bigger nights.
Happy Chappy
Another good recovery meal option.
These places become significantly more important around Day 5.
Spa
Hands Spa
My strongest spa recommendation from the trip.
It was genuinely affordable, the service was beautiful, and it was one of those places that felt worth returning to instead of trying a new spa every day for the sake of it.
Also very conveniently located near a lot of the restaurants and nightlife spots we were already visiting.
If You’re Celebrating Something
Bali is especially good for birthdays, bachelorettes and villa celebrations because there are services that essentially bring the entire party to you.
Happy Trackers Party Bus
WhatsApp: +62 823-3320-9699
You can book it for approximately 3–8 hours, and it accommodates up to around 20 people.
There’s:
Karaoke
A bartender onboard
Enough space for the whole group
It was perfect for doing the El Kabron → Savaya route.
You bring your own alcohol.
Bar Nomad
WhatsApp: +62 819-3610-1457
This is such a fun option if you’ve rented a villa.
They basically bring an entire bar setup to you.
Think:
Bartenders
Cocktails
Grazing food
Cake
Decor
Drinking games
Pricing started at roughly ₹40,000 when we looked at it, and you could extend the service by the hour.
Again, alcohol is BYO.
For a bachelorette pool party, this honestly removes so much coordination.
Getting Around Bali
Download Grab
Immediately.
You’ll use it for:
Cars
Bikes
Food delivery
It becomes your Bali lifeline extremely quickly.
We also used private drivers:
Agus
+62 813-3876-4098
Kariana
+62 819-1670-0788
For longer days or routes like Savaya, having a driver is much easier than constantly trying to coordinate individual cars.
Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me
The currency will confuse you
Keep a calculator open.
There are a lot of zeros involved and after a few cocktails everyone suddenly becomes an economist.
Money changers are everywhere and generally easy to find.
Bali is not automatically cheap
Some things are inexpensive.
Some places are properly expensive.
Don't arrive assuming every beach club, dinner and cocktail is going to feel like a bargain.
Canggu and Seminyak feel very different
My shorthand would be:
Canggu: newer, more aesthetic, younger.
Seminyak: older, more commercial.
I’d still visit both, but I’d stay in Canggu.
Shopping is good, not life-changing
There is plenty of aesthetically pleasing shopping and some lovely boutiques.
But I wouldn't build half my itinerary around shopping.
Go when you see something you like. Don't expect Bali to become your global fashion sourcing trip.
My Ideal Bali Rhythm
If I was doing this trip again, I would resist the urge to turn Bali into a checklist.
I’d give myself 9–10 days, base myself in Canggu, pick a couple of genuinely good nights out, dedicate one full day to Savaya, leave plenty of villa time and make reservations around the places I actually care about.
Because the best version of Bali isn't the one where you visited the most places.
It’s the one where everybody came home saying, “We need to do that again.”
Save for later:
Canggu / Girls Trip / 9–10 Days / Eat / Drink / Party / Spa / Stay
