Bali may be synonymous with the beach club scene in 2025, but back when Ku De Ta opened, there wasn’t another beach club on the island.
Today, there are more than 100 beach clubs in this island paradise, and one thing tickled our curiosity more than anything else: could Ku De Ta still hold its own in this new, fresh time?
The review team never needs to be asked twice to visit Bali, and they happily packed their suntan lotion for a day out at Bali’s oldest beach club. And this is what they found there.
Introduction – Getting To Ku De Ta Beach Club
Ku De Ta is on the island paradise of Bali. Bali itself is part of the Republic of Indonesia and the world’s largest archipelago of islands.
So, whether getting to Bali is a short trip or a long-haul flight is going to be down to where you start from. If you’re coming from Australia, then you shouldn’t have too bad a time of things, after all, it’s only a few hours away.
The same is true if you’re coming from most of the rest of Southeast Asia, but travellers from Europe or America will be looking at much longer flights.
The good news is that the cost of those flights can often be easily offset by the fact that Bali is much cheaper than most of the destinations Europeans and Americans usually visit to enjoy beach club experiences.
Once you’re in Bali, then Seminyak is not far from most of the rest of the major destinations on the island or the airport, and it won’t be much more than an hour’s drive to Ku De Ta, no matter where you’re starting from, in most cases.
There is parking onsite, but most people arrive in a ride-share. Given how cheap these services are in Bali, sadly, the onsite parking is a bit limited, and you may have to park at a market nearby if they’ve run out of space.
Ku De Ta is on an attractive strip of beach with excellent positioning for the sunset view, and it’s one of the very few beach clubs in Bali with an entrance directly on the beach, so you can enter this club from the sand.
Where Is Ku De Ta? Jl. Kayu Aya No.9, Seminyak, Kec. Kuta, Kabupaten Badung, Bali, Indonesia
Website: Ku De Ta
Opening Hours: Open daily, every day except for Nyepi – the Balinese day of silence, from 10 a.m. to 12 midnight.
What’s Available At Ku De Ta Beach Club?
There’s a small pool along the oceanfront, a grassy lawn area with seating, and a restaurant and bar area spread over two floors of the building.
The club has a wide variety of seating options that ought to suit every need and most budgetary requirements.
Our Detailed Review For Ku De Ta Beach Club
We always review every beach club in the same way, and that’s because it ensures we’re treating the owners, management and staff fairly and equitably and because it means our reviews always follow the same format, making it easy to compare two places.
That process is as follows:
- A review team is assigned to review the venue. They are all required to visit the venue, but they don’t have to visit as a group or even visit on the same day as each other.
- At the venue, each individual reviewer is required to complete a scorecard ranking the beach club from 1 (worst) to 5 (best) in the categories that are laid out below. They also make notes on their experience at the beach club.
- Once everyone in the team has visited the club and completed their individual reviews, the team meets up to discuss their experiences and to vote on a final grade in each category.
- Finally, a team member is tasked with writing up the review to reflect the discussions with the team and including those final scores. Once this is done, it’s posted on our website.
Reservation and Booking Process
We found ourselves fairly unimpressed with the booking system for Ku De Ta. Sure, they have one, but it’s not really the kind of state-of-the-art experience that we expect in 2025.
You can only book one area of the beach club online, and the daybeds there seat 3 people, which makes booking for regular party sizes a bit of a bother.
They do have other seats, but they’re only available to walk-in guests, which means getting there early or risking not being able to find a seat.
Also, for some reason, the different parts of the booking process at Ku De Ta are actually hosted on different websites, which is annoying and makes you wonder just how secure your data is.
We hear they may have a new booking engine at Ku De Ta soon; it can’t come soon enough for us.
Ambience and Atmosphere
Ku De Ta has worked hard, it says, to create a specific musical backdrop to set the tone for their beach club.
We have to be fair, but we didn’t feel that at all. In fact, we’d say it was pretty forgettable, and while this does give the club a relaxed and friendly vibe, we’d expected more.
If you’re going to bill something as important on your website, it ought to be, or you risk disappointing your guests. We also feel that they might benefit from live DJs all day long rather than piped music for the majority of the day.
Location And Accessibility
Seminyak’s beaches are among the most popular in Bali, and they can get super crowded during the day as people flock to the sand to enjoy the soft sand and view of the ocean.
However, the space around Ku De Ta is kept relatively clear so that the beach club’s customers can enjoy the view too.
Unfortunately, one downside of this part of Seminayk is that because it’s so popular, the traffic can be utterly brutal, which means spending a lot of time in a car.
This isn’t unique to Ku De Ta, it’s a problem that much of Bali faces to some extent but Seminyak and Kuta probably bear the brunt of the worst of Bali’s traffic.
Aesthetic And Design
We found Ku De Ta’s design to be pleasing to the eye, and the club certainly has a unique aesthetic; it’s easily recognisable among the beach clubs on the island and around the world.
The oceanfront pool area is particularly attractive and gives a focal point for much of the club to organise itself around.
However, we also think it’s a little dated. It’s not bad, but it’s been around for a long time, and it might be ready for a visual overhaul of some description.
Though if they do change the place, they still need to make sure they keep the core identity as it would be a shame to lose that.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
This is Bali, and we always expect good service, and that is exactly what we got. The island’s reputation for hospitality didn’t come about by accident; you’re made to feel welcome everywhere you go.
The staff also showed a level of professionalism commensurate with their roles, and overall, the experience of interacting with the staff at Ku De Ta was good.
However, they don’t really stand out from the bigger crowd of beach clubs in Bail either; it’s not exceptional service, just very good service.
Service Speed and Efficiency
We found that our drinks orders and food orders were taken swiftly whenever we sought attention from the staff in the venue.
More importantly, they also brought the drinks and food with reasonable alacrity after the orders had been put in; this is a nice touch given how slow things can be at times in Southeast Asia.
However, one of our team members was left waiting quite a while for the change from paying his bill in cash, and that’s just a little irritating.
Food Quality and Variety
We thought the food was pretty pricey even for an upmarket beach club in Bali, and that’s not a good start. In particular, if you opt to eat breakfast at Ku De Ta, it’s way overpriced.
The menu itself is varied, and there’s no lack of quality in the ingredients, but given the price tags, we were disappointed to find that the portions here are somewhat on the small side when they ought to be generous.
Most of all, while the food we ordered tasted good, nothing was spectacular, and we want to be blown away by the offerings when they’re this pricey. Nothing else will do.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
The drinks menu is as varied as it can be given the odd import market in Indonesia, which dramatically limits the number of beers on offer.
However, there are plenty of wines, spirits and cocktails to take up the slack and a nice mocktail menu too for the non-alcoholic drinkers among you.
The prices are still a little high, but that’s beach club life for you, and they’re not out of line with other beach clubs, unlike with the food.
And the drinks are well mixed, nicely presented and in the case of those with alcohol, more than strong enough to justify the price tag.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
We expect cleanliness and hygiene to be a priority at any venue that serves food and drinks, and we weren’t disappointed by Ku De Ta’s attention to detail in this area.
Not only was the dining area kept clean and well-maintained, but so was the pool area, and the water in the pool might see a lot of people during the course of the day, but it was always clear and pleasant.
The toilets were also in good order, and that’s a big deal as if you’re ever struck with the Bali Belly, you don’t want to find yourself trapped in a place with filthy toilets.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
There’s no doubt that the daybeds are very comfortable at Ku De Ta, and it’s a nice place to spend a whole day chilling with some drinks and waiting for that glorious sunset.
However, the seats in the other areas of Ku De Ta aren’t quite as comfortable, and we’d have appreciated a bit more cushioning.
This may be a deliberate strategy on the venue’s behalf to try and maximise customer throughput, but we weren’t overly impressed.
Music and Entertainment
As we’ve already said, the piped music, which is meant to have been specifically created for maximum impact at Ku De Ta, wasn’t that great.
However, we did attend a couple of DJ sessions here, and they were very good; they know how to get the crowd pumped up and moving, and a good time was had by all.
Overall, they really should put more effort into giving this beach club a distinct musical identity, it’s something that could help them win over a new niche market here on the island.
Seasonality
It’s Bali, and that means there’s next to no seasonality to worry about. This tropical island paradise is lucky enough to have only two seasons: the dry season, which is cooler than the other season, but delightfully warm and sunny all the same.
And the wet season, which still gets 8 hours of sunshine a day on average, and roughly ⅓ of the days even in the wettest months don’t see any rain at all.
However, every business in Bali is obliged to close for Nyepi, the Balinese day of silence, which is a key religious event for the island, and even the airport shuts down for the day, though hotel guests are still allowed to stay in their hotels and use the facilities.
But that’s the only day that they’re ever likely to close at Ku De Ta.
Pricing and Value for Money
While we had a really good time at Ku De Ta, we did find ourselves wondering whether the high prices for the food were really necessary.
Had the portions been bigger, we might have been happier about the final bill. The drinks were fine, though, and overall, we certainly didn’t feel ripped off, just that things could have been even better.
Beach Access and Quality
The direct beach access is nice at Ku De Ta, and Seminyak Beach is a very pleasant stretch of sand, which adds to the overall experience of being at this beach club.
It also has a fabulous view of the sunset over the Indian Ocean, which is very much a privilege of a great day out in Bali.
Sustainability Practices
Ku De Ta definitely makes some effort to be more sustainable. It uses locally sourced produce wherever possible, which helps to reduce transport emissions and to support local farms.
They also make some of their own products like bread and jam, which improves freshness and reduces waste.
However, when compared to other beach clubs on the island like Potato Head and FINNS, they’ve still got a long way to go before they can be considered anything like “sustainable”.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
If you agree to a minimum spend, you get a towel and a daybed, which is very much par for the course in Bali, and we can’t really complain about it.
However, we do feel that beach clubs ought to be making more of an effort to help holidaymakers enjoy VIP perks and privileges in exchange for additional payments.
This is an easy way to increase both customer satisfaction and the beach club’s margins, and there are very few beach clubs that seem to have worked this out.
Safety and Security
We are big believers in safety and security at venues, and we’re pleased to note that in addition to a nice warm welcome at the door, they do put guests through a quick bag check and scan.
This isn’t intrusive and does help to ensure that every day at Ku De Ta is a nice day out. We’d also note that they have plenty of security staff throughout the beach club to help keep any alcohol-related incidents to a minimum.
It’s good to see the beach clubs of Bali prioritising the safety of their guests.
Event Hosting Capabilities
Ku De Ta is happy to host all kinds of events, from intimate moments to grand occasions to corporate events.
They have a full team on hand to help you plan and manage your event, and they can provide bespoke services to ensure your event goes smoothly.
Consistency of Experience
We’ve been to Ku De Ta on a few occasions now, and we find that the experience here is very consistent.
In fact, we might say that it’s too consistent. This beach club has been around for 20 years now, and we don’t feel like they’re evolving their services to take them to the next level.
That’s a shame because we’d like Ku De Ta to be around in 20 years from now too.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
Apart from the pool being a little small, Ku De Ta has all the basic amenities that you need for a great day out by the beach.
However, we would note that there’s not much else on hand for additional amenities and while you can walk to other bars, restaurants, stores, etc. because you’re in Seminyak, that’s not quite the same as having them in-house.
Summary
Ku De Ta is still a great day out in Bali, and while it might not quite have the “Wow!” factor of a venue like FINNS Beach Club, you won’t be disappointed with your time here.
Our only major criticisms are that it might feel a little dated, the food is a touch expensive for what it is, and the club could spend more effort getting that music policy just right.
Overall, though, we like Ku De Ta and even if it’s not our absolute favourite beach club in Bali, it’s more than good enough for us to go back every now and again.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At Ku De Ta Beach Club?
You can swim at Ku De Ta, but we’d advise getting there early in the day if this is important to you.
The pool at Ku De Ta is a bit limited in size, and you may find that once this beach club gets busy, there’s not enough room to swim.
In fact, many beach clubs provide pools more as a places to cool off during the day and to enjoy a cocktail in during the sunset hours rather than as actual swimming spaces.
Overall, we do feel that Ku De Ta could put in a bit of work and improve this facility but given that they’ve been in business for a very long time, now, they may feel that they don’t have to.
What Is There To Do At Ku De Ta Beach Club?
Ku De Ta has a small pool, a nice view of the sunset, a bar and a restaurant and mostly the vibe is chilled-out.
However, while relaxation is usually the name of the game, there are times, when the DJs hit the decks and entertainment, turns up the atmosphere, and you get a party destination rather than a chill-out zone.
Is Ku De Ta Beach Club A Child-Friendly Venue?
Mostly, Ku De Ta is a family-friendly beach club. Children are welcome in most parts of this beach club but are not allowed to enter the second-floor area.
It’s important to note that the music can get pretty loud in some parts of this beach club, and you might want to keep an eye out for your kids being too close to the music; you don’t want them to get hearing damage.
Children must be accompanied by a parent or guardian at all times while they’re in Ku De Ta, so you can’t leave them by the pool and then head off to the second-floor yourselves.
Every Sunday, they have a “kids’ day” which includes activities and games for the little ones.
For those who prefer to stay away from the youngsters, it’s better to go on a different day than a Sunday and indulge in the tunes without an excess of kids running around.
Who Is The Owner Of Ku De Ta Beach Club?
Ku De Ta is owned by a consortium of investors. The mix of investors includes both local and foreign nationals. The head of the consortium is Pak Kadek, who is the majority shareholder and an Indonesian citizen.
They guard the name “Ku De Ta” zealously and have sued (and won) when a club in Singapore tried to emulate their brand.
Final Thoughts On The Review Of Ku De Ta Beach Club
Ku De Ta is no longer the king of Bali’s beach club scene; the crown has definitely been taken by FINNS Beach Club over in Canggu, the world’s best beach club.
However, Ku De Ta is also not a has-been by any measure. After 2 decades in business, they know what their crowd expects and they’re not shy to give it to them.
You can get good food and drinks, luxurious seating and even dance until dawn once the night gets fully underway.
