Luna Beach Club was big news in Bali about a year ago when it opened. The press hailed at as the next big thing, and there was plenty of international coverage of this club.
Its strange location out beyond Canggu, however, means that not everyone has made it out to Luna due to the long journey times.
So, our team was keen to find out if Luna would live up to the early hype or whether it was all a bit of a flash in the pan.
So, they grabbed their notebooks, hailed Grabs and Gojeks and took the arduous ride out to Luna to find out. And this is what they discovered.
Introduction – Getting To Luna Beach Club Bali
For most Bali beach clubs, the hard part is going to be getting to Bali, which means a short-ish flight from most of Australia and Southeast Asia, but a longer flight from anywhere else in the world.
We always take heart in that North American and European visitors can easily afford to pay for a business class flight with the savings they’ll make here in paradise compared to Ibiza or Miami, Tulum or Mykonos.
However, in Luna’s case, getting to Bali is half the battle. The club is, quite frankly, a long way from where most tourists on the island opt to stay, and it’s on the far side of some of the busiest parts of Bali.
That means a long drive, thanks to Bali’s traffic and narrow roads, and it could take an hour or more from Canggu and even longer from places like Kuta, Jimbaran, Uluwatu, Ubud, etc.
There is plenty of parking when you arrive on the site, but even that’s not the end of the journey; you then have to arrange a ride from the car park to the beach club entrance. This is charged for as part of the entrance fee to the Nuanu Creative City.
If that sounds exhausting, just wait until you try it, and it’s one of the reasons that we think Luna isn’t quite as desirable as the press made it out to be.
Where Is Luna Beach Club Bali? Luna Beach Club and Utopia Cave Club, Jl. Kayangan, Beraban, Kec. Kediri, Kabupaten Tabanan, Bali 82121, Indonesia
Online: Luna
Opening Hours: Open daily, every day except for Nyepi (an annual holiday in Bali which takes place on a single day in either March or April), from 10 a.m. to 12 midnight.
What’s Available At Luna Beach Club Bali?
Luna Beach Club is an interesting complex, and there is more than one venue accessible inside. There’s the main beach club, then the Utopia Cave Club, the Luna Beer Garden, the Gardenia Pods and Restaurant 360.
There are a number of pools within the area that you can use, but there’s no central pool feature, unlike at most beach clubs, which definitely has an impact on socialising within this venue.
There’s a huge sculpture in the centre of the club known as Luna Rising (it’s a celestial image made in steel), and the bamboo architecture was very popular with the press coverage when the club first opened.
It’s also in an area of attractive green landscaping, which helps to set it apart from some of the more central clubs.
Our Detailed Review Of Luna Beach Club Bali
We adhere to a standardised method for assessing every beach club to ensure impartial evaluation of owners, management, and staff, and to provide reviews in a uniform format that simplifies comparisons across venues.
The assessment process is described as follows:
- A team is designated to review the venue.
- Each member must visit the beach club, with the flexibility to do so independently and on separate days.
- During their visit, every reviewer completes a scorecard, rating the club from 1 (least exceptional) to 5 (most exceptional) in specified categories, while also recording their impressions.
- After all team members have submitted their scorecards, they gather to discuss their observations and determine final scores for each category.
- A selected team member then writes the review, incorporating the team’s discussions and final scores, before it is shared on our website.
Reservation and Booking Process
Less is more. But in Luna’s booking system, it always feels like there’s just more and more and more. A booking process should be simple: log on, pick your date, pick your seat, pay the deposit and be gone.
Not find yourself having to choose between different venues, and you should be able to pick your exact seat, not just a type of seating. So, the process is both confusing and frustrating.
This seems daft when you consider that it’s already a struggle to get people to go out to Luna in the first place, so why make it hard to book?
On the bright side, they allow walk-ins at Luna and given that it’s almost never busy (except at the height of peak season), you probably don’t need to book at all for most of the year.
We also have to note that Luna has run special events in the past with the promise of free entry based on tickets reserved in their system.
Then, when people have arrived at the beach club, they’ve been forced to pay to get in and agree to a minimum spend, which we don’t like much at all.
Ambience and Atmosphere
You can feel the potential in the air at Luna, but it all too often gets lost. This beach club was designed to be busy and popular, and if it were, we could imagine it would be buzzing.
But the location means that all too often, there aren’t all that many people at Luna, and it feels a little lonely in there much of the time.
The failure to use a central pool as a focus for the club makes this worse, as if you’re in the wrong section, you can feel completely cut off from the rest of the people in the club.
When crowds do turn up, it’s a lot of fun, but the big events that draw people out to this location are few and far between.
Location And Accessibility
It must have felt like forward thinking to build a beach club in the middle of nowhere, given that Bali’s popular tourist districts have been slowly making their way down the coast.
Unfortunately, Kediri, Tabanan has never really taken off, and despite being billed as the “next Canggu”, it hasn’t proven to be so far.
That means most people stay at a fair distance from this club, and then Bali traffic makes it even harder to get to.
Overall, we can’t think of a club that’s in a worse location in Bali. The club compounds this problem by sometimes charging people for rides from their car park to the front door.
And if you arrive by Grab or Gojek, then you will need to walk a long way from the club to get a ride home or pay for the taxi mafia here to take you back.
Aesthetic And Design
There’s no doubt that the design of Luna is first-rate. The whole “creative city” idea is a work of art, and the bamboo architecture, big statue and cave club, etc., are all very attractive.
If you want a spot for some nice Instagram snaps, Luna is a good place for it. Also, given that they don’t have huge volumes of people, it can be easy to get the perfect shot without annoying other people.
We do find that their failure to make the sunset accessible throughout the club is a bit odd, though. Yes, there’s a viewing platform, but given that sunset is the big highlight of a holiday in Bali and very much a natural gift to any beach club on this coast, it’s not quite enough.
There’s also the question of the lack of a central pool area, it leaves all the daybeds facing a fairly ugly DJ booth.
Staff Friendliness and Professionalism (Service Standard)
The staff aren’t unfriendly or unprofessional (most of the time) at Luna, but they aren’t all that great either.
There’s something very much “bare minimum” about the effort they seem to put into things, and we definitely encountered some minor hiccups with the service.
We should also note that other customers have reported much worse behaviour, and in one infamous instance, it appears that a waiter opened someone’s beer bottle using their teeth!
Service Speed and Efficiency
The service is OK at Luna. It’s not so slow that you’re going to spend your afternoon crying about it, but you will find that there are moments when you’re waiting longer than seems reasonable, particularly for a drink.
It won’t ruin your day, but you’d think a place that is so rarely packed out could be better at the little things that magnify the guest experience and bring people back.
It’s hot here in Bali; nobody should be waiting for what feels like forever for a cold beer.
Food Quality and Variety
The food was OK. We didn’t find anything that really wowed our review team on the menu, but nor did we find anything that appalled us.
We did think the variety of options was reasonable, though it’s all a bit gastropub rather than truly upscale.
The prices are pretty high, though, particularly when you consider that this beach club can’t be carrying the same level of overhead as those in the busier towns.
Beverage Selection and Creativity
There is a decent selection of drinks on the menu, and we doubt that you’ll be bored with what you get in Luna in terms of visual appeal.
However, we did think the cocktails were a bit understrength, and given their premium pricing, we really expected a bit more.
Cleanliness and Hygiene
In the main, Luna is clean, and the pools, showers, toilets and other important areas appeared to be very clean.
But we did witness occasional lapses in hygiene from the wait staff, and while we don’t think they were life-threatening, we’d hope that training will address this in the future.
Comfort of Seating and Lounging Areas
The furniture in Luna is OK. It’s comfortable enough for a bit of lounging around, but we don’t think we’d want to stay in one spot for the whole day and the evening too.
Music and Entertainment
This is a real missed opportunity for Luna, leaving it until sunset or later to bring out your DJs leaves this club with a flat atmosphere in the day that could be much higher energy.
We also felt that the DJs in the evening weren’t that great and certainly didn’t reflect the ambitions of this beach club.
Seasonality
This is Bali, and that means almost no seasonality. There are only two seasons in this part of the tropics, and they are both mainly warm and sunny.
There is no beach club shutdown in Bali except for a single day, Nyepi, the Balinese festival of silence, which is a mandatory holiday that takes place in either March or April each year.
Pricing and Value for Money
We feel Luna’s a bit more expensive than it ought to be for a club that’s not very well situated and should be operating at a lower overhead than the other beach clubs.
Having said that, it’s not extortionately priced, and it’s still much cheaper than beach clubs in the rest of the world. It’s just expensive for Bali.
Beach Access and Quality
There is beach access at Luna, though we’ve heard some complaints of people being refused re-entry for visiting the beach at this beach club.
The beach itself is pleasant and relatively clean, though oddly, not quite as clean as some of the more popular beaches, as only Luna has a clean-up squad on the beach here.
The sunset is good on this side of the island. That’s a nice perk, but unfortunately, it really needs to be witnessed from the viewing platform in Luna, as much of the rest of the club obscures the view.
Sustainability Practices
Luna has worked hard to incorporate sustainable elements into the design and aesthetic of the club, but it has no firm commitments in this area and no sustainability reporting.
It’s a good start, but they need to do more for the island and the community that they serve.
Exclusive Perks for Guests
Assuming that you’ve agreed on a minimum spend, you can use a daybed and a towel for free at Luna.
But that’s about it, it’s very much the standard for beach clubs in Bali, and really, we’d like to see more effort put into offering VIP and premier inclusions for a little extra money.
Safety and Security
We were happy to see that there was a bag check at the door of Luna, and we think that helps to keep the club safe and Bali too.
There are also enough security crew on hand in the venue to ensure that any minor incident remains minor and doesn’t escalate.
However, the area is isolated and there’s very little security presence in the car park where you can’t get a ride share to go home.
Event Hosting Capabilities
They have a special event hosting area at Luna, which can handle small to medium-sized events. But you can’t buy out the beach club as a whole.
We think that’s probably for the best. Imagine how mad their guests would be if they drove all the way out to the middle of nowhere to find the place closed for some corporate event?
It’s not like there’s an alternative beach club nearby.
Consistency of Experience
The experience at Luna is one of the most varied in Bali. If the place is busy, you may be in for a day of wild partying and social fun.
If it’s not, you might be sitting there feeling like a lonely lemon away from the few other occupants of the daybeds that day.
And while Luna does seem to try out new ideas every now and again, it never seems to put enough effort into them for them to bring about lasting improvements to the beach club.
Additional Amenities and Facilities
While Luna does have all the basic amenities that you’d expect in a beach club, this club really is in the middle of nowhere.
That means if you want anything that they don’t have you’re going to have to leave, take a ride back to the car park, take a drive to wherever you need to be (in the Bali traffic) and then, if you are in the mood to return to Luna – you’re going to have to pay to get back in and agree to a minimum spend again for a decent seat.
Summary
Luna gets a respectable score, which keeps it just outside of our top 20 beach clubs in Bali. We feel that’s fair enough, too.
While overall, it’s a decent experience at Luna, there are some red flags, particularly around promotional events, that should have people thinking twice about whether they want to go out this far.
And it’s just too long a drive to get to Luna when there are a lot of other beach clubs in Bali that are closer to you and which offer at least as good an experience.
FAQs
Can You Go Swimming At Luna Beach Club Bali?
Yes, Luna has more than one pool, and you’re welcome to swim in them. The lagoon swimming pool and infinity edge pool are both designated specifically for swimming, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting a few lengths/laps in at any time of day.
It has to be noted, though, that in common with most beach clubs, you can drink in the pools at Luna, and the crowd here tends to be quite adult.
So, even though children are allowed to use the pools at this beach club, you might want to think twice before you let them. Things can get a bit frisky in the water, particularly later on in the day.
The club also offers direct beach access to Nyanyi Beach, and there is an area there for sunbathing.
You may be tempted to swim in the ocean on this beach, but we’d advise against it. This side of Bali has some pretty fierce currents, and even strong, experienced swimmers have been known to be dragged out to sea here. It’s best to stick to the pools in Luna.
What Is There To Do At Luna Beach Club Bali?
Luna has the usual beach club features, and you can swim, relax by the pool, eat and drink and hang out with friends.
They also have an on-site nightclub and a beer garden, so if you want a more energetic day, you can have one at Luna.
One thing you should be aware of, though, is that this beach club does not allow passouts in any circumstances, so if you leave the beach club, you will need to pay to be readmitted, and you will have to secure a new seat.
Is Luna Beach Club Bali A Child-Friendly Venue?
Luna Beach Club is what we’d consider a semi-child-friendly venue. Children are allowed into the club, but there are restrictions on where they can go, and they are not allowed to use the water slide into the Utopia Cave Club after 3 p.m.
This is because Utopia is an adults-only venue after 3 p.m., and it’s very much not a suitable spot for children to be hanging out.
It’s also important to note that children must always be accompanied in the beach club to ensure that they are safe (there are lifeguards on the pools, but as with all beaches in Bali, there are none on the beach) and to ensure they are not interfering with or upsetting other guests.
We must also point out that this is a very adult crowd at Luna most of the time, and some parents may feel it’s not a suitable environment for their children at any time of day.
Who Is The Owner Of Luna Beach Club Bali?
Luna Beach Club is owned by James Karl Ephraim, an international investor. He has a reputation for working in some of the finest restaurants in this region and has been a long-term resident of Southeast Asia.
Final Thoughts On The Review Of Luna Beach Club Bali
Our team found the artistic design of Luna Beach Club to be quite remarkable, and it certainly looks great when you capture some shots for your Instagram feed.
However, once you get beyond the surface, this beach club has some serious drawbacks, something that might not be too much of an issue if you could just pop in and give it a try, but its isolated location means it’s a long trek to get there and often the experience doesn’t justify the effort you put in.
If you’re staying in Tabanan or even Pererenan, it might be worth visiting Luna to sample what’s on offer, but if you’re closer to Canggu, we’d recommend heading to FINNS instead, which gets pretty much everything right and is better value for money.
That doesn’t mean that Luna can’t improve in the future, and we will be keeping an eye on this beach club to see if it grows into its potential.
