Gay Bali

[thrillbill]

My Thai BF and I will vacation in Bali soon (April). We are looking for a gay resort/hotel that is close to a few of the gay night spots. We realize Bali is no Bangkok...but what area should we stay in for a gay beach area and some gay dance clubs?

[AMARETTO-old]

Gay friendly place to stay :
http://www.indo.com/hotels/drupadi/
For gay entertainments Diana Pura street is the place to go.
I highly recommend to book your room directly with them.
I personaly know a nice motobike taxi guy in Bali, he will more then happy to assist you while in Bali, contact me if you are interested....

[blueboy]

http://balifriendly.com/

[pong]

there are no danceclubs. But there is dangdut-lets say the indo version of what look thoong is here-but much more sexy.
the what tourists assume to be the gay area is in Seminyak=the upper-north part of the Kuta-Legian-Seminiyak beach area, the furhter north, the fewer loud brash australians and assorted backpackers. Q-bar is for years+more still the best known landmark and m''gay spot''. There are even 2-3 Thai (genuine) restrts around there. If your Thai BF is tipoically Thai fussy about his food-he wont like the Indo fare. There is also the impromptu beach-meeting in the Kuta area after dusk-dont worry, they find you before you will find them.
But Indonesia's real gems are not on Bali-I always wonder why so few of all the postyers here know about that.
there are more sites-but as this is indo-not very uptodate-the usual utopia-asia,. baligayguide or so.
Also: I hope its not forbidden to mention other sites-but on gaythailand.com - other Asian countries there was just last week same-same Q with answers. check there for some more details.

[danny99]

there are no danceclubs. But there is dangdut-lets say the indo version of what look thoong is here-but much more sexy.
the what tourists assume to be the gay area is in Seminyak=the upper-north part of the Kuta-Legian-Seminiyak beach area, the furhter north, the fewer loud brash australians and assorted backpackers. Q-bar is for years+more still the best known landmark and m''gay spot''. There are even 2-3 Thai (genuine) restrts around there. If your Thai BF is tipoically Thai fussy about his food-he wont like the Indo fare. There is also the impromptu beach-meeting in the Kuta area after dusk-dont worry, they find you before you will find them.
But Indonesia's real gems are not on Bali-I always wonder why so few of all the postyers here know about that.
there are more sites-but as this is indo-not very uptodate-the usual utopia-asia,. baligayguide or so.
Also: I hope its not forbidden to mention other sites-but on gaythailand.com - other Asian countries there was just last week same-same Q with answers. check there for some more details.


Q Bar has been closed for years. Mixwell is the No.1 and newbie Bali Joe is maybe taking over, both only metres from where Q Bar was, in Jln. Dhyana Pura [now has another new name]. Rumour has it that the previous gay dance club across the road is about to re-open. Double Six, Bali's long time Disco is usually 50% gay, but very late night! Some of the hunky straights even use the bungy next door, and get all wet! Can be very bi-coastal, when straight boys have a few drinks and cannot pick up what they came for they can become very pliable! So horny they do not care.

The most gay resort in Bali is the very private Spartacus [ http://www.spartacvsbali.com/ ] naked boys everywhere, but some of the naked older men are a bit off-putting! Very close to the top restaurants and beach.

The Thai food at Sarong is excellent, part traditional part Royal, far better than your average Thai restaurant in Thailand. Many of similar dishes will appear in the new Thai soon to open at Bangkok's Metropolitan Hotel mid year.

And very wrong, Indonesia's real gems are in Bali but NOT in the tourist ridden south but found in the villages around Ubud and further afield in the fishing villages of Karang Asem. Many of the staff down in the concrete jungle are not even Balinese but come from elsewhere in Indonesia, chasing the $$$.

[pong]

perhaps I was a bit unlclear-but I meant that for me Indonesia's ''hidden gems'' are out of Bali-on its many other islands. But it appears most dont even dare to venture there. What strikes me most when I meet Balinese is their lust for ''uang'' (=money) and ''good prices''-I guess thats rupiah or $$ to you.
But on a more serious note-it would thus appear to me, reading your update-reports, that the ''gay scene'' also seems to be lowly dying out or at least diminishing?

[danny99]

perhaps I was a bit unlclear-but I meant that for me Indonesia's ''hidden gems'' are out of Bali-on its many other islands. But it appears most dont even dare to venture there. What strikes me most when I meet Balinese is their lust for ''uang'' (=money) and ''good prices''-I guess thats rupiah or $$ to you.
But on a more serious note-it would thus appear to me, reading your update-reports, that the ''gay scene'' also seems to be lowly dying out or at least diminishing?


I wonder if you know the difference between a Balinese and others from elsewhere in Indonesia, perhaps you are thinking that they are all the same? Very few Balinese in the gay clubs down south, many Javanese from Surabaya!

As for the real nature of Balinese boys, I quote from Utopia:

The Balinese are Hindu/animist, unlike the rest of predominantly Muslim Indonesia. They are self-assured, genuinely friendly, curious, and always make time to chat. Some of your most memorable experiences will come from warm interaction with local folk. Everyone here seems to be an artist of some kind and daily offerings and rituals are a way of life. While men and women no longer wander about in innocent nakedness, you will certainly encounter unselfconsciousness at the morning and evening bathing hours at rivers, pools, and public baths (Balinese become invisible when they slip out of their sarong).
While Bali may be one of the most tolerant and gay-friendly destinations on the planet, you will not find much in the way of open gay lifestyle except in the touristic Kuta/Legian area. Open gays you encounter will usually come from neighboring islands. Many Balinese mythical figures celebrated in music and dance have androgynous characteristics. That, together with the high visibility of many gay visitors to the island and a quiet acceptance among the indigenous communities, mean that most Balinese are aware of homosexuality. However, for Balinese, marriage and the union of opposite genders is a requirement for their full participation in village life. That said, homosexuality is certainly not a serious matter or one requiring a moral judgement. Interestingly, murals in The Hall of Justice in the Taman Gili, which luridly depict the punishments of hell, represent a wide range of sins from incest and bestiality to gossiping and farting -- but no proscriptions against homosexuality are recorded.

Not surprisingly, Bali has been a famous haven for homosexuals, and a number of its renowned foreign residents lead comfortable, open lives here. Respected artists like Rudolf Bonnet, Donald Friend and, most famously, Walter Spies, all contributed to the thriving cultural synthesis that is Bali today. The spectacular kecak monkey chant, perceived by millions of tourists as a glimpse back in time to the "real" Bali, was actually re-choreographed by Spies, who combined several languishing performance traditions, increased the number of male performers, stripped them to loincloths, and set them in a circle around a central fire light.

On the topic of sex, it needs to be said that the Balinese are not especially given to going out and having a few drinks at a bar and getting picked up. These are people who believe you can go into full-fledged demonic possession at the sound of a gong, and being drunk is not a happy feeling for them. On the other hand, they are not shy about physical contact between people of the same gender. Friendly encounters may lead to a chance to get better acquainted, but you are likely to be disappointed if you arrive with the expectation of finding a holiday boyfriend. Knowing a little Indonesian, and the gentle art of teasing and flirting, will go a long way towards making friends.

They are totally a different race from the rest of Indonesia! Most tourists do not differentiate one from the other!

Gee, thanks for the lesson. I'm sure none of us knew that the Javanese were different from the Balinese. Just like ali G the flogger assumes we don't know the difference between dog-faced Arabs and the quite lovely Turks and Persians. Yawn.