POOLSIDE PURSUITS
Two recently launched beach clubs are dialing the fun factor in Bali up a notch. Best known for organizing the annual Djakarta Warehouse Project, Southeast Asia’s largest electronic dance music festival, the Jakarta-based Ismaya Group has branched out to Bali’s shores with the debut of Manarai Beach House ( ismaya.com) at the Sofitel Nusa Dua. Taking charge of its kitchen is French chef Stefan Poyet, who began his career in Michelin-starred restaurants at the Shangri-La in Paris, while a roster of visiting big-name DJs like Jonas Blue add a dash of spice to Nusa Dua’s otherwise subdued nightlife scene. Over in Seminyak, retro-chic Tropicola ( tropicola.info) is the latest opening from the Australian operators behind The Bucket List on Bondi Beach and quirky bar and restaurant Motel Mexicola—a Seminyak staple. Tropicola’s Palm Springs–meets-Miami aesthetic references the 1980s Memphis design movement with its bold colors, from the pops of bright red on tables and staff uniforms to the canary-yellow umbrellas. It’s the perfect spot to sip on locally inspired cocktails like jackfruit piña colada and espresso martini made with arak liquor.