While Bali’s eternal popularity has created problems with crowding and commercialization across the island, things are different in sleepy seaside Pererenan, just a half-hour walk from the party scene of Canggu. Here, amid frangipani trees and Balinese residential compounds, hotels and restaurants are inviting tourists to the neighborhood while working with the banjar, or village administration, to enforce strict rules intended to keep overdevelopment in check.
“At first there wasn’t much in the neighborhood besides some cafés by the beach,” says Wayan Kresna Yasa. In 2021 he opened Home by Chef Wayan, which puts a modern spin on recipes from Bali and his native Nusa Penida with dishes that include a ceviche-like rujak ikan with pomelo and a traditional ledok nusa fish porridge redone as a risotto. Since then more businesses have arrived, including restaurants, spas, perfumeries, and ceramics shops. Recent debuts include Kilo Collective’s Asian-Latin Kilo Kitchen Pererenan, inspired by its outpost in resort-y Seminyak; the breezy Bar Vera, where Australian chef Benjamin Cross whips up sambal-sprinkled steak tartare and tonka bean cocktails; and the beachfront Shelter, where British chef-owner Stephen Moore brings in global culinary stars from around the world for pop-up dinners.
New lodging options integrate travelers into the neighborhood. Further Hotel, which arrived in 2023, is a “diffused hotel” that occupies various buildings around the district; the airy, art-filled suites feature products by partners Bar Vera, Jakarta-based perfumery Oaken Lab, and Australian surf shop Thomas Surfboards. The just-opened Noema Resort Pererenan, by Indonesian hotelier JHL Collections, encourages visitors to mingle with locals through cooking classes, wellness programs, and sustainable artistic and craft workshops. The area’s newfound energy has been a pleasant surprise to Kresna Yasa, who remains optimistic about its future. “The good thing,” he says, “is Pererenan remains a residential area that supports the local community as well as new visitors.”
This article appeared in the May/June 2025 issue of Condé Nast Traveler. Subscribe to the magazine here.
