Vegan travellers will not go hungry in Bali. But I'm not going to go as far as calling it a vegan paradise. This is more of a practical survival guide for those of you who might find yourself outside of a trendy forward-thinking area.
The Golden Age of Kuta
Kuta, Bail used to be a bustling hub. A melting pot of global travellers. You couldn't throw a stone without hitting someone with an accent different to your own. The globalisation of Kuta resulted in all kinds of international and trendy cuisine.
Having gone to this tourist hot spot since before I was double digits I have witnessed the development of the location. From small street vendors to happening small restaurants and finally larger shopping malls.
Like many Australians, Bali was a second home. My family and I continued to go after the Bali bombings and saw the people struggling to recover economically. It was clear to everyone that perhaps there was an overreliance on the tourist dollar. Covid further cemented this sentiment.
After cutting my travel teeth in Bali I started to wander further abroad. Finally this year I returned to Kuta after more than a decade of not visiting. Considering the impressive rate of development on my last visit I expected that things would have changed greatly.
It seems like the government has pulled back on promoting tourism. There is little development and things have become run-down. There are many vacant shops and fewer locals on the streets trying to sell to you. Many of the stores are now fixed prices.
Kuta markets are a fraction of their previous size with very little foot traffic. Still, there are bargains to be had. The Discovery Mall is still home to many big brands, but many local vendors have moved in to fill the empty spaces.
It feels harder to get into Bali than many other places I've been. After jumping through all the hoops of entry I finally got in the van to go to the resort. We were staying a little bit out of central Kuta at the Dynasty. It's a resort designed for families with children.
We were travelling with a toddler who hadn't been overseas before and wanted to feel secure in knowing there was staff that were trained to look after children and a doctor on call.
They do have a no kids allowed section with bathing pools and a bar. But there is little escape from families that spend all day lazing around the pool.
The resort is self-contained and has many restaurants and bars within its compound. It was the kind of place people went to and rarely left. That's great if you want to go somewhere warm in winter and not explore, but I am a little more adventurous. Luckily for us, you could hire a pram.
Trying to Eat Vegan
There are many vegan and vegetarian options in Bali. It just might take some exploring to find vegan hangouts. I found a few gems but vegan friendly options are not well-advertised in Kuta, yet.
The food offered within the resort was a mix of Indonesian and global food. There was an Italian, Chinese, Irish and Indian restaurant. But was it vegan you ask? There was definitely a lack of understanding of the word vegan.
The menus have vegetarian options, but only the Indian has vegan. If I asked for vegan food the staff would repeat me saying "vegetarian". Some would write down what I couldn't eat before speaking to the chef. The Indian restaurant had 'vegan' food that also contained butter. There was a general lack of understanding.
At the main restaurant H2O this happened and even after asking I was brought out a piece of garlic bread and pasta with cheese on it. While this situation was tricky I was not upset and I did not go hungry. I always see this as an opportunity to create change. The more vegans request vegan food the more likely places are to update their offerings.
Vegan Food in Bali, Kuta
This vegan Bali food guide is for the area of Kuta. In regards to the hotel, you don't need to be staying at the Dynasty to enjoy their restaurants. A couple are outside on the street with no need to go into the main resort.
Also, I don't know if all the food I ate was 100% vegan as there are no labels on a lot of it. I do know that I didn't react to the food I had, so it probably didn't have animal products.
Golden Lotus (Chinese Cuisine)
Location: In the foyer of The Dynasty. Which I was happy about as it had good food. The venue is lovely inside and usually pretty quiet. The staff are great.
Food: Many options on this menu are listed as vegetarian that appear to be vegan. The bean curd (tofu) was great, spring rolls, and many vegetables (I liked the broccoli). I would recommend this one.
Queen's of India
Location: Next door to Gracie Kelly's Irish pub, at the entrance to The Dynasty.
Food: There are many vegan options. They have made efforts to include vegan food, although some of their options are vegetarian. They have delicious vegan food. I loved one of their chickpea curries. The food itself is really good and the staff are lovely.
Discovery Mall
Location: Jl. Kartika Plaza, Kuta. 600 Metres from The Dynasty
Food: They have many western and local spots within the complex.
Subway (eat fresh)
Burger King (Hungry Jack's) if you want chips
Starbucks
Baskin & Robbins
Ice cream: There is an ice cream shop out the front that has vegan options. The one I tried was great. Sorry, I can't remember the name. It was at the top of the outside stairs
Supermarket: Inside the mall's second floor, to the back, there is a small grocery store with fresh food and packaged foods. You can get fruit and snacks. Some of the snacks are imported and expensive but there are local foods like jackfruit chips. There is plenty of dried fruit if storage is an issue.
And more. Just off to the side of the mall, there is a walkway with more restaurants.
Circle K
Location: Opposite The Dynasty and many other spots. This is for those of you with a junk food craving.
Food: Chocolate, pringles, chips, oreo and more.
Gracie Kelly's (Irish Pub)
Location: Jl. Kartika Plaza, Kuta. On the main street in front of The Dynasty. The venue was pretty cool, and worth a look.
Food: They had a salad, chips and wedges. Nothing to write home about, but if you want an Irish tune and a pint this is your spot.
H20
Location: By the 'main pool' in the resort. Surrounded by families.
Food: Vietnamese spring rolls, fried spring rolls, the included breakfast had many options including salad, fruit, pasta, bread, and beans.
They did have a meal with tofu and tempeh but other ingredients weren't vegan. I was a little disappointed with this menu as it was the main restaurant and seemed to be heavy on meat and cheese.
Café Piazza
Location: Bottom floor The Dynasty.
The wait staff asked the chef and there was nothing vegan.
Vegan Bali Is There a Future?
Veganism does seem to be catching on. I checked on Happy Cow and there were some new vegan restaurants. I am sure there are amazing vegan dishes. I am sure there is street food I missed out on.
My trip to Bali was short and I didn't get to be too adventurous, but I hope that this bare minimum vegan guide to Bali will be helpful. If you think I should go back to Bali and try harder I will do so ;)
If you know of more vegan food options or the best vegan restaurants in Bali, please let me know. I would love to find more vegan spots next time I go.
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