Bali’s Floating Breakfasts Remain Popular As Travel Trends Evolve 

Share The Article

Travel trends in Bali change and evolve quicker than anyone can keep up with. As one of the world’s most rapidly growing travel markets, some of the biggest travel trends the internet has ever seen have been born in Bali.

One travel trend that seems to show no sign of slowing down in popularity is the floating breakfast. 

Search on social media for any Bali-related hashtag, and you will instantly be met with images of lavish floating breakfasts in resorts across the island.

Open any ‘top things to do in Bali’ blog and, you guessed it, have a floating breakfast, which will be high on the list. But why has this tree told the test of time?

Is it its novelty? Or Instagrammability? Or the fact that it was once only on offer at Bali’s most luxurious resorts?

Perhaps it’s a combination of all. Though once reserved for holidaymakers and traders staying at the highest of high-end hotels, floating breakfast is now a standard offering at almost all accommodation providers in Bali that have a swimming pool.

In fact, the first mention of a floating breakfast can be traced back to Bali, specifically the Riz-Carlton. In a 2016 press release that has resurfaced as part of an op-ed on the travel trend in The Washington Post, the Ritz Carton promoted an “enhanced villa experience” that included “an impressive floating breakfast.” 

The trend quickly caught on as it was announced at the peak of social media influence in Bali, and the activity was rolled out in hotels and resorts around the world, from Singapore to the Maldives, Tulum, and beyond. 

In an interview, the co-founder of the travel agency Amazing Escapes explained that she sees very few people booking the floating breakfast experience for the food itself.

She told The Washington Post, “In my experience, a lot of people would only order them just for Instagram photos. They would sort of prop everything up for the poses, and then they would send it away. Maybe the champagne might have been opened, but I don’t think there’s any substance to it, really.”

It has to be said that enjoying a floating breakfast as a hearty meal to start the day is a little tricky, even when one has put one’s mind into full romanticization mode.

With wet hands and unsteady feet, and caution not to drop any food into the water on its way from the plate to your mouth, it makes it all a bit tricky and oftentimes not that relaxing. 

Yet, none of this is putting people off booking their floating breakfast expenses, with more hotels, resorts, and private villas than ever in Bali offering the experience to their guests.

Along with the iconic flower bath experience, these two add-on luxuries have become the hallmark of a Bali vacation. There are even private floating breakfast companies who will deliver a hamper and floating breakfast package directly to tourists private villas. 

The trend is showing signs of slowing down in some areas, however, with ultra-high-end hotels and villas generally seeing less demand for the floating breakfast experience than they once did.

As the ultra-high-end market moves onto the next super unique add-on in the mid-budget market, demand continues to soar.

As luxury becomes more affordable to the average traveler, the floating breakfast is a novel and harmless indulgence. 

In Bali, a floating breakfast can be booked at the island’s most exclusive resorts, and across mid-range hotels too.

The Hanging Gardens of Bali offer perhaps the most impressive and extravagant floating breakfast experience of all, and it comes with a price tag to match.

The Royal Purnama is consistently listed amongst the best-floating breakfasts in Bali, too. 

For those looking for great value, be sure to look out for honeymoon accommodation packages. many offer a floating breakfast, a flower bath, and a massage as part of the package, FYI…you don’t need to be on honeymoon to book these deals!