If you are a bit longer in Bali, you might notice that the whole tourism industry is based on double standards. Tourists pay more than local residents or Indonesians; as tourists seem to be loose with their money. After all it’s their holiday and they are just out to spend and to have fun.
Shops have a ‘foreigner tax’ or steep discount for locals, while some restaurants have unofficially higher pricing for tourists than for locals. Yes, you are one of those, Warung Sulawesi! 
There is one area though, where this system is turned upside down. Enter the nightlife and entertainment venues in Kuta, Legian and beyond:
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Get the party started
The most famous nightlife area in Kuta is on Jalan Legian near the Bali Bomb Monument, around the place, where previously the Sari Club was located. On a few hundred meter-long strip of road you have (in-)famous venues with names like Eikon, MBargo, ViAiPi, Maccaroni, EngineRoom, Skygarden, Paddies, Bounty, Apache, Espresso Bar or Tavern, who feature Chart-Pop Music, Techno, RnB, Trance, Lounge or Live Music ranging from the ever-present Reggae-Tunes of Bob Marley to Jazz or Rock and Roll.
Since the closure of its sister-venue ‘Ocean Beach Club’ a bit over a year back – especially Skygarden (or 61 Legian, how the whole complex was recently renamed) is developed into one of the most favorite party spots in this area.
In a multi-level building with accessible rooftop, you can eat and dine, simply chill out or relax, dance or party the night away at one of its dozen bars and beer gardens. All that while listening to RnB music, Techno, Chart and Lounge Music and watching Shows, Fire Dancers, Sexy Bar Top Dancers in clad costumes or dancing on the many levels to different tunes.
What goes?
Every night is a special night in Skygarden, as there are daily promotions. Other Clubs are trying to follow the examples shown by Skygarden, which is truly the trendsetter here.
You can have 10K Rupiah Sambuca Shots, 25K Cocktails during 10-11pm, Free Beer Flows for 1 hour for 30K Rupiah, 25K Lychee Martinis all night - or whatever suits your palate – the places to get drunk, cheap but very fast can certainly be found in this area.
During weekdays in Skygarden, there is even 1 hour Free Drinks and Free Fingerfood at 11pm, to get the Club full at early hours.
Bali is known for being a place with late action, most Clubs only fill up after midnight, most notoriously Doublesix Club in Legian, which recently celebrated its 23rd anniversary, but is rarely full before 2-3am in the mornings.
Who pays tonight?
So the idea behind the whole Free/Cheap Drinks thing is, to get the Clubs full as fast as possible, luring the crowds in before midnight and make them pay afterwards, when the promotions expire, but the guests are too tipsy/drunk and already in a good mood, so that they want to continue partying at all costs.
For the Free Drink and Food Promotions, VIP Gold Passes are handed out by Promo Girls during the day at Kuta Beach or in the Streets and Jalans of Kuta. In the evening, you can grab one of those at the entrance of Skygarden for free, while stocks last. They are usually valid for a whole month.
So, if you are any Caucasian, African, Chinese, Japanese or even a Bintang-T-Shirt-wearing-drunk Aussie-Teen in Rubber-Flip-Flops, you can have one of those VIP Gold Passes and can drink and eat 1 hour or until you drop, whichever comes earlier.
Fairness on holiday?
If you look a bit too Asian, you might have to ID yourself, just to prove that you are not Indonesian. Because Indonesians can’t get a VIP Gold Pass. They can’t even get into the Club for free!
Only Indonesians have to pay 50.000 Rupiah cover charge (which usually includes 1 drink).
There is no difference, if you are dressed like the Governor of Bali or look like any other High Roller, if you are Indonesian – you pay.
Wait? You might ask, why is that? Aren’t we here in Indonesia? Tourists go for free and locals pay? Olala, that’s something new!
Of course, the omnipresent Ladies of the Night have to pay cover charge as well, there are even rumors, that they are charged additional commissions, based on the looks/style of the client, they leave a venue with. Leaving ‘empty-handed’ might even mean a loss for them that night. Psssst! Those are of course only just rumors….
There is one exception to the rule: Skygarden loves Ladies! So, if you are a local lady and come with an ‘international guest’, you can at least avoid the cover charge.
What do you make out of those cover charge rules? Are they okay? Are they racist? Are they to protect the standard of a club? Are locals only going there for the freebies and to staring down or scaring away the half-naked tourist ladies? Or is it maybe all to protect the business with the Kupu-kupu malam, the Ladies of the Night?
Please help us out here by voicing your opinion in the comments, let us together get closer to the truth!