Why Is This Place so Great?
Enjoy a romantic holiday in paradise at Jimbaran to lounge on one of the most beautiful beaches in Bali filled with pristine white fine sand and turquoise waters. Known as a quaint fishing village, it is infamous for the amazing seafood offered amongst the many restaurants lining Jimbaran Beach. Since the beach is located within a closed bay, it is considered to be one of the safest places in Bali to swim or learn how to surf. For travelers looking to add a bit more to their beach holiday, Jimbaran conveniently neighbors the towns of Pecatu, Kutuh, and Ungasan which are filled with some of Bali’s top cultural attractions.
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Luxury Jimbaran
Luxury Hotel: Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Spanning across 35 acres of space, the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay is home to 156 villas nestled within lush tropical gardens and views across the Indian Ocean.
Each villa (pictured below Garden King) is at the height of luxury, featuring its own private infinity-style plunge pool, two sets of marble and wood vanities, a soaking tub, as well as separate indoor and outdoor showers. Balinese décor such as antiques, carvings, and local Ikat fabrics, can also be found throughout the room.
The resort offers a wide range of wellness initiatives, including a state-of-the-art fitness center, several different types of yoga classes throughout the day, three outdoor swimming pools, tennis court, surf school, and private beach access to “Coconut Grove” filled with hammocks, loungers, and beds. Visit their spa to further relax through a Balinese massage or one of their Jimbaran inspired treatments using Balinese Gayung, local flowers, and pandanus.
Besides the resort’s restaurants Sundara and Taman Wantilan, guests can take their hotel dining to the next level by joining the Four Seasons’s Jala Cooking Academy for the day. In addition to taking a tour of the Jimbaran Fish Market, participants will also get to see the property’s food garden and prepare a five-course Balinese meal with the help of Bali native Head Chef Kristya Yudha.
Guests looking for a little bit of added dining luxury should book a Residence Villa to have the option of a Private Seafood Barbecue under the stars, or book the Three-Bedroom Imperial Villa which is inclusive of a private chef who prepares breakfast for your party each morning and options to have memorable show dinners on your villa lawn.
Luxury Activity: See Mount Batur and Its Volcanos by Helicopter
and for Lifestylers: Hike it!
Mount Batur’s breathtaking beauty is not to be missed, and one of the best ways to see it all is by taking a helicopter ride over it to get those once in a lifetime birdseye views. This site is comprised of three volcanic cones from the still-active Kintamani Volcano, which last erupted in 2000, and consequently also houses Bali’s largest lake. Lake Batur is a spectacle to be seen. Located in one of the smaller craters of the volcanos, its crescent shape spans close to 10 miles in length. Since it resides at such high altitudes, the water remains cool and has become a popular fishing hole for locals living in neighboring villages.
For a more luxurious trip, we recommend flying with Mason Sky Tours to experience their fleet of Airbus Eurocopter B2 Helicopters complete with air conditioning, luxury leather interior, and state-of-the-art internal and external camera systems providing video footage that you can purchase after your experience.
Mount Batur is also a popular hiking destination that can take between 2 to 4 hours (based on your level of fitness) to reach the summit. Most hikers traveling from Ubud wake up as early as 2:30 AM to attempt this trail (Jimbaran hikers should reserve more time to get there) to catch the sunrise, but you’ll need a guide and some flashlights to walk up the trail before it’s bright out.
Luxury Dining: Sundara @ Four Seasons Resort at Jimbaran Bay
While Sundara operates as a Beach Club during the day, it becomes one of Bali’s most iconic restaurants at night. Complete with a luxurious setting with lit fire pits, the beautiful sounds of live music, and views overlooking the beach, Sundara creates a relaxed atmosphere for the perfect dining experience. The restaurant’s dinner menu consists of various regional Modern Asian cuisine served tapas style starring Lombok Oysters, Blue Swimmer Crab Yellow Curry, and Pan Roasted Cod Fillet in Dashi Butter amongst many other delicious dishes.
Bring your swim attire and make an entire day out of the trip to the Four Seasons and swim in their 62-yard infinity pool if you’re not already staying there. Sundara rents out its Cabanas, Daybeds, and Sundecks to non-hotel guests as packages inclusive of food and beverage credits, water, towels, and poolside amenities. Although Daybeds and Cabanas are more expensive, guests will also receive more amenities such as a welcome fruit platter, beer, and mocktails.
If you’ve already got plans for the day, then we highly recommend at least visiting Sundara before your dinner. Every day between the hours of 5 and 7 pm, the restaurant offers a Sundowners Happy Hour where patrons will receive two-for-one prices on their delicious cocktails while watching the sunset in one of the most scenic locations on the island.
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Lifestyle Jimbaran
Lifestyle Hotel: Kupu Kupu Jimbaran Beach Hotel & Spa by L’Occitane
Too many bad reviews on trip advisor. Can we look into another property?
Lifestyle Activity: Surf hop through Suluban Beach, Dreamland Beach, and Padang Padang Beach
Bali has long attracted surfers from all over the world. With its vastly different coastlines, the island has beaches available for surfers for all levels. Those who are more advanced will definitely enjoy themselves at Padang Padang Beach, which is one of the island’s most famous surf spots known for its strong shore breaks that come in steady streams. Its reliable currents have made Padang Padang a regular spot for international surfing events, including the Rip Curl Cup. If you want a different scenery, we suggest surf hopping through Dreamland Beach (nicknamed “Nightmareland” by some for its strong currents), and Suluban Beach as well.
Beginners and Intermediate surfers will likely find these beaches too difficult to surf. Consequently, we advise practicing at Kuta Beach or Jimbaran Beach to ride some smaller waves instead.
Lifestyle Dining: Opia, Dining Destination
Please find another one – only 1 vegan and 1 vegetarian option on the menu. Unless you’re using a different angle that I’m unaware of.
Boutique Jimbaran
Boutique Hotel: Jamahal Private Resort & Spa – Adults Only
“Jamahal” is an ancient Sanskrit word that translates to “precious time” and with its mere 12 villas on property, guests are ensured to have a great holiday with attentive service by its 70 staff members.
All of their villas are quite large, providing their guests with a minimum of 331 square feet of space complete with loungers on your personal sundeck, wood-floored bedroom, and a Balinese style outdoor bathroom featuring a sunken bathtub and a separate rain shower. Couples can secure a room containing their own private plunge pool for an extra fee by staying in a Pool Suite Villa category or higher. If you happen to be traveling with friends or have children who are at least 16 years of age, the resort also has larger villas containing two bed and bath combinations available as well.
While the resort is not a beachfront property, it is located just a 7 minute walk away from the Jimbaran beach and the resort’s Beach Club featuring their own loungers, sunshade, towels, bathroom facilities, food, and beverage menu, as well as complimentary water and freshly cut fruit for guests to enjoy.
On the property itself, guests can indulge in a lovely meal at their restaurant consisting of both international and authentic Indonesian dishes featuring ingredients all sourced by local markets and vendors from highland gardens. Everything from their pasta, bread, pastries, to juices are all freshly made in-house to ensure consistent great quality.
Their spa also contains various treatments using mostly organic products to enhance relaxation. Their menu offers a wide range of treatments from their ancient Balinese Tawur Agung Honeymoon Cleansing Ritual to Chocolate Massages and Sun Burn Treatments within their spa suites.
Boutique Activity: Watch the Kecak Fire Dance at Pura Luhur Uluwatu
Watching the Kecak Fire Dance is a cultural must-see attraction in Bali. This spiritual performance was once an exorcism chanting ritual until a German artist, by the name of Walter Spies, transformed it into the famous performance it is today. The dance narrates an ancient Hindu legend of Ramayana that tells the story of Prince Rama trying to rescue his kidnapped wife from the evil hands of King Rawana. Gaining in its cultural popularity, the Fire Dance is most infamous at Pura Luhur Uluwatu with its daily shows, but can also be watched at Pura Luhur Batukaru on Sundays and Wednesdays for those who are staying closer to Ubud.
At Pura Luhur Uluwatu, the show takes place at 6pm on a cliff-side amphitheater. With its stalls reaching up to 10 feet high, visitors can enjoy this experience whilst watching the sunset behind. The Kecak Fire Dance lasts approximately 1 hour long and consists of 20 to 30 minutes of the once-was exorcism ritual chanting before the story of Ramayana begins.
Pura Luhur Uluwatu can be quite difficult to get to, especially with many of the local car services not recognizing the temple as a place of service. So even if visitors manage to arrive at the temple, it is highly unlikely for them to receive a ride back. Consequently, we recommend either booking this attraction with a local tour guide unless you have booked a car rental for your trip.
Since this show is so popular, we suggest arriving at Uluwatu before 5:00pm to secure better seats that provide views of the sunset. Even if the show is packed, latecomers are oftentimes well received by staff, but they are all likely to obtain floor seats just feet away from the dancers.
Boutique Dining: Warung Mami Ikan Bakar
Since Jimbaran is known for its great seafood caught fresh from its local fishermen, we highly recommend visitors to dine at one of their local seafood barbecue restaurants. Unfortunately, some of these restaurants tend to serve frozen seafood to its patrons, which is why we suggest dining at Warung Mami Ikan Bakar instead. To choose your meal, guests will go outside the restaurant to choose the exact seafood they want from fish, clams, to prawns. The food is then cooked over coals and served with rice, vegetables, and sambals.
The restaurants closing hours are quite erratic but tends to close before the average person has their dinner. Consequently, interested parties should try to dine here for lunch to ensure they get to taste some of their delicious cuisines.
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**Bonus Boutique Activity: Drinks at Rock Bar**
Rock bar is located at the AYANA Resort and Spa Bali and has won numerous accolades by various global publications for its unique setting on the bottom of a limestone cliff. The journey down to the bar is an experience of its own with the option to either walk down the extended stairs or to take a funicular ride.
Since this is one of the prime locations to watch the sunset in Jimbaran, queues tend to become lengthy around this time. Consequently, unless you are staying at the AYANA (whose in-house guests have exclusive access to the fast track lines to enter), we recommend arriving before 4:30 pm to snag one of the better tables (which require a minimum spend of approximately $40 USD, but also receive better service) allocated to the public.