Ayana Resort and Spa, Jimbaran

For some of us who work in the bustling city of Jakarta where our pulses race 24/7 I suppose it is legit to take a time off every now and then. When you face that teeming atmosphere, traffic clogged-roads and unnecessary stress, all you have in mind is how to escape from this living hell. And this is exatcly what I have in mind too.

Having surfed the internet to find rave reviews on short holiday I decided to fly to Bali. From my research Ayana Resort and Spa leaps off the page compared to other places. So, I told my man about this and without further ado we did all the bookings and flew to Bali.

Located in Jimbaran, Ayana Resort and Spa equals to luxury at your fingertips. Built on a 90 hectares of land (more or less) this place provides complete facilities for those who would like to indulge that finer things in life in one single place. 

If you are into golfing, then bring your golf equipment, do your practice at Ayana's golf course, and get lost in time. Or if golf isn't your thing, another good option is to dip yourselves down into the many different swimming pools of Ayana.  Want to get active but don't dare to get wet just yet? Hit their modern and neat gym or go jogging within their complex. I am sure you'll stay in shape during your vacay.

view from the lobby

 

stairs to the pools and beyond

 

a lion statue and picturesque view from the lobby balcony

In my case, I opted for a stroll at the surrounding areas before I took a dip in the pool. During my stroll, I found out that the resort has a range of boutiques offering unique stuffs to take back home. So, don't forget to pop inside and look out on what they offer. 

The complex is massive and the surrounding views are very pretty. You will surely indulge in walking that distances without realizing it is almost lunch time. Whoops!

  

 

let's check out what inside those boutiques shall we?

taking a bit of break after a long walk

going straight to the swimming pool

feeling overwhelmed by the so much beauty of the place

getting used to the stairs

Prep for that 'Big day'

landscape

infinity pool

another set of stairs

You may wonder that a resort like this is bursted at seams with hordes of people. Chances are, you are right. But, relax that does not mean they do not pay the highest attention at your well being. 

When we arrived, the staff quickly greeted us and placed a flower wreath that smell so nice around our neck as soon as we stepped our feet out of that Bluebird cab. Not only that, they understood that we were that 'exhausted-can't be bothered' travelers. Therefore, a delectable welcome drink was served for us to let off steam. A few seconds later they quickly assisted us with our booking and room prep. What a wonderful start of resort experience. Smack dab!

a warm welcome by Ayana (look at those flowers wreaths ;))

this lady assisted us with our booking and she is very friendly :)

posing in the balcony whilst waiting for our room

The room is eclectic, showy and certainly top of the top. It is spacious and has a high ceiling. It is also equipped with a double bed enclosed with sheer white mosquito net and two bedside tables sitting nicely on each side. Numerous TV channels are provided to let you watch that blockbuster movies or soap operas, if you like.

In need of a more engaging view? Then head off to the balcony and you will see a wonderful natural vista encapsulating the beach in front of you with pretty gradation of colours from top to bottom. Surreal, I reckon!

For the fatigue feet. Do not panic. You have come to the right place. Ayana's spa is one of a kind. You can opt for a spa on top of a rock or try their thalasso therapy spa claimed as one of the best in Asia. 

Thermes Marins Spa is the concept of massage using aquatonic water supplied directly from the underlying Indian ocean. It will give you that unique massage technique using water pressure from jet streams of 12 hydro-massage stations that will create micro bubbles and geyser. Whilst being massaged you can lie down on the long white seat inside the pool with water blanketing your body and enjoy the stunning Bali sunset view watching the sky morph from raspberry to lavender.

Thermes & Marins Thalasso Therapy Spa

Chillaxing at this Spa is really nice

 

the happy blogger

the mister's back is being massaged by the pressure from the water

Chillaxing whilst waiting for the sunset

On our second day, we felt like swimming on the beach. The resort has a private beach accessible by guests that is called Kubu beach. To get here, you need to take the resort bus that runs frequently from the lobby. 

Kubu beach is worth every energy you have. It lies down a few meters below a cliff. So be prepared to walk down that many stairs of heaven. When you reach the beach I am sure you will not waste a single second to jump into that vast blue water. Or simply dip your toes in that soft white powdered sands. The icing on the cake is, you are still given as much privacy as you like. The beach is only open for Ayana/Rimba's staying-in guests.

look at that - breathtaking!

look at that powdery white sands

and the wave

Japanese tourists on the beach

again - the stairs of heaven

turquoise water and white sandy beach

 

Ayana offers so many different kind of restaurants with excellent quality of food. But, if you feel like trying something different you can go to the fish and seafood warungs in Jimbaran beach just a few minutes away from the resort. This place is the highlight of dining at beachside seafood food-court. 

Here, you are given the liberty to pick up your own snapper, crab, clams at the stalls as you assess the freshness of those morning catch. In Jimbaran, eating is not complete without music. So, expect to be entertained by the lovely beach musicians serenading you Julio Iglesias' songs or another song of your choice. 

 

we tried two kind of juice drinks at one of the restaurants in the resort

 

Jimbaran seafood food court at night time

 

Another absolute must whilst staying at Ayana is to visit their famous Rock Bar. As the name suggests, this bar is perched on giant rocks at the foot of a cliff. It has the second to none sunset spot in the island. To get here, you will ride on a tiny furnicular that slowly slides down the hill. 

For those who are afraid of heigths - fear not, because this mode of transportation is very reliable, enough to let you relieve your 'Wooow'. Forget your selfie stick? I bet you can always ask around to borrow one or ask one of the staff to take your picture. Simply wear your best dress, cut-a-dash, pick a good spot to sip that white bubbles and enjoy your time.

the Rock  Bar before sunset

 

the busy bar
 

three smiley ladies

posing in front of the DJ

 

wanna try?

stunning sunset @Rock Bar

 

isn't  it stunning?

the funicular that will take you down to the bar and up back to the entrance door

 

Voila. I think I have covered most of Ayana. Now, how about the budget? I must admit to stay in Ayana is not cheap. Their website do offers a range of packages for you to choose although not much room for you to haggle. However, in my opinion Ayana Resort and Spa is not a cookie-cutter and given the above review, it is indeed worth of the splurge. Guaranteed. Now, what are you waiting for? *wink.