We had a bit of a drive south to our next hotel and the transfer driver suggested we stop to have a look at a coffee and tea plantation halfway down to break up the journey. The family run plantation had a small area to demonstrate the growing and manufacturing processes they undertook and gave you a free tour with the chance to try a couple of their home grown coffee and teas before visiting the shop on the way out. It was only a brief, 15 minute, tour but broke up the drive and gave an insight to the traditional methods which the Balinese, as avid coffee drinkers, undertook.
We arrived about an hour early for check in at the Rimba by Ayana in Jimbaran but were offered a free drink each in their “Unique” rooftop bar. A nice little freebie never goes amiss and it was a welcome accompaniment to a well overdue lunch. The resort hosts 11 pools and an exclusive beach spread across a few stops on a complimentary shuttle. We started our stay in the infinity pools at Rimba before returning to the rooftop bar for snacks and drinks. We seemed to have booked an amazing array of resorts for very little during our stay!
The second morning we thought we’d give the stretch of private beach a try and although the hotel recommend checking the beach conditions before you head out we had jumped on the shuttle without planning on where we would go. Unfortunately the beach was closed for swimming due to the size of the waves coming in, this didn’t stop us from chilling on the beach and occasionally testing the strength of the waves, standing far enough out to get thrown around as they landed. There are 292, very large and very steep, steps down to the beach which not only give great views but a fantastic workout on the way up in the mid-day sun!
On the way back we visited the resorts main hotel, Ayana, to try the last of the swimming pools. I decided to reward myself with a few cocktails to help me relax which helped no end to pass the afternoon by!
As it would be our last evening in Bali we thought it would be great to see our last sunset from one of the carefully positioned bars at the hotel. The position on the resort gives some of the best sunsets in this part of Bali so well worth the effort. After a drink we headed down for one last try of Nasi Goreng which is Indonesian Fried Rice and is, truly, beautiful.
After checking out, we’ve come down to the pools once more to await our transfers to the airport and on to the very exciting prospect of Australia! Our little taste of Bali has been amazing! The Balinese are more than welcoming and the country is draw droppingly beautiful, although we have stayed away from any Australian party resorts!
I can’t recommend the places we’ve stayed enough especially the Alaya Resort in Ubud. If you come to Bali make sure you get to see the sights and sounds of Ubud, taste the traditional cuisine (Crispy Duck, Suckling Pig and Nasi Goreng), see the temples and of course have a Bingtang Beer! We’re off for a shower, change and then our flights…. hopefully we can get some sleep this time!
A Ginger Down Under
20th June 2015