116
A different side of Bali
time afterwards, filling me with
nostalgia for friendships casually
initiated in innocent days of
childhood.
That quality of discreet,
unspoiled harmony, so
refreshingly different from
neighboring districts with their
self-consciously faddish stylings,
also means that — perhaps in
a good way — there’s not an
awful lot to actually do here.
Jimbaran nightlife, such as it is,
centers on the fabulous seafront
playgrounds under the aegis of
the Four Seasons and Ayana —
Sundara and the ultra-swish
Rock Bar, respectively — and
given the area’s close proximity
to the new international airport,
perhaps it’s little surprise these
major resorts have made this
serene coastal stretch their
Balinese sanctuary. On closer
inspection, what makes their
presence feel more significant
is the way they’ve integrated
Jimbaran’s organic, live-off-
the-land lifestyle into their
modus operandi — and in the
case of Rimba, Ayana’s recently
completed art-hotel offshoot,
even its name (if you hadn’t
already guessed from the
extensive sylvan approach, in
Bahasa,
rimba
means “forest”).
A cursory glance at Rimba’s
grandly conceived lobby reveals
a property that has little in
common with a standard-issue
tourist hotel. All around the
sweeping reception space,
upcycled timber, retrieved from
local shipyards and repainted,
stretches up to a lofty ceiling
fromwhose center hangs an
ambitious bamboo chandelier.
Clockwise from
top: Enjoying drinks
while watching
the sunset at the
Ayana Resort’s
Rock Bar;
Namasté!
A warm welcome
at Rimba Rooftop
Spa; glassworks by
Seiki Torige adorn
the wall at Rimba’s
To’ge restaurant
What makes the presence of major resorts feel
more significant is the way they’ve integrated
Jimbaran’s organic, live-off-the-land lifestyle
into their modus operandi
