A solo stay at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay offers a tranquil, luxurious taste of Bali, with a private pool villa, exceptional dining, restorative spa experiences and spectacular views over Jimbaran Bay.
Sunsets are something Bali does particularly well. And Jimbaran Bay, a fishing village on Bali’s southwest coast, is one of the best places on the island to watch the sky put on its nightly show. Add an ultra-luxe villa perched on the gentle slope above the deep-blue Indian Ocean, a private plunge pool and a ready-to-mix cocktail at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, and I can’t think of many places I’d rather be.
Just 20 minutes from Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport, the resort feels a world away from the traffic and bustle beyond its gates. Villas spill down the hillside towards the beach, each designed to make the most of the ocean views, while the resort’s mix of private pools, excellent dining and restorative spa experiences gives couples plenty of reasons to linger. Families are well catered for too, making this a particularly easy place to settle into without sacrificing the luxury that brings you here in the first place.
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay Accommodation
Inspired by traditional Balinese architecture, the Four Seasons Resort Bali’s 147 villas are set out like a traditional Balinese village. Each is housed in a pretty, stone-walled courtyard, with spacious indoor and outdoor living spaces. There’s also a gorgeous sun terrace with a private plunge pool and a separate thatched-roof bale.
My villa offers sweeping views over terracotta rooftops and along the curve of Jimbaran Bay, a view I would normally be unable to tear my eyes from, but the temptation of the ready to shake cocktail that’s waiting in my lounge proves irresistible, and I tear myself away to get the job done.
Tropical martini in hand, I’m ready to take a tour of my ravishing premier ocean villa. Inspired by a typical Balinese courtyard house, an elegant mix of contemporary Balinese décor, rich teak furnishings and floaty fabrics fills the whopping 300-square-metres of living space.
Floor-to-ceiling sliding French doors invite in sparkling views of the Jimbaran Bay, which guests can view from a divine canopied four-poster bed that’s a thing of floaty perfection.
Then there’s an enormous dressing area that leads to an extraordinary bathroom with its deep soaking bathtub and separate indoor and outdoor garden shower.
Tropical martini in hand, I head back out to the deck and dangle my feet in the pool for a better look at that view. I could happily stay here forever.
As the sun sets, the beach is coming to life as smoking barbecues start to sizzle seafood at the dozens of warungs that line the beach, and locals and tourists alike congregate to dine with their sand in the toes. I’m almost tempted to join them.
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay Dining
But tonight, I’m dining in at one of the resort’s four unique culinary venues.
Winding my way down the terraced grounds as the sun sets, I pass the resort’s massive main swimming pool, stopping to explore private temples, shrines, and bougainvillea-filled nooks, until I reach the resort’s beachfront restaurant, Sundara.
A beach club by day, it transforms into an atmospheric fire lit restaurant by night, where cool cocktails meet mouth-watering Asian cuisine fusing fresh, locally sourced organic ingredients with modern cooking techniques.
One of the best things about this gorgeous property is that it offers direct access to Jimbaran Bay beach, one of my favourite places in all of Bali by day and by night.
So, after devouring far too may satay sticks and an assortment of five star delights, the lure of the beach proves irresistible and I stroll, shoes in hand, feet wet from the waves, as I soak up the sights, sounds and smoky scents of Jimbaran beach by night. The atmosphere is electric.
An incredible buffet breakfast is served daily at the gorgeous, open air Taman Wantilan, surrounded by pretty ponds and flower-strewn tropical gardens. I can’t get enough of the breakfast noodle bar with its dozens of choices of noodles, broths and seasonings.
Or if you prefer a little privacy, you can start your day with a gourmet three-course breakfast served on a floating tray in your villa plunge pool.
The Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay Activities
But I have a date with the spa and an immersive Sounds of Jimbaran treatment that’s all soothing gongs, glass stones and hydrating herbs. Muscles molten, I head back to Sundara and nab a daybed in front of the beachfront infinity pool. It’s just one of the many ways to tap into Bali’s wellness scene, from traditional healing and sound therapy to hot springs, yoga and seriously indulgent spa treatments. For more ideas, see my guide to Bali’s best wellness experiences.
Complimentary sun care products, towels and ice water are nice touches. If I could be bothered moving my lazy backside and turning my back on the cocktail that’s on its way from the bar, there’s even complimentary non-motorised water sports, including windsurfing, kayaking and paddleboarding, as well as surfboards and snorkelling equipment on offer.
There are loads of other more serene activities throughout the resort, including hands-on Balinese cooking lessons at the Jala Cooking Academy, free cultural tours of the resort grounds, canang offering workshops, songket (fabric) weaving and traditional dance classes. There’s also an extremely special traditional blessing ceremony at the resort temple with the resident Pemangku (priest).
And, of course, the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay kids club is sure to keep littlies entertained.
While I’m no stranger to The Island of the Gods, my cocktail and satay-infused solo stay in this breezy beauty, though brief, reminds all over again what I love most about this paradise of golden sand, temples and sunshine.
Getting to The Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay
The Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay is just a 20-minute drive from the Bali Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay
Jimbaran, South Kuta,
Bali, Indonesia
T: +62 361 701010
Aleney de Winter is one of Australia’s most influential family travel journalists. She has been writing about travel and food for almost 20 years and is the long-standing editor of Holidays with Kids and its sibling titles, Caravan & Camping with Kids and Ski & Snowboard witk Kids. Her travel stories also appear in Signature Luxury Travel & Style, Escape, 9Travel, Vacations & Travel, Mindfood and Concierge, among others. Her work has earned a PATA Gold Award for Travel Journalism and eleven Australian Society of Travel Writers awards, and she served seven terms as the society’s Vice President. This website, which she started in 2011, has been named ASTW Best Travel Website three times. 