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| One of the six pools at RIMBA. Source: News Corp Australia |
At the Three Monkeys Pool at RIMBA, we swim one afternoon in water scented with floating frangipani petals and marvel at our good fortune. The pool’s namesake trio of stony simian statues send cascades gushing from their spouts. A smartly uniformed pool attendant is fluffing up fresh towels in wicker lounging pods so curvy and groovy they could have been freshly uplifted from the latest furniture expo in Italy. He asks if we would like juices delivered poolside. Honey, pear, apple and rosemary, perhaps? We stay for an hour. The pools is exclusively ours. It is what you could call a lucky dip.
This newish 282-room resort at Jimbaran in south Bali, which adjoins its mother-ship AYANA, is full of pleasant surprises and with a tariff unlikely to dent any holiday budget. Arrivals are greeted with trays of soda water infused with lemon and rosemary. There’s time to chill and look around the high-ceilinged open-sided lobby with its conversation nooks and, just beyond, a reflecting pool with two circular sunken pits; it seems as if those seated therein are floating on water and these features rate among Bali’s most popular selfie spots. Banished by RIMBA’s hip designers are the thatched roofs and teak furnishings we associate with traditional Balinese resort vernacular and, in their place, are myriad quirky features, from weathered boards and organic, textured surfaces to twinkling lighting installations. All is airy and roomy with a flow-through feel that progresses through cool breezeways to lush gardens and an aquatic universe of koi-filled ponds, swimming pools tiered to mimic the rice paddies of Bali’s mountainous realms, and a soundtrack of splashing waterfalls.
That exclusive afternoon in the Three Monkeys Pool, we wonder if the resort has somehow emptied itself of the guests milling around the comprehensive breakfast buffet offerings at the To’Ge all-day garden restaurant. But most have scattered, quick as skinks, to the other five swimming areas, which come with names such as upper, lower and cabana, including one equipped with waterslides for families and another with semi-submerged recliners and bird cage-like seating. Those guests staying in the wing of 11 ground-floor lagoon-access rooms are quietly dipping in the equivalent of their own private pools.
It is an altogether different vibe to the AYANA, which has terraces of 78 pool villas in its inventory mix and Bali’s most famous seaside watering hole, Rock Bar, reached via an inclinator car. RIMBA guests have access to its neighbour resort’s multitude of restaurant and recreational facilities, including a golf course, and a free shuttle trolley runs between the two so there is an interconnected expanse of things to do and places to dine, almost like a little village — albeit one on a 90ha clifftop integrated site so flowered and green that it feels like a botanic garden ablaze with the carnival colours of bougainvillea and hibiscus.
The most spacious guestrooms at RIMBA are top-floor Premium View Suites in greyish and earthen tones with long balconies furnished with a daybed, separate living and sleeping spaces, walk-though dressing room and jaw-dropping marbled and mosaic-tiled bathroom with a window wall. Comprehensively chic, from top to toe.
Dining: What the rather staid Chinese restaurant Ah Yat lacks in atmosphere, it reclaims with its inventive menu, which features abalone “medicinal” specialties created by Beijing-trained chefs and seafood plucked from on-site saltwater tanks. Weekend dim sum brunch at Ah Yat is the best fun, with about 50 creative choices, including xiao long bao dumplings. Other meals are taken at To’Ge, a design destination in itself with wooden-slatted ceiling, Scandi-style chairs and encircling ponds. At AYANA, the pick is Kisik Seafood Bar & Grill by the beach, near Rock Bar, where lobster is served in a sand-floored setting.
Everyone’s talking about: The Unique rooftop bar is a fab place to hang out for sunset cocktails and snacks served by staff carrying cinema usher-style trays who weave around the poseurs parading about the lap pool that segments the two storeys. There are wraparound views west to the Indian Ocean and southeast across the Uluwatu Hills. Order the surprisingly tasty gummy bear-infused martini, which comes with two of the chewy little critters hanging on the side of the glass, then move on to frothed lemongrass or lychee mixes and icy Bintang beers. If staying on a Saturday, don’t miss the Sunset Ritual Performance from 5.30pm around the lobby’s sunken lounge pits: live music, fire-dancers and a fiesta vibe.
Day spa: RIMBA’s tucked-away six-salon spa has much less of a wow factor than AYANA’s standalone facility, which features an Aquatonic Seawater Therapy Pool of gushing jets, areas of different temperatures and underwater massage; there are two Spa on the Rocks pavilions at ocean level.
Stepping out: Sea and sand? It is 197 steps down to Kubu Beach on the AYANA side (there is a shuttle trolley stop above) but the tough access is discouraging for many guests so once you land, it feels like a private cove and the ocean is beautifully clear. From RIMBA you are within reasonable reach of Seminyak bars and eateries and close to the terrific Jenggala ceramics outlet. For a view of the surf head to La Lucciola and take an upstairs table to peer over the palms or hang out at Ku De Ta or Potato Head beach clubs (all are cab rides away).
Hot tip: RIMBA and AYANA guests can join the priority queues down to Rock Bar; no bookings are taken so arrive well before sunset peak hour and take hats and sunscreen. There is a DJ at sunset and, from Thursdays to Saturdays, late into the night.
Essentials: RIMBA Jimbaran Bali, Jalan Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; +62 361 846 8478. The resort is 10km from Denpasar Airport. There is a best-rate guarantee on the website; book by June 30 for 15 per cent off, from about $US145 a double. Seasonal specials of 30 per cent off suites also apply.
rimbajimbaran.com
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