Bali Travel Diaries – Jimbaran…The Big Fat Indian/Italian Wedding
Next stop was the luxurious Rimba Resort and the hour car ride to the resort in Jimbaran was so worth it. When we arrived we were presented with leis flower garlands and a welcome drink, followed by the most spectacular view as you enter the foyer to the reception desk.
The wedding was held at the Ayana Resort, the sister resort of Rimba which we could use all the facilities of.
The next few days were even more hectic than Seminyak due to the wedding, which was to be expected. As soon as we arrived it was straight to the chapel for the wedding rehearsal in the sweltering mid day heat, who knew walking needed so much practice! Dinner that evening was at To’Gé in Rimba, where I had a spicy arrabbiata pasta which was delicious. The food and atmosphere at To’Gé is fantastic – the only criticism would be that service is slow and they didn’t seem to be able to get our bill right most evenings.
Breakfast at To’Gé was a buffet which consisted of fruit, croissants, made to order eggs, cakes and plenty of other treats to work your way through. I must give a shout out to the hot chocolate, it’s definitely the best I’ve ever had!
The next day was the wedding at the fabulous Ayana resort where we were treated to a gorgeous sunset and cocktail reception. Post wedding drinks were held at The Rock Bar where you have to get a cable car to – side note drinks are extremely expensive here as you would expect on such a resort – a vodka and coke was £15! The party continued at the bride and grooms villa until the early morning which looked like a scene out of Geordie Shore with people jumping into the pool fully clothed and music blasting – yes it got a little messy but don’t worry it all stayed PG!
Next day after a few hours rest we were up again enjoying the views at the Mexican restaurant in the bar at the top of Rimba called Unique Rooftop Bar where there is an infinity pool with bean bags for your relaxation, the views are just magnificent from up there – very Ibiza/Marbella style. £70 for 3 people dining with alcohol which I’d personally say is pricey but it seems to be expected at this kind of resort.
Half of the family stayed here to see the sunset and the rest of us caught the free hotel shuttle to the beach at Ayana and boy was it worth it! We arrived just before sunset and it was just a spectacular experience. The beach is hidden and you have to go down a set of steep stairs to get down to the soft sand and natural clear water but it was so worth it as we practically had the beach to ourselves. The walk back up the stairs was a 4 minute workout (yes we timed it!), we are all fairly fit and we worked up a sweat. I’d definitely say that after such a hectic start to the holiday of party, party, party this was a highlight and a moment of peace and serenity which I’ll never forget. I took in those views and breathed in that beautiful, refreshing sea air and can still remember how calm I felt in that moment – this is when I felt my vacation was beginning.
Dinner that evening was at Honzen a Japanese restaurant based in the Ayana resort. We were sat upstairs on tables where you are able to cook your own food – which meant it was extremely hot as there wasn’t any air conditioning up there. Regardless to that we had a great time as, there were many vegetarian options, the staff were very friendly and helpful and the food was well priced – in fact it was cheap for the amount we had ordered. The only downside would be £60 for a bottle of wine which is quite expensive but, if you can’t splash out on holiday then when can you hey?! (That’s me being positive!).
The next morning we were meant to have left for Gili island but arranging a boat for 14 people seemed to be impossible and then half the group seemed to get cold feet about going (that’s the downside about travelling as such a large group – accommodating everyones needs and wants without falling out). We decided not to split up and cancelled our trip to Gili T and arranged a last minute hotel in Jimbaran as we couldn’t stay on at the amazing Rimba as they were fully booked.
Overall our stay at the Rimba resort was perfect – it was a beautiful hotel, which was clean with good food and stunning views. Being able to use the facilities at the Ayana resort was the icing on the cake, we just wish we had longer to enjoy it to it’s fullest. The main thing we missed out on was the Aqua Tonic spa which some of my family managed to do and couldn’t stop raving about it so that’s on the list for next time that’s for sure!