Relax in luxury at Ayana Bali, the island's unrivalled 5-star tropical resort
Dine at dozens of eateries
With more than 30 eateries, you can find delicious cuisine suited to every palate. There's casual dining at many of the pool bars, and finer dining at Italian, Japanese and, of course, Indonesian spots. If you want something special, book the Pesta Lobster dinner at Kisik Pier. It's a prime private spot for spectacular sunset views.
Have a drink with a view
If your idea of a holiday isn't complete without a drink in hand, then you've come to the right place. There are multiple pool bars, with some also ticking the highly sought-after box of being on a rooftop. Kubu Beach Club (the resort's private beach) is particularly divine to while away a few hours watching the waves crash below. The Forest Bar tucked into the trees at the Rimba Wana lobby creates the illusion of being deep in the jungle.
You can't miss the famous Rock Bar, a sprawling open-air complex built into the bottom of the limestone cliffs where DJs spin tunes. Reservations are a must if you want a seat at a premier sunset venue (resort guests get priority).
Rock Bar. Photo / Supplied
Dive into 14 different swimming pools
I was keen to see them all, so I asked the resort app's AI chat for an itinerary to ensure I didn't miss any. All were stunning, and many adults-only, but the Ocean Beach Pool was breathtaking. The resort also has its own golden beach, Kubu, accessed by a funicular (or a lot of steps, if you prefer).
Relax at the spa
The spa offers 47 private therapy rooms and a full menu of services. Its decor, however, is enough reason to visit. Walking into the courtyard, a wave of calm welcomes you, while you take in the koi-filled waterways and utter tranquillity. One of the spa's unique features is the thalassotherapy pool. Imagine being immersed in warm seawater while being energetically pummeled all over by jet streams as you gaze out to sea. It is scenic as it is satisfyingly painful.
Thalassotherapy. Photo / AYANA Spa
Keep fit, however you prefer
There are multiple, spacious, well-equipped gyms, a variety of extra activities like SUP and Aerial Yoga, and for those who want to pick up the golf clubs, an 18-hole putting course. For something a bit different, we tried Sound Healing, a meditative experience where you are 'bathed' in sound waves. I definitely felt relaxed as a result, but unfortunately not enlightened.
Immerse yourself in culture
While there's plenty on offer at the resort, including Kampoeng Bali (a traditional show and Balinese buffet), the showcase is Saka Museum. Yes, this resort has a museum, and it was named one of the World's Greatest Places 2024 by Time magazine. Saka Museum takes visitors on a journey to learn about Nyepi, a Balinese celebration where people spend a day in prayer and meditation. People don't leave their homes, and the whole island, including the airport, shuts down.
Saka Museum, Bali. Photo / Saka
If you have kids...
I didn't travel with children, but the resort app details nearly 20 activities for kids, including impressive playgrounds, Kids Club activities, a Green Camp (nature-based day camp that runs from February to August) and a Montessori classroom. Ayana Bali has a sustainable, organic farm where daily walks take place, for adults as well as kids. While the kids play, adults can try a Farm-to-Bar Workshop, where you handpick fresh botanicals to craft your cocktail or mocktail. Worth embracing your inner mixologist and giving it a try!
Checklist
BALI, INDONESIA
GETTING THERE
Fly from Auckland to Bali direct with Air New Zealand.
DETAILS
ayana.com/bali/ayana-resort
New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of Ayana Hospitality.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
NZ Herald
5 days ago
- NZ Herald
Italy's Mount Vesuvius closed to tourists over wildfire
Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech. Smoke rises from a wildfire at the Vesuvius National Park. Photo / Eliano Imperato, AFP Italian firefighters and the army tackled a wildfire on the flanks of Mt Vesuvius at the weekend, with all hiking routes up the volcano near Naples closed to tourists. The national fire service said it had 12 teams on the ground and six Canadair planes fighting the blaze, which has torn through the national park in southern Italy since late last week. 'The fire-fighting continues ceaselessly on three fronts,' a statement said. The army created a fire break and reinforcement firefighters were brought in from other areas of Italy, while onsite teams used drones to better monitor the spread of the fire, the region and fire service said. The park's head Raffaele de Luca said the area affected covered some 500ha.
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- NZ Herald
Relax in luxury at Ayana Bali, the island's unrivalled 5-star tropical resort
Ocean Beach Pool. Photo / AYANA Resort Bali Dine at dozens of eateries With more than 30 eateries, you can find delicious cuisine suited to every palate. There's casual dining at many of the pool bars, and finer dining at Italian, Japanese and, of course, Indonesian spots. If you want something special, book the Pesta Lobster dinner at Kisik Pier. It's a prime private spot for spectacular sunset views. Have a drink with a view If your idea of a holiday isn't complete without a drink in hand, then you've come to the right place. There are multiple pool bars, with some also ticking the highly sought-after box of being on a rooftop. Kubu Beach Club (the resort's private beach) is particularly divine to while away a few hours watching the waves crash below. The Forest Bar tucked into the trees at the Rimba Wana lobby creates the illusion of being deep in the jungle. You can't miss the famous Rock Bar, a sprawling open-air complex built into the bottom of the limestone cliffs where DJs spin tunes. Reservations are a must if you want a seat at a premier sunset venue (resort guests get priority). Rock Bar. Photo / Supplied Dive into 14 different swimming pools I was keen to see them all, so I asked the resort app's AI chat for an itinerary to ensure I didn't miss any. All were stunning, and many adults-only, but the Ocean Beach Pool was breathtaking. The resort also has its own golden beach, Kubu, accessed by a funicular (or a lot of steps, if you prefer). Relax at the spa The spa offers 47 private therapy rooms and a full menu of services. Its decor, however, is enough reason to visit. Walking into the courtyard, a wave of calm welcomes you, while you take in the koi-filled waterways and utter tranquillity. One of the spa's unique features is the thalassotherapy pool. Imagine being immersed in warm seawater while being energetically pummeled all over by jet streams as you gaze out to sea. It is scenic as it is satisfyingly painful. Thalassotherapy. Photo / AYANA Spa Keep fit, however you prefer There are multiple, spacious, well-equipped gyms, a variety of extra activities like SUP and Aerial Yoga, and for those who want to pick up the golf clubs, an 18-hole putting course. For something a bit different, we tried Sound Healing, a meditative experience where you are 'bathed' in sound waves. I definitely felt relaxed as a result, but unfortunately not enlightened. Immerse yourself in culture While there's plenty on offer at the resort, including Kampoeng Bali (a traditional show and Balinese buffet), the showcase is Saka Museum. Yes, this resort has a museum, and it was named one of the World's Greatest Places 2024 by Time magazine. Saka Museum takes visitors on a journey to learn about Nyepi, a Balinese celebration where people spend a day in prayer and meditation. People don't leave their homes, and the whole island, including the airport, shuts down. Saka Museum, Bali. Photo / Saka If you have kids... I didn't travel with children, but the resort app details nearly 20 activities for kids, including impressive playgrounds, Kids Club activities, a Green Camp (nature-based day camp that runs from February to August) and a Montessori classroom. Ayana Bali has a sustainable, organic farm where daily walks take place, for adults as well as kids. While the kids play, adults can try a Farm-to-Bar Workshop, where you handpick fresh botanicals to craft your cocktail or mocktail. Worth embracing your inner mixologist and giving it a try! Checklist BALI, INDONESIA GETTING THERE Fly from Auckland to Bali direct with Air New Zealand. DETAILS New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of Ayana Hospitality.
NZ Herald
6 days ago
- NZ Herald
What it's like visiting the North Korean border
The Comfort women statue, representing the Korean women abducted and used as sex slaves by Japanese soldiers during World War II. We continue north to Gloucester Hill, a significant Korean War site where British and South Korean troops were surrounded by Chinese and North Koreans. After trekking a short distance uphill through the forest, we eventually arrive at a red suspension bridge. It's even equipped for an Instagram update, with Wi-Fi somehow available amid the mountains. After posing for a quick photo, we make our way across. The bridge wobbles and sways with every step, but any fear of collapse is merely an illusion – the bridge is strong enough to hold up to 900 people at a time. The suspension bridge at Gloucester Hill (equipped with Wi-Fi), a significant Korean War site. As we plod over the canyon-like gap, I survey a rock face of a steep cliff down one side where trees defy gravity and sprout from cracks in the jagged surface. An increased military presence gives a clear indication we are nearing the demilitarised zone. Hopping back on the bus, we drive past a platoon of armoured tanks, each sporting a driver in the front hull and another soldier in the turret basket manning a lethal-looking machine gun. After arriving at the checkpoint, intimidating military police board our bus and check our passports. Thankfully, my teenage photo from 2017 gets the all-clear and we're allowed to progress into guarded territory. One of a platoon of armoured tanks near the demilitarised zone. The bus swerves between barriers and spikes to cross the bridge over the Han River into the Civilian Control Zone (CCZ). Over 400 people live in the CCZ – predominantly farmers and military personnel. Landmine warning signs line the road, with curled barbed wire and forest on either side. Several minutes later, we arrive at one of the tunnels dug by North Korea all the way to Seoul for a planned invasion. Four tunnels have been discovered, but there are presumed to be more. Disembarking from the bus, we're given bright-yellow hard hats before descending into one of the tunnels, which runs 73m below the surface. Despite the 29C weather, my breath soon creates clouds of mist as the temperature plummets. A model of North Korean soldiers using dynamite to dig a tunnel from the border to Seoul for a planned invasion. With landmines above our heads, we begin walking through the serrated granite, with lights illuminating the black marks from dynamite explosions, which the North Koreans claim to be charcoal. Water drips from above and seeps through the tiles underfoot, apparently from a burst pipe. While impressive, the tunnels aren't exactly spacious, and I'm forced to in a semi-squat, my hard hat proving essential as it bumps the ceiling several times. 'I should never have skipped leg day,' I overhear a fellow traveller mutter as he too feels his legs burn. The tunnel ends 170m from the demarcation line. At the end, we can see into a grassy area just past the end of the blockade, where the North Koreans would have started digging. We return back up the tunnel, clamber on to the bus and journey to the edge of the demilitarised zone, where a hoisted restaurant allows us to see into North Korea. We're warned that taking photos could land us three years in prison and a $50,000 fine. Ironically, it's cheaper to trespass – only one year in prison and a $16,500 fine. Bargain! Although there is no direct communication between the soldiers of either nation, they do play music through speakers towards one another. The North Korean speakers emit eerie animal noises, while the South Korean speakers blast K-Pop. We're each given a set of binoculars as we relax and scoff lunch at the elevated restaurant. The sky is clear and we can see Propaganda Town near the border, with their national flag pointedly hoisted well above the South Korean flag just 1200m away. The North Koreans refer to it as 'Peace Village' but it is allegedly a facade used to lure South Koreans into defecting. In the distance, we can make out Kaesong, North Korea's southernmost city. It's an industrial complex with a population of over 300,000. The Propoganda Town, otherwise known as "Peace Village". Between mouthfuls, I take a moment to consider that just 10km away, there are people who have never left their country. People who don't have the same freedoms we take for granted every single day. I count my blessings and acknowledge how lucky I am to live in a place under no threat of war, where democracy, open boarders and a free press are simply the norm. Checklist SOUTH KOREA GETTING THERE Fly from Auckland to Incheon with one stopover with Malaysian Airlines. DETAILS For more information on G Adventures' nine-day 'Solo-ish South Korea' tour, visit New Zealand Herald Travel travelled courtesy of G Adventures.
