3 days ago
Raffles Bali hotel review: a tranquil fly-and-flop pad focused on wellness
Just 30 minutes' drive from the airport yet a world away from the Bali bustle, this sanctuary-like hotel is set in 57 lush acres, with jasmine-scented paths that wind all the way down to the Indian Ocean. Over a decade in the making, Raffles Bali finally opened in 2021; it's an ideal spot to fully unwind in absolute peace and privacy (many guests arrive after a long journey and simply stay put for a few days) and dip into the spiritual wellness offering. Service is friendly and unobtrusive and the southeast Asian food is delicious. When you do want to venture out, Jimbaran Bay, known for its seafood restaurants and two-and-a-half-miles of sand, is a short walk away.
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Score 10/10All 32 villas, dotted across a hillside, share the same sleek Balinese design: vaulted rattan ceilings and hardwood floors, teak furniture and embroidered batik wall hangings. Hilltop pool villas are a smidge smaller than the others but their elevated position brings more sweeping views of the sea; ocean pool villas and panoramic pool villas are closer to the water.
Each villa has sliding doors to a terrace with a pool, dining table and thatched cabana. Cots and babysitting services are available. A butler is also on hand for any requests. Standalone bathtubs are perfectly positioned for staring out at the horizon during a long soak. Score 10/10Breakfast and dinner are served at Rumari, a fine-dining southeast Asian restaurant that looks out over the treetops. Overseen by the French culinary director Gaetan Biesuz, it has a local-first ethos: 80 per cent of produce is from the Indonesian archipelago; the other 20 per cent has to be imported. Both the à la carte and tasting menus (seven or nine courses) showcase dishes inspired by parts of the country — it might be mud crab with pomelo from West Sumatra or beef with corn from South Sulawesi. The adjoining Writers Bar is a great spot for a sundowner or a post-dinner nightcap.
At breakfast you'll find everything from fresh fruit and chia pudding to Jimbaran lobster omelette and Java-style chicken soup. Lunch (and more casual dinner) is served at the Loloan Beach Bar & Grill: tacos, wood-fired pizzas and seafood platters. Children's menus are available at both restaurants. Lovely private dining options include the Farm Terrace for family-style feasts cooked over fire (up to six guests) and the Secret Cave, which serves just one table a night.
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Score 9/10Tap into Bali's spiritual side through soul blessings, fire cleansing rituals and treatments such as 7 Chakras Balancing, which begins with a numerology reading and dowsing rods to check the energy level of each chakra. Tibetan singing bowl meditation happens in the Secret Cave; couples can request the Sanctuary, an open-air pavilion, for massages; and for early risers, the best way to begin the day is with sunrise yoga on the beach. There are tennis courts, hilly paths around the grounds for hiking and jogging (you can borrow bicycles to explore too), a gym, and a 25m infinity pool next to the Loloan Beach Bar & Grill.
Score 9/10Just south of Jimbaran Bay. The hotel is a ten-minute stroll from Muaya beach (which then becomes Jimbaran beach) and its cluster of low-key, seafood cafés on the sand. Within walking distance is the Samasta Lifestyle Village, a small open-air shopping complex with boutiques and restaurants. The Uluwatu Temple (especially lovely at sunset) and Garuda Wisnu Kencana Cultural Park are each a 30-minute drive away. Motorbikes are the best way to get around — or ask the hotel to book a taxi.
Price villa with breakfast from £670 per nightRestaurant mains from £14Family-friendly YAccessible N
Emma Love was a guest of Raffles Bali (
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