Planning a Bali escape? Come along as we stay at RIMBA by AYANA Bali with incredible pools, floating breakfasts, rooftop dining, cooking classes and lush rainforest inspired luxury. Find out what the rooms, food and experience are really like at this luxurious Jimbaran resort.
It's our third day in Bali and we are changing hotels from the AYANA Resort Bali to RIMBA by AYANA Bali. Both are located within AYANA Bali's sprawling 90 hectare property. While AYANA Resort is all about cliff tops and ocean views, RIMBA is a rainforest retreat nestled on the South Western edge of the property.
It seems a pity that we as humans are earth bound. Because one of the best ways to appreciate RIMBA resort is via a bird's eye view. This way you can see the resort's dizzying array of pools, one shaped like a pentagon with the centre cut out, one like a jutting out surfboard or the one that curves around the resort. It is a resort that really requires great inspection from various levels to appreciate the design.
RIMBA by AYANA Bali is extremely popular with families and couples as it is described as a "modern jungle". This means that it is family and stroller friendly as well as very Instagrammable. Plus it has easy access to AYANA Bali's facilities and restaurants as guests can use their sprawling grounds as their playground.
Within RIMBA, there are two resorts: RIMBA and RIMBA Wana. RIMBA Wana is a separate wing from RIMBA in a different building just a short golf buggy ride away (if you have luggage) or an even shorter stroll across a sky bridge. After we check in at RIMBA we are whisked away to RIMBA Wana. The memory of the rosemary and rosella welcome drink is still on my lips as I absent mindedly twirl the frangipani lei - all of the frangipanis in the welcome leis are grown at nearby AYANA Farm.
The style for both RIMBA hotels is eco-conscious with lots of woods including driftwood and discarded timber, green landscaping and layers all designed to blend into the rainforest. Rimba Wana rooms overlook the serene Tevana Gardens.
The Hotel Room at RIMBA Wana
There's something just so immediately soothing when you can just step straight from your room into a pool. And at RIMBA Wana, one of the key features of some first floor rooms is the ability to slide open your balcony door and immerse yourself in the pool that hugs one side of the building.
The king bed is comfortable and there are plugs by the bed including USB plugs. The room is around 53 square metres and feels spacious thanks to the open design. There's a closet with room to hang clothes and a safe.
The bathroom is a good size with a shower and soaking tub combo and a good range of amenities. Our room is located just near the over water bridge of the pool and there's families enjoying the pool outside. Guests at RIMBA (and all AYANA Bali's hotels) are also given priority sunset access at Rock Bar.
UNIQUE Rooftop Bar
We head to lunch at UNIQUE Rooftop Bar, bookmarking the pool for when the sun is less strong. The rooftop bar combines a swimming pool with Mexican food, cooling breezes and music.
I have been rather besotted by the paletas at AYANA Bali and when I see there is a cocktail with a paleta in it, I order it. The Mexican paleta cocktail has butterfly pea and basil gin, lemon, cucumber tonic, and a mini Mexican paleta. The butterfly pea flower syrup (the butterfly pea flowers are also grown at AYANA farm) is poured at the table and the purple melds with the lime to create a blue colour. Mr NQN loves the Pattaya Agua Fresca with dragon fruit, coconut, lemon and tajin salt.
We're keeping it light as it's such a hot day. The tuna tostada is a standout, definitely the most layered tuna tostada I've ever had. It has tuna, ponzu sauce, lettuce, cherry tomatoes, shallots, salsa de aguacate, salsa negra and crispy leeks on a corn tortilla. It's superb, one tostada is definitely enough for an appetiser as it has so much on it.
Another must order is the tuna and mango ceviche, which is cured in spiced lemon juice with Mexican spices, served with chips. I enjoy the cubes of fresh tuna, mango and the crunch when I spoon some on the plantain and corn chips.
And while there are some really delicious sounding desserts like flan and churros, all I want this hot afternoon is a mango and strawberry paleta.
Breakfast at To'Ge, RIMBA
RIMBA guests have a choice for breakfast from Padi (at AYANA Resort), Karang (at AYANA Segara) or To'Ge at RIMBA, on the level below the lobby. To'Ge is Balinese for bean sprout. The buffet selection is mostly Korean, Indonesian and Japanese as the resort is extremely popular with Asian guests.
I get a bit of everything savoury for my breakfast although the smell of sweet baked goods pervades the air in the room dedicated to pastries, pancakes, French toast, cakes and waffles.
The japchae and Indomie noodles are delicious as is the Korean chicken and pork dumplings. Mr NQN helps himself to some fresh fruit as well as bircher muesli, matcha chia pudding and juices. While I loved the Thali at Padi restaurant, I think I slightly preferred the food here at To'Ge.
Floating Breakfast Option
RIMBA has two locations for a floating breakfast. They can be enjoyed at the Luna rooftop pool or back at the UNIQUE rooftop bar and pool for a bit more privacy. Guests can select from a menu of Western, Indonesian or wellness breakfasts, ordered ahead of time. Mr NQN chooses the wellness breakfast with a pitaya bowl with toasted muesli topped with slices of banana and dragon fruit. It also comes with a slice of lightly toasted sourdough with guacamole and an egg white omelette on top.
My choice is the Indonesian breakfast with nasi goreng, fried chicken Maryland, two chicken satay sticks with tomato sambal on the side and finely diced sweet pickles. The Indonesian breakfast also comes with a bowl of vermicelli noodle clear soup with a side of spicy sambal and rice. Both breakfasts come with a fruit platter and a choice of tea or coffee and a juice of your choice. To finish off the selection, there are two mini muffins.
We spend an hour enjoying our breakfast and looking at the view, watching the resort wake up from above.
RIMBA Cooking Class
If you want to learn how to make the most delicious Nasi Goreng, I've got great news for you. RIMBA holds cooking classes just near the Orchid Tea Lounge. Here you can learn how to make your favourite Balinese or Indonesian dishes with chef Oky. He is a super friendly and informative chef that has great banter with guests.
The cooking class begins with the traditional blessing called Canang Sari. They show us the five colourful flowers used in the offering and the incense that she places strategically around the cooking class. The cost is 1,500,000IDR/$118AUD/$84USD per person.
Chef Oky begins the class by explaining all of the ingredients that we are using today. I've pre-selected to make gado gado and Nasi Goreng out of a selection including sate campur, grilled spanner in banana leaf, sate lilit and minced duck in banana leaf. The first half of the class is a demonstration by Chef Oky where he shows all of the steps of making the gado gado sauce and the nasi goreng.
Interestingly, the local Balinese prefer a raw satay sauce for gado gado made up of hand ground roasted peanuts. However for visitors they tend to cook the satay sauce for hygiene reasons. I get to try both and I admit I prefer the cooked version a little bit more than the raw but they're both tasty.
I get to sample Chef Oky's version of the dishes so I know what I'm trying to achieve before I make my own at my own separate station. Chef Oky is encouraging and helpful and time flies by as I make the tomato sambal base which is a third recipe that I've always wanted to learn how to make. They're all straightforward recipes to make and definitely one of the best Nasi Goreng we've tried as the rice isn't dry at all and full of flavour. There's squid, local prawns and fish in the seafood version of Nasi Goreng which is the most popular version in Jimbaran due to the abundance of seafood caught along the coastline.
We also try one of the design your own teas where you can pick the type of tea, spice, floral note and fruit to create your very own iced tea blend. I also enjoy a salted caramel frappe coffee afterwards with the fresh tropical fruit plate.
Afternoon Tea at the Orchid Tea Lounge
The Orchid Tea Lounge is where afternoon tea at RIMBA is held and guests have a choice of an air conditioned glasshouse or another room that has an indoor/outdoor view.
Kampoeng Night
Kampoeng means "village" in Indonesian and RIMBA hosts a Kampoeng night on Monday, Wednesday and Friday nights. This features a traditional Balinese show as well as an Indonesian buffet dinner. Make your way to the area just near the Orchid Tea Room and cooking school where they tie a pink sash around your waist and lead you to your table.
All of the tables are staggered theatre style so that even the back ones get a high view of the stage. They explain that there will be shows including "Gamelan"/Balinese instrument, a welcome dance, Kecak dance, Balinese Fire Dance and around the edge is a Balinese Market with sellers offering souvenirs, designed to look like a village setting. The price per person is 900,000IDR/$70AUD/$50USD per person.
Just after 6 o'clock the buffet opens and it is a spread of Indonesian delights. The savoury section is at one end while desserts are at the opposite side of the stage. There is so much to choose from and the chefs are super helpful and friendly. I even see my cooking class friend Chef Oky who has spent the whole day making the suckling pig with glass skin.
The best course of action is of course just to try a little bit of everything and I get a plate full of the half a dozen fresh Indonesian salads while Mr NQN gets rice noodles and the meat. There's also a separate satay station as well as soups, lobster, prawns grilled with the tomato sambal.
I am particularly besotted by the salads, which all taste distinct from each other. These are so fresh and flavoursome with flavours like makrut lime, lemongrass, shallots, chilli and an abundance of fresh herbs. The soy-braised pork belly is divine as are the tomato sambal clams and the duck. We don't even get to the cracker station because we've got so much food.
While we eat, the show starts and it's a range of performers, from musicians, dancers and fire twirlers. They tell the story of Kecak Ramayana or the Ramayana Monkey Chant based on the Hindu epic Ramayana. It's an entertaining show and there's always something to do and watch, from the human monkey who jumps from floor to floor, level to level and teases people and takes selfies with others, to the action on stage.
Staff bring over some of the desserts, the traditional Balinese desserts like klepon or glutinous mochi style rice balls filled with palm syrup. Mr NQN also helps himself to some of the cakes as well as the three sweet soups that I absolutely love. We finished the night at 8:00 with locally made gelato with mango and vanilla.
So tell me Dear Reader, what do you think of this resort? Is the more traditional AYANA hotel more your style or this modern one?
NQN and Mr NQN stayed as guests of AYANA but all opinions remain her own.
RIMBA by AYANA Bali
Sejahtera, Jl. Karang Mas, Jimbaran, South Kuta, Badung Regency, Bali 80364, Indonesia
Phone: +62 361 8468468
https://www.ayana.com/bali/rimba-by-ayana/
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