Few properties have ever ticked all my boxes. Some can be too big, some too small, too off-the-beaten path or not far enough away from the madding crowd. Yes, in the world of resorts the ideal balance is hard to find. So it is a breath of fresh air conjoined with a huge sigh of relief when you step through the doors of Belmond Jimbaran Puri.
Puri means palace in Balinese, and as all island palaces worth their ‘royal’, a magnificent lotus pond is a must! Puri Jimbaran’s water feature thrones it however, for this magnificent lotus pond is fringed by a view of the white sands of Jimbaran beach, the Indian Ocean and dreamlike sunsets (daily at the appointed hour) and a never-ending horizon of blue.
We have all come to appreciate space and Jimbaran Puri’s 38 cottage suites, 4 pool villas and 22 deluxe pool villas range from 90 square metres up to a vastly generous 400sqm (the two-bedroom deluxe pool villa, of which there are two). Surrounded by lush, tropical, landscaped gardens each residence offers total privacy.
High-beamed ceilings, with generous king-size beds and plush sofas, are all mindfully placed amongst luxurious interiors with Balinese accents of teak furnishings, antique objets and marble floors. Sunken terrazzo bathtubs, secluded terraces, wooden decks and private gardens make these ground-floor sanctuaries palatial in style but without the stuffiness.
As guests wander around the vast grounds they come across the central infinity pool of blue and green natural stone tiles. The Beach restaurant, Nelayan has VIP seating for the glorious famed Bali sunsets, as does the nearby Puri Bar. These moments of barefoot luxury are unrivalled on the island of Bali. In my book any way, and I have been here for 25 years!
The food, organic as much as possible, covers all the fabulous gourmet bases. In addition to Neleyan, Tunjung Restaurant is elevated to overlook the lotus pond and at night it just oozes elegant candle lit romance. The menus of both offer Mediterranean, Indonesian and Asian flavours, offering amongst other items, the freshest of fish caught straight from the seas in front of the resort.
Having slept well, eaten well there is really only a couple more things to do on any given holiday. The first is to calm the mind. Here Jimbaran Puri offers yoga classes featuring different asanas, Tai Chi and guided meditations in the expansive and quiet gardens with the aquamarine sea as a backdrop. The next is to relax the body. Bali and her ancient holistic wisdom, introduces us to soothing treatments harnessing the power of local flowers, herbs, barks and spices designed to release both mental and physical tension, relax the muscles, quiet the inner chatter and help us attain that mood of total gratitude.
This is definitely the place to stay if you come to Bali!
Please visit www.belmond.com/jimbaran
or email us at info.jpb@belmond.com for more information
