Jimbaran

Understand

Jimbaran is just south of the airport and Kuta. It used to be a backwater: just a tiny fishing village with a daily market. Everything started to change in the 1980s and Jimbaran is now home to several world-class 5-star beach resorts, and a few more moderate mid-market hotels. There is however little in the way of budget accommodation and there are also many high-end villas in this area, particularly on the ridges of high ground above Jimbaran Bay. This has resulted in monikers such as the "Beverly Hills of Bali" or "Millionaire's Row". The bay has a pleasant white sand beach and is very safe for swimming. The three clusters of grilled seafood restaurants on the beach are a major tourist draw in the evenings, as is the truly stunning sunset. Jimbaran is also home to a Norwegian university: Gateway College, with around 500 students studying athletics, philosophy, culture, economics and journalism. The school is located in Kedonganan close to Sari Segara Resort and in Jl, Bantas Kau where it also has a small cafe. Jimbaran has an increasing number of rather chic shops but there is little or no nightlife here but it is close to Kuta and Seminyak and the cultural highlights of Central Bali.

Getting there

Jimbaran is between Kuta and the Bukit Peninsula, with Nusa Dua to the southeast and Uluwatu to the southwest.

By car Jimbaran is 10-15 min south of the airport. A pre-paid airport taxi costs Rp60,000-80,000 depending on exactly where in Jimbaran you are heading. Virtually all Jimbaran hotels offer a free airport pick-up service, however make sure that you request this when making a booking. Jimbaran is around a 20-minute drive from Legian and Seminyak, and 30 min from Sanur, via the Jl Ngurah Rai bypass.

By bus Bemos serving Jimbaran are almost non-existent but there is a sporadic service from Tegal terminal in Denpasar (via Kuta). This service continues on to Nusa Dua.

Getting around

As elsewhere in Bali, motorbikes are readily available for rental and taxis are everywhere. Have a read of the main Bali article for detail on this. The main roads in Jimbaran are the Jl Bypass Ngurah Rai which goes from the Ngurah Rai International Airport in the north, goes south and then east to Nusa Dua, and Jl Uluwatu, which branches off Jl Bypass Ngurah Rai and leads to Uluwatu Temple in the Bukit Peninsula in the south. This is one of the better areas of South Bali for walking.

See

Jimbaran is a typical little Balinese society with lots of small streets and gangs (alleys) that makes a perfect backdrop for a stroll. Just walking around in Jimbaran is an adventure and the locals are smiling and welcoming. The road along the beach and Jl Uluwatu make good orientation points. Follow these and take the different small roads that connect them back and forth. Arrive at around 17:00, take a seat in one of the restaurants on the beach, order food drink, and enjoy the romantic sunset while waiting for your orders. The sunsets in Jimbaran are very beautiful.

Do

The beach. Jimbaran Bay is fringed by one of the best beaches in Bali. The sand is fine and white, and the calm waters make it very suitable for swimming, children and adults alike. The southern end of the beach close to the Four Seasons Resort is the quietest but the whole stretch is very pleasant indeed.

Water activities Surfing, there are a couple of good surf breaks off the airport which are easiest accessed from Jimbaran Bay. It is too far to paddle out, but boats are easily chartered from the beach in the middle areas of the bay or close to the fish market. When the surf is rolling here it is very good but it can be a bit unreliable. Swimming, a great bay for swimming with perhaps the safest waters in the whole of Bali. You will find lots of local children come to beach to swim in the evenings - a sure sign that the waters are safe.

Spas Jimbaran has a number of high-end spas, both within the luxury hotels and independent establishments.

1 Alam Jimbaran Spa (formerly Aroma Talk Alam Jimbaran), JL Kampus Udayana No.9 (In front of tennis court), ☏ +62 361 703826, [email protected]. daily 09:00-21:00. Day spa, traditional Balinese massage, Indian ayurvedic spa, hot stone therapy and hammam herbal therapy. 2 Bamboo Spa, By L'Occitane, Jl. Uluwatu Jimbaran (in Jimbaran Corner, at the intersection between Jalan Uluwatu and Jalan Four Seasons), ☏ +62 361 704551, [email protected]. daily 10:00-22:00. 5 single treatment rooms, 9 double treatment suites for couples, a private steam room, a relaxation lounge, reflexology area and the L’Occitane retail boutique. All therapists in Bamboo Spa have received French style training from L'Occitane en Provence. Around USD90 for 75 minutes. 3 Bliss Massage, Jl Uluwatu II (just east of the Four Seasons roundabout on the north side of Jl UluwatuII), ☏ +62 361 7925698. daily 10:00-22:00. Not a spa as such, but a traditional massage parlour. Excellent, traditional Balinese-style therapeutic treatments. Balinese m

Buy

There are nice boutiques and antique shops in the stretch of Jalan Uluwatu between The Intercontinental and the junction with Jalan Uluwatu II.

1 Jimbaran Market, Jl Uluwatu. Slightly further north of the boutique and antique area is Jimbaran Market. This is a hive of activity every morning as the local community goes about its business and is a notably good place to purchase fresh produce. 2 Jenggala Gallery, Jalan Uluwatu II, Jimbaran, ☏ +62 361 703 311. Daily 09:00-18:00. Large gallery and retail showroom for Balinese ceramics. Regular exhibitions of paintings and other art by up and coming local artists. Worth a visit, and it's hard to miss the enormous pink limestone clad building. Has an excellent cafe.

Eat

1 Jimbaran fish market (Pasar Ikan Jimbaran). Best to visit 06:00-09:00. A traditional fish market is located at the northern end of the bay right by the beach at the junction with Jalan Tukad Ayung. The catch comes in every morning here and customers include most of Bali's fine dining restaurants. All manner of fish and shellfish are on available. You can get your purchases grilled elsewhere in the market for a fee.

Seafood restaurants on Jimbaran Beach

Eating seafood on the beach in Jimbaran is a quintessential part of many a visitor's itineraries when coming to Bali. Jimbaran Bay is home to about fifty grilled seafood restaurants in three different groupings, all set along the beach. The three sections are Muaya (in the very south), Kedonganan (in the middle), and Kelan (north of the fish market). Each of the restaurants is much of a muchness and of the groupings, the most southerly, closest to the Four Seasons, is the most popular these days. Tables are set up right on the sand and if you sit at the lowest tables at high tide, you can even get your feet wet. The sea breeze is cool, the sunsets are beautiful and the whole area is lit by oil torches after dark. The restaurants serve essentially the same menu with one basic dining format:

fire-grilled (bakar) seafood with your own choice of var