Ayana Resort - Bali

We were greeted by monsoon on our arrival in Bali, which continued for the first two days of our stay.  However that didn't deter us from trekking over to Jimboran Bay area of Bali on our second night for drinks and dinner at Ayana Resort (which is where we intended to stay, but since we made the decision to go to Bali 3 weeks before departing during one of the busiest travel periods, the resort was booked out bar the USD2,000 suites..hmmm).

Despite the Rock Bar being closed due to said rain the hours spent at Ayana were incredible.  The estate is so incredibly large (10 minute drive to hotel once you enter the main gate!!).  The setting and sunset is probably one of the most incredible ever witnessed.  One thing that's never lacking in Bali is service.  Everywhere you turn you're greeted with smiles and hellos, but not the type you get in order to give a tip.  These are genuine and warm.

We flew into Bali at about 10pm on the Monday night and by the time we passed customs and got to our villa just before midnight (down the main road of Seminyak, then a sharp left into a lane way), B was convinced that somebody was going to kill us.  The smell and traffic (please do not EVER complain about traffic in a cosmopolitan city if you've never been to Bali) and a family of 6 riding on a scooter barefoot with no helmets was enough to have B frantically searching for the next flight out of Bali on his iPhone.  I managed to convince him to stay (I think the lovely villa helped me sway him).  He did however vow to not leave the room for the entire week.

Within 24 hours however his opinion of Bali had changed.  He was in love.  I will blog about the reasons why we fell in love with Bali in subsequent posts, but for now please enjoy dusk and sunset from Ayana Resort.

A lonely, wet Rock Bar

sass & bide linen shorts, sass & bide military detail top, zara double sided scarf I obsessed about for 3 days until I ran to buy it

Wedding chapel on the right!

View from the dinner table