There are many great things for couples to do on Bali.
One of them is to hit Jimbaran Beach for a seafood dinner.
Once an unknown fishing village on Bali’s southern coast, Jimbaran (just south of the airport) is now a buzzing destination at night – where the simple charm of seafood restaurants spills onto the sands.
Here, tables and chairs are set under a canopy of stars, lining the two-mile stretch of Jimbaran Bay.
Jimbaran Beach by day
Jimbaran Bay boasts one of the best beaches in Bali (not like Kuta Beach, which is too crowded for our tastes).
The water is calm for swimming, and the sand is fine and almost white in the blinding sunshine.
Jimbaran Beach restaurants
One evening at sunset, we plonk ourselves down at a Jimbaran Beach restaurant.
We don’t have far to go – just a short walk down the beach from our hotel, the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay.
The restaurant’s setting is undeniably romantic.
Lamps and tiki torches light up the tables.
And it’s lovely to kick off our sandals and squish the sand between our toes.
More great beaches? Then check out the prettiest beaches in the world!
Sundara Beach Club on Jimbaran Bay
The “wow” place to be on Jimbaran Beach is the Four Seasons hotel’s hip Sundara Beach Club.
By day, guests stake out double daybeds by the 190-foot infinity pool and sip on hand-crafted cocktails. (There’s an admission fee to use the club.)
At night, Sundara transforms into a sexy seafood eatery, where DJs spin tunes into the wee hours – and the food is really, really good (though admittedly more expensive than the seafood eateries on Jimbaran Beach).
Dining at Sundara, Four Seasons Bali
Ingredients are local and organic where possible.
You can order dishes in small, medium and large sizes.
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Maybe crispy quail with coriander, or steamed spotted grouper? Or go local and order a selection of Indonesian tapas.
Sundara, Bali cost
Anyone can rent daybeds and umbrellas at the the beach club. See here for the cost.
Reservations aren’t accepted for use of the daybeds; it’s first-come, first-served.
Four Seasons Resort Bali, Jimbaran Bay
And what about the hotel itself?
Well, we’re fans of the Four Seasons brand. And we loved its sister property in Ubud. (See our Four Seasons Sayan review.) So it’s no surprise we loved the Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay too.
Like the Sayan hotel, it’s one of Bali’s most romantic hotels.
It’s built like a traditional Balinese village.
Clinging to a hillside overlooking the sea, groups of about 20 villas are clustered around seven squares.
There are 147 villas, each with private pools.
One-bedroom villas are made up of three thatched-roof pavilions – an outdoor living area, an indoor air-conditioned bedroom and a bathing pavilion, with an outdoor shower in a small private garden.
Yes, we could spend another day (or more!) at this Four Seasons resort, reading our books on Jimbaran Beach and chilling out at Sundara…
Four Seasons at Jimbaran Beach: Check rates and availability
Experience more of Bali!
Another beautiful Bali hotel: Mix it up and stay at another fab place too. See our Alila Villas Uluwatu review. (It’s possibly the most luxurious hotel in Bali.)
Monkey sanctuary: There’s a lot of monkey business going on at the Ubud Monkey Forest. But the babies sure are cute!
Seminyak: Seminyak is Bali’s trendiest district, and pool villas in Seminyak are all the rage.
Our top travel tips and resources
Hotels: Booking.com is great for scoring a “wow” hotel – or at least a decent one – at lower rates than the hotel’s own website. We especially like Booking’s flexible cancellation policy!
Vacation homes, condos and rentals: We prefer and use Vrbo (Vacation Rentals by Owner).
Flights: To book the cheapest flights, search on Google Flights or Expedia. (Just be aware Expedia tickets may be non-refundable.)
Airport lounge access: We love (and have) Priority Pass for comfy lounge seats, free snacks and drinks, complimentary WiFi and sometimes even showers and spa services!
Tours: For the best local food, walking and other guided tours, plus skip-the-line tickets to attractions, check out Viator (a TripAdvisor company) and GetYourGuide.
Car rental: Renting a car is often one of the best ways to explore off the beaten path. Discover Cars searches car rental companies so you get the best rates.
Travel insurance: SafetyWing is designed for frequent travelers, long-term adventurers and digital nomads. It covers medical expenses, lost checked luggage, trip interruption and more. We also have and recommend Medjet for global air medical transportation.
Travel gear: See our travel shop to find the best luggage, accessories and other travel gear. (We suggest these comfy travel sandals for city walking, the beach and kicking about.)
Need more help planning your trip? Check out our travel tips and resources guide for airline booking tips, ways to save money, how to find great hotels and other crazy useful trip planning info.
If you make a booking or purchase through our site, we may earn a small commission (at no cost to you). Thanks!
Photo credits: 2, 4, 11 © Janice and George Mucalov, SandInMySuitcase | Remaining photos courtesy Four Seasons Resorts
About the authors
Luxury travel journalists and SATW, NATJA and TMAC “Best Travel Blog” award winners, Janice and George Mucalov are the publishers of Sand In My Suitcase. Between them, they’ve traveled to all 7 continents. See About.
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Neha Singh
Friday 8th of January 2016
Jimbaran Beach, that sounds very cool. I guess I need to experience this one of a kind beach.
Suzanne
Monday 28th of December 2015
Love the sound of a spicy Mai Tai - especially after a hard day at the beach!
Carol
Sunday 27th of December 2015
This is so my kind of place!!! That pool! Kuta drove me crazy. This is bliss.
Janice and George
Monday 28th of December 2015
Yes, Kuta wasn't our cup of tea :-). Jimbaran Bay fit the bill though! And we loved Ubud too...
Lucy
Thursday 24th of December 2015
Beautiful property set on one of the most picturesque beaches of Bali...
Janice and George
Monday 28th of December 2015
Totally agree!
Frank
Wednesday 23rd of December 2015
That Mai Tai looks fantastic. The hotel too....You guys really have the life with all these luxury retreats.
Frank (bbqboy)
Janice and George
Monday 28th of December 2015
We sometimes have to pinch ourselves - like: are we really here?