Raffles Bali: An Island Idyll of Private Villas & Top-Notch Cuisine

Guest villas at Raffles Bali have private plunge pools, many with views of the sea.

The original Raffles Hotel opened in Singapore in the late 1880s, and the luxury lodging brand has since expanded across Asia, Europe, and beyond. In 2021, the company opened Raffles Bali, adding a new luxe option for travelers to this hugely popular Indonesian island. 

Here’s the scoop:

About Raffles Bali

Set on more than 50 acres of landscaped grounds and lush forest in the island’s Jimbaran area, just a 30-minute drive from Bali’s Denpasar International Airport, Raffles Bali has 32 private villas, a variety of distinctive dining and wellness experiences, and a menu of activities that connect guests to the island’s culture.

A spacious guest villa at Raffles Bali

Guest Rooms and Amenities

Guests at Raffles Bali stay in expansive private villas built into a hillside that cascades from the lobby area down to Jimbaran Bay. All the villas have their own terraces and gardens, with a private plunge pool. Except for the one-bedroom pool villas that overlook the gardens, all the units have at least partial views of the sea.

Inside, the villas have sleeping and sitting areas furnished in a deluxe Balinese style, a large walk-in closet/dressing area, and spacious bathrooms with both rain showers and soaker tubs. You can also shower outdoors in a private garden.

Adjacent to each plunge pool is a cabana where you can lounge sheltered from the tropical sun.

Raffles guests have access to a butler, who can arrange meals, spa treatments, activities, and other experiences. Your butler, or another member of the service team, is always available via WhatsApp texts.

The oceanview pool and beach at Raffles Bali

Facilities and Services

While it would be tempting to cocoon in your villa and soak in your private pool — and many guests do, especially since it’s a popular destination for honeymooners — Raffles Bali offers numerous activities and experiences highlighting both wellness and Balinese culture.

The well-equipped 24-hour fitness center and the spa are located in the main lobby building. Every morning, there’s a complimentary yoga, meditation, or stretch class, and guests can reserve several other wellness experiences, including sound healing, reiki, or chakra balancing, as well as a beachfront fire cleansing ritual.

A distinctively Balinese option is the soul blessing ceremony, which was inspired by the traditional Balinese water purification ritual.

Even on a rainy day, The Sanctuary is a sanctuary.

The spa offers a range of massages, facials, and body treatments, which are available in the main spa facility, in your villa, or in “The Sanctuary,” a serene open-air spa suite, overlooking the forest.

Tennis and pickleball courts are located near the resort entrance, and the 25-meter swimming pool overlooks the resort’s small, secluded beach. You can borrow bicycles to pedal around the property. 

Culture and Nature Experiences

To further immerse in Balinese culture, guests might choose a jamu-making workshop, where you learn to prepare this Indonesian health tonic, made from turmeric, ginger, and tamarind paste and mixed with a blend of spices that might include cinnamon, cloves, star anise, and both green and white cardamom. You’ll sample the tasty results in both hot and cold varieties.

In another workshop, you can learn to craft a canang sari, a palm-leaf basket that the Balinese use for daily offerings to the gods, and on a Balinese house tour, you’ll learn about traditional home design and enjoy local snacks.

You can also choose to explore the natural environment. The resort’s “Wings of the Wild” experience takes you bird-watching and butterfly-spotting, while the Botanical Tour introduces you to the property’s trees and plants, and includes a visit to the farm garden and to the stingless beehive, which produces a distinctively tart-sweet honey. 

Chef Gaetan Biesuz prepares a palate cleanser at Rumari Counter.

Dining Options

With windows overlooking the grounds, Rumari, the main restaurant at Raffles Bali, serves breakfast and dinner, where Chef Gaetan Biesuz and his team work to source 80 percent of the ingredients from the region. Breakfast includes both international and Balinese dishes, from freshly baked croissants to tropical fruits to bubuh bali, a delicious rice porridge topped with tuna, vegetables, and red beans. In the evening, the menu draws primarily from Southeast Asia, with options for both à la carte and set multi-course meals.

A unique and intimate experience is the Rumari Counter, where “Chef G” crafts an inventive, ever-changing menu served around a chef’s counter for no more than 10 guests each evening. You might start with an amuse bouche of a bonito taco or lobster donut, move on to dishes like fresh snapper served ceviche-style or seared Wagyu beef with a rendang sauce and green chili sambal, and sweets like a chocolate-coconut-rum mousse or clove-honey madeleine.

Also in the main lobby building, The Writers Bar serves cocktails and a Balinese-influenced afternoon tea, while the more casual Loloan Beach Bar & Grill offers fresh seafood, pizzas, pastas, and cocktails overlooking the pool and the ocean.

And if you don’t want to leave the cocoon of your villa, you can also dine in, ordering a private dinner delivered to your door — since sometimes, a tropical island idyll means simply enjoying a quiet evening in a serene and luxurious space.

Getting Here

Staff at Raffles Bali can arrange a private limousine to transport guests from Bali’s Denpasar International Airport, enabling you to bypass the mass of “taxi, taxi” operators calling for your attention outside the arrivals area. You can also use the Grab app — Asia’s version of Uber — to book your own transportation. Either way, it’s only a 30-minute drive from the airport to the property.

Rates

Double room rates for the private villas at Raffles Bali start at roughly US$900 per night, depending on the season and the unit’s size and views. Various packages, including meals and other services, are also available. See your options on the resort’s website.

Check rates for Raffles Bali online at Expedia, Booking.com, Agoda.com, or Hotels.com.

If you’d like to compare Raffles Bali to another nearby luxury resort, check out our review of the island’s Four Seasons Jimbaran property.

Hotel feature by Vancouver-based travel, food, and feature writer Carolyn B. Heller. Photos © Carolyn B. Heller. Raffles Bali hosted my stay for review purposes, while I was traveling for several weeks in Indonesia.