Inside Raffles Bali, Where You’ll Find All-Villa Suites, Foie Gras Ravioli and Not Another Soul in Sight

Stay Here For

Relaxation. You could while away entire days just gazing at the Indian Ocean and flitting frictionlessly between spa, pool and beachside lounger.

Checking in to Raffles Bali is an initiation. A Balinese blessing ritual, the pling-plonging of bamboo rindik xylophones and you’re off, whisked to your villa by buggy. There, you can dive right in to what you’ve come to do: relax. Whether that means long limb-lulling massages at the hilltop spa, dipping into your personal infinity pool or dozing off on an umbrella-shaded sun bed, the whole of Raffles Bali seems purpose-built for doing a whole bunch of nothing.

Just 32 villas dot this sweeping 57-acre sprawl of manicured lawns, craggy limestone boulders and gardens ablush with pink bougainvillea. The western half of the resort is way less developed, making it feel like a slice of wild jungle.

Raffles is known for its top-notch butler service, which begins the moment you book your stay. Before arrival, your butler will send an email to pin down pillow preferences (spelt-lavender? goose feathers?) and dining requests (beachfront barbecue? candlelit dinner on The Farm Terrace?), and during your stay, they’ll assist with everything from unpacking to mapping out personalized shopping itineraries.

A cove-like beach completes the tropical fantasy, and though the waves are too rough for swimming, a lap-length pool right beside it means that’s hardly an issue. This is also where you’ll find Loloan Beach Bar & Grill, the resort’s Mediterranean-tinged beachfront restaurant, which on weekends comes to life with music at sunset.

For a break from all that lolling around, there’s a tennis and pickleball court with a coach on speed dial, and various workshops in Balinese dance, yoga and mixology. Your butler can also arrange fire-cleansing rituals or guided tours of the island’s most important temples. But trust us: No one will bat an eye if you remain curled up with a book on that poolside lounger.

The Essentials

The Location

Raffles Bali is in Jimbaran, a fishing village on Bali’s Bukit Peninsula. Over the past few decades, tons of resorts have popped up, so that small-town feel is long gone; but a wander around the local market still offers glimpses of the village’s colorful past.

The Bars and Restaurants

Brilliantly orange and pink sunsets are best savored with a Bali Sling (an arak-heavy riff on the Singapore Sling) at the hilltop Writers Bar, where incense and frangipani waft in on the breeze. When the sun has tipped behind the horizon, head to Rumari for dinner. Dive into French chef Gaetan Biesuz’s Indonesia-meets-the-world cuisine with the multicourse tasting menu—it’s worth it for the bamboo lobster with tamarind sauce alone. Breakfast is served here, too: Expect tropical fruits, pastries and local staples such as nasi uduk pandan rice and Javanese chicken soup. Down at the beach, timber-clad Loloan Beach Bar & Grill covers lunch and dinner, with a surf and turf menu of pizzas, seafood-studded pastas and a butcher’s selection of Japanese and Australian beef.

The Room

Raffles Bali is all-villa territory, and aside from the multi-bedroom options, each of the 32 accommodations is similar in size and design. Dark woods and warm grays don’t scream Bali at first sight, but upon closer inspection you’ll find chairs bedecked in rattan, a sprinkling of Indonesian art and wall-spanning headboards covered in batik-printed fabric. Villas closer to the beach have wide-screen vistas of the bay, while those higher up the hill offer more privacy. The sweet spot is Villa Seven, or any of its neighbors on the canyon side, which are ultra-private and angled to conceal the airport runway on the horizon.

The Standout Feature

Views of Jimbaran Bay are ever-present.

The Hill Path snaking through the western half of the resort, which has been much less developed, giving it the feel of untouched jungle, a rarity in this resort-packed corner of the island. The trail leads down to the beach, weaving past the resort’s farm gardens and still-wild jungle.

The Time to Go

Bali’s dry season runs from May to September—go then to maximize your chances of sunny skies. Late June to August sees the biggest crowds and traffic-choked streets, so the shoulder season is your sweet spot.

The Vibe

Cocktails by the pool, with Jimbaran Bay beyond. 

The minibar treat you can’t stop snacking on: A jar of cookies topped with cashews and chocolate chips. They’re bite-size, making them dangerously easy to eat by the fistful—luckily, they’re replenished daily.

The in-room amenity that ends up in your suitcase: Whatever you find in the vanity cabinet: little spritz bottles of pillow mist, lip balm and tiny tins of aloe vera gel. Even the handsome faux-leather toiletry bags, embossed with a silver Raffles logo, are yours to take home.

The surprising service on speed dial: On this island of shamans and witch doctors, there’s a spiritual cure for everything, including bad weather. For events threatened by downpours, the resort can call in the help of a rain stopper, or tukang terang, to pray the clouds away.

Everything Else