A Rainforest Resort Inside a 90-Hectare Estate
Sitting on the south-western edge of AYANA Bali's 90-hectare property in Jimbaran, RIMBA by AYANA Bali occupies a very different mood from its cliff-top sibling. Where AYANA Resort faces the ocean, RIMBA leans into dense greenery, layered timber, driftwood detailing, and landscaping designed to blur the line between building and jungle. The property draws a mixed crowd of families and couples, and its layout, flat paths, and stroller-friendly design, reflects that.
Within the RIMBA label there are actually two distinct wings: RIMBA itself and RIMBA Wana, a separate building a short walk or golf-buggy ride away across a sky bridge. RIMBA Wana rooms overlook the Tevana Gardens, and certain first-floor rooms open directly onto a pool that wraps around the building. Room size runs around 53 square metres, with a soaking tub and shower, USB charging points at the bedside, and a safe. Guests across all AYANA Bali properties receive priority access to the famous Rock Bar for sunset.
Eating and Drinking Across the Resort
Breakfast at To'Ge, the ground-floor restaurant whose name is Balinese for bean sprout, skews toward Korean, Indonesian, and Japanese flavours, reflecting the resort's predominantly Asian guest profile. Japchae, Indomie noodles, Korean dumplings, and fresh fruit sit alongside a dedicated pastry room. Guests can also take breakfast at Padi or Karang, the restaurants attached to the other AYANA properties on the same estate.
For something more theatrical, RIMBA offers floating breakfasts at two locations: the Luna rooftop pool and the UNIQUE Rooftop Bar. Orders are placed in advance from Western, Indonesian, or wellness menus. The Indonesian set includes nasi goreng, fried chicken, satay, vermicelli soup, and sambal; the wellness option centres on a pitaya bowl, sourdough with guacamole, and an egg-white omelette. Both sets include fruit, juice, tea or coffee, and two mini muffins.
The UNIQUE Rooftop Bar doubles as a daytime pool bar serving Mexican-inflected food. Standout dishes noted by Not Quite Nigella, who first reported these details, include a tuna tostada layered with ponzu, salsa de aguacate, salsa negra, and crispy leeks (130,000 IDR), and a tuna and mango ceviche served with plantain and corn chips (160,000 IDR). A butterfly pea and basil gin paleta cocktail is made tableside with a colour-changing syrup pour.
Cooking Classes and Cultural Evenings
RIMBA runs cooking classes near the Orchid Tea Lounge at 1,500,000 IDR per person. Sessions open with a Canang Sari blessing before chef Oky walks guests through dishes chosen from a menu that includes gado gado, nasi goreng, sate lilit, and minced duck in banana leaf. The class covers a demonstration phase, a hands-on cooking station, and a custom iced-tea blending activity. One detail worth noting: the local Balinese preference for raw, hand-ground peanut sauce for gado gado is explained alongside the cooked version served to visitors.
On Monday, Wednesday, and Friday evenings, the resort hosts Kampoeng Night (900,000 IDR per person), a combined Indonesian buffet and Balinese performance. The show covers gamelan music, a welcome dance, Kecak, and a fire dance, all telling the story of the Ramayana Monkey Chant. The buffet includes a satay station, lobster, tomato sambal clams, soy-braised pork belly, fresh Indonesian salads dressed with makrut lime and lemongrass, and traditional desserts such as klepon, sweet soups, and locally made gelato.
Why It Matters for Hosts
RIMBA's programming model, cooking classes, cultural dinners, and curated wellness breakfasts, shows how a property can generate meaningful ancillary revenue while deepening the guest experience. Independent operators in Bali, particularly those in Jimbaran or South Kuta, can take note: guests increasingly seek structured cultural touchpoints, not just accommodation. Offering even one recurring evening event or a guided local food experience gives guests a reason to stay on-property and creates a memorable story they share. The Kampoeng Night format, a fixed-price buffet tied to live performance, is a replicable model at a smaller scale.
Details in this post were first reported by Lorraine Elliott on Not Quite Nigella. This post is published by the Qontaktly travel blog.
First reported by notquitenigella.com.