EXPERIENCE BALI HIGH

Perhaps you are like me, having seen the film (or the original play) of Rogers & Hammerstein’s classic South Pacific and heard that siren song “Bali H’ai.” With those lilting lyrics, “Bali Ha’i, come away, come to me,” acting as an earworm for me whenever someone mentions that Indonesian paradise, I knew it was time to find out what Bali’s lure is.

Flying into Denpasar, Bali’s international airport, puts you on the southern tip of the island, a quick ride in slightly nutty traffic (the jockeying between cars, trucks, and scooters is a remarkable sight all over Bali!) to gorgeous Jimbaran Bay. That’s part of the Bali Sea, an offshoot of the Indian Ocean in the Southern Hemisphere, and a true tropical paradise.

It’s hot and humid here, especially from November to March, which is also the rainy season. Think about New York in August, and plan to visit in the dry season from April to October for a more comfortable climate, still warm but much less humid and almost always sunny.  

THE MANY DELIGHTS
Then, imagine this: being immersed in a giant tub full of hot water and rose petals in a luxurious spa perched high on a cliff, with views that go on forever. That’s the Spa on the Rocks, just one of the delights found at Ayana Bali Resort, the luxurious clifftop enclave that embodies the idea of Bali Ha’i.

I stayed on the clifftop in the Ayana Villas, ultra-private houses with one to three bedrooms, complete with a private backyard pool, expansive garden, and a personal butler on call. Stunning vistas are everywhere, and a long sandy beach awaits at the bottom of the cliff, reached by calling your butler for a golf cart ride down (and back).

And then there’s that special private spa, reached by climbing about 800 steps. The reward for that up-and-down exertion is an incredible three-hour “Ocean Ritual” treatment that has it all, from massages and facials to that sublime rose-petal bath, relaxing with a Champagne flute in hand and those spectacular views of Jimbaran Bay. 

IT’S JUST THE BEGINNING
Ayana’s Balinese wellness treatments don’t stop there, for the main spa is also a place of rejuvenation and exercise, with Thalassotherapy water treatments, Balinese healing sessions, wellness retreats featuring local gurus, yoga instructors, and much more. There are more than ten swimming pools scattered across this vast resort, with the River Pool and the Segara Indoor-Outdoor Pool being particularly spectacular.

Ayana is a city in itself, from the on-site Hindu temple, where a local priest (puja) is on hand to perform a blessing ceremony just after checking in, to the Saka Museum, a fascinating architectural beauty on the property, which opened in 2024 and is filled with Balinese art, history, and incredible Ogoh-Ogoh sculptures (be sure to take a guided tour).

There’s also the famed Rock Bar that’s carved into the cliffs overlooking the sea and always jammed with people, first as sunset approaches and long into the night as DJs spin tunes that keep the party going. Add in more than 20 places to eat and drink scattered across the four segments of the Ayana “Estate,” including Ah Yat with fantastic dim sum and Kisik with flavorful Balinese seafood, plus an organic farm on the property, and it seems you never have to leave this place. The farm tour is fascinating, especially paired with their traditional herbal remedies class. But there’s much more to Bali than this enchanting place, so exploring beyond Ayana is definitely in order.

EXPERIENCE IT ALL
It’s easy to take trips from Jimbaran Bay to some of Bali’s most iconic places, especially via GetYourGuide.com, the top-notch tour website that offers vetted private guides and group tours. With pickup and drop-offs at Ayana, it’s simple to head up to Ubud, where experiences like seeing the Monkey Rain Forest, visiting that city’s famed markets, and having spiritual moments with the Hindu ritual at the Tirta Empul Water Temple (be ready to get very wet there) await. I spent a day full of fascinating experiences up in that lush jungle region, then shifted to the water for some real action adventures.

Part of Bali’s lure for me was the legendary scuba diving found here, with tales of giant mola mola fish, tiny nudibranchs, and massive manta rays luring me toward the famed island of Nusa Penida just off the southern coast. Bali Diving Academy had just the suitable day trips to help me find my Zen in Bali. And while those elusive mola mola did not appear, the waters are full of mantas, sea turtles, stunning coral gardens, and more (you can snorkel here, too, if scuba is too intense). Plus, I did the craziest, fastest drift dive I’ve ever encountered, feeling as if I was powered by a rocket, shooting through a spectacular coral garden on a wild ride dive I’ll never forget.  

So, does Bali fulfill the fantasy I first encountered watching South Pacific and hearing it “singing through the sunshine, sweet and near as can be”? Completely, and it truly is that “special island” of my dreams.  

For more information about Ayana Bali Resort go to ayana.com;
for Bali Diving Academy, visit scubali.com/en/sanur-dive-center;
to Book tours and private guides, visit getyourguide.com