| May 2012 - BaliThis year's Four Seasons trip was to Bali. I stayed at the Four Seasons resorts in Jimbaran Bay and Sayan.
I can't say which resort I like better. Although they are
both Four Seasons resorts, they are not the same. Jimbaran Bay is
about 20 minutes from the airport, on the ocean, and much larger.
Sayan is about 1 1/2 hours inland, in a valley, next to a river.
Both are great. (Although Jimbaran is 20 minutes from the
airport. It is across the bay from the airport, approximately 2-3
miles. It is not on the approach or takeoff path. But
planes can be heard in the morning. However, the sound kind of
blends in with ocean waves crashing on the shore.) It took me approximately 17 hours to get to Bali, not including the layover in Taipei. Immigration and "Visa on arrival" ($25) were relatively quick. Four Seasons had transportation waiting for me. The driver gave me the complementary cold towel and bottle of water and off we went. The vehicle also had wifi. (A pleasant surprise since I couldn't 4sq in the airport.) 20 minutes and a short bomb inspection later, I was at the Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay. As with other Four Seasons that I have been to, you relax in reception for a bit with your welcoming drink and enjoy the view. Next they give a brief overview of the resort, sign a few things to make MasterCard happy, then a buggy ride to your villa. There are only villas at Jimbaran Bay. They range from 1 to 5 bedrooms. Each one has its own pool. Pics of my villa are here: Jimbaran villa. Yes, it was excellent. I didn't do any special activities at Jimbaran. I spent much of my time taking advantage of almost everything the resort had to offer. I went to every restaurant. Went to their bars. (I think there are 3.) Food and drink pics (when I remembered to take them) are here. I went to the spa. (Balinese massage, awesome!) I went to the gallery. I also wanted to do in-villa service, but I decided to save that for Sayan. The resort map for Jimbaran Bay is here: Jimbaran Bay. The day I transferred from Jimbaran Bay to Sayan, it rained. It was ok though: I was in a car, I had a driver, I had wifi in the car. Life was good. I also got to observe some of the driving habits in Indonesia. Like Thailand "Stay within the lines" is more of a guideline than a rule. Unlike Thailand, motorbikes can ride pretty much anywhere... Also, Stop and Yield signs are almost non-existent and my driveway is wider than some of the "main" roads. 100 minutes and another bomb inspection later, I arrived in Sayan. The obligatory welcoming drink, then off to my villa. Sayan is smaller and has a mixture of suites and villas. Interesting thing about some of the villas and the main building, the main entrance is from the roof. That night I decided to have villa service. It is sooo much better than room service. Pics of my Sayan villa are here: Sayan villa. The resort map is here: Sayan. As far as activities go, I did just about the same stuff I did at Jimbaran Bay at Sayan. I did perhaps put a tad more emphasis on the spa (Balinese massage, Deep Knead massage, sauna, steam room, etc.). Throw in a dance performance and an offer to "jam with the band" and that just about sums up my stay at Sayan. For those that missed it, my blog updates from my Bali trip are here: Richard's Tumblelog. Things to know about Bali
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