Where we stayed

We had two nights at the Watermark Hotel and Spa Bali, where we stayed in a suite for £64 a night. We absolutely loved our room, the bed was certainly the biggest I’d ever come across and our room had all the facilities we needed. The staff were friendly, the communal areas were nice and as we were staying in a suite we got access to a special lounge, with drinks and snacks.

We spent most of our time in Jimbaran relaxing at our hotel and the two beautiful pools it offered. We never found anyone at either of them and so it was incredibly peaceful and relaxing.

What we did

When we did venture outside the hotel the furthest we went was Kedonganan beach, about a 5 minute walk away from the hotel. We found the beach quiet and picturesque and it was lovely to walk along but I do admit the sea looked a bit dirty.

This could be in some part due to the fish market that operates at the beach. Jimbaran is known for its seafood and everywhere you look you’ll see beautiful fishing boats. I’ve heard of some tourists buying fish straight from the market and asking it to be prepared for them at a restaurant but we settled for a little wander around. Understandably it was quite smelly and I felt a bit in the way due to the business.

Where we ate

The main reason why tourists come to Jimbaran is to eat seafood on the beach at sunset and for that reason there are many restaurants that offer this experience. We settled on Bawang Merah restaurant, which had good reviews and was on the side of the beach closest to our hotel.

It really was wonderful to sit on the beach, feet in the sand, and watch the beautiful sunset. I ordered a fish platter which consisted of prawns, squid, clams and TWO grilled fish, served alongside rice and salad. A huge amount of food for one person. Adam didn’t actually fancy seafood and instead went for a chicken meal set.

The service was friendly, the food was good and although I can’t remember the exact cost I do know it was competitive compared to other restaurants in the area. From 7-9pm there was a Balinese dancer in the restaurant and as the night got darker various people started setting off fireworks on the beach. It really did feel like quite a magical night.