The first time I visited Bali was probably 6 or 7 years ago. At the time Dreamland beach was still not so famous. Yes, things have changed a lot. The south of Bali is building up so quickly and even Ubud is not the same Ubud as I remember. Everything is changing fast on the island. Yet Bali does not need to feel busy.

There are still areas in Bali that are nice and relaxed. One of my favorite places to chill out in Bali is around Candidasa. The area is around 1,5 hours from Sanur. It’s the perfect place for a peaceful and laid back holiday.

Recently I had the chance to visit Candidasa again and the experience was just what I needed. I was invited to Nirwana Resort and Spa in Candidasa and it was just the kind of break I needed.

Lobby area Nirwana Candidasa

The Room

Nirwana Resort and Spa, is one of the best beach resorts in Candidasa, Bali. The resort is tucked away 150 meters from the main road (jalan Raya Candidasa).

The first thing I noticed about the Nirwana resort was the beautiful tropical garden. The lobby area is surrounded by a lot of coconut trees. I immediately had that holiday feeling.

Deluxe Garden View Nirwana Candidasa

Nirwana Resort and Spa has 18 rooms and so it is indeed quiet and peaceful. I was staying at their garden view deluxe room. The room is spacious and the interior is decorated in earth colors like orange, light brown, white and dark brown. The bathroom area is more masculine with a clean design.

Palm trees and a green garden surround the garden villas. It’s a short walk from the villas to the beachfront where the pool and restaurant is located… And the pool is the perfect place to spend your days to chill out, read a book and simply relax.

Though the garden view rooms are nice (because they do have a nice garden), my suggestion is to pick a villa with an ocean view. Besides having the great view of the ocean (you can even see Nusa Penida from afar too) you get direct access to the pool.

Sunset from Nirwana Candidasa

Common Areas

In fact I wasn’t the only person who enjoyed the swimming pool. Guests staying at the hotel gathered around the pool in the morning to have breakfast and relaxed around it in the afternoon.

The pool is quite small and sits just next to the ocean. There are plenty of sun sofa beds and sun lounges by the side of the pool. Though it does not directly face the west, sunset from the pool of Nirwana Resort and Spa was great. Chilling by the pool, sipping beer, and enjoying the colors of the sky when the sun starts to sink was the perfect way to end a day.

pool at night candidasa

Nirwana Resort and Spa is the resort in Bali to choose if you are in Candidasa. It’s a great place for a peaceful holiday. The hustle and bustle typical of southern Bali is not found here.

The Food

On the grounds of the Nirwana Resort is a nice little restaurant where you can get breakfast and other meals. For a resort restaurant the menu was quite big and offers a range of Indonesian, Asian and Western dishes.

Bali rijsttafel in bali resort

If you are up for trying Indonesian food, try the Bali rijsttafel. Rijsttafel is basically a Tapas style banquet. The meal begins with entrees (appetizer), then the main meal, and ends in dessert. The main course is selection of various dishes. On my Bali Rijsttafel I had yellow rice, long beans, tempe, egg, serundeng (shredded dried coconut), peanuts, potato cake, matah sauce (sambal matah), beef rendang, chicken Betutu, chicken (lilit) satay. For dessert, they provided fried banana. Yup, there was a lot of tasty stuff going on.

One thing that I really loved, besides the tasty and generous portions food, was the location of the restaurant. The restaurant is by the beach. Sitting out on the porch you can enjoy your food while taking in the beautiful view of Indian Ocean, with the pounding sound of the waves.

Sitting on the veranda, enjoying the views of Nusa Penida in the distance, I got a dreamy thought. This is similar to Bali when I first visited the island so many years ago, simple and tranquil.

FYI
I was invited (Desember, 2015) to Nirwana Resort and Spa Candidasa as a guest, however the views expressed in this article are as always, my own.