I stayed at the Karma Jimbaran for 8 nights as part of an Easter offer this year. Flew from Singapore to Bali, and after the usual USD 25 visa on arrival faff, I was through customs. The driver appeared to meet me perfectly on time, even though I had not re-confirmed the pick up before travelling.

I was immediately escorted to my villa, presented with cold towels and a fresh juice drink. All I had to do was fill in one form, while my case was taken to the main bedroom, and then I was left to it.

It was a great surprise to get upgraded to a 3 bed villa, which was really well appointed and spacious. Travelling on my own this seemed a bit indulgent, but the plunge pool you get is slightly bigger too, so that was nice :-) Otherwise, unless you really need the bedrooms the villas are pretty similar.

So, the villa. 2 buildings, one for the living/kitchen/dining room. This was very large, well furnished and with a full kitchen. There was even a washing machine tucked away separately, as well as a WC. The kitchen is fully equipped, so if you can be bothered to cook it would be easy enough to whip up a great meal. And you can have chef's lessons in your kitchen too.

The other building housed 2 bedrooms (both with ensuite; one outdoor) on the ground floor, and the master suite on the upper floor. This was really large, with a 4 poster bed, dressing area and a large bathroom, complete with walk in shower and huge tub. The tub was great, took 30 mins to fill but was worth it!

Between the 2 buildings was a sun terrace with loungers, and the plunge pool. Mine was not that big - maybe 5 or 6 swim strokes across - but enough to refresh you quickly. And good for lounging in while reading. There is a main, large, pool by the restaurant. Each villa has a main gate that you can shut off to avoid being interrupted if you want that all-over tan!

The restaurant is really good - both the chef and sous chef are excellent, providing a nice selection of European and SE Asian dishes. I ate there most evenings, and a week was enough to sample all the things I wanted... after that it would have been a tad limited. But there are some restaurants in the vicinity, and as described you can cook too. Plus I know that the chefs were open to requests from guests and would happily do a special meal if you gave them enough warning. The staff are great (Indra especially) and will do their best to make you feel welcome and looked after. Service isn't quick, but then it's nice to spend some time enjoying the meal and the tranquil setting. Internet and reading library are above the restaurant.

I had 2 treatments at the spa - a facial and body rub. Both were nice, professional, but nothing better than you would get in a local place. There are a few spas in the area, so trying them all to compare would be fun!

The only negative experience I had was a mix up over the tariff. The Easter offer had stated "Daily breakfast and 4 course meal in di Mare", and I took this to = half board, but you actually get ONE meal at di Mare. Only breakfast is included daily. But the Easter offer was 8 nights for 6 too, so overall it was not out of league for the quality.

Price wise, meals were reasonable for western prices, and fairly expensive for local. A bottle of beer was 26000 in the restaurant (GBP 1.50 roughly) and a cocktail 65000 (GBP 3.60). Main courses varied from 150000 to 240000 (GBP 8.35-13.35).

Overall, it was enjoyable, relaxing, tranquil and luxurious. I would say the hotel is perfect for couples, families with kids of any age, and was good for a single traveller too. It's not high octane, but that's not why people go to Bali. Enjoy it if you go.