Review of Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

We are a fan of the Four Seasons hotel group and have stayed at many of their resorts around the world. They are always beautifully decorated, with lovely, spacious rooms and friendly, professional service.

Four Seasons actually has two resorts in Bali – Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay and Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. We stayed at both of the resorts as they had a great deal, called ‘twice the magic’ where if you stayed for a minimum of three nights at each resort, you got one night free (at each resort).

So which Four Seasons Resort in Bali is better? This is really subjective of course, but for us we preferred the resort in Sayan because the jungle setting is just so unique. The resort is just absolutely beautiful as it has the Ayung River flowing next to it as well as being surrounded by lush jungle.

Where is Four Seasons Bali at Sayan located?

The resort is located in the highlands of Sayan and is just a 15 minute drive away from bustling Ubud. The resort does provide a daily free shuttle, by car, into Ubud at various times throughout the day. It’s also really easy, and inexpensive, to get taxis. We used the Grab App to book taxis and it works just like Uber.

Unlike Four Seasons Bali at Jimbaran Bay, which is really close to the airport, Four Seasons Bali at Sayan is about an hour and a half’s drive from the airport – depending on traffic.

How to get to the resort

If you choose the ‘twice the magic’ offer, there is a free transfer included between resorts. There is also the option to arrive via the river. This is only offered to guests staying at their Jimbaran resort. For a fee, you are dropped off via car to your departure point, then the car carries on to the resort (to take your luggage) whilst you go on a guided white water rafting from about an hour and a half. Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan has its own landing point near the pool, so you will arrive and be greeted by hotel staff.

If you’re arriving from a different resort or from the airport, you can easily get a taxi or arrange a car via your hotel.

Resort overview

The resort has a very unique design. You enter via a suspension bridge that has amazing lotus ponds and then descend to the reception area, which is also where the bar is located. Below that is Ayung Terrace, one of their restaurants, and then below that is the gym. The main building also houses guest rooms. There are then a number of villas within the grounds.

There are three restaurants, two pools, a bar, a gym and a spa.

I was also impressed with their sustainability programme, as this is something I look for in a resort. Some of their initiatives include reducing food waste, sourcing local food, donating food to charity and only changing bed linens every three days.

Riverfront one-bedroom villa at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

We stayed in a one-bedroom riverfront villa, which had a stunning outdoor area with sun loungers, a bar area, seating area and a private pool.

The bedroom was large, with a beautiful wooden wall behind the bed that lit up at night. The bed itself was very comfy, however the pillows were not great. The soft pillows were far too soft and the firm ones were like sleeping on concrete. I asked for a pillow in-between hard and soft and got one which was better but still not particularly comfortable.

We loved the small touches, such as the flowers on our bed with a ‘welcome back’ message. We were also given some coconut water, a bottle of Champagne and some snacks.

The bathroom was spacious, with ‘his and her’ bathroom sinks, a generous bath tub with a view overlooking the river, an indoor and an outdoor shower as well as a separate toilet.

The walk-in wardrobe was located just off the bathroom and had plenty of space to store our luggage and hang up our clothes.

Here’s a Reel of the room, including the beautiful outdoor area, as well as a bit of the resort.

Dining options at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

The resort has two restaurants, a Farmer’s Brunch each Sunday and a Chef’s Table at Sokasi dining experience which is only three times a week (Monday, Wednesday and Friday).

Chef’s Table at Sokasi

I 100% recommend the Chef’s Table at Sokasi experience as it was absolutely incredible. It’s quite intimate as there’s (I think) a maximum of 10 guests – there were only six of us when we dined.

You are served a seven-course Balinese meal, which is cooked and plated in front of you whilst the chefs explain the origin of the dishes – some of which are forgotten recipes. The last dish, before dessert, is the traditional suckling pig – which they had been cooking next to the restaurant on a spit, for hours. It was an absolutely incredible meal and experience.

Sokasi is also where the Farmer’s Brunch is served on Sundays. It’s a farm-to-table experience and guests sit at tables outside on the grass, next to the river.

Ayung Terrace

Ayung Terrace is where breakfast is served. It is also open for lunch and dinner, where it serves Indonesian cuisine. It’s a beautiful restaurant with a stunning view of the lush gardens, river and jungle.

Unlike the resort at Jimbaran, there is no breakfast buffet. You order what you’d like off the menu, however you can order as much as you like. There was a large variety of dishes to choose from and one of my favourites was the Dragon smoothie bowl. The colours were so pretty and it was absolutely delicious.

We ate dinner at Ayung Terrace on our last night. There is beautiful lighting at night, giving the restaurant a lovely ambiance. The food was delicious too.

Riverside

The Riverside is open for lunch and dinner and is located overlooking the pool. It serves European dishes, such as pasta, mezze, seafood and grilled meats. The view during the day is very pretty. We had lunch here twice.

We had dinner here one night and both ordered a ribeye steak, which was absolutely incredible. Perfectly cooked and seasoned – it was fabulous.

If you’re looking to enjoy a drink before or after dinner, the Jati Bar, which is located above Ayung Terrace offers a wide range of drinks and light snacks. They also had live music each night that we were at the resort.

The pool at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

Whilst we had our own private pool, we enjoyed spending time by the resort pool. There are actually two but one is sort of below and adjacent to the other one so it’s more like one pool. It’s located right next to the river so you would often see people rafting past, which was quite fun to watch.

There was complimentary sunscreen and water and throughout the day you would get some little treats, such as fruit or sorbet. Although there weren’t loads of sunbeds, we always got one whenever we arrived for a swim.

Experiences at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

There are lots of things to do at the resort, some of which are complimentary (such as yoga classes) and others that you pay for. We wanted to book a cooking class but unfortunately it wasn’t open whilst we were there. Other experiences include white water rafting, biking through a local village, fruit and vegetable carving, Batik painting class and much more.

And of course they have a beautiful spa too, called The Sacred River Spa. Bali is pretty famous for their spas, and we did enjoy a spa package, however we went outside of the resort for ours.

The verdict

The Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan is a truly beautiful resort. The location is incredible, it’s quiet and our room oozed luxury. The staff were absolutely lovely and made us feel, not only welcome, but rather special. The only real negatives were the pillows. Also, if you are staying for more than three nights, I’d recommend having dinner outside of the resort as it can get a bit repetitive if you’re eating breakfast, lunch and dinner in the same two restaurants.

If you’re looking for luxury in Bali, look no further than Four Seasons at Sayan.