Southeast asia / SEPTEMBER 2013 Digital

Destination
Guide

The Best of Bali

bar crawls
on the islaND
exploring the
north coast
saving a corner
of paradise
POTATO HEAD BEACH CLUB
Jl. Petitenget Seminyak, 80361 Bali, Indonesia
+62 361 473 7979
[email protected]

www.ptthead.com
Twitter @pttheadbali
facebook.com/potatoheadbeachclub
Editor’s Note where to find me
[email protected]
@CKucway on Twitter

At Le Meridien

Time for Bali Bali Jimbaran.

W
e’re very lucky in Asia. Everywhere we
travel in this part of the world offers a
different experience, whether it be any
one of dozens of cultures, or simply
enjoying the solitude of a quiet beach or
the frenetic pace of a big city. Change,
too, is always apparent in every locale.
One constant is Bali. Not that it isn’t
different from last year or a decade
ago, because it definitely is. There are always new resorts, can’t-miss
restaurants and happening after-hours scenes to explore, all alongside the
rich cultural vein that makes Bali unlike anywhere else on earth.
This is why we cover the island getaway so often in Travel+Leisure
Southeast Asia and why, with this special e-guide, we’re reproducing
some of our best coverage of Bali in a digital format. Updated and with
the latest news and special room packages from the island, the idea is to
provide our readers with a one-stop shop on Bali, one that will grow as
the island does.
Our Best of Bali story is self-explanatory, covering the range of the
island. More intimate, yet just as intriguing, is a night or two out on a bar
crawl. We also cater to foodies—and who isn’t one in Asia?—with our
take on cooking schools and how they can help you appreciate the island
and its customs more. If you’re looking for a quiet side to Bali, then
take our journey along the north shore, it’s a trip that will linger in your
memory. If all this talk of growth and change leaves you concerned about
Bali’s future, you are not alone. It’s a topic we include here in an article
you must read before you visit the island. All in all, at the very least
these stories should make you appreciate everything Bali has to offer.
Better yet, it should make you want to visit or return to what is one of the
world’s favorite islands.—c h r i s t oph e r k uc way

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 5
What’s New

This Just In...

Le Meridien Bali Jimbaran Grand Nikko Bali

For all its laidback charms, check out the Grand Nikko Spa & Wellness Centre that Sure, there’s a lot on the
Bali stands still for no man. Bali’s superb collection of specializes in revitalizing menu at Sundara at the
New to the island is the 17 new addresses. Check its guests. Or venture off to Four Seasons (fourseasons.
funky Le Meridien Bali in to any one of the wood- Samabe Bali Resorts & com), but what you’ll most
Jimbaran (starwoodhotels. detailed villas and your Villas (samabe.com) on the want to drink in is the view.
com), where a tiered pool every need is taken care of. southern shore, where 39 Sundara is a perfect blend
dominates the space At the massive Mulia are suites and 7 villas each have of five-star meets lazy
between 118 mod-con villas of a different stripe: a stunning view of the sea. beach—think comfort food
guestrooms, sweeping modern in every sense of the Up in Seminyak, U at lunch, steak and seafood
guests into that Balinese word, though sitting at your Paasha (uhotelsresorts. come dinner, and cocktails
frame of mind. Another private pool on a hillside, com) offers top-flight all the time. Expect Balinese
Starwood property is even tropical Bali comes through facilities at affordable and Singaporean dishes
more of a surprise if Kuta loud, or rather quietly, and prices. The boutique-style at Baba’s Restaurant
doesn’t spring to mind as a clear. RIMBA Jimbaran property has 94 suites (huubali.com) in Seminyak.
place to stay. The Sheraton (rimbajimbaran.com) is a and four contemporary Coming up: Watch
Bali Kuta Resort is right new sister property to the penthouses. Also in this space for the Potato
c h r i s t o p h e r k u c w ay ( 2 )

next to the popular beach Ayana Resort and shares the area is the Alana Head hotel, a new Sofitel,
but is designed in such a some facilities with its well- Vasanti Seminyak Hotel Konderatu and The Chedi
way that you can lounge known neighbor, located in (alanhotels.com). Away from Club. Undergoing major
poolside and your view a landscaped forest. the crowds is The Regent, a changes is the Westin,
extends unimpeded to the Also in Nusa Dua, check resort with a smart look and where a new wing, Italian
beach, the sea and beyond. out Mantra (mantra.com. feel, perfect for getting away restaurant and revamped
If villas are a necessity, au), home to the Chakra and staying put. spa are all coming on line.

6 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
Deals
Nusa Dua

US$165
per night

Bali’s Best Deals

Exclusive for T+L readers, the Resort as well as Mulia Villas. codeword “Cliffhanger” will enjoy At Laguna Resort & Spa,
Grand Nikko Bali is offering a themulia.com an upgrade to a Cliff Villa, which deluxe garden view rooms are
romantic getaway package for is almost double the size, with available for US$180 a night for a
US$600 a night that includes An early bird offer at U Paasha 500sqm of indoor and outdoor minimum stay of five nights. The
daily breakfast for two, access to Seminyak Bali—that means at living space and exclusive special rate includes daily
the Nikko Club Lounge, a dinner least 14 days in advance—has benefits including 24-hour butler breakfast for two adults and one
for two, an Elemis face and body suites available for US$140 per service. There’s a minimum stay child, Wi-Fi access and a
treatment at the Mandara Spa night, double through December of four nights and the offer is complimentary extra bed. Valid
and a 20 percent discount on 15. uhotelsresorts.com/ valid until December 23. until December 31, 2014.
Courtesy of NUsa Dua Hotels

food and beverage at the resort. upaashaseminyak ayanaresort.com starwoodhotels.com

There’s a two-night minimum At the Nusa Dua Hotel, room
booking valid for any stay nights for two start at a special, Save up to 36 percent at the At L Hotels Seminyak,
between September 15 and direct booking price of US$165 a newly opened Rimba Jimbaran two-night pool villa stays are
December 15. Booking code: night, including breakfast until on all bookings received before available for US$700. That rates
TLSEA. nikkobali.com October 31. nusaduahotel.com December 22 for travel before includes daily breakfast, a
Book 60 days in advance and the end of March 2014. Includes three-course dinner, a 90-minute
receive 30 percent off of the best Free upgrades are on offer at breakfast, Balinese massage and Balinese massage for two and
available rate on selected room Ayana Resort. Guests who book a US$50 resort credit. return airport transfers.
categories at The Mulia, Mulia an Ocean Villa and quote the rimbajimbaran.com thelhotels.com

8 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
Best
of
Bali
The island that has it all just keeps
getting better—from the best babi
guling to the most scenic spots for a
sunset cocktail. here’s what not to miss.
By Holly McDonald and Jen Lin-Liu.
Photographed by Lauryn Ishak

m i ddl e : c h r i s to p h e r w i s e

island allure From top: Traditional Balinese dress; COMO’s colorful

vegetable flower salad; a local waiter greets diners at Alila Villas Uluwatu.
Opposite: The enticing view over the coast at di Mare Restaurant at
Karma Kandara Resort.
t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 11
Just another day in paradise.
Opposite: Bali comes with its
very own distinct soundtrack.
 Hot destinations come and go, but some,
like Bali, are perennial favorites. The Indonesian idyll has never been more popular. With
good reason. A rich culture still permeates all aspects of life, lending an allure that makes
the Island of the Gods a place people return to again and again. Close your eyes and think
of a crimson bloom tucked behind a waiter’s ear; a rhythmic gamelan tinkling from a
distant temple ceremony, rising above the hum of the ordinary; the scent of sweet incense
wafting from a household shrine—all of these weave together to form a compelling and
colorful tapestry of life.
On Bali, the traditional and modern collide. The southern side of the island offers edgy
bars that wouldn’t be out of place in Sydney; quirky boutiques showcase curios both local
and from around the globe; world-class spas pamper at competitive prices; and flash
beachside cabanas tempt you to sit back in the sun and do nothing at all.
c h r i s to p h e r w i s e

But Bali is much more than this and deserves exploration beyond the busy palimpsest
of its south. Retreat to the cooler hills of Ubud, beach hop along the east or west coasts, or
snorkel in the protected national park in the northwest. Succumb to the slower pace
elsewhere on the island, and you too will realize that one trip just isn’t enough. »

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 13
EAT
CLASSICS
■ Australian chef Will Meyrick’s Sarong (Jln. Petitenget 19x, Kerobokan; 62-361/
473-7809; sarongbali.com; dinner for two with wine Rp1.5 million) pairs Asian
street-food inspired dishes with lavish surrounds, showing that top dining in
Bali isn’t always about sea views. There aren’t any here. Start with a cocktail in
the open-air bar, which flows into the more formal dining area. Keen on
something more casual? Meyrick’s new place Mama San (Jln. Raya Kerobokan
135, Br. Taman; 62-361/730-436; mamasanbali.com; dinner for two with wine Rp1.1
million) is a bistro-style setting in a converted warehouse, again serving top-
notch Asian dishes but at slightly lower prices.
■ If you’re looking for authentic Balinese food in an upscale setting, there’s
nowhere else like The Warung at Alila Villas Uluwatu (Jln. Belimbing Sari,
Banjar Tambiyak, Pecatu, 62-361/848-2166; alilahotels.com/uluwatu; dinner for
two with wine Rp1.6 million), which delivers simple classics such as ayam betutu
(whole roast baby chicken in banana leaf) atop a cliff with soaring views across
the Indian Ocean. Note the batik stamps worked into the polished surrounds. INSIDER PICKS
■ It faces stiff competition from new Seminyak bar rivals these days but
beachside Ku De Ta (Jln. Kayu Aya No. 9, Seminyak; 62-361/736-969; drinks for Aswin Pranoto
two Rp260,000, dinner for two with wine Rp2.5 million) remains a Bali Nikko Bali Resort & Spa
institution and a must-stop spot for sunset drinks at least once during a visit to ● “If it’s possible to stop time, Ubud is as
Bali. The cocktails are taken seriously here, with classics given a hipster twist— close as it gets. I head to the Tegal Alang
think Earl Grey martini or raspberry, cucumber and elderflower Collins—but area and go to Kampung Café [Ceking-
don’t overlook the award-winning kitchen, either. Among the must-orders is Tegallalang, Gianyar, Ubud; 62-361/ 901-201;
the slow-roasted lamb shoulder, served with potatoes and rosemary galette, kampungtari.com; fritters with ice cream and
coffee for two Rp70] for a nice cup of coffee
garlic greens and tomato relish.
or lemongrass tea and banana fritters—which
■ Decades-old Mak Beng (just off the beach on Jln. Hang Tuah, Sanur; Rp30,000
is what they are known for—over a good
per plate) is a hugely popular lunch spot in Sanur, where you’ll elbow locals out book, or just daydream while looking over the
of the way for a dish of steaming fish soup and fried fish served with a fiery rice fields on the hills.”
sambal. Equally popular among locals but also a huge hit with tourists is Ibu ● “If you like Ubud, you’ll love Munduk
Oka (Jln. Suweta, Ubud; Rp30,000 per plate), famed for its owner’s take on Bali’s [pictured above], a 30-40 minute drive from
most celebrated dish, babi guling, or spit-roasted suckling pig. The crowds go Bedugul, further up the mountain. It’s a must
through five or six delectably spiced pigs for lunch per day; pair one with a Teh go for those seeking relaxation, serene
Botol, Indonesia’s popular sweetened jasmine tea, for a typical Balinese fast atmosphere and a return to the old ways.
Puri Lumbung [Munduk Village; 62-362/701-
food meal with class.
2887; purilumbung.com; doubles from US$87]
■ It’s a rite of passage for anyone who makes it to Bali: a visit to the beachfront provides yoga and cooking classes, a mini
seafood stalls at Jimbaran Bay (dinner for two Rp300,000). Diners select library and no TV!”
their fresh seafood, including crabs, lobsters, prawns and squid, all grilled to
● “You can’t say you’ve really been
perfection and served at casual tables on the beach. Though most stalls are somewhere unless you’ve tried the street
reliable, one local favorite is Menega Café (Jln. Four Seasons Hotel, Muaya food. Warung Nikmat, in Kuta, has a
Beach, Nusa Dua; 62-361/705-888; dinner for two Rp462,000). semi-buffet style with Indonesian classics.”
■ You’re always guaranteed a raucous night of fun at the picnic tables of
Naughty Nuri’s (Jln. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud; 62-361/977-547; naughtynurisbali.
com; dinner for two Rp300,000). An eclectic range of Western and Asian dishes
A b o v e : k i m e v e r u s s / i s to c k p h o to . c o m

make up the menu, but most come for the barbecued pork ribs and the cocktails.
Anthony Bourdain stopped by on his way through Bali and proclaimed the
martinis to be excellent. Thursday evenings are sashimi night, which attracts a time for some classics
friendly local crowd. Opposite, clockwise from top
left: Outdoor pathways at
Mozaic are surrounded by lush
greenery; babi guling at Ibu
AFFORDABLE Oka; an afternoon on the deck
■ The lolly-colored louvre windows at Sea Circus (22 Jln. Kayu Aya, Seminyak; at Ku De Ta; Balinese
62-361/738-667; seacircus-bali.com; dinner for two with wine Rp700,000) condiments at The Warung.

14 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
94 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
 even suggest whimsy, and indeed the design at this eatery stands up to Seminyak’s
best hotels (many of which are just spitting distance away). Accents include
without cheerful flower sprigs in empty gin bottles and an image of Buddha on the
aquamarine bar. The menu is short, sweet and designed to be shared—think
the views, snapper ceviche and Baja-style tacos.

sardine ■ Its view over a rice field might be endangered as development continues
apace in the Petitenget area, but even without the views Sardine (Jln. Petitenget
is worth 21, Kerobokan; 62-361/843 6111; sardinebali.com; dinner for two with wine
Rp900,000) is worth seeking out for its fresh, unadulterated cuisine served
seeking out under a bamboo roof. Never pass up the grilled sardines, but salads are a

for fresh highlight too, with their produce sourced from their very own patch at the
Organic Farm Bali.
cuisine. ■ Clear Café (Jln. Hanoman 8, Ubud; 62-361/889-4437; clear-cafe-ubud.com;
lunch for two Rp150,000) has become a hit with those who’ve embraced the
Never pass healthy, granola vibe of Ubud. The beautiful eatery in the center of town
features ornate wooden doors, a bamboo-and-stone garden, and marble tables.
up the In a homey atmosphere fitting for a casual lunch or dinner, patrons order from

grilled a largely vegetarian menu with salads, pastas, and Southeast Asian and
Mexican entrees like tom yam goong and the chili lime prawn burrito.
sardines, ■ In an elegant, white open-air dining room, Minami (Jln. Raya Sanggingan,
Ubud; 62-361/970-013; minami-bali.com; dinner for two Rp500,000) serves the
salads are island’s top Japanese food—with affordable prices to boot. Set menus,

a highlight presented in a series of beautiful bento boxes, come with an assortment of

meticulously presented dishes like fresh salmon sushi, miso-grilled beef and
too shrimp tempura. A good selection of sake and cocktails complements the
delicious fare. A new beachside location in Sanur has just opened (Segara
Village Hotel, Jalan Segara Ayu, Sanur; 62-812/8613-4471), enlivening the area’s
drab dining scene.

WORTH THE SPLURGE

■ Another stunning bamboo construction, just meters from the waves on Batu
Belig beach, Karma Beach Batu Belig (Batu Belig, Kerobokan; 62-361/361-8888;
karmabeach.com; dinner for two with wine Rp1.5 million) opened in January
and is effectively a second branch of popular Nammos Beach Club at Karma
Kandara down on the Bukit. Snare one of the comfy cabanas to while away a
beachside day in style. If you’ve had enough of the beach for one day, ascend
the 85 meters back up to di Mare where spice-encrusted prawns and Moroccan
ahi tuna are tops on the menu. Oh, there’s also a 3,000-bottle wine cellar at this
semi-circular restaurant with a view.
■ Set in a secluded candlelit garden, Mozaic (Jln. Raya Sanggingan, Ubud;
62-361/975-768; mozaic-bali.com; dinner for two Rp1.1 million) is a formal affair
by Bali standards but for a truly special occasion involving adventurous
palates, it still can’t be beat. Choose from four extravagant six-course tasting
menus that include vegetarian and surprise options designed by chef Chris
Salans and expect the unexpected.
■ At Bridges (Jln. Campuhan, Ubud; 62-361/970-095; bridgesbali.com; dinner
for two Rp600,000), fine dining without the steep price tag is served on an
elegant white veranda overlooking a gorge. The setting—made more romantic
o p p o s i t e : c h r i s to p h e r w i s e

by candlelight and jazz music—complements the straightforward continental

fare, including excellent homemade pine nut and Roquefort cheese gnocchi,
and a mushroom and feta tortellini. Upstairs, the restaurant runs Divine, a
cozy wine bar with 180 labels, the perfect place to begin or end your visit.
bali cool Opposite: ■ Set in the lush surroundings of the luxury resort COMO Shambhala, Glow
A welcome dip in a plunge (Banjar Begawan, Desa Melinggih Kelod, Payangan, Gianyar; 62-361/978-888; cse.
pool at Alila Villas Soori. como.bz/eat-and-drink/glow; Sunday brunch from Rp485,000) offers a creative

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 17
treasure trove of raw-food dishes and drinks that keep even the most
hedonistic of diners healthy. Try the mango and alfalfa sprout pizza or the raw
Flee the
lasagna, both of which are just as good as the cooked versions. crowds
in the
SLEEP seaside
■ A collection of wooden houses transported from a number of Indonesian
islands, refurbished and now nestled amid lovingly tendered gardens,
village of
eco-friendly Desa Seni (Jln. Subak Sari 13, Pantai Berawa, Canggu; 62-361/844- pemuteran,
6392; desaseni.com; doubles from US$125) is an enchanting place to stay. Healthy
cuisine, much of which is sourced from their own gardens, and an airy yoga where
studio with plenty of classes seal the deal.
■ Get right off Bali’s beaten track and head to the Organic Farm Bali (Munduk
you can
Lumbung; 62-813/5337-6905; theorganicfarmbali.com; two nights, full board for snorkel
off the
two Rp3 million) where you’ll stay on your own private mountain for a night.
Meals are prepared using the farm’s own produce and your ablutions will be
with the locals at nearby hot springs skirting some rice terraces. A bonfire at
night keeps the chill at bay before you retreat to your bed and warm duvet—or
beach or
sleep under the stars.
■ One hour north of Seminyak by taxi, the cozy, ocean-view bungalows at the
head by
Alila Villas Soori (Banjar Dukuh, Desa Kelanting, Kerambitan, Tabanan; boat to
62-361/ 894-6388; alilahotels.com; doubles from US$860) offer top-of-the-line
luxury and peace on a black-sand beach framed by palm trees. The modern menjangan
units come with plenty of indoor and outdoor lounging spaces, not to mention
a plunge pool that snakes around the bedroom, a spacious bathtub and an
island
Apple TV unit stocked with movies and music.
■ If you prefer the hubbub of Seminyak, W Retreat & Spa (Jln. Petitenget,
Seminyak; 62-361/473-8106; whotels.com/baliseminyak; doubles from US$280) is
the hottest new resort, with good reason. Don’t bother springing for a villa, the
ocean-facing rooms at W are equipped with all the comforts you’ll need. Each
comes with a balcony facing the sunset and a spacious bathroom decked out
with Bliss products. The sprawling breakfast buffet, the enormous lagoon-like
pool and the beachfront Woo bar will keep you entertained from morning to
late at night.
■ Southwest of Ubud there’s a taste of old Java at Bambu Indah (Banjan Baung,
Desa Sayan, Ubud; 62-361/977-922; bambuindah.com; doubles from US$75),
where the 150-year-old teakwood homes and a series of bamboo structures sit
in a tranquil setting on the Sayan Ridge. Guests are surrounded by rice paddies,
and there’s that defining feeling that you are in Bali.
■ Three Brothers (Jln. Legian Tengah, 62-361/751-566; threebrothersbungalows.
com; doubles from US$38) doesn’t exactly offer luxury, but few guesthouses can
beat its rock-bottom prices that attract a steady following from backpackers
and Asia-based expats alike. The well-kept grounds include a pool, while the
rooms—opt for one with air conditioning—are a tad dark and Spartan but
perfectly adequate if you’re looking for a base from which to explore Bali.
■ The panoramic ocean view from the open-air lobby sets the luxurious tone at
the Ayana Resort (Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/702-222;
ayanaresort.com; doubles from US$250). Formerly a Ritz-Carlton, the resort has
made considerable upgrades—including the awe-inspiring cliffside Rock bar
and a luxurious Thermes Marins spa. Set on 77 hectares of tropical gardens
with five swimming pools, an 18-hole putting course, tennis courts and 12
dining venues and bars, the Ayana is perfect if you’re looking for a self-
contained holiday.

18 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
 ■ If you want to feel like a VIP, the COMO Shambhala (Banjar Begawan, Desa
Melinggih Kelod, Payangan, Gianyar; 62-361/978-888; cse.como.bz; doubles from
US$500), with its sprawling lush grounds suspended over the Ayung River, is a
great place to indulge. You’ll be assigned a personal assistant, while the elegant
rooms decorated in classy colonial-style furnishings come with a pool and
communal open-air living and dining room. The resort offers award-winning
wellness programs that focus on cleansing, exercise and stress management.
■ Also known for its impressive service is the Samaya (Jln. Laksmana,
Seminyak; 62-361/731-149; thesamayabali.com; two-bedroom villas from US$1,220
per night), conveniently located in the heart of Seminyak. The modern, newly
renovated oceanfront villas come with private plunge pools and thoughtful
complimentary extras like afternoon tea, a mini bar and laundry service. A
second location in Ubud (Banjar Baung, Desa Sayan; 62-361/973-606; villas
from US$400 per night) is equally impressive.
■ The Menjangan (Jln. Raya Gilimanuk, Singaraja Km. 17, Desa Pajarakan,
Buleleng; 62-362/94700; themenjangan.com; doubles from US$273), in the
confines of Bali’s largest national park in the north, offers luxury, seclusion,
and an excellent base for some of Bali’s best snorkeling and diving. Choose
INSIDER PICKS from newly built beachside villas or renovated lodge accommodations. The
resort’s reception and dining takes place in a four-storey-tall tree house, a
Rio Helmi stunning piece of architecture where you can take in panoramic sunset views.
Photographer and Gallery Owner

● “There are some great galleries in the

Ubud area, including TONYRAKA [Jln. Raya DO
Mas No. 86, Mas, Ubud; 62-361/781-6785;
tonyrakaartgallery.com] and Komaneka Fine ■ It’s not as twee as it may sound: a birdwatching walk in the terraced paddy of
Art Gallery [Jln. Monkey Forest, Ubud;
Ubud’s hills originally kicked off by eccentric British twitcher Victor Mason
62-361/976-090; gallery.komaneka.com]
along with the more established Puri and now generally led by his knowledgeable sidekick Wayan Sumadi. Su will
Lukisan Museum [Jln. Raya Ubud, Ubud; have you both learning and laughing as she spots birds, butterflies, spiders,
museumpurilukisan.com; info@ herbs and flowers and regales you with Balinese flora and fauna tales. (Bali
museumpurilukisan.com] and Neka Gallery Bird Walk; 62-361/975-009 or 62-812/3913-801; balibirdwalk.com; US$37).
[Jln. Raya Ubud; 62-361/ 975-034; ■ Flee the crowds and base yourself at the sleepy northwestern seaside village
nekagallery.com].
of Pemuteran, where you can snorkel off the beach or drive to a nearby pier for
● “I like small Indonesian restaurants like a boat to Menjangan Island, in Bali Barat National Park. Menjangan is
Igelanca [Raya Ubud, Padangtegal, Ubud; arguably Bali’s best snorkeling or diving location: glide over intricate coral
dinner for two from Rp90,000] or Pulau
gardens and spot a vast array of sea life on an organized trip or hire a boat from
Kelapa [Jln. Raya Sanggingan, Lungsiakan,
Ubud; pulaukelapa.webs.com; dinner for two the pier yourself (three hours costs Rp550,000 for two people).
Rp60,000], in Ubud. At Made’s Warung [Br. ■ Kuta Beach may be derided for a lot of things, but it remains an excellent
Pande Mas, Kuta; 62-361/ 755-297; dinner beach for learning to surf, with a forgiving break and waves that can be ridden
for two Rp300,000], an old classic, the at a comfortable depth. Take a class with an established surf school such as
food can vary but it’s more about the scene.
Prosurf (prosurfschool.com; 2 1/2-hour group lesson for beginners US$55) and if
On any given night there will be divas, stars,
bankers, tourists, local eccentrics, people
you’re not standing during your first lesson you’ll be given another lesson free
from all over. It’s like the bar from Star Wars.” of charge.
■ Tour the world’s largest commercial bamboo structure, which just happens
● “The places that embody the spirit of Bali
for me are up in the mountains [pictured
to be a chocolate factory, a short drive away from Ubud. At the Bamboo
above], off the beaten track. Take time to Chocolate Factory (62-361/846-3327; Jln. Sibang Kaja, Banjar Piakan-
interact with people on a one-to-one basis, Abiansemal, Badung; e-mail for an appointment to [email protected];
in their own environment. If you want to have bigtreefarms.com; Rp25,000 per person for one-hour tour including samples),
a memorable experience, don’t travel in you’ll see how the cacao beans get broken down and ground into pure
packs. Go out and get lost. Wander.”
chocolate—in a seven-ton machine built in 1932—then flavored with organic
c h r i s to p h e r w i s e

coconut palm sugar or pounded into cacao butter and powder.

■ For an off-the-beaten path culinary experience, head to the new Bali Asli (Jln.
Raya Gelumpang, Amlapura, Karangasem; 62-8289/703-0098; baliasli.com.au; set
lunch for two from Rp260,000) on the island’s east side, for lunch or a cooking

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 19
20s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3
t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
To p : c o u r t e s y o f f i v e l e m e n t s . b o t to m r i g h t: c h r i s to p h e r w i s e
on bali’s class themed around the lives of villagers and local fisherman. The restaurant
and cooking school was born out of Australian chef Penny Williams’ zeal and
southern appreciation for Balinese cuisine and life.
■ One of the easiest and most accessible wreck dives in the world, the
tip, pura Liberty shipwreck in Tulamben Bay, offers a great opportunity to view an

luhur extraordinary ecosystem of marine life that includes pygmy seahorses, and
large schools of parrotfish and scorpion fish. One highly recommended shop
uluwatu on the island that offers daily trips to the site is AquaMarine Diving Bali
(Jln. Petitenget 2A, Kuta; 62-361/473-8020; aquamarinediving.com; three-day
offers dive packages from US$450).

spirituality ■ Perched on vertigo-inducing cliffs on Bali’s southern tip, the Pura Luhur
Uluwatu combines spirituality with stunning ocean views. The best time to
with visit the temple is just before sunset, when you can take in the Technicolor sky
and watch a performance of traditional Balinese dance called kecak. Regardless
stunning of when you go, beware of the monkeys, which steal anything that’s unsecured,

ocean
including eyeglasses.

views. the SHOP

best time to ■ They call it the Temple of Enthusiasm and you’ll find it hard to not feel
visit is just exuberant after a visit to the Bali outpost of Australia’s Deus Ex Machina (Jln.

before Batu Mejan 8 Canggu; 62-361/368-3385; id.deuscustoms.com). They’ll equip you

with all the tools for living the island fantasy: a customized motorbike or
sunset pushbike, surfboard, hand-made skateboard and threads. The food’s not bad
either—try the Thai duck salad for a tasty light lunch.
■ Drifter Surfshop (50 Jln. Oberoi, Seminyak; 62-361/733-274; driftersurf.com)
taps into the same sense of wanderlust but focuses on celebrating the art of
surfing. Find a great range of men’s and women’s clothes, surfboards and
surfing paraphernalia—organic soy wax, for starters—as well as books and
beguiling artwork tapping into the drifter ethos.
■ Tie in a stop at Jenggala Ceramics (Jln. Uluwatu II, Jimbaran; 62-361/703-311;
jenggala.com) on your way to a sunset visit to Uluwatu. The standalone building
houses a colorful array of glass and ceramic items, from handcrafted small
bowls through to complete dinner sets. Kids in tow? Book a paint-a-pot session
for them while you have a coffee and brownie at the cafe.
■ For locally based designer kids’ clothes that reflect life in the tropics, trawl
the eastern end of Seminyak’s Jalan Laksmana, which is dotted with several
boutiques and cafés. Make a bee-line for the Corner Store, Kiki’s Closet,
Kidsagogo, Clara Mia and Indigo Kids, and you’ll emerge with the best dressed
kids on the island.
■ With an eclectic array of sharply designed clothes for men, women and
children, quirky homewares, curios that will make you smile, and otherworldly
religious paraphernalia, much of it with a Mexican twist—matador outfit,
anyone?—newly opened Horn Emporium (Jln. Petitenget, Kerobokan; no
phone) is one of Bali’s best spots to snare an unusual or striking gift for friends
or relatives back home.
■ The design emporium Word of Mouth (9 Jln. Kunti, Kunti Arcade Shop 10,
Seminyak; 62-361/847-5797; wordofmouthbali.com) is notable for its gallery-like
soothing sights display of contemporary art pieces and edgy furnishings. You’re likely to take
Opposite, clockwise from top:
home some of the smaller items, which range from pastel dresses with
A riverside spa with a view at
Fivelements; colors aplenty at geometric designs to whimsical brass and enamel jewelry pieces. The shop
Kidsagogo on Jalan Laksmana; features a café and bar, the perfect place for a cocktail or light meal to unwind
the Club Suite at Ayana Resort. from a day of shopping in the hubbub of Seminyak.

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 21
 SPAS
■ The Spa at Maya (Jln. Gunung Sari, Peliatan; 62-361/977-888; mayaubud.
com; treatments from US$49) on the outskirts of Ubud perches on the edge of
the Petanu River, and the roar of its rushing waters will sooth your ears as
much as your masseuse’s hands relax your body. This is one of the island’s best
spa locations, meaning a soak in a tub is an exquisite experience.
■ Owned by a husband-and-wife team who searched high and low for the
island’s best Balinese healers, Fivelements (Banjar Baturning, Mambal; 62-361/
469-206; fivelements.org; 90-minute massage from US$85) offers some of the top
therapies and treatments on the island. Spa sessions, which range from
traditional Balinese massage to more holistic “chakra balancing” treatments,
take place in tranquil riverside bungalows outfitted with balconies and
luxurious open-air bathtubs. The spa menu offers biographies of their
traditional healers, giving the experience more of a personal touch.
■ A favorite of expats and visitors alike, Jari Menari (Jln. Raya Basangkasa 47,
Seminyak; 62-361/736-740; jarimenari.com), which means “dancing fingers,”
offers excellent and affordable treatments by a professional, all-male staff.
The four-hand massage harmony treatment, where two therapists work in
sync to turn your muscles into putty, is highly recommended. Massage classes
INSIDER PICKS
( full-day courses US$220) are offered every Tuesday. Morgana Reid
■ There's no getting around the fact that Thermes Marins Bali (Jln. Karang Cocoon Restaurant & Beach Club
Mas, Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/702-222; treatments from US$100) is a one-of-a-
● “It doesn’t take long to get out of the
kind spa that centers its curative treatments around water therapies— hustle and bustle of Kuta and Seminyak:
everything from seawater circulatory showers to thalasso therapy rooms. head north up to Balian or inland to Bedugal
and you’ll see a very different landscape and

NIGHTLIFE
a much slower pace. For island hopping,
Lombok, Nusa Lembongan and Gilli
Trawangan are beautiful.”
● “My weekends are spent mostly with
■ Offering a stunning location at the base of the sea cliffs at the Ayana my children. We love heading over to the
resort, the Rock Bar (Jln. Karang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran; 62-361/702-222; beaches in Nusa Dua [pictured above] or
ayanaresort.com/rockbarbali; drinks for two Rp270,000) gives you a chance to Sanur for a day on the white sand and gentle
get up close and personal with crashing waves while enjoying delicious ocean. Sometimes we even jump on a boat
cocktails and tapas. A steep inclinator shuttles visitors to the secluded locale, and head off to Nusa Lembongan—it’s only
30 minutes away—if I can get a long
and live bands and DJs on the weekends add to the vibe.
weekend.”
■ If you’re looking for a spot for some down time, a place that feels like you’re ● “The rooms at the Prana Spa [Jln. Kunti
in someone’s home, then head to hu’u Bar (hu’u Bar; Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 118X, Seminyak; 62-361/730-840;
62-361/473-6576; drinks for two Rp450,000). Its comfy leather chairs on a pranaspabali.com; 60-minute treatments from
wooden deck are a great place to chill, though stick around until the sun goes Rp450,000] are stunning, with an opulent,
down: the pan-Asian menu makes it a good spot for dinner. After that, anything Middle Eastern feel, and the staff are helpful
and experienced.”
goes here.
■ The Woo Bar (W Retreat and Spa Bali, Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 62-361/473-
8106; drinks for two Rp124,000) overlooks the ocean and a lagoon-like pool that
snakes around the resort. A revolving mix of international DJs livens up the
dance floor on Fridays while the Monday through Thursday happy hour offers
To p : D a n i e l R o s n e r / D r e a m s t i m e . c o m

two for one drinks and complimentary tapas.

■ Next door is Potato Head (Jln. Petitenget, Seminyak; 62-361/473-7979; ptthead.
com; drinks for two Rp450,000), a beach-club-cum-nightclub venue. Built out
of 18th-century teak shutters collected from the Indonesian archipelago and
decorated with retro furnishings, the venue attracts posh locals and visitors,
who flock to the infinity pool during the day and the dance floor by night. ✚

bliss in bali Opposite: Awed

by the view at the Rock Bar.

94
22 september o c t3o b etrr a
2 01 v e3l atnrdalveei s
2 01 luar
neda
lseia
su. croem
asia .com
Radar

drink

Bali Bar Crawl

Once the sun sets, the island is just starting to
heat up if you head to Petitenget or Batu Belig
to slake your thirst with a spiced cocktail or
three. Holly McDonald makes a night of it.

5 p.m. Mozaic Beach Club

The beachside incarnation of Ubud’s culinary institution, Mozaic offers a chilled take on fine
dining that’s won over Bali’s modish sunset crowd. Install yourself in a curtain-draped cabana
or grab a seat on the deck to bid farewell to the day. If with a crowd, go for one of the punch bowls,
such as Heaven Citrus, a blend of rum, tangerine, pineapple, lemon, pomegranate and soda
(1.5 liters, Rp500,000). A tapas-style snack by the luminous electric-blue pool should sustain
you through to dinner. Jln. Pantai Batu Belig, Kerobokan; 62-361/473-5796; mozaic-beachclub.com.

7 p.m. Petitenget
One of Bali’s newest chic locations, Petitenget oozes an elegant yesteryear charm; think hand-
glazed ceramic tiles, a fluted concrete bar with a Carrara marble top and a separate lounge papered
with 1940’s Martinque palm, as per the original Beverly Hills Hotel. Perch yourself at the bar with
a lychee martini (Rp95,000) and watch the early dinner crowd preen, or tuck into a meal here At Lacalaca, a
yourself—we love the soft flour tortillas with grilled fish, avocado, mango and green chili salsa bartender blows
(Rp45,000) and you will too. Jln. Petitenget No. 40X, Seminyak; 62-361/473-3054; petitenget.net. ➔ off some steam.

24 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m Photographed by Nikko Karki

Radar

Book ahead
at Mamasan.

Late nights
Mixing at Mantra. at Mamasan.

8:30 p.m. Mamasan 10 p.m. Bistrot 11:30 p.m. Lacalaca 1 a.m. Mantra
Asian-street-food inspired French industrial vintage is Cantina Mexicana Uber-hip Mantra morphs
Mamasan remains one of the the vibe at the tasteful Bistrot; Inject a serious dose of cheer from restaurant to pumping
few places in Bali you really all soft grays, chocolates and into your night with a stop at party as the night goes on, but
won’t be able to snare a table orange-red brick. Slip into a Lacalaca, where bright pinks, you can retreat to the outdoor
without a reservation during high-backed velvet-patterned blues, oranges and yellows patio if the crowd gets too
peak times. Not that love seat for an intimate conspire to light up the much. Eclectic furniture,
organized? Head directly to ^ ` ^ or grab a table,
tete-a-tete one-floor, partly open-air mismatched antique lights
the gleaming upstairs bar to cleverly fashioned from cantina. Cocktails are rum- and unframed art are thrown
put their mixologist-designed recycled antique sewing and tequila-focused, putting together in a grittier and more
menu to the test. Pull up a machines. The range of new twists on old classics. unstudied way than is usual
tan-leather lounger, savor signature cocktails includes With apologies to Castro, the for Bali. The signature Rocket
the exposed red-brick and the Green Beast, a mix of bar muddles a vanilla pod, Mantra (Rp90,000) is fired
wood-panel surrounds, and Pernod, cucumber, lemon adding tequila, lime, sugar up with wasabi and the bar
order one of their imaginative juice and water (Rp85,000). syrup and coke (Rp80,000) snacks are imaginative–the
cocktails, such as the The French food here is fab to create their Mexico Libre. spicy kaffir lime peanuts
Rambling Tart—Chambord, but if it’s getting late you A three-cheese roasted (Rp20,000) will have you
vanilla, strawberry and might want to sample a zucchini and oregano calling for another drink–
Prosecco (Rp110,000). Hungry? dessert—the Indonesian quesadilla might hit the though the focus is more
Bypass the reservation system spiced panna cotta with spot by about this hour on drinking in the early
by grazing at your little table passion fruit coulis and of the night as well hours. Jln. Raya Petitenget
here; the pork and prawn siew nougatine (Rp45,000) should (Rp65,000). 1 Jln. Drupadi, No. 77x; 62-361/473-7681;
mai (Rp75,000) are divine. give sugar lovers a satisfactory Seminyak; 62-361/736-733; mantrabali.com. ✚
Jln. Raya Kerobokan high. Jln. Kayu Aya No. 117, lacalacabali.com.
No. 135; 62-361/730-436; Seminyak; 62-361/738-308.
mamasanbali.com.

26 s e p t e m b e r o c t o b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
 B ALI ’ S H I G H LY P ERSO N AL I SED H O T EL

“One of The Top Three Best Boutique Hotels 2013” “ Favourite Resort Asia Pacific - Voted by
Hospitality Investment World Indonesia Global Agents” Small Luxury Hotels award
SEMINYAK, BALI

M ORE THAN JUST A HOTEL , EXPERIENCE A QUINTESSENTIAL BRAND

Jalan Raya Petitenget No.8L Seminyak, Bali T +62 361 894 7898 E [email protected] www.thelhotels.com
Bite-size

Bali
 A cooking class at
Hotel Tugu. Opposite:
Lining up the local
ingredients at Bali Asli.

Tour Bali through its

cooking schools and, as
Samantha Brown
discovers, you’ll uncover a
lot about the island and
its favorite dishes.
Photographed by
Johannes P. Christo
t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 29
 hear the man in the tree before I see him. After those delicious dishes, it’s off to class
He’s perched so high that the foliage number two. Hotel Tugu in Canggu on Bali’s west
initially hides him. He uses a stick to whack coast offers classes in a replica of an old-style
the fruits that will be used to brew tuak, a Indonesian warung, or streetside restaurant.
slightly fizzy sweet wine popular with Before we start cooking though, we’re up at 7
Balinese farmers. a.m., heading to Pasar Badung in the island’s
As far as missions go, so far this one is capital Denpasar. A stream of black pickup trucks
successful. I’m determined to explore Bali belch fumes, engines idling, as they offload
one cooking school at a time, and I’m far produce from the island’s cooler northern hills.
away from any kitchen, getting sun-kissed The more we walk, the more we buy. A porter
and, occasionally, startled by a lowing cow. balances our groceries in a basket on her head as
With my guide Ketut and another student, we wend our way past benches curving under the
I’m rambling through the surrounds of Bali weight of produce: limes; mangoes; fresh coconut
Asli, a restaurant and school set up by oil; torch ginger; cauliflower; cabbage; eggs from
British chef Penelope Williams outside ducks, geese and chickens; banana stems and
Amlapura on the east coast. leaves; papayas; bananas; soursop; avocados;
Though we started our walk on the turmeric—one type for cooking, another to make
asphalt road outside the school, in a few minutes jamu, or traditional medicine—broccoli; coconut
we’re encircled in farmland. We roam through a oil; and chilies.
field of cassava trees, past gleaming caged Ayu from the hotel and I buy ingredients for
fighting cocks, until the view opens to the ocean. the five dishes I’ve selected out of the 10 on the
Lombok sits in the distance. Sarong-clad women hotel menu. There’s no lecture—it would be
wash in the canals of the Balinese subak system, foolish to stop to chat amid this mayhem—but
which irrigates the emerald paddies crisscrossing Ayu answers all my queries. On our menu: lodeh
toward the horizon. It’s a small, no, make that tewel tahu tempeh, a Javanese soup of young
bite-size, slice of Bali. jackfruit with tempeh and tofu; another version
Then it’s off to the kitchen. Our class takes of pesan be pasih; lawar kacang panjang, or long
place in full view of soaring Gunung Agung, bean and chicken salad; the banana-stem soup
Bali’s highest and most revered volcano, and known as jukut ares; and ayam pelalah, or
begins with a crash course in all the key Balinese shredded chicken.
ingredients of Balinese cooking. As with many Back at the hotel, Ayu stays in the kitchen to
other Asian cuisines, it’s about getting four help chef Ibu (a term of respect meaning “mother”)
flavors—sweet, salty, sour and hot—just so. Soelastri and I prepare our feast. Nothing is
One of the spices I’m most intrigued with is pre-chopped or ready, so the two of us become
kencur, or lesser galangal, a gnarled turmeric-like kitchen hands, chopping, bruising, slicing,
root. Bite down on a slice and it leaves your tongue crushing, grating and sniffing ingredients laid out
gently anaesthetized, almost like chili without the for us in neat banana-leaf pockets. And I can,
heat. The “Balinese truffle,” or pangi, is also new to therefore, announce the real time it takes to
me. It’s the nut of a fruit, which when broken open produce five authentic Indonesian dishes, right
reveals a deep brown flesh reminiscent of fine from the start: an hour and 40 minutes, which is
dark chocolate. Williams says she’s added flecks to not that much longer than it takes me to produce a
a chocolate pudding with success. slightly complex meal in my own Western kitchen.
The key to Balinese dishes is nearly always a Ibu Soelastri, from Malang in East Java, speaks
version of a bumbu, or spice paste. It’s a dish I’ll Bahasa Indonesian and Javanese, but barely a
repeat at all the schools, one that contains a smattering of English. It’s not a problem though,
combination of at least some of the following: because in her humming kitchen, where two woks
chilies, garlic, Asian shallots, candlenuts, and a steamer hiss or sigh without pause, words
nutmeg, ginger, turmeric, kencur, torch ginger, don’t matter too much. This is a demonstration I
tamarind, palm sugar, shrimp paste, lemongrass feel privileged to be able to participate in; it’s not a
Opposite from top
left: the results of
and salam leaves. technical account of ingredients or a lecture in the
a day at Bumbu In this class we use a bumbu that includes subtle differences between a Balinese and
Bali Cooking coriander seeds, common in Balinese cuisine, Javanese curry (though the answer, I’ve learned
School; steamed mixed with minced chicken to form satay on elsewhere, involves cardamom and cumin). And
fish in banana leaf lemongrass skewers. Our pesan be pasih, a spiced forget recipes—though I’ll be given a booklet at
at Hotel Tugu; a
fish fillet steamed in banana leaf, plus a tofu the end—as Ibu Soelastri tosses and tastes
prayer before
cooking at Bali version, uses the key bumbu, as does our urap without consulting anything at all. When we run
Asli; a colorful mix paku kacang merah, a fern-tip salad that is heavy out of banana leaves, she dashes to the adjacent
of local flowers. on coconut and red beans. garden for more.

30 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
 Garden ingredients are also on the menu at Back at school, we have breakfast then start
classes developed by Australian Janet de Neefe cooking our dishes for the day: chicken curry,
in the hill town of Ubud in central Bali. Today anchovy sambal, wok-fried eggplant, tofu
Balinese chef Inengah Oleg Sudira plucks the fritters, bean coconut salad and sago pudding.
stamens from three ruby-red hibiscus flowers We take turns grinding, chopping, frying and
and pops them into a glass. He pours in boiling tasting in an open-air pavilion at one of de
water, stirring as the water turns a purple-black. Neefe’s guesthouses. “It’s like aromatherapy,”
With a squeeze of lime, the magician watches our Sudira sighs, standing over the wok as steam
reaction as the liquid lightens dramatically to dances away from a bumbu frying there.
lollipop pink. A little white sugar and we have Little details again surprise. Did you know
ourselves sweet hibiscus tea. the direction you cut purple Asian shallots in
It’s a reviving drink after a morning spent at Balinese cooking depends on whether they’re
Ubud’s traditional market in the heart of the going into a sambal or are being fried as a

I
tourist quarter. It’s easy to see the market garnish? We wash down our feast with a glass
building as a palimpsest; during the early hours, of tuak.
it’s filled with Balinese buying ingredients for
their daily cooking, then later in the day it’s t’s almost a two-hour drive from Ubud down
crammed with tourists snaring souvenir fare south to Jimbaran Bay, once home to a
while trudging the grime-slicked aisles. fishing village and now fringed by some of
Sudira explains along the way the nuts and Bali’s top resorts and seafood restaurants.
bolts of Balinese food. Black and white pepper Classes held by Swiss chef Heinz von Holzen
come from the same plant, but the white is begin at the market behind the beach at 6:30
soaked and dried in the sun twice. Nutmeg is a a.m. Though top-flight hotels line the same
natural hallucinogen—have a little in milk with road as the market, duck just a few meters
ginger to sleep well. The “saffron” you see down a side street and this large market
everywhere in Bali is “cheap saffron,” likely shows you the real Bali alive and well, he says.
safflower seeds. We talk fruits, vegetables, rice, While von Holzen takes us through a riveting
tofu, even quotidian knives and coconut graters. explanation of chicken hypnosis—really—spices
and fruits, a kul kul, or traditional Balinese village the bumbus—truly correct, and we can then let Chef Heinz von
Holzen leads a
drum, sounds, a high-pitched rat-tat-tat. The men our imaginations at home go a bit more wild and
market tour.
of the village forget about work and immediately crazy, he says. The dishes we make here—with Opposite: An array
head to a community meeting, he explains. the assistance of Ida Bagus Wisnawa, von of ingredients for
Our next stop is Jimbaran’s seaside fish Holzen’s assistant, and an entire behind-the- Balinese spice
market. The beach here is gorgeous in the filtered scenes kitchen—are simply too numerous to list. paste.
morning light; red, yellow and blue Balinese It’s a jam-packed, high-energy, exhausting day.
jukung bob offshore, a scene that most who visit At one point von Holzen becomes distracted.
the island yearn to see. “It’s our latest problem,” he says. “We have a pig
At the same time von Holzen, who has been that’s too big for the oven.” He’s clearly amused
bringing travelers to the markets since 1997, at this development. “Ah, I love it.” He means all
despairs of dwindling catches. A few years ago of it, this, Bali. And after four days in some of
massive hauls were being pulled in daily, but Bali’s best kitchens, I have to say I share his
now most fish are trucked in from Java under feelings. ✚
questionable conditions. The boats that bring in
the fish now are often merely acting as nothing
more than taxis from other craft that are fishing Cooking in Bali
to Bali’s east. Bali Asli Jln. Raya School Honeymoon
Back at the school, set in guesthouse grounds Gelumpang, Gelumpang Guesthouse; Jln. Bisma,
in Tandjung Benoa adjacent to Bali’s luxury village Amlapura; 62-828/ Ubud; 62-361/973-282;
9703-0098; baliasli.com. casalunabali.com/
enclave of Nusa Dua, we have a quick tour of the
au; classes Rp880,000. cooking-school; classes
on-site pig pen where von Holzen is raising his
Hotel Tugu Jln. Pantai Rp350,000.
own very happy pigs.
Batu Bolong, Canggu Bumbu Bali Cooking
The chef is an acolyte of Harold McGee and Beach; 62-361/4721-701; School Jln. Pratama,
Heston Blumenthal, meaning our recipes tell us tugu hotels.com/bali; Tanjung Benoa; 62-361/
how much garlic to use right down to the nearest classes with market visit 771-256; balifoods.com;
gram, and definitely not by the clove. Rp860,000. classes with market tour
Nevertheless, get a few of the key recipes—yes, Casa Luna Bali Cooking US$90.

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 33
 go north

Away from Bali’s crowded south, the

other side of the island offers stunning
volcanoes, lush rice terraces, black-
sand beaches and a cast of colorful
local characters. By Lara Day
Photographed by Christopher Wise

the road less traveled Above, from left: A carving of a Dutch cyclist at Pura Maduwe Karang temple, in Kubutambahan, north
Bali; nasi campur in Singaraja; the black-sand beaches of Air Sanih, on Bali’s north coast. Opposite: The rices terraces of Munduk.

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 35
I
n 1930, the Mexican artist Miguel English to describe our automotive travails and,
Covarrubias and his wife Rose, a for that matter, neither do I.
photographer, boarded a steam ship We’re moving at the pace of a sea turtle in hot
in New York bound for Bali, a place sand, and it will take more than four hours to
they had pointed out on a map to reach Pemuteran Bay. Luckily, the journey is a
friends as “a tiny dot in the swarm diversion in itself: jagged volcanic peaks mark
of islands east of Java.” After six the division between the island’s south and
weeks of monotonous sea travel, north, and as the car climbs uphill I look out to
they landed in the regency of see bright rice fields emerge in the distance.
Buleleng, the island’s traditional Behind them loom dark mountains, their bases
gateway, on the north coast. There they saw “a swathed by clouds that cling like half-formed
high dark peak reflected on a sea as smooth as memories of rain.
polished steel, with the summit of the cone As we approach Bedugul, a sign for Strawberry
hidden in dark, metallic clouds,” as Covarrubias Hill Hotel appears. The “hill” in question rises
wrote in his 1937 book Island of Bali, an above 1,000 meters and is ideal for cool-weather
illuminating, if quixotic, account of Bali’s rituals, crops—strawberries, lettuce—as well as the
beliefs and ethnography. Bedugul Botanic Garden, a horticulturalist’s
Despite the beauty of that first vision, the fantasia of 160 hectares comprising nearly 2,000
Covarrubiases didn’t linger in Buleleng—they plant species, including 320 orchid varieties. The
took a tortuous car journey south, to Denpasar. road dips toward the crater lake of Bratan, home
Today, few people ever venture north of Ubud. to Ulun Danu temple, possibly Bali’s most
Not that Bali has any shortage of visitors. If, in photographed sacred site, then rises again into
1930, the island was a barely perceptible dot in the the Monkey Forest. Naturally, I ask about
outside world’s eye, in 2011, it’s a giant splash of monkeys. “You probably won’t see any here,”
paint on the atlas of global tourism: last year it warns Pak Ketut, just as some appear.
received 2.27 million visitors, almost its entire We veer west toward the rice terraces of
population, between January and November. Munduk. I peer through a wall of vine-covered
And while Bali has suffered its share of deeply tree trunks and glimpse watery fragments of
felt setbacks—most damagingly, after the Tamblingan and Buyan, both crater lakes; the
bombings of 2002 and 2005—it has also witnessed sun catches on their glasslike surfaces, refracting
frenzied, rice-field-razing development, heavily silver and copper as it begins its descent for the
concen­trated in the south. day, at the same time as we reach our peak. “One
All of which makes the north an attractive bet thousand, four hundred meters,” announces Pak
for today’s interested, intrepid traveler. It may be Ketut, my personal GPS. From there, the drive
harder to get to than some places—expect at least down borders on perilous: we swoop and curve
a three-and-a-half-hour drive from Denpasar, along a tapered two-way road, all deep potholes,
now home to Bali’s international airport—and wiry barking dogs and trucks laden with cloves
you won’t find the south’s surfeit of modern and coffee beans. One side bursts with vegetation,
conveniences, from DJ-spinning sunset lounges the other is a sheer drop.
to street-corner ATM’s. But you might encounter A goat hops across the dirt path that leads to
something rarer and more elusive in today’s Puri Ganesha, at Pemuteran
world, where taking a plane is almost as easy as Bay, in north Bali’s western balinese dream
hopping on a bus. reaches. “Upstairs is your Opposite, clockwise from top

T
left: Pura Maduwe Karang, in
room,” announces Putu, one Kubutambahan; a rice farmer;
his car is very tired,” says my driver, of two butlers who attend to a festival in Bedugul; a stone
Pak Ketut. “Every day it’s up and my villa. The room, up a carving at Damai, in Lovina;
down, up and down.” He means: up spiral wooden staircase, the natural springs at Air
and down giant mountains; up to the turns out to be of palatial Sanih; boats on Lovina Beach;
Puri Ganesha, in Pemuteran
north, down to the south. “Very proportions, with a soaring
Bay; strawberries at Bedugul’s
tired” means something is wrong with the Balinese thatch ceiling and market, on the shores of Lake
suspension, or the ignition coil, or maybe the towering wraparound Tamblingan; the market sells
carburetor. Pak Ketut doesn’t know the word in French doors leading out to vanilla pods.

36 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
 bright rice fields emerge in the distance. Behind them loom
dark mountains, their bases swathed by clouds that cling like
half-formed memories of rain
courtesy of puri ganesha
through a wall of vine-covered tree trunks, i glimpse the
watery fragments of two crater lakes; the sun catches on
their glasslike surfaces, refracting silver and copper
 a generous veranda. Dramatic white drapes Pemuteran Bay. If you’re looking for a typical
billow down, while the cloth-swathed four- picture-postcard beach, its appeal isn’t
poster bed conceals a Balinese offering basket immediately obvious: black sand and dull
blessed with a kimono, slippers, insect repellent— volcanic rock, a handful of fishing boats, a fringe
and ear plugs. Later, I understand: after dark, a of trees overlooking paper-still waters that are
lizard vigorously exercises its vocal chords. In go the polar opposite to the brash surfing beaches of
the earplugs, and I enjoy a blissful night’s sleep. the south. But the water conceals some of Bali’s
It’s true that there aren’t many top-end hotels best snorkeling and diving, at the reefs off nearby
in north Bali, but Puri Ganesha would stand out Menjangan Island, while more visibly, a sweep of
just about anywhere. Not only does it offer a volcanic mountains cradles the bay’s moonlike
luxurious sense of privacy—40 staff to just four crescent. Breathtaking as those mountains are,
sprawling villas, each with its own pool, spread they’re also a reminder of tragedy: many of north
across 2.2 hectares—but guests are afforded a Bali’s inhabitants came here in 1963, when east
tremendous amount of freedom. You can eat the Bali’s Mount Agung erupted in the most
fresh, organic fare where you want—at the devastating explosion in a century, killing a
restaurant, in your villa, at your poolside balé— reported 2,000 people and displacing 100,000.
and do as much or as little as you like. In fact, this “People here are not rich,” Gusti says as we
feels less like a hotel and more like an drive to a foundation supported by Puri Ganesha,
unfathomably stylish friend’s tropical beachside which helps 110 children continue their schooling
hideaway, where you’ve been lucky enough to get from the ages of 12 to 17. The foundation pays for
an invite. school fees, books, uniforms, after-school
In this case, that friend is British owner Diana tutoring and activities, even motorbikes. There, a
von Cranach, an Egyptologist turned interior group of girls practice a local Balinese dance.
designer turned hotelier turned chef and raw- I quiz Gusti on how he thinks north Bali
food advocate. She moved to Bali following a compares to the south. “People in the north are
failed marriage, speaks German and Indonesian rougher, like cowboys,” he says. “People in the
fluently—“I absorb languages by osmosis”—and south say it’s like Texas here.” He’s clearly not a
now runs Puri Ganesha with her Balinese fan of the south, and I ask him if he’s ever been to
husband, Gusti Wishnu Wardan. It occurs to me Texas. “I don’t travel anywhere!” he grins. “I just
that Diana embodies the archetype of Eat Pray feel happy here, I don’t know why.”

W
Love, Elizabeth Gilbert’s book turned film,
before it became cool—or cloying, depending on hen I arrive at Shanti, it’s
how you look at it—and has somehow managed to dark. Somewhere, a waterfall
transcend it. rumbles. The shapes of a man
Diana and Gusti have left little notes in the and a woman emerge out of
villas, gently asking guests to be patient in case the black night.
anything goes awry—upscale as Puri Ganesha is, “Hi, I’m Kadek,” says one shape.
this is, after all, the Southeast Asian countryside. “Hi, I’m Kadek,” says the other.
Do not forget where we are, reads one. R emember Patiently, the woman explains that Balinese
we are in the tropics, cautions another. It’s ironic first names depend on the order of a child’s birth:
that these notes are necessary, because surely Kadek means second child. Confusion dissipated,
this is the purpose of travel: to be where you are. I sit down in a wooden dining pavilion to feast on
Gusti tells me most guests are content to accept succulent chicken satay with peanut sauce and
that coming here won’t be a Disneyland- tasty nasi campur. But only in the morning’s first
orchestrated experience, though naturally, it’s light does the real reason for coming here become
impossible to avoid detractors. “One guest clear: below, a stunning cascade of rice terraces
wanted marble in the leads down to a high waterfall. An alfresco
northern exposure
bathrooms. Marble!” He breakfast of fresh fruit is the perfect way to soak
Opposite, from top:
Enjoying the water at Banyar shakes his head. in the setting.
Hot Springs; Tamblingan, Speaking of where we The female Kadek guides me on a trek through
a crater lake. are, I explore the shore of the next-door village, Sambangen, lined with tin-

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 39
roof houses to the one side and rice fields framed loosely from his bones. I decide to test the waters.
by coconut palms to the other. We turn into a field, Here it’s tepid, like lukewarm tea. The large pool,
follow a ridge and pass through a carved wooden below, is almost body temperature. I try the
gate flanked by tall plants with succulent red smallest, lowest pool, off to one side, where water
leaves. Then it’s down steep, gently winding stone spouts from three high metal pipes. Everyone here
steps covered in bright green moss. The sound of is local: two small boys piggyback each other like
rushing grows louder, more fierce; I’m focused on playful hippos; their mother, pregnant, relaxes
my footing. “Look up!” Kadek says. Giant fan under a falling stream; a young couple flirt in a
palms loom in the foreground of green upon corner. I realize why this humble watering hole is
green soaring skyward. “This is Bali: up and down, so popular: its size means it retains heat much
up and down.” better than its wider counterparts, and the
Across a wooden bridge, we reach an “island” tumbling water makes for one of the best head-
fringed by two gushing streams. At last we see the and-shoulder massages around.
waterfall. Its mist wafts toward us, immersing us in Next up is Wasiri, Bali’s Buddhist monastery,
a gentle cool, like a natural outdoor air-conditioner. set high on the slopes of a mountain. The structure
Kadek stops at a giant banyan tree, its trunk is made of brick and whitewashed concrete, with a
wrapped in a black-and-white poleng cloth: she series of ascending pavilions graced with shrines.
lights two incense sticks and lays out an offering of On the way up, I detect the unmistakable scent of
flowers, dropping more red, violet and orange pine—am I hallucinating? Apparently not: in a
petals from her bag. She wafts the incense smoke courtyard, stately rows of pine trees stand amid
with her hand, releasing her prayer to the universe. palms, bougainvillea and giant ferns. The loveliest
Since Pak Ketut isn’t available, Made picks me pavilion of all is at the very top, where a
up in his car. He speaks excellent English, thanks frangipani- and bougainvillea-lined path leads to
to the Australians he’s met in the south. “G’day an almost-empty temple. And yet, there are no
mate,” he says, mimicking. Impressive. “How ya monks in sight. As I turn to leave, rain starts to
going?” Outstanding. “Azitaka!” Azi… what? I nod fall. That’s when I hear it: a lone voice, beautifully
politely, but in truth I’m perplexed. Is it a boat? A chanting a sutra. The sound is ghostly,
dish? A purveyor of Bondi beachwear? Later, I ask disembodied. It could be a recording. I move to the
my boyfriend, an Adelaide native, what he thinks outer edge of the courtyard, scanning the scene
this “azitaka” might signify. It sounds like Aztec, for its source, but all I can see is a wall of leafy
which sounds like Anzac, which sounds like… I green, thick and impenetrable.
give up. He laughs. “Tucker,” he says. “It’s At sea level in Lovina, the signs of development
Australian slang for food. Who’s asking for Aussie are predictable: Western Union signs, neon
tucker in Bali?” minimarts, sports bars. At Lovina Beach, a stall-
Made takes me to Banjar Hot Springs, a sacred lined stretch of sand known for its cheap resorts
watering hole that came into being when water and dolphin tours, there’s a Dolphin Monument.
gushed forth at the building site of a temple. There Five gleeful-looking dolphins stud its base, while
are three bathing pools. In the large, main pool, a a dolphin with a crown caps its summit. “They say
scattering of mainly foreigners bob about like so that dolphins are being chased away,” says Made.
many red apples. Fierce concrete serpents spill “Too many tourist boats.” Wandering along the
yellow, sulphurous water from their mouths. An sand, I’m taken through the litany of touts
immense, rubicund Dutchman lowers himself everywhere, albeit framed in the language
into the water like a dainty teabag. Is this really peculiar to this location. “You want dolphin?” No.
what people come here for? “Perla?” No. “Bling-bling?” No, no, no. Maybe this
In the corner of the highest pool, an old is what it feels like to be under the sea, assaulted
Balinese man bathes himself; his skin hangs by the roar of oncoming motors.

Wandering along the sand, i encounter the litany of touts

everywhere. Maybe this is what it feels like to be under the sea,
assaulted by the roar of oncoming motors
Lovina Beach at sunset.
 Past the lotus-dotted pond and beyond the garden courtyard,
i reach the shady inner sanctum, blessed with shrines, live
turtles and mr. ang, the temple’s garrulous custodian

The sun drops steadily in the sky and giant gun enthusiasm. “This is a ship bell, from
cumulus clouds gather like bunches of ripe grapes, England,” he says. “This is a Chinese drum.” “This
luminous with gorgeous shades of burgundy and tells the story of the Three Kingdoms, but I can’t
purple. A woman makes an offering at the read Chinese.” “Where did I learn English? BBC
shoreline. London radio.”
“Do you know what she’s praying for?” I ask Bali’s Chinese immigrants are visible and
Made. successful, but many have lost touch with their
“Yes,” he says, confidently. “Her business.” roots. Ang and I discover we both have ancestors

O
from Fujian; his grandfather studied at a Catholic
n my last night in north Bali, I stay at school, with a pastor from Holland. He says all
the Damai, a swanky, 14-villa denominations come to the temple—Muslims,
property high on a hill behind Christians, Hindus—to pray for good fortune.
Lovina—its tagline is hard to find, A young Dutch couple arrive, and Ang shows
hard to leave—and wake to a strange, off an unexpected skill: fortune telling. He points
otherworldly sunshine filtered through clouds. out the figures of the Chinese Zodiac on the wall,
Pak Ketut arrives, his car fully functional, and we like a diligent schoolmaster. “You, Horse,” he tells
head to Singaraja. I’d heard that the former the man, reading from a sheet of paper. “Diligent,
colonial capital, a Muslim city on this Hindu clever, sometimes angry.” Now it’s the woman’s
island, would have mosques, colonial turn: “You, Ox. Pregnant in one year. Passion
architecture, winding back streets, grand problem.” The woman looks aghast. Ang looks
government buildings. What I didn’t expect was a triumphant. “I’m a Goat,” I say. “When you born?”
fire-engine–red temple beaming like a beacon of I tell him the year. “Monkey, not Goat,” he corrects
eternal cheer from the city’s faded, rather me. I try to protest, explaining that my early birth
disappointing waterfront. month means I fall under a different Chinese year,
Ling Gwan Kiong, a Chinese Buddhist temple, but in vain. “In Indonesia you’re a monkey,” he
dates to 1873, but it looks like it was built yesterday. harrumphs. “In China different, I don’t know.”
That’s because it was repainted yesterday—its The rest of Singaraja pales in comparison:
owners spruce it up every Chinese New Year. Past rundown shop houses;
the dazzlingly red lotus-dotted pond, through the workaday mosques; a island charm
blindingly red Chinese gate, beyond the plethora of bike and From left: A devotee at a
priest’s blessing; the pool at
spankingly new garden courtyard, I reach the motorbike shops; the odd
oneof Damai’s seaview villas,
shady inner sanctum, blessed with shrines, live Dutch colonial house. The in the hills above Lovina;
turtles and Mr. Ang, the temple’s garrulous highlight is the Gedong barefoot in the sand on
custodian. He fires off information with machine- Kirtya Library, which houses Lovina Beach.
more than 1,500 lontar manuscripts—palm leaves left: Batur, Abang and Agung, all equally menacing
inscribed with a blade and candlenut ink— and magnificent. Below us, dense agriculture—
enshrining the wisdom of ancient religious mandarins, carrots, bananas—flourishes in the
mantras, Balinese astrology, black and white fertile volcanic soil.
magic and traditional local medicine. Close to the In the town of Kintamani, old men smoke
city are a number of temples featuring bizarre cigarettes and walk down the street wrapped in
carvings of foreigners among their traditional quilts—it’s a chilly 20 degrees Celsius. As we drive
sacred motifs: at Pura Maduwe Karang, said to be past a procession of halal restaurants patronized
one of north Bali’s most beautiful, there’s a white by busloads of international tour groups, Pak
man on a bicycle, a fresh frangipani tucked behind Ketut lowers his window. Quickly, he rolls it back
his ear (note that it’s relatively touristed, and your up. “It’s too cool for me,” he says, and we laugh.
“donation” is enforced before entrance). Outside is significantly warmer than his car’s
It’s time to go. Driving back up into the hyper-efficient air-cooling system.
mountains, we take the eastern road toward On the gently winding drive down, we almost
Bangli, a steep, potholed route bordered by green run over a small menagerie: a white cat, a gaggle
grass and patches of randomly strewn litter. At of geese, two roosters—“chicken soup,” Pak Ketut
Tejakula, the mountains roll down toward the sea, jokes. The sky shimmers in the glistening paddies.
revealing an expanse of rice-field-covered hills. Suddenly, the heavens open and rain starts to fall,
Tall conifers appear as the road climbs the feeding the thirsty ground. Then it stops and
1,640-meter peak. My ears pop. As we start to we’re back to sunshine, the water a memory
descend, three volcanoes reveal themselves to our carried away by clouds. ✚

guide to north bali

Flights to Bali arrive at Ngurah doubles from US$267.
Rai International Airport, in Shanti Two clean, converted
Denpasar. The only way to the rice barns with a view.
north is by car or bus. Several Sambangan, Singaraja;
routes are possible, including 62-362/700-1331; shanti-
the road through Munduk and northbali.com; doubles
Lake Bratan toward Singaraja. from US$60.
Once there, public transport is
scarce and won’t take you to SEE & DO 
more secluded corners, so it’s Menjangan Island National
best to hire a car and driver Marine Park Superb diving and
(from Rp600,000 per day). snorkeling, with soft corals,
drop-offs, caves, a 6-meter
STAY wreck dive, tropical fish—
Puri Ganesha Pantai clownfish, seahorses,
Pemuteran, Gerokgak; fusiliers—and manta rays. Try
62-362/94-766; puriganesha. Reef Seen Aquatics (reefseen. playing Dutchmen. Sangsit; Shanti Lunch or dinner
com; villas from US$550. com), which also operates a admission by donation. for two Rp150,000.
Damai Jln. Damai, Kayuputih, turtle hatchery. Pura Dalem Fascinating temple Damai Fine French
Lovina; 62-362/41-008; villas Banjar Hot Springs Banjar, of the dead, with violent cuisine with Balinese
from US$215. Lovina; admission Rp6,000. depictions of inflections. Dinner
Matahari Beach Resort & Spa Brahma Vihara Banjar, the afterlife. Jagaraga; for two Rp850,000.
Sixteen villas and 32 rooms Lovina; admission free. admission by donation. Sea Breeze Café Relaxed
nestled in lush, beautifully Ling Gwan Kiong Jln. Pura Made Warung beachside sunset spot; order a
tended grounds. The spa is a Erlangga No. 65, Singaraja; Kubutambahan; Hatten white wine or Storm ale,
highlight. Jln. Raya Seririt, admission free. admission by donation. both produced in the area.
Gilimanuk, Pemuteran, Pura Beji Ornate pink- EAT & DRINK Central Lovina Beach;
Gerokgak; 62-362/92-312; sandstone temple; look out for Puri Ganesha Dinner 62-362/41138; drinks for two
matahari-beach-resort.com; the carvings of instrument- for two Rp500,000. Rp100,000.

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 43
 Saving
Bali Could a new resort
built to strict
environmental
standards
represent the
tipping point for
Bali? JENNIFER
CHEN investigates.
Photographed by
LAURYN ISHAK

The pristine
waters of the
Indian Ocean
in Uluwatu, Bali.

44 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
 Opening September 2013
The newest member of AYANA’s family tree
RIMBA Jimbaran Bali

* Rock Bar Priority Access is exclusively for in-house guests of AYANA and RIMBA.

WORLD’S BEST HOTELS - 2013 Travel + Leisure Awards

ASIA’S BEST RESORT - Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Awards
AYANA Resort and Spa Bali | www.ayanaresort.com
RIMBA Jimbaran Bali | www.rimbajimbaran.com
Karang Mas Estate
Jalan K arang Mas Sejahtera, Jimbaran, Bali
Jakarta Sales Tel: 021-570 8787 | [email protected]
 By now, the Litany of
environmental damage to
Southeast Asia’s storied
island paradises is

S
dishearteningly familiar
aturday night, and I’m sending my
friends a second text message
warning that I’ll be late. Traffic
has slowed to a crawl, and the
cabbie is drumming his fingers Municipal governments don’t collect garbage, so roadside
against the steering wheel. In mounds of litter and the smell of burning trash have become
Bangkok, where I live, schedules ubiquitous. In southern Bali, the heart of the tourist
are often held hostage by traffic. industry, villa developments have replaced the island’s
But I’m not there. Nor am I in famed rice fields, threatening ecosystems and livelihoods.
Beijing, Manila or any other Add traffic woes, threatened mangrove forests and a
congestion-plagued Asian city. growing population that’s straining resources, and it’s clear
I’m in Bali, caught amid the that the island is headed towards an environmental
trucks, tour buses, vans, SUV’s and motorcycles wending reckoning.
their way along the two-lane Jalan Uluwatu. But I’ve come not to bury the island, but to praise efforts
By now, the litany of environmental damage to Southeast to save it. Specifically, I’m here to inspect the Alila Villas
Asia’s storied island paradises is dishearteningly familiar. Uluwatu, a new property on the island’s southern Bukit
To varying degrees, Phuket, Koh Samui and Koh Chang— peninsula that—in a first for Asia—was designed and built
with Phu Quoc, Boracay and a half a dozen other Thai according to the standards of Green Globe, a tough
islands not too far behind—all struggle with sewage, Australian environmental auditing scheme. In Asia, Green
garbage, water shortages, eyesore developments and beach Globe has certified 44 resorts and hotels. That means they’ve
erosion. Whatever problems these resorts experience, taken measurable steps to save water and electricity, reduce
Bali—one of the region’s most enduringly popular and recycle waste, promote environmental awareness, and
destinations—is witnessing in spades. A recent report by an help local communities—so guests know a hotel is truly
environmental consultant pegged Bali’s garbage output at serious about being green. But those properties sought
5,000 tons a day, 20 percent of which comes from hotels. certification after they were built. Alila went a step further.
 Paradise, for Now From
opposite, far left: A quiet beach in
Bali, a rarity these days; jeweler
John Hardy’s Ubud home is a
green haven; Dreamland beach,
once a surfers’ spot; at the Alila
Villas Uluwatu’s spa; the resort’s
pool and Cire restaurant.

Meanwhile, an organic movement has flourished in recent

years: restaurants hawk locally grown, seasonal produce
and a couple of organic farmers’ markets have sprung up.
Even before the Alila Villas Uluwatu opened in July 2009,
several high-profile hotels, such as the 360-room Conrad
Bali near Nusa Dua, earned Green Globe certification.
All this makes me wonder: is there a concerted effort in
Bali—arguably the harbinger of mass tourism to Southeast
Asia—to start reversing decades of degradation? If so, there
might be hope for the rest of us. “Bali is not the same place
To follow Green Globe starting from the design and that it was five years ago, ten years ago—not the same place it
construction phase is to take on a whole other set of was three years ago. And in [the environmental] sense, it’s
standards: everything from what materials are used to how definitely moving in the right direction,” says Michael
much fossil fuel is consumed is carefully monitored. Burchett, the genial, straight-talking former general
Amanda Pummer, the former general manager of Alila’s manager at the Conrad.
Ubud properties who now works with environmental The Alila Villas Uluwatu represents a step in that
consultancy the GreenAsia Group, calls it, “a gutsy move.” direction. Like other properties that mix green design with
The fact that Alila chose Bali as the location for the first luxury, the 83-villa resort doesn’t wear its eco credentials on
property under its new eco-luxe brand, Alila Villas—the its sleeve—no rammed earth huts or mounds of compost
second being the climatically challenged Maldives—was here. Nor does it, by design, have solar-voltaic cells or other
happenstance, insists Mark Edelson, president of Alila. high-tech, energy-saving gadgetry. “We came from the point
“They’re two of our favorite places, and it’s fortunate that it of view that Bali is part of a developing country, and even if
turned out that way. But I can’t say we did it by design,” he you did put in something fancy, it would probably break
admits. However, it’s tempting to think there might be down or not be properly maintained,” says Richard Hassell
something more to it. In recent years, Bali has seen a growth of WOHA, the Singapore-based architecture firm that
spurt in environmental awareness and activism. Several designed the resort. “If you make things difficult, it’s too
nonprofits have started tackling the island’s daunting waste complicated and expensive, and probably wouldn’t survive.”
problem, while governor Made Pastika has stressed that the Hassell and his partner Soo K. Chan decided the most
environment is high on his government’s agenda. important step they could take was to source local

t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 47
 Green
Shoots
Clockwise from
left: The Alila’s
reception area;
the resort
sources batik
made with
natural dyes;
one of its villas.

materials. Around 60 percent of the materials used to build Biodiesel generators provide power and there’s talk of
the resort are either recycled or sustainable, and their installing a wind turbine. Elsewhere on the property, an
origins read like a roll-call of Indonesia’s islands: bamboo intricate system of soakways direct water to more than a
from Bali; batu candi, or lava stone, from Yogyakarta; wood dozen 125,000-liter tanks. That water is put through a
from throughout Java. Communal tables in The Warung, reverse osmosis process and then pumped to the villas; in
the Indonesian eatery, are fashioned out of wood taken fact, most of the water used at the resort is recycled. “Our
from old houses, while the resort’s salas are constituted out goal at the end of this year is having 80 percent water
of ironwood salvaged from telephone poles and railway retention,” Brennan says.
cars. Most stunning of all, hundreds of copper caps, or There’s another crucial way in which the resort
batik stamps, line the interiors of Cire, the fine dining conserves water. As you drive down the long, winding road
restaurant. Because of high copper prices, batik workshops that leads to the Alila, you’ll be struck by how bare and
on Java have been selling caps, which are then melted exposed the resort seems; the way the streamlined villas
down, Sean Brennan, the Alila’s general manager, tells cling to the rocky hillside bring to mind the Mediterranean
me—a bit of cultural heritage quite literally being scrapped. coast. The Bukit peninsula, after all, is Bali’s driest
As you’d expect, the resort’s design also incorporates region—a fact the designers honored by planting native,
energy- and water-saving measures. Inside the villas, scrubby vegetation rather than replicating a lush, Ubud-
guests can slide open the windows that line two opposing style garden that would guzzle water.
walls, allowing the ocean breezes to cool the interiors Garbage—Bali’s bugbear—is handled by Jimbaran Lestari,
naturally. In addition, the black volcanic rock roofs suck up a private, pioneering company that sorts through trash,
hot air while providing nutrients for plants. It might sound recycles and composts what it can, and properly disposes of
like an experiment concocted by a couple of clever graduate the rest. In fact, the Alila also pays Jimbaran Lestari to
students, but the design actually works. Even in the collect and sort the trash for nearby residents—a move
noonday heat, I’m content without the air-conditioning. Brennan claims has helped bring down cases of dengue.

48 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
 Local Heroes Clockwise from
left: John Hardy, the founder of
the Green School; I Ketut Siandana,
an architect and hotelier; Hardy’s
living room.

breaks but now filled with Russian and mainland Chinese

tourists. Klapa, where you order drinks called “Crazy
Crush” and “Fresh Bitch,” is part of Pecatu Indah, a
400-hectare development owned by one Tommy Suharto,
the youngest son of the former president. It’s being
marketed as the New Kuta—just so you know exactly where
its ambitions lie. Along with hotels and villas, Pecatu
Indah will be home to an 18-hole golf course, a hospital, an
One hotel, of course, can’t save Bali. Collectively, the 11 international school, a shopping mall and a convention
Green-Globe certified hotels on Bali are a mere drop when center; soon to open is the improbably named, 900-room
you consider the more than 1,000 properties on the island. Rich Prada Hotel.
That’s not counting the numerous villa developments still This is another vision of Bali, and frankly, it’s terrifying.
being erected despite vows to stop issuing permits. A large Next door to Klapa are the concrete foundations of another
part of the problem with controlling development in Bali hotel—halted not because of building regulations, but
has been the devolution of power, a process instituted after because of the global financial crisis. No doubt, it will
former president Suharto was ousted. During an interview proceed when the funds are found. By the beach is a
with two officials at the provincial tourism office, I’m told denuded hill where a handful of local boys study the
that a 1999 moratorium was re-issued in 2003. When I tourists below—perhaps wondering how to make a buck off
question the effectiveness of that moratorium, since clearly these sunburned visitors.
hotels have been built since 2003, blame is handed off to the Bali will never be the way it was, but it doesn’t have to be
next level of government: “The province is the principal this. And there’s still time to save it from the fate of
authority, but it’s the regency that decides whether to Benidorm. Over and over again, locals and expats alike tell
build.” The end result is, according to some long-time me that respect for nature is intrinsic to Balinese culture,
residents, graft and haphazard enforcement. which is surprisingly sturdy despite the incursions of

B
tourism. “Originally, we respect the tree, we respect the
ali is also a one-industry island: officials stone—we don’t cut down the tree, we don’t move the stone,
reckon 80 percent of the population depends and we’re careful in using nature,” says I Ketut Siandana,
on tourism. With the highest standard of living an architect and one of the brothers who run the Waka
in Indonesia, many Balinese—and the hotels. And at least one prominent developer has pledged
migrants pouring in from other parts of the not to build on rice fields. “What we’re doing as foreigners,
archipelago—understandably want to cash in on tourism. as a group, is that we’re in very grave danger of destroying
“It’s hard,” a waiter tells me. “Money on one side, culture on the goose that lays the golden egg,” rails Nils Wetterlind,
the other side.” the managing director of Tropical Homes, whose next
I hear this on the terrace of Klapa, a glass-pyramid- project involves reviving antique joglas, Javanese-style
shaped club with alarmingly green décor that looks out houses, because “nobody needs 600 square meters and
over Dreamland, a beach once prized by surfers for its eight bedrooms.”

50 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
SUBSCRIBE NOW
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 Taking the Lead
Clockwise from top
left: You can’t get
lost at the resort; the
restaurants use locally
sourced spices; old
plates get a new life;
the resort’s villas open
up, allowing the ocean
breezes to cool them
naturally; The cliff-side
cabana at the Alila
Villas Uluwatu resort.

Bali also stirs up passion and loyalty. People want to

defend it—its culture, its natural beauty, its legendary
magic—fiercely. Yes, we need to protect the environment for
future generations—that’s a truth that can’t be repeated
enough times. But if you’re sitting in Bangkok or Singapore
or Hong Kong, it’s hard to look out and think, I want to
preserve that intersection or apartment block. In Bali, you
know exactly what you want your children to see—those
shimmering rice fields, those moss-covered temples flanked
by jungle, that procession of Balinese wading into the sea
with their offerings to the gods.
On my last afternoon in Bali, I travel up to Ubud to have
lunch with John Hardy, the jeweler who’s become a green
visionary and Cassandra of sorts. Unlike too many others, GUIDE to green bali
Hardy, who founded the Green School, which teaches
sustainability to students from preschool age to high WHERE TO STAY Bambu Indah Four vintage
school, actually lives according to his beliefs. His For a complete list of Green Indonesian homes on an
residential complex is made of bamboo—a sustainable Globe–certified hotels in eco-resort by John Hardy in Ubud.
Indonesia, log onto greenglobe.org. Banjar Baung, Desa Sayan;
building material because it grows quickly—and is open-
Alila Villas Uluwatu Jln. 62-361/975-124; bambuindah.
aired, eliminating the need for air-conditioning. As we talk, com; bungalows from US$185.
Belimbing Sari, Banjar Tambiyak,
he gazes out onto the rice paddies that surround his home,
Desa Pecatu; 62-361/848-2166; Conrad Bali No. 168 Jln.
as if drawing strength from the scene’s beauty. Let’s get one alilahotels.com; villas from Pratama, Tanjung Benoa,
place right, he tells me. US$720. 62-36/177-8788; conradhotels1.
“And I vote for Bali.” ✚ hilton.com; doubles from US$218.

52 s e p t e m b e r 2 01 3 t r av e l a n d l e i s u r e a s i a .c o m
16th Floor, Ocean Tower ll, 75/17 Sukhumvit 19, Bangkok 10110 Thailand
Tel: +66 (0)2 204 2370, Email: [email protected]

Phulay Bay, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve in Thailand. Photographed by Chris Cypert.