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The Many Sides of Bali Part III: “The Rustic East”

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By Paul Rubio

Beyond South Bali’s crowded shorelines, life quickly changes heading east.

Frenetic traffic gives way to isolated roads bordered by stacked rice terraces and lush jungle. Scenes of daily village life quickly usurp the fast food and motorcycle calamity. Circumventing the eastern coastline towards the traditional villages of Manggis, Cadidasa, and Tenganan, colossal vines and palm trees vie for space along dramatic cliffsides. Secluded beaches usher in the rising tides from the Straits of Lombok.

Navigating this shoreline feels like a journey back in time. Women stroll along roadsides, balancing buckets of salak (snake fruit) on their heads, and children weave delicate floral arrangements called banten canang as religious offerings for life cycle ceremonies within the village. The colors, the smiles, and the sounds – they’re all so vibrantly expressive. Many of these traditional scenes stem for the Balinese devotion to their own version of Hinduism – Agama Hindu Dharma. This fidelity has resulted in an island of “1000 temples,” none more important than east Bali’s 11th century Mother Temple of Besakih, the inspiration for every temple found in Bali’s countless villages.

Unobtrusively situated in this land of time bygone, east Bali’s most prized resort, the 34-villa Amankila (amanresorts.com) serves as an ambassador and gateway to the island’s coastal stronghold of anthropology and ecology, fostering cross-cultural interactions in near-by villages and facilitating day trips throughout the magnificent countryside. Amankila, or “peaceful hill,” is romanticized utter seclusion at its finest, tranquility in the shadow of the island’s apex, Mount Agung.

The majority of guests at Amankila strive for equilibrium between tropically breezed, unabashed pampering and immersion in Bali’s nature and traditions; and the resort offers the best of both worlds. An early morning sunrise trek to picturesque Gumang Hill or a snorkeling cruise aboard Aman XII is complemented by an afternoon of spa treatments and a beachside private candlelite dinner.

Likewise, a full afternoon of exploring villages, frolicking in renowned water palaces, and bargaining in local markets, often begins with a picnic breakfast on top of the world at either of Amankila’s romantic satellite bales and later ends with a Rijsttafel dinner, a ten course Indonesian dining extravaganza. For those wanting to simply enjoy the understated elegance and outstanding amenities of the resort, opportunities for sheer relaxation are infinite – whether in-suite, beachfront, hilltop, or hillside. Your best memories may well surface as long afternoons, sampling each level of the three-tiered infinity pool or nursing glasses of fine wine at the exclusive beach club amidst a coconut grove.

Next to Amankila, here in the rustic East, you’ll also find Alila Manggis (www.alilahotels.com/manggis) a moderately priced hotel offering exceptional value in a tremendous location. The hotel’s extensive list of activities – from treks to snorkeling trips to visits to uninhabited nearby islands – are experiential and dutifully capture the essence of east Bali.

The Many Sides of Bali Part II: The Rich Interior

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By PAUL RUBIO

Read: The Many Sides of Bali Part I: “New Bali”

Found along the island’s east coast and deep in its interior, the area known as “Traditional Bali” captures the island’s timeless spirit, still flourishing in today’s globalized world and unwavering in its cultural foundations. It is here, far removed from the chaos of the modern world, where you’ll lose yourself in the heartfelt hospitality of daily village life, the rewarding treks through rice fields, the burgeoning indigenous arts and craft scene, the odalan ceremonies held at Bali’s “1000 temples” and the pilgrimages to reach them. This is the Bali of fairytales and coffee table books, a land of spiritual awakenings and an invitation to journey to a time bygone.

Coastal brilliance notwithstanding, the country’s rich interior is the pinnacle of the island’s aesthetic and ethnic grandeur. The city of Ubud and its proximate villages showcase the island’s living culture, where eclectic artists interpret the modernization of traditional living, where esteemed Balinese architecture abounds, where village elders trek through the gates of mountaintop luxury hotels to fetch holy water from the temples below, and where the Agung River breathes life into all who grow around her. A seamless amalgamation of alternating levels of dense forest and rice terraces – an unwavering landscape of everlasting vertical and horizontal greens – this is the Bali of legends, the realization of wanderlust and life experience.

Within this sphere of Zen, it is possible to reside either in the heart of the cultural action or on the periphery, engrossed in the natural environment. The centrally located, luxury boutique hotel, Uma Ubud (uma.ubud.como.bz), and the more lavish Amandari (amanresorts.com) lie in the epicenter of Ubud’s prolific arts scene. Both boast the full throttle Eat, Pray, LOVE Ubud experience and are a short drive from renowned yoga centers, cooking schools, and convivial villages where healers, wood carvers, and silversmiths carry on the customs of generations past. A bit further afield, the COMO Shambhala Estate (cse.como.bz) is the evergreen of Ubud inspiration and enlightenment, providing breathtaking backdrops, utter luxury, and outlets for physical stimulation, combining for an end product of unparalleled mental invigoration.

Organized as 3, 5, and 7-day wellness programs, the personal sojourn at COMO Shambhala Estate begins with a consultation from the in-house Aryuvedic doctor, who prepares a bespoke itinerary for time spent at The Estate. Days alternate between spa treatments, hilltop yoga and Pilates classes, jungle treks, and unapologetic relaxation, interspersed by guiltless indulgence in innovative organic meals and revitalizing juices. The suggested structure leaves ample time for a cathartic journey of self, where getting lost around the 23-acre estate and exploring the natural spring pools hugging the mountain’s edge, delighting in the sounds and sights of nature at the riverbank, reflecting on personal achievement, or testing physical fitness at the bonafide “jungle gym” are all options.  Accommodations are structured as five luxury “residences” and five “retreat villas,” with the full gamut of haute resort offerings showcased through individualistic motifs like fire, water, and earth. For example, Tejasuara or “Sound of Fire” is a residence where understated design flawlessly tempers the darkness of

the dominant Sumba stone and black bamboo, illuminated by the fire pit that burns beside the sparkling infinity pool.

Indeed, it seems ironic that an island celebrated for its coastal majesty boasts some of its greatest treasures inland. In fact, Bali’s fortunes are everywhere – superbly distributed over its vast volcanoes, lush mountains, and its remote and crowded beaches where timeless villages and show-stopping resorts co-exist in harmony. This multi-faceted island has evolved as a land of diverse escapism, ripe with endless opportunity for adventure, vacation, and self-reflection in the presence of living history and natural wonder.

Next week, Part III: The Rustic East

The Many Sides of Bali Part I: “New Bali”

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By PAUL RUBIO

Bali. The name alone parlays an image of tranquility, wanderlust, exoticism, and romanticism. It conjures visions of a far-off land, blessed with eternal natural beauty and time-honored culture. This island utopia, sandwiched between the Indian Ocean and the Bali Sea, captivated hoteliers more than three decades ago, who took the risk of developing property on a densely forested, volcanic sand beach in a village called Seminyak. It was difficult to predict then that, from the late seventies onward, a mad scramble for Bali’s coastline would ensue, desperately satiating the world’s growing appetite for sun-drenched bliss and cultural tourism smack in the heart of the vast Indonesian archipelago.

For village elders, modern day Bali is hardly recognizable in its highly globalized southernmost reaches. This area, dubbed “New Bali” by locals and expats alike, consists of the southern mainland and a small peninsula housing the highly popular and populated regions of Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, Jimbaran Bay, Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak. It is here where the majority of high-end tourism development continues, often delivering show-stopping flagship hotels and iconic resorts well worth the exhausting long haul.

However, limiting an epic journey within “New Bali” or South Bali forgoes the essence of Southeast Asia’s island gem – “Traditional Bali,” which we’ll explore in the second and third part of this series.

Anchored by the surfer hotspot, Kuta, South Bali has evolved as the archetypal holiday destination, catering to all budgets and lifestyles. While Kuta fulfills a niche for HOT Aussie backpackers living on $20/day, neighboring Seminyak and Legian house a mix of mid-range and high-end accommodations to complement the world-class shopping, restaurant and nightlife scene that have advanced this highly touristic zone. Though not recommended as a stand-alone reason to visit Bali, all visitors invariably end up at Seminyak and Legian at some point on their journey, due to its proximity to the international airport or because they are eager to experience Indonesia’s most progressive metropolis equivalent. Big-city sophistication concentrates on this small stretch of dark volcanic sands, including obligatory sunset cocktails at the legendary and gay-friendly Ku De Ta or the worldly, rooftop SOS Supper Club, and dinner at the restaurant leading Bali’s foodie revolution, Sarong. Come late night, most of the bars, gay or otherwise, are located along Seminyak’s nightlife thoroughfare – Jalan Dyana Pura. Since the main gay club, Q Bar, closed down for repairs and has yet to set a reopening date, the gay scene tends to congregate on weekends at Bali Joe and Mixwell, with their wildly popular drag shows and campy pop music.

There’s even a loose version of a gay beach in Seminyak, referred to as Taman Ganesha Beach or Petitenget Beach or Callego Beach (near the Oberoi Hotel, in front of Callego Café). It’s not the nicest stretch of sand and you’ll hardly find more than a handful of wanderers also searching for this elusive gay beach. The main problem is that lounge chairs are prohibited on the beach; and the beach itself is dangerously rough, so there’s no reason to “hang out” on the beach more than a mere stroll or amble.

 

In general, Bali’s definitely more of a couples’ than a singles’ destination, though gay Javanese guys often make the trek here to free themselves of the conservative confines of their home island. It’s a hotspot for Asian-Western gay couples living in Asia or gay westerners experiencing SE Asia, looking for some of the world’s coolest and eclectic hotels.

Speaking of hotels, the all-suite Anantara Seminyak (online at bali.anantara.com), is ideal for a weekend jaunt immersed in “New Bali’s” young hustle, bustle, and evolving vanguard scene. The gregarious pool scene, the crowd, and the modern luxury design stand reminiscent of South Beach’s preeminent trendsetting hotels, with the added bonus of an outdoor Jacuzzi and daybed to watch Bali’s sunsets from the privacy of your own balcony. With just 59 suites and stellar staff, the Anantara Seminyak delivers a more personalized, boutique version of its mammoth party-time neighbor, the W Retreat & Spa Bali (online at whotels.com/baliseminyak).

Further afield, along the southernmost tip of the peninsula, The Banyan Tree Ungasan (banyantree.com), also flaunts an ultra-glam factor, about half an hour from the rapidly beating pulse of “New Bali.” The remarkable all-villa enclave straddles a picturesque precipice, emphasizing the perfect contemporary design blend of height, light, and space. While its sumptuous fusion of outdoors and indoors echoes a constant “wow” factor, one feature indisputably impresses the most – the glass-paneled doors opening directly onto each villa’s frangipani-fringed infinity pool.

Finally, sagacious beach lovers gravitate towards Nusa Dua on the peninsula’s east side – one of the only spots on Bali to sport luscious, golden and white, downy sands. The superlative hotel here, Amanusa (amanresorts.com), towers over the manicured gardens and forest patches, perched on a hillside that offers stunning panoramas of sparkling greens and oceanic blues. Unlike Nusa Dua’s recent cookie-cutter construction, Amanusa’s 32 spacious villas retain a distinctive indigenous flair, each temple-like structure complete with a full suite of luxury offerings, including the decadent outdoor shower and queen-sized bale, and private pool in nine suites. The quintessential relaxing “beach vacation” materializes over long, lazy days at Amanusa’s Beach Club, via the idyllic mingling of crystalline waters, impeccable service, and exclusivity.

Click to Read : The Many Sides of Bali Part II: The Rich Interior

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