Valley of The Gods

mount agung looks down on me with her majestic eye while i take in the astounding beauty of the bagus agro pelaga property, the island’s first ever agro-tourism site

A good view of the Golden Bridge – Bali’s longest (360 metres) and highest (85 metres from the river below) bridge built in 2003, almost eight years ago – leaves a somewhat melancholic, yet admiring imprint on the long-term memory segment of my grey matter.

As far as my eyes can see, there are forests and magnificent fields filled with organic fruits, vegetables and flowers, and one of the most amazing valleys I have ever come across. All that gorgeous colour and greenery is kept bright and shiny through the resort’s drip irrigation system, which is quite different from the usual subak method. The drip irrigation system enables precise water delivery and helps adjust the water supply for particular plants, thus increasing the efficiency in water usage and distribution.

Bagus Agro Pelaga’s agricultural beauty is spread out over 18 hectares of prolific land, of which more than 17 hectares is used for organic farming. Being 750 metres above sea level – in the mountain range of Pucak Mangu – Pelaga village invites you to enjoy its fresh mountain air and extraordinary panoramic views. Cattle, such as cows, pigs, domestic chickens and fish, are raised on the property in order to support the area’s Organic Farming System. Along with those efforts to prop up the wellbeing of our planet, Bagus Agro Pelaga offers a wide and varied range of fun environmentally friendly activities, such as guided treks around its extensive grounds, visits to the impressive Nungnung Waterfall (a 500-metre-high waterfall in the centre of a remote forest), white water rafting on the Ayung River, cycling, adventurous jungle treks, camping trips, traditional products demonstrations (making coconut oil demonstration, making Balinese cake Lak Lak demonstration, etc), a visit to the Elephant Park of Carangsari, and so much more.

Benefiting from healthy organic dishes is possible at no less than five restaurants on the Bagus property. Even environment-friendly shopping can also be done on the property. The sizeable Agro Shop features products, which includes vegetables and fruits, seeds, cut flowers, tabulapot (flowers of fruit planted in a small pot), and modern agricultural tools. •

Bagus Discovery Main Office
Jl. Ngurah Rai no. 300b, Tuban
T: 0361 761 877, 0361 751 223
E: info@bagus-discovery.com
www.bagus-discovery.com

Fish Out of Water

it’s always very smoky and it feels hot when it’s too crowded, but it’s so good, the only thing you care about is the food on your plate…

Tables on the sand, the smell of coconut husks grilling fish, the occasional fireworks, the cheap wine, the cold beer, piles of empty plates and of course the great seafood bites, all make a great Jimbaran beachside dining experience. These joints don’t really care if they should serve food from your right or left side, or that your wine glass needs a second refill. Their charm lies in how their food is simple yet good. They go with the philosophy which believes that if your palate is pleased, nothing else matters.

Evidently, it works. The plethora of seafood restaurants that currently dot the Jimbaran coastline is a major destination for anyone visiting Bali. It’s on the recommendation list of all travel guides. In certain ways, it almost defines Jimbaran.

Looking at this phenomenon, it’s hard to imagine that it all started with one man. In fact, maybe even the entire economic picture of Jimbaran would have been much different without one great idea that exponentially blossomed.

It all started in the mid 80s along the sandy shores of Jimbaran Bay. A young fisherman named Nyoman Bagi’s would guide tourists on small fishing trips on his small boat in the bay. The tourists and Nyoman would fish and take their catch back to shore where the Balinese man would make a fire on the beach and grill the fish for his clients as part of the fishing trip.

It then occurred to him that if he set up a cold drink stand right next to where he grilled his fish, the clients would buy the refreshments as he served their catch. This infinitesimally small idea marks the very beginning of all the grilled fish warungs in present day Jimbaran; much like an infinitesimally small spore implanting itself onto a rock can spawn into a giant coral reef.

In 1987, Nyoman decided to actually grill and sell fish and turned his enterprise into a tiny one-table shack and dubbed it Ramayana. As time wore on and more and more fish were grilled, the shack slowly evolved into a slightly bigger shack, trading out pieces of bamboo and a tarp roof for slightly bigger pieces of bamboo and a thatched roof.

It was at this stage when a Swiss queen came to his shack and tried his delicious grilled fish and wrote him a royal endorsement, an honour which he proudly keeps till this day. Nyoman recalls, “Swiss people would be so surprised to see this certificate, they’d round up all their friends and take them to my café.”

With all things in Bali, original ideas don’t stay original for too long. Soon another grilled fish shack opened up next to Ramayana, followed by another. In 1996, the Bupati decided to move the restaurants to a different location as to not interfere with hotel development. They were allowed different slots on the beach much as how it looks today.

A couple of years later, the Desa decided to build structures behind the restaurants that became shops and kitchens. As demand for more space to build other seafood cafés grew, every available space was turned into a kitchen to support the ever-multiplying restaurants on the beach. This was how a lonely drink shack on a beach evolved into the mass of seafood restaurants you see today.

When asked about what he thought of the all the new restaurants in the format that he essentially started, Nyoman commented, “as long as it’s still healthy and there are still customers, it’s a good thing.”

Today there are 52 seafood restaurants in Jimbaran where tourists and locals alike regularly get treated to fresh seafood grilled on coconut husks. The format of each restaurant is pretty much the same with variations in the sauces and trimmings one can get. All the seafood is from the local Jimbaran fish market located on the beach. Typical establishments offer a variety of recently caught fish, lobster, squid, prawns, clams and crab with salad, morning glory, potatoes and rice. Most seafood is lathered with a generous amount of chili sauce which, combined with the smokiness of the coconut husks, gives the seafood its unique taste. Chilli-phobics need not worry, you can request the concentration of the spice on your meal.

Once you’ve picked a restaurant that seems right for you, the first thing to do is pick your fish. To ensure freshness, the opaqueness of the eyes is a good indicator of how recently your dinner was caught. Dishes are mainly served “family style” where they are placed in the middle and diners divvy up the food. The restaurants may look almost identical, but each one has its own unique way of doing things.

No matter which establishment you choose, the immediate impression you get is of a chilled laid back dining experience, with the novelty of actually selecting your own food to be barbequed for you. It is an essential stop for any seafood lover visiting the island. Therefore, these restaurants are perfect for a casual dinner with friends, family, or a tour bus group. Tables are laid directly on the sand where customers can watch the iridescent sunsets and spot newly arriving tourists on planes landing in Ngurah Rai international. The oceanfront setting is also littered with colourful fishing boats dotting the bay from the beach to the horizon. The atmosphere is also augmented by a four-piece guitar band that serenades diners with hit cover songs. As night falls, the open setting lets you eat under the equatorial stars.

Thousands upon thousands of tourists and locals visit Jimbaran beach every year specifically to eat its now famous seafood. An entire local economy has benefited from both jobs created and the revenue harvested from what started off as a humble fisherman, grilling fish. If you haven’t done it, then chances are you will soon. •

You can find Ramayana, the original fish grilling shack, at Jl. Pemelisan Agung. It’s the third restaurant from the right if you’re facing the beach. T: 0361 702 859

The Art of Profit

art is a very subjective matter, as it is usually created based on inspiration and ideas, which can’t be quantitatively measured. however, these days, it seems there is a monetary value for everything, and enlightenment is simply a price tag away

Do not be misled by art critics, art historians, curators, collectors, gallery owners and auction houses who wax euphoric as they praise artists for their powerful brush strokes, brilliant colour combinations, striking compositions and profound (but often hidden) meanings. While the ultimate judgement of an artist’s importance should be based on his (or her) originality, relevance and ability to forge diverse influences into their own vision of something new, fresh and meaningful – make no mistake the real criteria that drives the art market in Bali and elsewhere is nothing less than MONEY!

Now that the truth is out, let’s consider the playing field. First, let’s exclude dead expatriates, like the legendary Walter Spies, whose small gem-like paintings have sold for over a million dollars for years. Once the topper, his record prices were surpassed a few years ago by Adrian Jean Le Mayeur de Merprés, whose large oils now fetch double. If one considers that if you see one you’ve seen them all, this is a stark testimony to the fact that talent and originality do not necessarily have anything to do with art prices.

Anyway, this is all irrelevant for our quest because these guys were not even Balinese. Furthermore, they have an unfair advantage because deceased artists don’t paint anymore. In the dog eat dog Adam Smith market, this means limited supply and ever-rising prices as long as there are more buyers than sellers.
A naïve person might believe justifiably that the most valuable Balinese artist dead or alive would be one of the greats of the Pitamaha period, such as Gusti Lempad or Ida Bagus Made Poleng who worked at the same time as Spies and Le Mayeur. Sadly, this is not the case.

Even though these masters are represented in international collections like at the MoMA in New York and have long been cremated, their works have rarely fetched more than a low five figures in spite of their outrageous importance – again a sad reflection of the priorities of collectors of Indonesian art.

The next generation of Balinese painters of note were those like Nyoman Gunarsa and Made Wianta who, instead of learning in the villages, attended modern academies in the 1970s and, in Wianta’s case, travelled abroad. Notably, the usual venues for their shows in the still very ethnocentric West were not contemporary art museums, but rather the old ethnological museums looking for a new identity to hide their colonial origins. The irony was not lost on some. Nevertheless, both men would go on to achieve critical and financial success.

In recent years, however, a new phenomenon has gripped the Indonesian art market as several young Indonesian and Balinese artists, like Putu Sutawijaya, gained international attention as established names who have achieved steady high prices in sales rooms and galleries.

Admittedly these artists benefited from the huge wave of interest in Asian artists, which began with Chinese contemporary artists who took the West by storm. As testimony to their own abilities, while Chinese art suffered a major setback after the fall of the Lehmann Brothers and financial crisis in 2008, Indonesian artists have fared far better.

By far the absolute King of the Hill is I Nyoman Masriadi, a young Balinese artist. Much to the shock (and jealousy) of many, his coronation took place in October 2008 when one of his large canvasses titled The Man from Bantul, the Monster sold for the world record price of US$ 1,006,356 in Sotheby’s Hong Kong, setting the record as the highest price ever paid, not only for a Balinese artist alive or dead but for any living artist in South-East Asia. The record, succeeded by more big sales, has left many people kicking themselves as they rue their failure to purchase his work when it was selling for only 20 or 30 million rupiah a painting.

A taciturn introvert, Masriadi, who dropped out of Jogjakarta’s prestigious ISI art academy after his professors labelled him untalented, is definitely an outsider. Ironically, while his reputation continues to soar in the East and West with a major exhibition in Singapore and glowing articles in Newsweek, Time and The New York Times, Masriadi himself seems to have evoked much more jealously than admiration in Indonesia.

An ugly example of this was heard during a symposium sponsored by an Indonesian art magazine to help Indonesian artists prepare for globalisation.

Rather than seeing Masriadi as a knight in shining armour who had knocked down the castle walls thus allowing other Indonesian artists to follow, the participants preferred to speculate that his international success was not based on sheer talent and hard work but rather shady nefarious plots hatched by Chinese and foreign middlemen. One expert even scoffed that nobody would pay so much for an artwork by an Indonesian!

At this point we get into psychology, another subject altogether. That said, it is no wonder so many of Masriadi’s paintings are of fight scenes and invincible super heroes. As his star continues to rise he might want to consider getting into intergalactic travel. •

A Pachyderm Experience

a trip to lampung, the lesser known part of sumatra, takes you on a walk through the rainforest on a large mammal with a long trunk and tusks, and plays football

Situated on the southernmost tip of Sumatra, Lampung is often overlooked as a tourist destination. Holiday and adventure seekers usually head northward to see the picturesque Lake Toba, the furry orang-utans of Bukit Lawang or the underwater beauty of Pulau Weh. Therefore, the idea of a road trip made me a bit hesitant. But intrigued. Nonetheless, on paper, the trip looked quite interesting: a festival, an elephant ride and a jungle trek. Not bad.

Only when I got to this trip’s assembly point did I realise that it was going to be an eight-hour bum-numbing journey each way. Leaving from Jakarta, we were to take a 2.5-hour drive to Merak Harbor, a 2.5-hour ferry-ride across the Sunda strait, land in Bakuheni Port and then take another three-hour drive to Way Kambas.

The first leg was fine, conversation was good and a few playlists on my iPod later, we reached Merak. The ferry-ride was surprisingly pleasant. It’s a roll-on/ roll-off ferry, meaning, our car got onto the ferry, entered the belly and we could walk around the upper decks.

Before the ferry set off, some local boys entertained us by diving off the ferry into the deep waters below for some spare change. Great stunts from these kids but at the same time it tugged on my heart that they had to risk their lives for some small change.

We passed the beautiful and scenic islands across the Sunda Strait and even caught a glimpse of Krakatau volcano on the way. A mesmerising sunset greeted us while on the ferry, making me momentarily forget that we had passed the five-hour mark.

The drive from Bakuheni to Way Kambas along the hilly trans-Sumatra highway would have been beautiful, but since we were driving at night, it was quite boring. We finally got to our hotel, tired and hungry, lower body numb. After a bit of socialising, I set off to bed. The next day would be a long one.

The town of Way Kambas celebrates the uniqueness of the flora and fauna of the area and the rich diversity of the different cultures in Lampung each year with the Way Kambas Festival. As soon as we arrived at the festival grounds, six of the biggest guests immediately greeted us: six Sumatran elephants from the Way Kambas National Park’s Elephant Conservation Centre. After some lengthy speeches from the Minister of Culture and other government officials the festival finally kicked off. A number of cultural dances were performed and a tableau on the transmigration of various peoples from Java and Bali to Lampung and Sumatra Island was staged.

Of course, the real stars of the show were the elephants. The crowd eventually gravitated to the pachyderms, posing for photos, watching them perform minor tricks. The highlight of the day was the three-on-three football match these animals played. Everyone was enthralled, including me.

Done with the culture part of the day, we headed to the National Park after a quick lunch for the adventure part. Located south of the Barisan Hills, the nearby Way Kambas National Park, is a 130,000 hectare reserve consisting of swampland and lowland rain forest established in 1972. Within the reserve are the Elephant Conservation Centre and the Sumatran Rhino Sanctuary. The adventure part of the day included a jungle trek, a boat ride and a night elephant safari.

The jungle trek took us deep into the rainforest. According to our guide, there are still around 300 wild Sumatran elephants in this reserve. So we had to be careful. Every time we would pass a known elephant crossing, he would remind us to give-way to the elephants if we saw one. As if any of us would dare play tag with a wild elephant. Aside from the elephants, the forest is home to a wide variety of wildlife.

It is said to be a birdwatchers delight. Among the bird species which can be found in the park include the white-winged duck, the storm stork, the desert adjutant stork and a number of owls. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any of these although maybe we weren’t really looking.

The 90-minute trek was easy. The only problem was the leeches. Yeah, leeches. Tiny suckers. The forest was teeming with them. If you weren’t careful, you’d miss them. But they won’t miss you. They wait for their victims, tiny mouths open. These little suckers latch onto the victim’s skin, break it and they secrete an anti-coagulant substance which stops your blood from coagulating so they can freely suck your blood. I came in hiking sandals and was actually very cautious when walking around. When we got back to camp I felt an itch under the strap of my sandal, checked it out and found a not so tiny bloated sucker, peacefully filling up from my ankle. It was a war wound and I was proud of it.

We also took a short boat ride up the Way Kanan River which runs through the Park. A number of monkeys and colourful birds made an appearance. And as the sun was setting, our guide announced that we had to head back to camp since we didn’t want to be in the forest at dark. Who would?

After a simple dinner prepared by the camp staff, we were off to the Elephant Conservation Centre for our night safari. At present, there are 62 elephants under the care of the Centre, six of these are babies. Each elephant has an assigned trainer, his job is to wash, feed and teach little tricks to his charge daily. The night we were there, there were 20 of us going on the night safari. Each of us was to get onto an elephant, driven by its trainer. The “boarding” area had two tall concrete stairs which led up to a platform, from the landing, one could easily get onto the elephants.

I chose a big one called Mambo, a 20-year-old male with long tusks. After the initial excitement of everyone getting onto their elephants, the real adventure started. Convoy style, the elephants formed a single line and headed for the forest. The pachyderms are trained to walk in line. To get them in line, each trainer is armed with a tiny flashlight. They light up a path for the elephants to see the other elephant in front and violà, 20 elephants in a line. Single file the elephants and their giddy passengers walked quietly into the forest. Once my eyes got accustomed to the darkness, I looked up. It was a magnificent night. Never had I seen the sky this clear this clear and bright. I could make up constellations of and stars. And what made it more grand was that I was soaking up this view from atop an elephant.

We made our way through some trees and to the flatlands. Then all of a sudden, my trainer asked me to hold onto his shoulders. This was when I discovered where we were. At the edge of a river. We were going to cross.

I held tight onto the trainer’s shoulders as Mambo made his way down to the riverbed. With water rushing around me, our line of pachyderms made their way across the river. When we got to the other side, the elephants again climbed out of the river onto the bank of the river. As I looked behind me, I marvelled at the sight of the long line of elephants walking through the forest and river. An unbelievable sight. I guess the eight-hour journey to get here was worth it, even if just for this experience.

The line of elephants went through the forest for a bit longer or maybe it was too long, since my thighs and bum were getting sore. On our way back to the Centre, we caught a glimpse of the baby elephants playing around, again a truly moving sight.
I went to bed quite happy and fulfilled. When I woke up, it dawned on me, I had another eight-hour journey back home. •

The office of the Way Kambas National Park’s Elephant Conservation Centre is on Jl. Raya Way Jepara, Labuan Ratu Lama, Lampung, Sumatra. T: 0725 44220.

Spa Deals

destination: the patra bali
Destination spa is a thorough treatment that offers three specific programmes: rejuvenation, stress management and detoxification. These new programmes include a range of beach activities, cycling, horse-riding, fitness and golf – all designed to integrate wellness of being through body and mind exercises along with the consumption of good healthy natural food. All spa programmes have been carefully designed by Gaya Spa specialists.
Rejuvenation is a program designed for refreshment through natural therapy; stress management utilises relaxation therapy; and detoxification is designed to improve health by getting rid of toxins from the body or even losing weight through diet management, colonic reduction and lowering cholesterol with herbal treatments.

The Patra Bali Resort & Villas, Jl. Ir H Juanda, Kuta, T: 0361 751 161, www.patrabali.com

opulent oriental indulgence
The Mandara Spa at Nikko Bali Resort & Spa offers a wide range of Bali massages and body treatments that can be enjoyed in one of eight well-appointed Bali spa villas or at the beach-side bale.
Their Ultimate Indulgence spa package is to die for - an exotic, luxurious and unforgettable celebration of indulgence consisting of aromatherapy footbath, lavender body wash, traditional body scrub, a choice of aromatherapy floral bath or herbal steam, a signature Mandara massage, foot Massage, and the icing on the cake, a refresher facial.

Nikko Bali Resort & Spa, Jl. Raya Nusa Dua Selatan, Nusa Dua, T: 0361 773 37

cruise to relaxation
Spa Bali Cruise is a unique concept that combines two of life’s most indulgent pleasures cruising Bali’s coastal waters and partaking in a nurturing spa session of traditional healing and beauty rituals.
Their Fresh Lemon Ritual is a treatment using hot stone massage as the main highlight. Hot stone massage is an ancient treatment that is powerfully therapeutic. It employs a technique utilizing smooth, heated basalt stones which are placed on specific acupressure points on the body to melt away knots, tension and stress. Hot stone massage is based on the oldest form of East Asian massage known as anma, that involves long and flowing stokes using stones instead of hand pressure.

Spa Bali Cruise, Bali Marina, Jl. Wisata Tirta, Pelabuhan Benoa, www.spabalicruise.com

sweet like chocolate
Treat the little ones to a scrumptious dose of relaxation. Anantara Spa’s Chocolate Massage for kids ages two to 12 years old starts off with a footbath ritual and helps to release tiredness and tension for the active kiddies. With a sumptuous and gentle chocolate massage oil, this 30-minute treatment package will help to mellow out the young’ins.

Anantara Spa, Jl. Dhyana Pura, T: 0361 737 773

Taman Merah "A Rosy-red Glow"

taman merah, which translates into red garden, is a contemporary wellness and beauty hub. affordable and homey, this spa will get you ready to paint the town a radiant red

the look
Akin to their contemporary wellness theme, Taman Merah Spa’s décor is very clean-cut. Red dominates the colour palette of their interiors, but with a balance so as to give my eyes a screaming bloodshot itch.

I have always thought of minimalist interior design as an excuse to not put in too much of an endeavour, and there is a fine line between finely designed minimalist interiors and those that just scream “low-budget-low-effort!”, but Taman Merah Spa is definitely not the latter.

The path leading to the front doors are stone steps set in a way so that they seem to be floating on a beautiful flow of water. In fact, water flows through each of their treatment rooms, granting me calming sounds of splashing tranquillity.

the touch
I was treated to the Taman Merah Glow package, which entailed me to a 30-minute sauna to get rid of toxins, an hour-long Balinese massage, a carrot body scrub and was finished off with a papaya enzyme body mask to polish down the skin and give it a warm, even-toned glow.

The massage was of the right pressure, with the masseuse climbing on the bed to fully coax my tense muscles into sedation.

The carrot body scrub and papaya enzyme body polish were the highlights of the whole treatment though. The therapist applied the papaya enzyme elixir onto my body with a large, soft brush, and that alone tickled my fancy, but that’s only the beginning; I could literally feel the enzymes working on my skin, as it felt tingly, like my pores were being cleaned out by a cool breeze.

the ingredients
I chose the Tropical Oceanic essential oil, which has a more refreshing sweet scent. The other option offered by the spa is the Musk Oceanic oil, which smells, well, musky.
Taman Merah Spa’s treatment products are all natural, as were my carrot scrub and papaya enzyme body polish, which makes it safe to repeat the treatment a couple of times per month.

the exceptional
I must say that the best part about the Taman Merah Glow treatment was the look on my face as I looked in the mirror afterwards. My skin was literally glowing, which resulted in a smile on my face. It’s a rarity to have a beauty treatment work so instantly, so I was giddy.

I looked radiant, an even-toned tan-like colour emanating from my shoulders and cheeks and the rest of my body. Even my legs (which were bruised from a previous bike accident) looked more vibrant than before the treatment.

The spa manager explained that the more often you do this treatment, the better your skin will look. I totally believe her – and I won’t take her word for it. As Arnold Schwarzenegger said, “I’ll be back.” •

Taman Merah Glow is priced at Rp. 750,000

Taman Merah Spa, Jl. Petitenget,
no. 469, Kerobokan, T: 0361 736 656, www.islandvillasbali.com

Free Wyllie

hamish daud wyllie is a fun-loving, carefree, silly man, but he’s also the creative director of tarita furniture, one of the largest furniture companies on the island, an architect-cum-designer with saka designs, and an art aficionado with a charitable heart at the age of 30.

so who is hamish daud wyllie? How about I give you a brief surface rundown. Currently, I am design director at Saka – which focuses on architecture and design. I am also creative director of Tarita Furniture. My mother was born in Singapore to Boyanese parents (an island north of Madura, Central Java) and my father is Australian. I’ve been based here in Bali since I was a baby but spent time travelling between Jakarta, Singapore and Sydney.

how do you balance out all these businesses, have a life and manage to not burn out? Well, I’ve pretty much mastered the art of looking busy [laughs]. No, I really owe much of my work credit to my partners Novan and Aan and the rest of the team from Saka Designs and Tarita. We all have something to bring to the table and have respect for each other’s visions. Respecting each other at work is very important.

Being in Bali, there are always ways to unwind. But if I see a gap in the schedule, I usually try and head down to Sumba to visit my dad. He usually has his ways of clearing my mind and looking at things differently.

what is your passion in life? Learning, seeing, touching, and tasting new things in life. You need to learn something everyday. So, I guess I love to tell stories about the journey.

I’m currently working very closely with Arief Rabik of Indo Bamboo (Linda Garland) on ways to push sustainability into our industries – both design and architecture. Subjects such as bamboo and other low-emission categorised products and ideas are exciting the possibilities of our future. I pretty much learn something new every time I come over to his house!

you were busy with setting up a new studio, what is that about? Well, the studio is a new chapter for Tarita Furniture. Now, under the same roof, we provide architectural services focusing on both the hospitality industry and private residential projects. The space is a hub for clients and designers to come in with an idea, and we basically execute it for them.

tell me more about blowing smoke, the exhibition/ auction/ fundraiser taking place this month at tarita studio. There are over 30 established artists donating work to this exhibition so we should see some cool things. All proceeds will be donated to the Narayan Seva childrens home in Singaraja. Two women who have dedicated their lives to sheltering built this place, educating and nurturing marginalized and disadvantaged children in an all encompassing approach.

Art has always been a great platform with helping charities. It also allows up and coming artists to get exposure. I think it’s a healthy relationship between everyone involved.

what are your hobbies? Food and laughter. I would have said surfing, but it just gets too crowded here these days.

what are you busy with at the moment? We have a few projects on at the moment in the region and abroad. I have this jinx thing that every time I talk something up before completion, it crumbles. Promise to tell you once I’m done, though!

what do you think about bali’s current wave of spiritual tourism? Well, to me, it’s funny that tourism has only just now tapped into this niche. Spirituality is something most of us grew up with here; I just hope that Bali and its culture don’t get exploited anymore than it has. However, if tastefully done and capturing the right amount of nostalgia and knowledge, it could be a winner.

recently, the tourism industry in bali has exploded and developments are sprouting everywhere, what do you think of that? I think as far as development, we went through a shocking couple of years where money was pouring in almost too quickly (post-bombings) and the lack of vision and site planning caused upsetting design and infrastructure or lack thereof.

Bali is an affordable place to holiday, bringing in people from all ends of the world. I think the Balinese people are strong enough to maintain their values and not get too fussy about wild holidaymakers. Thankfully, Kuta and Seminyak are a very small aspect of Bali – tourism-wise.

A firmer council regulation would be great in order to control developments sprouting too quickly without much thought to the surrounding environment. Let’s keep Bali beautiful!

what will you be doing on nyepi (seclusion day)? Nyepi is a sacred and holy day here, so we usually spend our time exploding fireworks and being completely mad. I’m kidding. No, I’m guessing I’ll be with a close group of friends somewhere nice.

where do you see yourself in five years? The future hasn’t happened yet and the past is gone. So I think the only moment we have is right here and now, and I try to make the best of those moments – the moments that I’m in. I think Annie Lennox said that. That’s pretty much where my head is at. •

Check out www.tarita.com and www.sakadesigngroup.com to learn more about Hamish Daud Wyllie’s work

What's on calender...?

bali island villas gets revamped

Bali Island Villas, a private complex of ten self-contained luxury villas located in the heart of Seminyak now features a spa-styled Jacuzzi for heightened relaxation in each villa. There is also high-speed Internet service available that operates on a 24-hour basis.

Jl. Petitenget no. 469, Seminyak, T: 0361 736 656

I wayan wicaya of bvlgari bali resort wins global chef title

The Global Chefs Challenge is the largest single chefs’ competition in the world, sponsored by the World Association of Chefs Societies (WACS) and every two years, the finalists from the seven regions of the world take to the stoves to prepare a four-course dinner for 12 people to exacting standards. The six other Global Finalists were from Norway, Canada, Portugal, Holland, Dubai, and Australia.
I Wayan Wicaya explains, “Winning the title of Global Chef Asia was one of the highlights of my career. I remembered to stay calm and focussed and just did my best. It was an amazing experience and I am very happy for myself and for my colleagues who have supported me and given me the confidence to take on this great challenge.”

Bvlgari Bali Resort, Jl. Goa Lempeh, Uluwatu, T: 0361 847 1000

ku de ta goes audiovisual for a good cause

The prominent beachside venue hosted a DJ marathon and contemporary art event on Feb 26 to raise money for I’m An Angel, a Bali-based charity.
The eight-hour DJ marathon saw the likes of Donni One, Billy the Kid, DJ Stuart, Kevin Kloer, Stevie G and Wayne Wonder working the funk and donating their earnings to the cause. Internationally acclaimed urban graffiti artist, David Walker performed an explosive live art show on a two by two metre canvas. The finished piece will be auctioned on July 31, with all proceeds generously being donated to I’m An Angel.

KU DE TA, Jl. Laksmana no. 9, Seminyak, T: 0361 736 969

art with heart

On Valentine’s Day, the Holiday Inn Resort Baruna Bali showed love by displaying a vibrant collection of paintings by a rising new talent – Ms. Linda Satya. All works showcased were on sale and the funds raised during this one day charity initiative were donated to the Salam Children’s Home in Tabanan to help cover daily operational costs.
The Salam Children’s Home currently provides a nurturing environment for 50 underprivileged children of different ethnic backgrounds from across the Indonesian archipelago. It relies on community based funding to educate the children and give them the chance of a brighter future.

Holiday Inn Resort Baruna Bali, Jl. Wana Segara no. 33, Tuban, T: 0361 755 577

michelin star chef marcello fabbri at the st regis

Michelin Guide award-winning Marcello Fabbri presented a six-course, wine matched degustation dinner sensation at the Valentine’s Gourmet weekend at the resort’s Kayuputi Restaurant. This two-day gourmet gala saw an unforgettable dining experience for the romantic as the Chef extraordinaire invented a culinary extravaganza with his creative flair, which extended to cold pea mint soup with chestnuts. Kayuputi Restaurant, St. Regis Resort Bali, Kawasan Pariwisata Nusa Dua Lot S6, Nusa Dua, T: 0361 847 8111

lucky charms
march 19
The rainbow ends at Hu’u Bar’s St Patrick’s Day festivities. Indulge in their green cocktail specials, Guinness specials and great music tracks all night long. Catch leprechauns starting from 10pm until late.
Rp. 100,000 cover charge. Drink specials all night.

Hu’u Bar, Jl. Oberoi, Petitenget, T: 0361 736 443, www.huubali.com

transubstantiation: a collaboration
Until March 7

Coming from different generations and cultural backgrounds, S Teddy D and Daniel Flanagan are collaborating together to present their works on Transubstantiation. Although, empirically unchanged, the main idea is about presenting how their artworks interact one to another.
Both artists depict through their
dialogue that a painting is a complex image that can either be simplified or complicated but in the end, it is a small fragment of
the mind of its artist.

Kendra Gallery of Contemporary Art,
Jl. Drupadi no. 88b, Seminyak, T: 0361 736 628

embracing nature’s poem: a solo exhibition by nyoman sujana kenyem
March 4

Since his appearance on the scene in
the 90s, Kenyem has won national and international praise for the poetic beauty of his canvasses. The subject of each of his images, mirrored in titles like Touch, Smile and Nostalgia are inevitably highly personal visualisations of feelings and emotions. Swirling leaves, flowers, tiny human figures and luminous celestial
bodies flow with grace and beauty like the reflection of the moon in running water.

Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Resort
Jimbaran Bay, T: 0361 701 010

an artcoustic wednesday
Every Wednesday
Beat the midweek madness with freestyle music by KACIR DUNIA KETIGA, set in a beautiful garden setting and laidback artsy ambience.
Hosted by the musically proficient Yarri Satja, this weekly event is the perfect way to stomp out the Wednesday blues. Starts at 8pm until 11pm.

Art Café, Jl. Sari Dewi no. 17, Seminyak, T: 0361 736 751

silence is golden
March 16
Nyepi is the Balinese New Year, otherwise called Icaka New Year, the day of total silence throughout the island. No activity, no traffic at all on the roads, no fire or lights may be lit for 24 hours. Great purification and sacrificial rites are held the day before so as to exorcise evil spirits from every corner of the island.

a feast by the lagoon
March 16
Explore the finest four-course set menu presented in Western style specially created during Nyepi night at Nusa Bagus Island, an exclusive venue located in the middle of lagoons and surrounded by an impressive view across the tropical gardens. Ravioli, baby lobsters, beef tenderloin are a few dishes that will be served.
Priced at Rp. 500,000 per person (without wine pairing) and Rp. 800,000 per person (including wine pairing).

The Laguna, Kawasan Pariwisata Lot N2, Nusa Dua, T: 0361 771 327

moonshine rhythms
March 23
Specialists in African Drumming, Hamanah have over five years experience in the Australian market and are now based fulltime in Indonesia. They are Indonesia’s first African drum and dance company and endorsed by African drummer/dancer Sibo Bangoura of Guinea, Africa. cJoin their Full Moon Party in Canggu on this night for an organic, uplifting experience.

Due North

located on the northern coast of the island, singaraja used to be the centre of everything during the golden age of the balinese kingdom. with one damaged leg and a previously horrifying road trip experience, our writer headed up north to find out what’s left of the former capital of bali and check out its vicinity

Faced with another roadblock, the driver decided to swerve his dinky and weary car to the left, into a narrow alley that led to the much more slummy side of the town. I kept looking back to check that the mobs with guns were not tailing us anymore while praying that this would get us across the roadblock. But that hope immediately faded when we stumbled upon yet another roadblock. They had covered every single possible escape route. What was left was to get out of the car and negotiate our way through the blockade, which my travelling partner did exactly.

Fuelled with fear, my eyes were indeed open, but everything was blurry. Soon, I started hearing people shouting. I expected the worst. And with the shouting becoming more and more intense it did look like we were going to end up getting shot or tortured in prison for the rest of our lives. But then I heard a familiar voice saying, “Come on. Get out of the car. We’re walking through the roadblock.”

“What? How many days do you expect us to walk?” I asked.

“Only until after the blockade. There will be cars there.”

I got out of the car, cursing every single staring, angry-looking and sweaty mob member in my head and at the same time thanking my lucky stars that I had just scored travel story gold.

And suddenly, my mind fast-forwarded to the present. I had just been reminiscing about a road trip in Kathmandu. I was in a car again, not moving and parked right next to a cliff in Bedugul. Vertigo immediately hit.

That’s exactly what happens whenever I’m on a road trip - I have too much time to think and the rapid movement of objects through the car windows are somehow hypnotic to me. Images of Nepali communist mobs carrying guns, chasing my car apparently resulted in immediate paranoia and one guaranteed week of nightmares. Add this with being forced to hop on a tiny, eight-seat propeller plane which then flew above the Himalayas with dodgy seatbelts and cotton buds to cover my ears, I had to be immediately taken to an asylum as soon as we landed.
But if the images are green vegetation growing wildly among traditional Balinese houses, adorned with the occasional red, yellow and white from the flowers, the result is a state of almost absolute happiness.

The view of the villages we went through leading up to Bedugul reminded me a lot of the town in Lombok where I grew up. The markets, for instance, looked beautifully raw. The buildings that made up the shops looked old, with plenty of scars. The bricks in the walls were sticking out like damaged bones on deeply severed flesh. Dust was the prominent component, but also optimism. None of the old ladies looked upset or broken. Even the parking man looked cheerful.

The higher we climbed up the mountain, the stronger the feeling of serenity. I think you are left with no option when you’re given the combination of a sleepy town – there was hardly anyone on the street, a big lake that looks very calm, green hills, cloudy sky, and the slightest hint of fog - you can’t help but feel at ease. It was as if the complications of life had not penetrated this part of the mountain yet.

I spotted a trucker talking on his mobile phone on the side of the street and caught myself getting carried away, finding the whole scene odd. But then I remembered that at the same moment, I was receiving football match results from halfway across the planet directly on my phone, in real time.

The former capital of Bali, Singaraja, had its own way of welcoming you. While the town looked pretty and friendly, the sun was less so. The first time I stepped out of the car, the heat was almost unbearable. Not because it was just hot, but because it felt like it had a sting that punctured right through my flesh.

The finer side of town was, like most Indonesian towns, a little outside the centre. I noticed how the streets were much bigger compared to the ones in Denpasar. The government offices also looked better taken care of. The colours of the walls still looked good. And their candi bentar (gates) were bigger too, with more intricate carvings.

A left turn took us to the even posher side of town, where a lot of Dutch-style houses were lined up. Some of them looked really old and had been turned into offices. The others, meanwhile, are still standing tall looking beautiful.

Our first stop in Singaraja was not far from this area. The Buleleng Museum (Jl. Veteran Singaraja) failed to give me any significant information about this coastal town. We indeed came across a lot of old lontar (palm leaf) manuscripts, but there wasn’t much explanation as to how significant they were to the history of Bali.

Apart from feeling excited about being able to buy copies of old books about Bali, I found out that the shadow puppet figures from this part of the island look more gothic compared to their Javanese counterparts. They have a more monstrous look. The Hanoman figure, for example, looks like he has really bad skin and sharp fangs.

The centre of the city – or what I thought was it because it has more shops and looks busier – is located near the old harbour. Right behind this harbour is a line of streets that reminds me of Macau. Ageing two-storey houses that resemble old warehouses decorate the small street in the middle. We came across a mosque and a few Moslem wear shops. This must have been the Moslem area of the city.

Not far away, through the gate to the old harbour, is a Chinese temple.

Because the harbour was dominated by grey, pastel and black, the red paint of the temple makes it stand out. However, the highlight of this abandoned harbour to me was the patina left on the ruins of what used to be the harbour’s warehouses. The walls are scarred, the locks broken and the roofs destroyed. If it weren’t for the heat, I would probably have spent hours staring at those walls, risking being taken away as a nutter by the police, but we had other missions to accomplish.

One of which was to check out a hot spring. The way there, we passed Lovina Beach along a road that presented you with the sea on one side and the mountains on the other.

As soon as we entered Banjar, the vegetation changed. Rows of grapevines replaced paddy fields and the smaller the road, the slimmer and taller the plants became. Bamboos, banana and coconut trees were almost everywhere too.

A hot spring usually means a lot of steps to tackle. And I recently had a motorbike accident, which temporarily lessened the mobility of my left leg. Hesitating to even get out of the car, from a distance, I saw a very old woman in a wheel chair emerging from the direction of the hot spring. She was pushed by another old woman and was in a group of similarly aged people. The thought of seeing their faces haunting – and mocking - me for the rest of my life gave me extra strength to soldier on. I couldn’t care less if I lost my left leg in the process as long as I didn’t embarrass myself in front of them. On top of that, seeing the wheel chair, I knew the steps wouldn’t be too difficult to tackle.

Indeed, without much pain I managed to reach the hot spring. It was not just full of local tourists, there were some foreign looking faces bathing too. Our driver told me that one of the springs is believed to have a healing powers. So he suggested that maybe I could give it a try. The thought sounded good for a moment, but after looking at the colour of the water, I didn’t have the courage for an infection.

Leaving Banjar, the sky slowly became more and more cloudy. Before, our left side view was green and yellow, grown against a blue background. But within minutes, it morphed into green, yellow and brown on a dark purple background before it became black and the rain inevitably poured down on us.

When we reached the even quieter side of North Bali, Pemuteran, the rain had subdued. One wrong left turn brought us to an unknown beach. It was a little scary as the small road went on and on, past a swamp that looked like it had giant crocodiles living there, before it ended on a small and secluded beach. I saw motorbikes parked there but the owners were nowhere to be seen. Realising the lack of lights around and the fact that the sun was almost gone, we decided not to risk getting even more lost and headed directly for the hotel. •

where to stay

Matahari Beach Resort & Spa
Jl. Raya Seririt, Gilimanuk
Pemuteran, Buleleng
North Bali
T: 0362 92 312 / 93 435
www.matahari-beach-resort.com

Located in a very secluded and quiet part of Singaraja, this 32-room, five-star hotel operates with serenity and peace as their priority. The rooms are adorned with intricate Balinese carvings and are also very spacious. The winner of Relais & Chateaux Environment Trophy 2007, this hotel has a beachside restaurant that offers a good fine dining experience.