This month activity

One-day Sommelier Course
October 18

Following on the success of the first (April) and second (June) Three-day Wine Course by Four-time Wine Spectator Award recipient Sommelier Harold Wiesmann, The St. Regis Bali Resort will have a One-day Wine Course on the third Sunday of October. Immerse in a memorable day and delight in a premium six-course degustation dinner paired with excellent wines.The one day programme covers topics like expanding your mind on the difference in red, white, rose and sweet wines and Champagne. In addition, you can also learn all about wine etiquette from selecting and buying good wines based on value compared to price, cellaring, decantation, vinification and more.
Price per person is IDR 3.500.000 nett (for booze and food).

The St Regis Bali Resort, Kawasan Pariwisata Nusa Dua Lot S6 T: 0361 847 8111, www.stregisbali.com/bali

Surf Yoga Goddess Retreats
October 4-11, 17-24, 22-29

Awaken, embrace and celebrate the surf goddess in you! Surf Goddess Retreats is a surf, yoga and spa vacation created especially for women. Each of the surf retreats offer personalised surf lessons for women, revitalising daily yoga classes, decadent spa treatments, a Balinese cultural tour, private villa accommodation, organic meals and small group or individual instruction. This is a perfect activity for beginner surfers or solo women travellers.

PT Jiwa Dewi, Jl. Pengubengan Kauh
For further information check out: www.surfgoddessretreats.com

Flotsam and Jetsam
October 8 - November 2

The sculpture of Balinese artist, Ida Bagus Putu Gede Sutama, mirrors the reality of his home near Sanur Beach. For thousands of years the tides and currents of the Strait of Badung have washed ashore the flotsam and jetsam. As an artist Sutama seeks to transform the mundane into the mysterious with a sparkling smile and enigmatic wink and supplied the villagers with a livelihood tied to the sea and temples. The source of Sutama’s inspiration happens to be one of the most picturesque sights in Sanur, that of the colourful jukung – the triangular sailed outrigger dug-out canoes- that line the beach. Carved in the shape of mythological elephant fish, the same sea, reef and sand imagination that gave birth to these, is like humans, their lives are limited and with time they are lost and broken up and often end up as colourful driftwood on the beach.

Ganesha Gallery, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay, T: 0361 701 010
Exhibition opening: October 8 at 6.30pm - 8pm
Gallery opening hours: 9am - 6pm

Ubud Writers & Readers Festival
Suka Duka: Compassion and Solidarity
October 7-11

Prepare to be moved, entertained and enthralled. The Ubud Writers & Readers Festival is one of the largest and most prestigious literary events in Southeast Asia. This year, more than 80 authors from 25 countries, including 30 of the best established and emerging Indonesian writers, novelists, journalists, bloggers, playwrights, filmmakers, historians and poets converge on Ubud for four jam-packed days of ideas, anecdotes, wisdom and fun. Bask in the brilliance of acclaimed writers, including Nobel Laureate Wole Soyinka, Seno Gumira Ajidarma, Hari Kunzru, Fatima Bhutto, Lloyd Jones, Julia Leigh, Vikas Swarup and NH Dini. So join in and shift your perceptions, tickle your fancy and change your world. (For more information contact: info@ubudwritersfestival.com, www.ubudwritersfestival.com)

Fashion Tendance
October 3

The annual fashion show event organised by the Indonesian Fashion Designers Association (APPMI – Asosiasi Perancang dan Pengusaha Mode Indonesia-Bali) is on again. The fashion designers participating in this year’s event are: Ali Charisma, Agnes Caroline, Angeliqa Wu, Dewi Suarjani, Dwi Iskandar, Eny Ming, Monika Weber, Tude Togog, Oka Diputra and Putu Aliki. They will work in collaboration with a team from the Bali creative community that include interior designers, jewellery designers, architects, graphic designers, product designers and other artists to inspire the Indonesian Fashion Industry. (Balai Raya Ballroom, The Laguna Resort and Spa, Jl. Kawasan Pariwisata, T: 0361 771 327)

Ecstatic Dance and Sacred Song Retreat – with Ellen Watson & Daphne Tse
Mimpi Menjangan Hot Springs Eco-Resort
October 17-24

A retreat for lovers...of life...of song and singing...of dance and dancing! A retreat where you are able to learn how to open your heart and free your voice, connect with your authentic self through sacred song and ecstatic dance. You can soak in natural hot springs, practice restorative yoga and optional healing and massages or spa treatments. (www.movingventures.org, www.balispirit.com)