Imagine saying “I Do”, looking at the face of the person you love, standing under a glittering chandelier, as the rippling water in the pool around the chapel ushers a quiet blessing over the ceremony and the lashing ocean waves serenade your union. This isn’t the effect of reading too many romantic novels; it’s the longing that standing outside the Cloud Nine Chapel at the St. Regis resort in Bali evokes. You simply want this Bali wedding to be yours. Continue reading »

I half expect James Bond to shimmy down the cliff face sporting his inimitable black-tie number. It would not even faintly surprise were I to hear a request for a martini; shaken not stirred, of course. Having almost shimmied down a 35m escarpment in an inclinator to the Bali version of a Monte Carlo bar scene, the shadow of Bond is all too intoxicating. The Rock Bar, the swish new venue at the exclusive Ayana Resort and Spa (formerly the Ritz-Carlton) overlooking Jimbaran Bay of Bali, opened on July 31 to a rapturous reception, confirming its place among the local smart set. Continue reading »