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.

And it wasn’t just the chapel. From the moment I set foot into my more-than-luxurious suite at the St Regis, a luxury brand of the Starwood Spa Collection, I knew there was something about it that I couldn’t just put my finger on. In retrospect, it was a sense of permanence that you don’t expect in a resort but nevertheless conveyed by the sight of the warm wooden desk that you could have come across in your grandfather’s study or the wide-backed easy chair on whose arm you could balance a teacup as you read the morning paper.

And yet at the same time, there was the inevitable lightness of being that I felt, enhanced by the use of white in the interiors and the high ceilings. It didn’t matter that clouds and rain greeted us on our first afternoon in the land of the sun and sand. There was always the option of getting pampered at the signature Remede Spa. My muscles, which were practically crying out to be stretched after being cramped in the aircraft seats, began relaxing as I stepped into the hot Aqua Vitale pool. As I nestled myself into the nooks and crannies built into the pool for about five minutes each, the hot jets of water bursting out of the walls of the pool began to work their magic all the way from my ankles, up my back and finally spraying from above onto my head and shoulders. Twilight gave way to darkness and at another part of the resort, the Balinese ritual fire dance and drumming began marking the transition from day to night.

I choose to don a robe and head for my 90-minute customized Remede massage. After a quick foot wash, I stretched myself face down surrendering myself to the trained hands to the therapist who started with applying paraffin to my feet and lower back. The actual massage with balm and rosemary oil, included techniques ranging from the Swedish massage to the deep tissue technique using the forearms, was so relaxing that I found myself dozing, under the effect of the warm lighting and the little butterflies fluttering around the moon on the ceiling.

A chilled strawberry drink greeted me as I came out of the shower and feeling as comfortable with myself as I could get, I headed for dinner at the beachfront fine-dining restaurant Kayuputih, only to be delighted again by the extraordinary combination of fruit flavors and caramelized vermicelli served as dessert. Slumber came easily after that meal and I woke up to see Bali in its true colors, the tropical vibrant greens and reds and oranges against the icy blue water of the lagoon that runs all the way up to the beach.

After a buffet breakfast, the variety of which I can’t begin to describe but the highpoint of which was a lovely flaky duck quiche, I chose to avoid the buggy and take a walk interrupted by regular breaks at the gazebos located strategically across the resort, staring spell-bound at practically everything, the tropical foliage, the sands, the sea. Suffice it to say, that I came back with more pictures of the place, than of myself.

Article written by Lisa Mary Thomson
Published on The Economic Times – economictimes.indiatimes.com

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.

Has it usurped anywhere in the perennial hotspot of Seminyak, Bali’s paragon of cool? No one would daresay. But tongues wag, the frisson is palpable and everyone agrees the Rock Bar, boasting crystallised rock formations, is pure eye candy.

The open-top bar, which sits 14m above the ocean on a rocky rim below the resort’s cliffs, has several levels from which to savour 360-degree views of the Indian Ocean and Bali’s southwest coast. I am doing just that when the peal of a saxophone resonates from the limestone cliffs at sunset. The rendition of Somewhere Over the Rainbow by Bali-based jazz player Chika Asamoto performing from somewhere on the cliffs sounds quite heavenly.

Music will be a constant feature at Rock Bar but, as the DJ booth nestled high among the rocks attests, it will be targeted at a fairly young crowd. Integrating natural elements, the bar was created by renowned Japanese interior designer Yasuhiro Koichi, whose works include restaurants Nobu Tokyo and Nobu Hong Kong. “The magic of the Rock Bar is to feel the sea close to you and enjoy the coastal scenery and the surf,” Koichisays.

On opening night, guests soak up the visuals from various vantage points and positions, including sofas on which it’s almost mandatory to recline, and a natural cave overlooking Ayana’s Kisik Beach. At low tide you can see 100m coral reefs. Joel Antunes, the resort’s visiting two-Michelin-star French chef, settles into people-watching from his perch near the main entrance.

And why wouldn’t he be comfortably at home here? His exquisite horsd’ouevres are making the rounds — though “perhaps not quite enough” is the whispered word — and his six-course degustation menu with paired wines at Ayana’s seminal restaurant, Davo, is being discussed reverently.

Sitting at the sunken bar, undulating waves a stone’s throw away, lends the impression you are floating in a boat, rendering you slightly dizzy, especially after imbibing a Blue Sensation, a cocktail concoction of vodka, Pepsi Blue, blue Curacao and ginger ale.

Routine drinks fare includes classic cocktails, such as strawberry or lychee bellinis, and about a half-dozen specialties served in fresh tropical fruit, which could hijack intentions of a good dinner. A Kecak Coco, for example, consists of white rum, coconut rum, pineapple juice, coconut milk and cream, presented in a whole fresh yellow coconut.

If the idea is to settle in for the night, the small kitchen concealed beneath a nearby rock formation offers tapas-style finger food, well sampled at the debut. Melt-in-the-mouth delicacies such as ceviche (raw marinated fish with avocado and tomato in delicate spices), mini spring rolls with rock lobster glazed in tamarind, and bite-sized desserts, such as chocolate mousse cigar and port-marinated berries, can be devoured for less than R80,000 ($9.50) a serve.

That’s not to preclude the piece de resistance, Degustation a la Joel, which was served over five nights, culminating in the Rock Bar opening. A taste of things to come, the fusion of Western and Asian-style cuisine will be emulated to a degree by Antunes’s protege, American chef William Gumport, who says: “Joel kick-started the menu but it’s very much the style in which I will be cooking (at Ayana).”

Gumport has worked at some of the US’s most famous restaurants, including Joel Robuchon at MGM Grand (Las Vegas), Bellagio (Las Vegas), and the eponymously named Joel Restaurant (Atlanta) where he worked with Antunes.

The Rock Bar will no doubt cement Ayana’s already solid reputation. The resort recently nabbed 13th place in Travel+Leisure magazine’s list of the top 15 resorts in Asia, the only Bali property to win a coveted spot. Still tourist heaven despite the recent Jakarta bomb attacks, Bali also scored Travel+Leisure’s Best Island in the World award this year, ahead of the Galapagos, Cape Breton Island (Nova Scotia, Canada), Kauai (Hawaii) and Mount Desert Island (Maine, US) in the top five.

Article by: The Australian – http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/

On the face of it, flying all the way to this tiny Indonesian island for a stress management course sounds absurd. I can – sometimes even do – practice yoga and meditation just as easily at home. And yet if there is a nation that knows a thing or two about equilibrium, it’s Bali. The Balinese philosophy is based on tri hita karana, which essentially means maintaining balance and harmony between the gods, the environment and the community. Only with this balance, the Balinese believe, can you achieve happiness and peace. Add a long history of healing, an abundance of plants with curative properties and a therapeutic massage technique, and the question becomes, why wouldn’t I go to Bali?

So here I am at the COMO Shambhala Estate, pulling yoga clothes out of my suitcase and hoping they won’t make me give up coffee. Formerly a small resort called Begawan Giri, the Estate was bought and developed by COMO Hotels and Resorts in 2005. COMO’s other luxury properties – including Parrot Cay in the Turks & Caicos and Cocoa Island in the Maldives – all have spas, but this is the first resort to be wholly dedicated to wellness, employing a team of yoga, Pilates and t’ai chi teachers as well as nutritionists, bodywork and Ayurvedic specialists. Cuisine, as you would expect, is delicious but healthy, made from predominantly organic ingredients, sourced locally where possible. And yes, they do serve alcohol. Hair shirts are not required in either of the estate’s restaurants.

After a breakfast of exotic fruit and homemade muesli, I set off to explore. The sun is not yet hot and the air smells green and damp. Fat, pink claws of heliconia are draped over the high wall on one side of the path; coconut palms rustle above. I avoid crushing the delicate box filled with petals and bread at my feet (an offering to maintain balance between the physical and spiritual world), and follow the path to a small shrine. Dozens more of the tiny boxes are scattered over the stone steps; above the mossy walls jut white and gold temple umbrellas, bright against a cloudless sky. I’m not sure which path leads to reception but I appear to be in paradise.

It is hard to imagine anywhere better suited to a “wellness” (for that is the term we must now use to describe health of the mind, body and spirit) than this. Half an hour’s drive from Ubud, the estate tumbles down one side of a gorge, through tangled forests of frangipani, mahogany and teak, to the banks of the Ayung river. Just above the river, three “sacred” springs converge in a waterfall, while on the opposite side of the ravine, above the trees, terraces of rice fields glitter against a mountainous backdrop.

To this natural bounty, COMO has added some health-giving properties of its own, including a spa, a light and airy space offering 20 Asian and Western holistic treatments; a yoga pavilion, a gym, four outdoor treatment pavilions and a Pilates studio. COMO also gave everything evocative Sanskrit names: the spa is Ojas (Sanskrit for “essence of life”); my retreat villa – one of five – is Vasudhara (Mother Earth), while one of the five “residences” (four or five suites with shared public areas arranged around a swimming pool), is called Wanakasa (Forest in the Mist). However, the restaurants are called Kudus House and Glow – perhaps the naming committee rather dropped the ball there.

There are plenty of secluded spots throughout the estate in which to contemplate your navel, mumble your mantras or reread your copy of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-seller, Eat, Pray, Love, but I don’t have a great deal of free time.

My course is designed to help you make positive lifestyle changes to combat the pressures of modern life. Programs are not prescriptive and begin with a consultation with a doctor and a psychologist who will adapt the program of eight 60-minute spa treatment massages and three one-to-one yoga lessons, plus group classes in t’ai chi, Pilates and aqua therapy, outdoor activities and well being lectures, as appropriate.

My fellow guests – many of whom are here alone – are not all taking the same route to health and well being: some are on a Get Fit program, others on a Rejuvenation, Ayurvedic or Cleansing course (which includes colon hydrotherapy), though you don’t have to do a formal program: you can just book treatments as you go along. We have all been assigned a personal assistant, a sort of butler who also knows your schedule inside out and will ensure you get to your appointments or classes on time.

First up for me is a consultation with Dr Deepak Deginal, who is an Ayurvedic doctor as well as an osteopath and a yoga instructor. He explains the physical toll stress takes on the body and on the subtle body (an Ayurvedic concept). He tells me he will adjust my diet for the duration of my stay to balance my doshas (another Ayurvedic concept) and speed up the healing process. He doesn’t proscribe coffee but he says I must always balance it – that word again – with a small amount of dairy.

Then he drops his bombshell: did I know that I have a pronounced tilt? He tells me to stand up. My right shoulder is much lower than the left and my hips are nowhere near level. I have very poor mobility in my thoracic spine. I feel vaguely insulted but cheer up when he says my stiff spine is the reason I have constant lower back pain, neck and shoulder ache (and, though I can stand on my head, I can never balance on one leg), and that he can help me. He adjusts my program to include two sessions of osteopathy. The psychologist, by contrast, gives me a pretty clean bill of emotional health. Oh, the irony of coming all this way in search of life balance, only to learn that the balance I lack is physical.

But then, as I discover, Bali isn’t quite so perfectly balanced either. There is crime and corruption here as anywhere else and tri hita karana obviously doesn’t preclude chucking litter out of car windows. Despite the boom in the tourist industry over the past 20 years, the average worker still earns less than £100 a month and a young woman tells how she would never be able to travel. “We watch American movies and think that everything is so easy in the West,” she says. “You can work hard for a year, then go away on holiday. We could work hard for four years and still not have enough money to go anywhere.” The sexes aren’t equally balanced either and women must marry quickly because a Balinese man won’t look at a woman over 25. No wonder there are so many beauty clinics in Bali offering Botox.

Despite this, my lovely personal assistant, Ningsih, smiles her beatific smile and says that no, her friends and family don’t suffer from work-related stress. Road rage, maybe? She doesn’t know the term but shakes her head when I explain. Most Balinese don’t even harbor anger about the terrorist bombings of 2002 and 2005, viewing them as the inevitable bad karma that followed so many years of good karma. Ningsih does admit it can get pretty stressful keeping track of all the rituals and ceremonies that take place in her family temple (every household has its own temple) and the village temple, not to mention all the others scattered across the island: in caves, in rice fields, up mountains and on water. Whoever originally awarded Bali the epithet “Island of the Thousand Temples” clearly couldn’t count: there must be hundreds of thousands of them, each one more stunning, more beautifully elaborate, than the last.

As it seems that I’m not suffering much from emotional stress, my program is refocused to concentrate on my physical well being. Dr Deepak’s osteopathy sessions bring great benefits but my other treatments – the massages, yoga, Pilates, t’ai chi, even the food I eat – all contribute. In what little free time I have, I swim, take long walks through the estate, drink copious amounts of ginger tea and do the exercises Dr Deepak has prescribed. Curiously, concentrating so hard on my back has the effect of freeing my mind anyway.

My five days of bliss pass in a blur of self-absorption and contentment. I chat to other guests who, like me, only change out of their exercise clothes for dinner, but mostly I keep to myself and go to bed early. All too soon it’s time to return to the real world. Some visitors find enlightenment in Bali. Not me. But I’ve found something much more useful: my balance.

Shambhala is a Sanskrit term, meaning “sacred place of bliss”. COMO Shambhala Estate is that and much more.

Written by: Maggie O’Sullivan
Published on: telegraph.co.uk

According to Mr Racette, Bali’s strength as a desirable destination was its diversity. With so much to do and see Bali continues to attract both new and repeat visitors alike. “Bali defies simple descriptions. Travelers who make the trip are bound to find Bali irresistible. The island’s soaring seaside cliffs, green rice-terraced valleys and mystical temples hidden in traditional villages always mesmerise.

“It also remains an excellent value-for-money holiday destination. There are great hotel deals to be found on HotelTravel.com starting at only 23 US dollars, plus scores of good family holiday resorts available for under 100 US dollars a night,” he added.

HotelTravel.com’s Top Ten Reasons to Visit Bali include some of the best internet hotel deals available:

Asia’s Economy Airline Revolution
Bali is one destination that has benefited from Asia’s budget airline revolution. While direct flights from several key aviation hubs remain few and deals often tough to come by, Air Asia offers non-stop flights with great fares for on-line bookings. From its Kuala Lumpur hub to Denpasar fares start at RM300 (US$105) return, from Bangkok its 8,615 baht (US$250) and from Singapore S$306 (US$211). In Australia, Jetstar is also offering outstanding value with its Jet Saver fares from Sydney starting from A$559 (US$411) return.*

Like a Rolling Stone
When the Rolling Stone’s legendary singer Mick Jagger tied the knot with American Supermodel Jerry Hall – Bali became the world’s top wedding destination. Today Bali’s wedding industry is much more sophisticated, and romantic hotels in Ubud worthy of consideration include Bali Sprit House & Spa (from US$77), Bagus Jati (from US$157) or the luxury Ubud villas at Hanging Gardens (from US$388). For hotels in Nusa Dua, HotelTravel.com has an exclusive rate at Grand Bali starting at US$66 from now until 14 July.

Learn to count in $$Millions
There’s nothing like the thrill when of being a millionaire in any currency. In Bali, with an exchange rate of around 10,000 Indonesian rupiah for one US dollar, travelers only need to change one hundred dollars to join this exclusive club! But don’t get too excited, local traders often quote in US dollars for many unique Balinese handicrafts visitors love to take home.

Pay like a Pauper, Live like a Prince
Many people think only the rich and famous visit Bali to stay in exclusive million-dollar pool villas. Check out the HotelTravel.com website and to discover excellent value at hotels in Ubud including Adi Cottage Hotel (from US$26) or Puri Asri Villa and Spa (from US$28). Hotels in Kuta-Legian offer the real rock bottom rates on the island, especially Sinar Bali Hotel (from US$23), Matahari Bungalows (from US$34) and Melasti Beach Bungalows (from US$36).

Swing like Tarzan
Yes, in Bali anyone can swing from trees like Tarzan for a day. At Flying Fox, customers are propelled through the jungle for up to 160 metres at a time attached to wires strung between high points in the forest. There are five different routes to choose from at the Bali Treetop in the Bedugul Botanical Gardens.

A Day Bali Stands Still
Most people are too busy to wondered what it would be like to stop rushing around for one day. But nothing moves on Bali’s Nyepi Day, the Balinese New Year. For 24 hours, there is no loud talking, music, noisy motorbikes, cars or even turning on electrical appliances. There are no taxis, the international airport closes down and tourists are told to stay indoors. Mark your calendar: the next Nyepi Day is 16 March 2010.

Enjoy a cuppa of strange brew
Garden Cafe in Sanur sells the world’s rarest coffee, ‘Kopi Luwak’, and it’s best to drink the coffee before finding out how this delicacy is created. The truth, believe it or not, is that the coffee beans all pass through the digestive system of the Asian Palm civet, a tree climbing cat. On Bali it costs US$55 for a small pack, well worth the shock value alone.

Chill Out at Ku De Ta
There’s nothing quite like Ku De Ta anywhere else in the world. Perched on the edge of the sea along popular Seminyak beach, this beach club is a magnet for the rich, famous and their entourages. There are heaps of popular hotels in Seminyak, including Villa Coco Bali (from US$104), Villa Seminyak Estate & Spa Hotel (from US$155) and the Oberoi Bali (from US$311).

Surf the ‘Endless Summer’
Bali has been surf Mecca since the 1960s, and aspiring surfers can sign up at one of many surfing schools on the island. Within a few days student surfers are often ‘ripping curl’ and ‘hanging ten’ like a professional. A five-day package starts from around US$120, and there are plenty of boards for hire

Check in, Spa out
Everyone has heard about the legendary health spas in Bali, where staff have perfected the art of pampering and relaxation. Whether covered in mud, bathed in local herbs or massaged with tropical oils, the spas are bound to provide guests with a fresh new outlook on life.

*All airfares are from 29 May 2009 using exchange rates of the day. and are subject to confirmation from individual airlines.
**All hotel rates are as of 29 May, 2009, priced in US dollars and subject to change.

Written by Gareth Lewis of HotelTravel.com
Published on PRWeb.com

Dharmayana Kongco is a Buddhist temple widely used by the Chinese descendents of the Dharma Semadhi community. It became an after-school lesson site two years ago when teachers from SDN 1 state elementary school wanted to find a place where they could gather their students for after-school teaching. “We used to give lessons at our boarding house, but, for so many students, it was too small and too crowded,” said Desak Nur, one of the teachers giving the lessons.

“But neither could we hold lessons at school because the building was used for students who came in for day-time schooling.” That was when Adhi Dharmaja, one of the students’ parents and a keeper of the temple, offered the hall of the temple as a makeshift classroom. Desak and the other teachers took up the offer and moved their teaching materials into the hall.

The temple-keepers charge no fee for the use of the hall, though the teachers insisted on donating some money to the temple from the Rp 50,000 (US$ 4.5) each student paid per month. “It is just to help them clean up the mess after the lessons,” Desak said. The temple provides tables and a chalkboard for the teachers. The space now available is also a change for the better. “It feels safer here, and quieter too, because it is far from the main roads. And they have all the facilities they need,” said Kadek Berimo, another teacher from SDN 1.

The after-school lessons are given to students from the first grade to the third grade, reviewing all the subjects that are taught earlier in school, from math to Indonesian. The teachers switch out the grades every few hours, having first-graders until 12 p.m., when second-graders take over and study until the next designated time.

On that day, the third-graders wait patiently for the second-graders to finish their lesson, before quietly entering the hall. “This teaches them patience and fortitude,” Berimo said. He said the temple also provided the students with a sense of religious tolerance, citing the harmonious relationship between the children’s Hindu affiliation and their Buddhist temple classroom. “We are also learning about interethnic solidarity because we are helping each other regardless of our backgrounds,” Berimo said.

Written by Anton Muhajir
Published on The Jakarta Post

It is definitely a daring move, as Bali is not fully recovered from its economic slump after recent attacks aimed at foreign tourists. But Bvlgari’s chief executive believes Bali is resilient. “I believe that the bombings will hurt only for a short time, but eventually the tourism will go up again,” Francesco Trapani says, “because Bali has the history, beauty and kindness of the people.”

Following the 2002 bombing which killed more than 200 mostly Australian tourists, the 2005 suicide bombings at Kuta and Jimbaran killed 20 innocent people, including four Australians, and had a heavy impact on tourism. The number of foreign tourists arriving in Bali has dropped more than 26 per cent since last year, and for Australian tourists the decline is even worse, at 57 per cent.

But the Balinese believe the opening of exclusive hotels like Bvlgari will help restore international confidence. “Looking at Bvlgari, which has set a high standard of service and price, and they think it can be reached, I think it will bring the tourism market to a higher segmentation,” Bali tourism board executive director Wiwin Suyasa said. “It proves that Bali can achieve that target level, and adds to our pride and confidence as a main tourist destination,” Suyasa said.

It will also help reduce unemployment. “This new hotel will help absorb unemployment caused by many hotels’ lay-offs after the 2005 bombings,” Badung district vice-regent Ketut Sudikerta said.

The building of luxurious hotels in Bali also shows there is a change of market sentiment from group travel to individual travel. While group travelers choose to stay in big, international-chain hotels, the growing numbers of individual travelers prefer to try unique and private ways to enjoy their leisure.

Japanese sentiment plays a big part in shaping the tourism market in Bali, because more visitors come from Japan than from any other country. Japan is also the target market for the Bvlgari hotel.”Asia for us is a strong market. Bvlgari have a big business in Japan, and we know that Bali is a Japanese destination point,” Trapani said.

Bvlgari’s rates start at $1,300 per night and go up to $14,000. The local government supports the idea, promising total secrecy and privacy for VIP guests. “We have celebrities and important figures holidaying in Bali and so far we believe we always keep the secrecy of their presence in our area, we assure that,” vice-regent Sudikerta said. But he still will not tolerate drugs. “Drugs is an exception,” he said. “Indonesia is very tough on drugs, and has recently sentenced six young Australians to death for heroin trafficking.”

News by The Age – theage.com.au

Built entirely of tropical wood, including old ironwood electricity poles bought in a government auction, this is the dream house of John Hardy, 58, a Canadian, and his American wife, Cynthia. Each arrived in Bali more than 20 years ago and they separately set up small jewelry businesses. Then, after meeting here, they joined forces to develop John Hardy, a silver jewelry company. Its initial designs were based on four traditional Balinese jewelry-making techniques.

The couple sold their share in the business last year and now are concentrating on a new ecologically friendly school that they have built entirely of bamboo. The international school, which opened its doors in September, serves about 100 students from preschool through Grade 8.

When it came to their house, “we talked to the architect, Cheong Yew Kuan, about a fantasy,” Mrs. Hardy said. “John’s brief was as few walls as possible, floor-to-ceiling windows upstairs and no door downstairs to maximize the outdoor living experience and the fabulous view,” she said. “We wanted the house to be as open and as transparent as possible, so you could see the rice fields from wherever you stood inside.”

The couple fell in love with the site when they first spotted it in 1992 on a cycling trip around Ubud. At the time, they were living in a small house with no electricity or hot water that stood on the very edge of the Ayung River gorge, below a luxury resort, Amandari. “That day there was corn in the field and the view was incredible. We had had the same view below the Amandari but not that open,” she recalled. “Here, there was a real expanse of rice fields and the river below. There was a feeling of peace, serenity, seclusion.”

The first small parcel of land was bought for $20,000 with a loan from Mrs. Hardy’s father. (Property prices in Bali are quoted in American dollars.) Since then, the couple has bought 10 more pieces of land to make up the 2.5-acre site they now have. “Actually, the land is mainly contracted because foreigners cannot buy land outright in Indonesia,” Mrs. Hardy explained. “So you get a contract for 20 years, with a possibility to extend for another 20 years or buy through a Balinese proxy.”

The construction of the main house, which cost around $1 million, was a slow process that took about two years, ending in 1997. “We first built a scale model in bamboo, just to get an idea of what it would be like to live in that house,” Mrs. Hardy said. “We put up a little tent and moved it around to see where we wanted the bedroom. That’s when we decided we wanted to sleep in the north.”

The 18-meter-high (59-foot-high) structure stands on stilts and is one-room deep. The open ground floor space underneath the house is punctuated by ponds and water features . The décor is dominated by Javanese antiques and artifacts that the couple collected over the years, linked by a saffron and burgundy color scheme. At far end of the house, a dining room, mainly used for breakfast, overlooks a deep pool and an old stone tub from Java. “I can’t say we’re using it very often, maybe once every six months,” Mrs. Hardy said.

Upstairs is an 8-meter-by-7.6-meter (26 foot by 25 foot) living room, where a flat screen television is concealed behind a hanging carpet. There is a his-and-hers office, a master bedroom with a small walk-in closet and a bathroom with a custom-made rainforest shower with copper walls designed by Mr. Hardy. The rooms are open to the elements, so every night the Hardys’ staff hoist “sails,” or screens made of varnished canvas, to protect the furnishings and decorations from the rain.

The couple’s two young daughters, Carina, 12, and Chiara, 8, live in a separate five-story, parent-free pagoda with a thatched roof. Also designed by Mr. Cheong and built at a cost of $25,000, it is accessed either by a submerged stone path from the living room or through the garden. Mr. Hardy’s two older children from a previous marriage, Orin and Elora, have separate small Javanese houses that were restored and placed on the property for their visits. Elora is a graphic designer for Donna Karan in New York; Orin attends Evergreen State College, in Olympia, Wash.

Mrs. Hardy admits the house, which employs more than 15 staff members, requires “huge upkeep” as nature constantly tries to regain some ground: “We get lots of cobwebs, dust and leaves flying around. Ferns grow out of the wood on the second floor. We even have bee holes in some of the teakwood.”

The latest addition was a 12.7-meter-by-10.5-meter (46 foot by 34.5 foot) open family kitchen with an underground dry-storage space, as well as toilets with walls that have been reinforced with bamboo and plaster. At the far end, overlooking the paddies, stands a huge kitchen table created from a long teak log split in two.

The couple says it is fast becoming the heart of the house, where the family spends every evening together eating the food they have grown in the vegetable garden, the rice paddy and the new shrimp house down by the riverside. “There is no downside to anything; this house is incredible and it gets better every day, it really does,” Mrs. Hardy said. “Every day I’m here, I like it more.”

Article by The New York Times

The air fills the sounds of romantic music as the bride with her father walks down the walkway over the black infinity pool. The majestic sight of the Infinity chapel is quite unique is located on a beautifully manicured 12,000 sq foot beachfront reserve in Nusa Dua. With a height of 33 feet and occupying in all about 1,200 sq ft, the space has been designed with a contemporary feel and huge ocean facing glass frontage. The off-set triangle shape represents a romantic angle towards the heavens, while its physical attributes of marble glass and steel are each metaphors for the male and female bodies and their interaction with each other as a couple. Australian General Manager Michael Burchett says: “the north side of the triangle embodies the delicate and nurturing characteristics of the bride as she supports the impressive marble south side, the stoic groom”. The 65 foot floating walkway to the chapel is set on 3,230 sq feet of infinity pool. On the water sits islands formed of wreaths of flowers that the couple walks past. About 60 guests have already filled the chapel and the groom awaits his bride.

The concept was created and designed by Indonesian Anthony Liu of TonTon, who without doubt has created one of the most beautiful wedding venues in the Asia Pacific region. The resort can do up to 350 ceremonies per year – so book it quickly. I also loved the new Conrad Suites and wellness center, which opens officially October 1st, 2008. 55 stunning one-bedroom suites – each 1,100 sq feet – are beautifully decorated with touches of the Orient.

There are enormous bathrooms and walk-in closets. Each suite is served by a 24-hour personal assistant (yes, we know many hate the traditional ‘butler’ concept). These guys and girls ensure every desire is attended to. You are even sent a questionnaire in advance to determine if, say, you want Arabic or Brazilian coffee.

Two of the suites have private lap pools in the garden. The other 53 suites have large 100 sq ft balconies with day beds. I like the extra temptation, too, of the fact that the resort offers spa pavilions with private pools sets in tropical gardens.

The wellness center makes the Jiwa Spa a complete destination, says Burchett – programs have been designed in partnership with Guerlain.

Marry, get fit and have a great vacation. Doesn’t this sound like a good proposition?

Article by John Nielsen
Featured on The Kiwi Collection – kiwicollection.com

Yet in the midst of this village lives a man who has dedicated his life to a higher vision for the people of Ubud. He has found a way to educate the females and give some self-sufficiency to those who would otherwise be unable to help themselves. And his help all centers on the building of a kite. I Made Budiasa, or simply Made as he is known, manufactures and sells kites that have been handcrafted by those he helps. He has created a school for girls at his home, and to help keep the school running, the girls paint the kites after their studies.

“In Bali, women aren’t educated. They don’t normally go to school,” said Bill Rost of Curtice. He and his wife, Wati, help support Made’s work by selling the kites here in the states. “Made supplies the books and teachers for the mornings. In the afternoons, they paint kites for him,” he said. Orphans and the handicapped are also given the chance to support themselves by doing the same work at one of his shops elsewhere in the village. Rost said that Made tells them, “Your legs don’t work, but you can sit up here at the table and paint.”

“He’s one of the nicest persons I’ve ever met,” said Rost, explaining that between the schoolchildren and the people working in the shops, Made is helping about 500 people. “He basically takes care of everybody.” The kites are handmade, and all but the paint and nylon are recycled. “The houses over there are made of bamboo,” said Rost. “They use the leftover bamboo to make the frames. And they search for flip-flops on the beach and recycle the rubber.”

The kites are made by a simple process in a simple setting. The workers just sit on the floor and paint. “Some of them paint the body; some of them paint the wings,” said Wati. But while the work itself may be unextraordinary, the end result is not. What these children and adults are creating are beautiful works of art. “Seventy-five percent (of the kites we sell) don’t get flown,” said Rost. “They just like them for art.”

But that doesn’t mean they can’t be flown. They are not only lovely, but functional as well. “The peacock is easiest to fly and the most popular because of the colors,” he said. “I’ve taken them to a lot of parties and got it up in the air and held it down with a rock. They’ll stay up for hours.”

Rost and Wati have traveled to Wati’s native Indonesia several times and seen first hand the work Made is doing. They have chosen to support his work by selling the kites here in America. They sell at festivals, and a few stores, and are looking for more retailers interested in handling the kites.

The Rosts are keeping the costs of the kites down in the hopes that they will generate more money for Made’s work. The kites sell for $12 (x-small), $15 (small), $20 (medium), $25 (large) and $50 (x-large). This summer they sold their kites at the Maumee Bay Kite Festival on July 19-20, and the Dragonboat Festival in Downtown Toledo on July 26. Kites can also be purchased directly through the Rosts. Anyone interested in purchasing or retailing the kites can contact the Rosts at (419) 836-8800.

Article by Port Clinton News Herald – portclintonnewsherald.com

The original Nammos Beach Club was damaged by fire in April and following extensive consultations with international fire safety experts, re-imagined by the original designers, with numerous added features to enhance the visitor experience. The air of tropical languor at the new Nammos Beach Club is matched only by the service guests receive, whether sipping signature cocktails, partaking of the Mediterranean inspired menu or enjoying water sports in the lagoon.

The raised bamboo decking houses a dedicated kitchen, complete with traditional wood-fired pizza oven, and a bar stocked with top shelf liquors, champagne and not to forget, ice-cold beer. Guests can lounge on daybeds or perch on stools at the bar. New to Nammos are two manicured lawns set with sun lounges, on little bluffs above the sand.

And what would a beach club be without freshly caught fish and seafood? To this end, Nammos will be offering guests the ultimate in authentic just-caught flavor. Seafood selections like lobster, shrimp and other shellfish will be farmed in the lagoon – upon a guest making their selection the waiter will don flippers and mask and head out into the lagoon to collect lunch…unless the guest prefers to make a personal selection in which case they can go too.

Nammos Beach Club’s re-opening was marked by a Full Moon Party on 18 July featuring the mixology skills of famed cocktail aficionado Grant Collins, with beats by WHO. A choice series of sophisticated gatherings and parties is planned over the coming months featuring the finest cuisine, drinks and of course entertainment.

Perched upon a cliff top, 100 meters above Bali’s pristine southern beaches and rolling surf, Karma Kandara is blessed with an eye-boggling, unobstructed view of the Indian Ocean. All of the estate’s 46, stand-alone Villas are luxuriously appointed to maximize the breathtaking Indian Ocean view. Each has been meticulously planned to offer the absolute in privacy, and each features a private walled garden complete with an infinity edge swimming pool bordered by a timber sun deck. Each bedroom has its own en-suite bathroom, while the living rooms are open plan, comprising fully equipped kitchens, lounge and dining areas.

News by e-Travel Blackboard – etravelblackboard.com