SEARCH
UNRAVEL UBUD
- Don a traditional Balinese sarong and understand the intricacies of a Balinese prayer ceremony, learning the behind the different colours of each offering before being cleansed in the holy water yourself. This ceremony format is said to have been scripted by Dang Hyang Nirartha and has remained relatively unchanged.
- Soak up Ubud’s unique spirituality on a guided walking tour, strolling among artisanal craftsmanship that spills out onto the streets and treading through the rice paddies on its fringes.
SEEK OUT BALI’S NORTHERN SOUL
- Visit the Melanting Temple in Lovina, eastern Bali, a gothic masterpiece which is not only one of the island’s most revered temples but also where Nirartha’s wife and daughter are immortalised.
- Explore Bali’s agricultural side by wandering a coffee plantation, trying out its selection of locally blended drinks, including the ‘Mocha Bali’.
FROM TEMPLE TO TEMPLE
- Spend time at Tanah Lot, a coastal temple that’s not only one of the island’s most scenic but is the handiwork of Dang Hyang Nirartha after the priest shifted a large rock out to sea via meditation – even today, locals believe it’s guarded by sea serpents.
- See one of Bali’s most iconic sites, the watery Ulun Danu Bratan temple that’s built on a series of islands.
- Stroll around the bathing pools, ponds, fountains and tropical gardens of Tirta Gangga Water Palace, a former pleasure retreat for Indonesian royals.
- Explore Uluwatu Temple, which now resides on the site where it’s said Dang Hyang Nirartha finally achieved moksha (being freed from all karma). A statue in his honour is also here.
The Samaya Ubud, Ubud
Right beside the peaceful Ayung River, The Samaya Ubud is a secluded pulse-slowing retreat where you can truly embrace the Ubud lifestyle. A typical day consists of yoga at sunset, getting stuck into a Balinese cooking class, joining guides on hikes in the surrounding lush countryside and enjoying a leisurely pedal around Ubud’s prayer flag-strewn streets and the rolling rice fields. Each villa also comes with its own private pool for you to slip into for a literal soak in Ubud’s unique mysticism.
The Lovina Bali Resort, Lovina
Hemmed in between the Bedugul mountains and the Bali Sea, The Lovina Bali is tucked away from the island’s main tourist track. You won’t see a more natural side to Bali than this, with a soot-black beach a dramatic reminder of the island’s volcanic origins. Lovina is charmingly low-key, so relax by one of the resort’s two pools (one looking towards the mountains, the other angled towards the Bali Sea) or hop on one of its complimentary bicycles for a pedal through its coastal villages.
Meliá Bali, Nusa Dua
Nestled within twenty four acres of palm-speckled exotic gardens on the sandy coast of Nusa Dua, Meliá Bali is an idyllic sanctuary that moves at its own languid pace. The classic mix of teakwood and Balinese design, coupled with the villas tucked in between clusters of palms, gives the air of a traditional Balinese village rather than a luxury resort. The palm-flanked pool is a tranquil place to cool off under the hot Balinese sun, while life here moves no quicker than the gentle sway of a palm frond.
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