The Yak Awards is a grand orgy of self-congratulatory silliness (see acrobats at the party spelling out YAK in bodies, above), and if you understand that from the get-go, you’ll be a fan of the Yak Awards, just like we are. It’s a small-island phenomenon that’s basically a barrel of … Continue reading
They call August the silly season in Bali. Well, I’ll drink to that. I did drink to that come to think of it, starting at the end of July. I toasted silliness in general on July 25th at the birthday beach party for Ian Macaulay of Elite Havens and a … Continue reading
Last Saturday I presented a program on Indonesian arts and antiquities for a group of young CEOs in Ubud, at Gallery Macan Tidur. Based on these snapshots it looks like I gave an animated performance – – despite the fact I was on crutches, having only just been liberated from … Continue reading
Due to convoluted immigration and security procedures, passengers arriving at Bali’s airport are now forced to queue for up to four hours before they are finally released from its insalubrious underbelly. Ours is now surely the worst airport in the world in terms of user satisfaction. Only the Russian communists … Continue reading
Brazilian diva Bebel Gilberto gave a surprise concert last Friday at Hotel Tugu Bali. The lovely Lucienne Anhar, la princesa de Tugu is always full of surprises. She and her mischievous friends Valentina Audrito and Abhishake Kumbhat cooked up the idea of the concert just three days in advance. Bebel … Continue reading
Will there be one square inch of Bali left? Here’s a villa resort project designed by DPA Architects, Singapore for Jakarta developer PT Pancaran Kreasi Adiprima. This multistorey modern complex will soon drop from the sky onto 100 meters of beachfront, bringing 100 more guest rooms and seven chalets, plus … Continue reading
Here’s a project on the beach out near Yeh Gangga in Tabanan. Some interesting design development drawings by Yoka Sara, who is one of the most interesting architects working in Bali. And he’s Balinese.
Urban sprawl is eating up Seminyak, Kerobokan and beyond. Years ago, in Legian they said, “We’ll never be like Kuta! So crowded! Such a mess!” Then in Seminyak, they said, “We’ll never be like Legian!” And in Petitenget they said, “We’ll never be like Seminyak!” But the advance of urbanization in … Continue reading
Fish! Fowl! Pussycats! Rats! And murder most foul! Read on . . . Last year I promised to give occasional reports on the contents of the local Indonesian language newspaper, the Bali Post, which I read every morning. I certainly don’t read it for its quality journalism. I read it … Continue reading
This image comes from the website of the Pecatu Indah development which has engulfed Dreamland beach and everything around it in the Bukit Jimbaran area of south Bali. The endearing little erection here depicted, called modestly “The Terrace,” will reach to ten stories. Count ’em. Plus those “Rapunzel-Does-Denpasar” appendages on … Continue reading
The Alila Soori project near Tanah Lot temple in Bali has had its challenges during development. Issues over land use (an opaque and intentionally obfuscating area of local law), and permitting (more opaque and more obfuscatory), had become a thorn in the side of the Alila development team. Well, breathe … Continue reading
A posse of Bali creatives and media folk have banded together to make a television content package for high-end hotels, with fresh, locally-grown features, info and advertising. Mangovision is broadcasting in several top hotel and villa resorts on the island, with more joining all the time. The focus is decidedly … Continue reading
The weather in Bali has been very disappointing lately. Lie on the beach and you’re more likely to rust than to tan. So, how to predict what’s ahead weather-wise? Ask the surfers. The surf world watches wind, waves, and barometric pressure intently, and their monitoring and predictions are spot on. … Continue reading
The island of Bali is at risk of sinking into the Indian Ocean under the weight of all of its magazines. I put the latest issues of Bali’s mags on the bathroom scale, and it tipped almost ten kilos. How can an island so small generate so many magazines? And … Continue reading
It was a full moon, with a partial eclipse, and it was also my birthday. July 7. Auspicious, indeed. A well-chosen day for the grand opening of Oazia Spa Villas, a most unusual newcomer on the Bali spa and rental villas scene. The party was themed “white,” although it felt … Continue reading
The seasonal winds in Bali have finally shifted and the fresh, dry season has come. It happened suddenly, as if commanded by the hand of Pascal Morabito especially for the occasion of his latest wedding to his lovely wife, Marie Ève. They are so well-matched that they simply can’t resist … Continue reading
Something very strange is going on up at the Green School in Bali. Strange and wonderful. Every full moon the school hosts the most extraordinary performance evening on the Island of Bali, called Mepantigan. It’s impossible to describe, but I shall try. Imagine a troupe of talented local lads and … Continue reading
Does Bali need a reboot? Or a new operating system? I wrote the following rather long piece start to finish without stopping, in response to two heartfelt comments on the Jakarta Post reader’s forum. In those comments, the writers were giving voice to their concerns as visitors, about Bali and the … Continue reading
Who hung this show? I forgot to ask during the opening last Saturday at Komaneka Gallery. What was extraordinary to me, and what begged the question about who hung this show, was the spontaneous emergence of a narrative, revealed in the sequence of images considered in turn while circulating clockwise … Continue reading
The Sydney Morning Herald has published a sizeable feature story on the impacts of overdevelopment in Bali, with the scathing headline: “Island paradise sucked dry by tourists”. I consider this piece to be required reading for anyone who is interested in Bali in any way, shape or form. The article … Continue reading
I promised to give occasional digests of the local newspaper, the Bali Post. Not to renege on a promise, here is a digest of Tuesday’s paper, by no means a more distressing one than usual. The headlines that drew my attention most were: Struggle for Ramadan Gifts Leaves 21 Dead … Continue reading
Friday night was the “Shhh! Speakeasy” dinner fundraiser for the Balinale Taksu Film Festival at the Ritz-Carlton in Jimbaran. What with the illicit teacup martinis on arrival, and brown-bagged bottles of hooch (excellent New Zealand red wine) handed out to every attendee, not to mention the fine works of literature on … Continue reading
As promised, here’s a digest of interesting items from the last issue of the Bali Post. Headline on the health page: Don’t Send Your Kids to Buy Your Cigarettes. 37% of all children in Indonesia smoke. The writer ventured that sending the kids to buy smokes might encourage them to try … Continue reading
I have been intending to write more about Bali from the inside-outsider’s point of view. Being inside and outside often makes me feel inside-out and often alienates me from the many non-Balinese people here (expats) and sometimes from the Balinese, too. Its a tricky tightrope. I intend to share periodically, … Continue reading
How did we miss this? John Hardy, who is adored for his earnest eccentricity, wacky warm heart, and acute eye for great Indonesian textiles, was featured in Destinasian way back in February in an article entitled “Much Ado About Bamboo”. And we missed it. How? The article delved into some … Continue reading
Breaking news. One of Bali’s most beloved hotels plans to close in October for a few months of rehab. The story behind the upgrade sounds like a chapter from the life of a celebrity hostess. The year before she is to celebrate a landmark birthday, she goes off to the surgeon … Continue reading
It looks like there will be a Ferragamo fashion resort in Sanur soon. Ferragamo’s hotel people are just completing negotiations on a four hectare plot of beachfront land on Mertasari Beach. We’ve got Bulgari in Bali already, Ferragamo soon, so I expect Versace won’t be far behind. Salvatore Ferragamo was a … Continue reading
The royal cremation in Ubud yesterday was the biggest ever, and the best publicised. A media centre was set up for the event, marshalled by Edelman PR Indopacific. I think this must be the first cremation in Bali to have its own publicists and press office. And its own blog, … Continue reading
I spent a chunk of time last year writing the new edition of Bali Chic for Editions Didier Millet. It’s finally out, just in time for the high season in Bali. You can find it at Didier Millet, and also on the sub-site for the whole Chic series, “The Chic … Continue reading