With its ever-growing portfolio of five-star hotels, exclusive villas and world-class restaurants, bars and boutiques, Bali has become a must-visit for luxury travellers on the South East Asia trail. But it’s not only the island’s superb accommodation, dining and shopping options that have kept visitors coming back year after year. Bali is also home to unparalleled natural beauty – ranging from the lush greenery of Ubud to the white sandy beaches of the south – as well as centuries-old cultural and religious traditions that are observed by the local people just as consistently today as they were hundreds of years ago.
Where else in the world would an entire island, airport included, shut down for 24 hours each March to honour Nyepi, the annual “Day of Silence”? Those that do dare peek out of their windows will see only the pecalang, Bali’s traditional security men, patrolling the streets to ensure everyone else is indoors, reflecting on the year past and planning for the one to come. The Hindu holiday Galungan is just as strictly observed. Travellers might be surprised to see traffic stop for colourful processions of communities bearing penjors, bamboo poles weighed down by offerings for the gods. But gathering with extended family and celebrating the victory of good over evil, dharma over adharma, each October is routine for the Balinese.
Even on a normal day on the Island of the Gods, religious and cultural rituals are a way of life for the locals, whether they’re visiting a temple or putting together their daily offering to be left in a bamboo parcel on the doorstep. And increasingly, these – and other centuries-old Balinese traditions – are being interwoven into the luxury-hotel experience too, not only supporting local communities but meeting the evolving expectations of guests, many of whom are seeking much more than simply a sightseeing holiday.
“Travellers are more aware of and sensitive to local communities and cultures,” says Ronald Akili, CEO of PTT Family, the group behind Bali’s iconic Potato Head Beach Club, which on April 1 launched Katamama, a new five-star hotel concept created to showcase Indonesia’s rich culture and traditions. “Travelling is now more a holistic and less of a superficial experience and our main goal is to present the best of Indonesian culture through the PTT Family contemporary context, showing how our traditions are still alive, thriving and can play a role in the modern world.”
Pierre Lang, the general manager of Alila Seminyak, another recently opened luxury property dedicated to integrating the natural, physical and cultural elements of its environment into the hotel experience, agrees. “We see a big demand for luxury hotels to be sensitive to local cultures because savvy travellers these days are more and more aware about social and environmental sustainability,” he says.
Both Alila Seminyak and Katamama have therefore integrated local Balinese culture and traditions into their entire hotel experience – from the spa treatments to the cuisine, the design inspiration to the materials and techniques used, the music played and art displayed to the cultural programming. Indeed, there isn’t a single aspect of Katamama’s architecture or interior design that hasn’t been both influenced by Indonesian traditions and created by the country’s own craftsmen, often using local artisan techniques. The exterior of the hotel, for example, which was conceptualised by renowned Indonesian architect and long-term PTT Family collaborator Andra Matin, who oversaw the entire project’s design, takes its cues from the Balinese building practice of tri angga, a concept where the spatial structure reflects harmony between the building and its occupants.
Moreover, throughout the property, indigenous materials such as teak, handmade tiles from Java, terrazzo made on site and hand-pressed Balinese bricks usually reserved for temples (more than one million of these were used in the hotel’s construction), feature prominently. There are also more than 100 pieces of contemporary Indonesian art displayed throughout Katamama and many of the amenities found in the rooms – from the textiles to the ceramics – were created by local Balinese craftspeople. Yet, in keeping with the hotel’s philosophy, its design is unashamedly modern too. “The idea behind Katamama was to represent Bali,” Matin explains. “It should feel Balinese, but modern at the same time. The main concept is actually the ‘modern’ architecture of 1960s and ‘70s. It’s very geometric. And these days, when almost every hotel in Bali is planned with the curved lines, it’s quite unusual.”
The juxtaposition of modern and traditional seeps through the entire Katamama experience. For example, the property’s unique “cultural programme” not only includes activities at sister-establishments Potato Head Beach Club, luxury-fashion boutique Escalier and raw vegan-café and juice-bar Alchemy, it also showcases local traditions to guests. “These monthly programmes will bring people up close with different aspects of Indonesia and provide an experience they can’t get anywhere else on the island,” Akili says. “We want to share our culture, passion and our communities with our guests.”
Alila Seminyak’s Alila Experiences, which are hand-picked for each guest by local experts or “leisure concierges”, share a similar philosophy. While they’re designed to help guests discover the island “through its traditions, its cuisine, its environment, the roots of its people and their daily rituals” in a fully sustainable manner, there are also unmistakeable modern touches that run through each. Take the transport. For both the “Inspirational Bali” experience, a trip to local Petitenget Temple to learn about Balinese rituals and ceremonies, and the “Divine Healing” experience where guests are introduced to a Balinese pemangku (temple priest) for a personal spiritual-healing session, guests arrive and depart in a fully restored classic 1980 Volkswagen Kombi, complete with Wi-Fi and a fully stocked minibar.
But not all of the island’s newest luxury hotels place their greatest onus on fusing the contemporary with the traditional; at Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve, which opened in September last year in Ubud, tradition unquestionably takes centre stage. Named after the entrance to a traditional Hindu temple, Mandapa’s design was inspired by an indigenous Balinese village and the hotel aims to celebrate all elements of traditional village life, from the cuisine to the wellness practices. One particularly interesting touch is that the property incorporates a rice terrace at its centre, allowing guests to learn about the planting and harvesting of a resource that’s been at the heart of Balinese village life for centuries. Plus, every element of the hotel’s design has been naturally inspired and sustainably sourced, allowing it to blend seamlessly into its stunning Ubud backdrop.
But aside from simply using local ingredients and practices in everything from the spa treatments to the authentic, organic cuisine at the hotel’s four restaurants and lounges, Mandapa is also home to Green Camp, open to both kids and their families who want to learn more about both the natural and cultural background of Ubud. Family immersion programmes include the half-day “Taste of Healing Traditions”, where guests take part in morning yoga before learning how to create Balinese herbal drinks from native plants; and a full day of “eco-discovery and culture” that includes everything from learning how to make traditional Balinese daily offerings to Balinese kite flying and bamboo tower building.
Temple tours, UNESCO heritage-site visits and fire-dance performances are also among the activities available to Mandapa guests, on top of the many wellness treatments offered at the property’s sprawling spa complex. Again taking inspiration from local culture and heritage, The Spa at Mandapa is designed to soothe guests’ minds and bodies through a comprehensive programme of Balinese spa treatments, detox and nutrition, alternative therapy, body therapy and healing. Of course the pool, with its stunning views of the local waterfall and rice paddies, isn’t to be missed either.
With its unique combination of natural beauty and deeply spiritual culture, it’s no wonder that Bali has become one of the world’s most popular island getaways for luxury travellers. What’s more encouraging, though, is the move we’re seeing among luxury hoteliers to embrace and incorporate local traditions into their properties. Not only will this help preserve the way of life that makes the Island of the Gods so magical, it’s already giving travellers the chance to learn first-hand about how Bali became the island we know and love today.
Stay:
Mandapa, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve
+62 361 479 2777
www.ritzcarlton.com
Seminyak Bali
+62 361 302 1888
www.alilahotels.com/seminyak
Katamama
+62 361 302 9999
www.katamama.com
Como Shambhala Estate
+62 361 978 888
www.comohotels.com
Bulgari Resort Bali
+62 361 847 1000
www.bulgarihotels.com
Sofitel Bali Nusa Dua Beach Resort
+62 361 849 2888
www.sofitel.com