Home & Away with Robert Walshe
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Holiday Hotspot – Four Seasons Bali at Sayan Ubud
Bali has become one of Asia’s most vibrant dining destinations, with a bountiful selection of local warung, chic cafes and first-class cuisine from every corner of the globe. The latest culinary destination is on the Ayung River, following the launch of a farmto-table French Bistro concept at the scenic Riverside Cafe at Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan. In this uniquely Balinese setting, Chef Jocelyn Argaud uses traditional French techniques with castiron pots and wood-fire ovens to present his favourite dishes passed down by his mother,
and by her mother before and the result is mouthwatering. The resort also has two other restaurants and several dining options. Located on a hillside Four Seasons Sayan is by far Ubud’s finest luxury hotel. The architecture, amenities and ambiance are designed to create peace, romance and privacy for those in search of their own private Bali. The resort offers 18 suites and 42 private villas, with a mix of contemporary and traditional Balinese decor. As you would expect rooms are the epitome of luxury with private plunge pools that look out over sculpted rice fields & the jungle with teak furnishings and silk pillows. Be sure to rejuvenate your body
n Four Seasons Bali at Sayan Ubud Villa.
and mind with healing and uplifting treatments in their world-class sacred river spa. One of their signature treatments is “Muladhara” based on the notion that the root chakra, located at the base of the spine, anchors us to the earth. Embracing authentic Balinese healing traditions, the treatments focus on balancing the body’s chakras. Regularly cleansed chakras, it is believed, will operate at optimum levels creating harmony between physical and emotional states. This 120minute treatment combines several steps and is started with a foot wash. This is followed by a treatment known as body tapping, a treatment designed to eliminate the negative and enhance the positive. A Balinese sacred kemenyan smoke is then released to cleanse the spine while a soothing singing bowl is played before the body massage starts. The body massage involves slow and deep massage techniques using locally grown ginger and cinnamon with a blend of vetiver, patchouli and jatamansi oils. Supplementing its existing yoga classes, the Resort presents a different mas-
ter-in-residence every month and complimentary daily sessions to enable in-house guests to fully immerse themselves in the physical, spiritual and mental aspects of the hillside retreat’s wellbeing programmes. www.fourseasons.com Ubud is a treasure trove of cultural landmarks, ranging from ancient temples and age-old royal palaces, to breathtaking panoramas of green hillsides and rice terraces. While most of the museums and galleries are along the main Jalan Raya Ubud thoroughfare, other worthy attractions to see include Bali Safari & Marine Park, the Setia Darma House of Masks and Puppets, and Bali Zoo. Goa Gajah one of the island’s most impressive archaeological sites, is located south of Bedulu village, a region famous for its collection of historical sites. Nearby Ubud monkey forest houses long-tailed Macaques. There are four groups of monkeys each occupying different territories in the park. It’s also a place of scientific research as well as a site of spiritual and cultural aspects with temples sanctified by the local villagers deep within its grounds.
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Bali at Sayan
www.keeshotel.ie
Ubud Cooking
Spend a few days in Ubud to appreciate it properly. It’s one of those places where days can become weeks and weeks become months. Turkish airlines fly daily from Dublin to Jakarta via Istanbul. Internal flight providers from Jakarta to Bali include Garuda Indonesia, Lion Air & Air Asia. For best fares visit www.turkishairlines.com Robert Walshe is a travel broadcaster with Q a network of seven radio stations across Northern Ireland. He is also Travel Editor for River Media newspaper titles on the island of Ireland. www.robertwalshe.com
Classes.
n Robert Walsh Fera, former Bu e with Ibu ddhist Nun and resident wellbeing mentor at Four Seasons Ubud.