The Yak #62 by The Yak Magazine

KARMA BEACH BALI INTERNATIONAL DJS • HIGH SEASON EVENTS • BEACH & WATERSPORT ACTIVITIES • SIGNATURE COCKTAILS MEDITERRANEAN CUISENE • FRESH SEAFOOD • SUSHI BAR • FAMILY FUN • YOGA BALE • OCEAN SPA

T: +62 (0)361 848 2205 | E: info@karmabeach.com |

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JL . BATU ME JAN NO. 8 CANGGU BALI - IND ONE SIA FORREST MINCHINTON Photo HARRY MARK

Hospitality and residential furniture since 1989

INDOOR | OUTDOOR | HOSPITALITY

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DA MARIA

www.theyakmag.com

Volume sixty two mar/apr/may 2019

The Yak Magazine Sophie Digby, Nigel Simmonds, Agustina Ardie, Michelle Lamb Creative Director Stuart Sullivan Sales & Marketing Shanty Wijaya, Amik Suhartin Production Manager Maulidina Fatharani Graphic Designers Irawan Zuhri, Ida Bagus Adi Accounting Julia Rulianti, Istiana Distribution Made Marjana, Putu Widi Susanto, Gede Swastika, Made Rakayasa, Kadek Eri Publisher PT. L.I.P Licence AHU/47558/AH/01/01/2011

Cover: the great plastic wave by nic mac www.nicmacillustration.com

Advertising Enquiries Tel: (+62 361) 766 539, 0851 0043 1804, 0851 0043 1805, 0851 0043 1796 info@theyakmag.com sales@theyakmag.com Snail Mail & Walk Ins The Yak Magazine, Kompleks Perkantoran Simpang Siur Square, Jl. Setia Budi, Kuta, Bali 80361, Indonesia

OK you know the drill. No part of this publication may be copied or reproduced electronically or otherwise without prior permission from the Publisher. Opinions expressed are those of the authors not the Publisher. The Publisher reserves the right to refuse advertising that does not comply with the magazine's design criteria. The Yak will not be held responsible for copyright infringements on images supplied directly by advertisers and/or contributors. Check us out online, we’re awesome (if we do say so ourselves). Peace.

Magazine printed by Gramedia Outdoor assets by Supaprint © PT Luxury In Print www.theyakmag.com

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contents 14

Facts of Life

Diary Days

Sharing Is Caring

24 36 42 48

Yakety yak

dates with destiny

one world

new in the hood

News From Your World

out of the box

Stuff Of Life

artsake

Nic Mac!

people

Mark Baker

112 10

Fa' Empel

Valerie Von Sobel

Wim Hof

people

Sally Bloomfield

My Chemical Romance

72 82

people

yak fashion 1

yak fashion 2

Wrapture

change

Let's Go Zero

Ronald Akili

Sean Nino Lotze & Maitri Fischer

Melati & Isabel Wijsen

Gary Bencheghib

Hanalei Swan

Alex Tsuk

Alex Joy & The Collective

76 100

change

contents Omnibus, page 66: deny deny deny.

100 108

travel

Easy Company

taken not stirred

Two Islands RosĂŠ

110

El Nacional

112

Settimo Cielo

114 116

taken not stirred

oral pleasures

Seas at The Edge

Origin

120

Morabito Art Cliff

122

Apurva Kempinski

124

Sandat Glamping

126 128

Big six

Eco Eats

58 12

118

venting in a villa

132

Sounds around

Suite Sounds At W

134

Client clobber

140

Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s What

144

History Repeating

fashion freestyle

ad directory

astro yak

brands

Ismaya!

over the edge

Tugu Lombok

108

www.AtlasPearls.com.au

yakbak Fact: The name "plastic" refers to the property of plasticity, which is the ability to deform without breaking. Fact: The word plastic comes from the Greek word plastikos, which means able to be shaped or molded. Fact: Pure plastics are generally insoluble in water and nontoxic. However, many of the additives in plastics are toxic and may leach into the environment. (www.thoughtco.com) Quote: "Unless I am very much mistaken, this invention will prove important in the future." Leo Baekeland, inventor of Bakelite, wrote in his journal on 11th July, 1907. Fact: Up to 80 percent of ocean plastic pollution enters the ocean from land. Fact: At least 267 different species have been affected by plastic pollution in the ocean. Fact: 100,000 marine animals are killed by plastic bags annually. Fact: One in three leatherback sea turtles have been found with plastic in their stomachs. Fact: Plastic bags are used for an average of 12 minutes. Fact: It takes 500 (or more) years for a plastic bag to degrade in a landfill. FACT: Plastic bags don't break down completely but instead photo-degrade, becoming microplastics that absorb toxins and continue to pollute the environment. (www. biologicaldiversity.org) Having Googled and brought these facts to your attention, we at The Yak can only go ahead in this issue, #62, to keep pressing home the point! This issue is a big shout out to all those trash heroes and heroines and environmental warriors who consistently and constantly energize, inspire, disrupt and care all the while reiterating the need for ALL (that means you, me and everyone’s neighbour) to make a clear and mental effort to be “present” and conscious about the unbridled consumption of toxic product wrappings and make a massive mental note about our nefarious habits each time we head into a supermarket or shop. The aim? To put a bl**dy stop to the madness! As ever - May The Yak be with you!

Dear Yak, Cool magazine x Regards, Andy Fry, Bali

Regards, Prashant, Karatvan Fine Jewellry, Jakarta Looking forward to some bling Prashant!

Thanks. Cool name sir! Dear Yak, How can I get in touch with the editors of The Yak, please let me know. Thanks, Regards, Emir Sergo www.emirsergo.net You just did. Dear Yak Hello! I’d like to know how I can have a cafe featured in the magazine please. Regards, Jessie Krieg Bali Give us a tinkle. Dear Yak, Many thanks for the magazine. I got back yesterday from a short biz trip and saw the beautiful publication – and we now have a great idea on what to do off the beaten path in Bali!

Dear Yak, I would like to know where I can find your magazine. I would like to put in my villa to show the guests. Regards Pippi, Bali Email us on subscriptions@theyakmag.com Pippi. Dear Yak, I run Yayasan Scholars of Sustenance. We are a food rescue foundation currently working with 30 hotels in which we collect their leftover food and distribute it to people or communities in need. We are currently serving nine orphanages, Solehouse and Rumah Berdaya. I am hoping to be able to be featured in your magazine. Regards, D J Denton, Bali And here you are.

In The Lap Of: Andrew 'Beef' Johnston Now you know we like to swing a club here at The Yak (and are heading back out on March 30 for our next Yak tournament) so it was with great delight that we saw none other than Andrew 'Beef' Johnston at our favourite course, Bali National. A bit of celeb gossip? He's dropped a ton of weight and is now looking for a new nickname!

: bambooblondeID

: @bambooblondeindo

www.bambooblonde.com

calendar

fridge magnet fodder for the peripatetic.

WORLD WATER DAY Access to clean water is something that so many of us take for granted, yet every day there are millions of people around the world facing water scarcity and water pollution. World Water Day is a UN observance that highlights the importance of fresh water and aims to inspire people to learn more about water-related issues. WWD falls on March 22 and the theme this year is ‘Leave No One Behind’, which references the UN sustainable development goal to ensure freshwater for all by 2030. If you would like to support freshwater initiatives here in Bali, the Bali Water Management Program by IDEP is a good place to start. www.idepfoundation.org/en/bwp BALI SPIRIT FESTIVAL One of the world’s biggest celebrations of yoga, world music and wellness is back again from March 24 to March 31. Throughout the week, thousands of free-spirited folk will join the Bali Spirit Festival in Ubud to take part in inspiring yoga and meditation classes, community marketplaces, kids activity zones and nightly concerts under the stars. From easy-going vipassana to heavy-hitting martial arts, dance workshops, sound healing sessions, and dharma talks on eco-activism, you’ll find plenty to get the body and mind flowing here. Tickets range from one-day passes to full-week abundance packages. www.balispiritfestival.com

IF YOU’RE IN SINGAPORE . . . March 9 – Garden Beats Singapore: Round up your tribe and get ready to dance all day with your feet in the grass because Garden Beats is back with another action-packed day of groovy rhythms, wellness sessions and inspiring talks by eco ambassadors at Fort Canning Park. The lineup includes acts like The Kooks, Black Coffee and Alina Baraz, and you can expect enticing eats from renowned restaurants, interactive eco workshops, incredible art installations and more. Keep in mind that the festival aims to be as earthfriendly as possible, so no single-use plastics or glassware are allowed. March 14 to March 17 – Urban Design Festival 2019: According to a UN report, approximately 75 percent of the world’s population will be living in urban cities by 2050. This means we have to shift the way we think about urban spaces and how humanfriendly our cities really are. The Urban Design Festival aims to raise awareness about innovative urban design solutions and sustainable urban development. The four-day event will take place at the Jalan Besar Sports Centre car park and feature inspiring talks by distinguished speakers, as well as fun festivities like roller disco, live music and design workshops. IF YOU’RE IN NEPAL . . . March 20 to March 21 – Holi: Marking the beginning of spring, Holi is Nepal’s most colourful festival by far. The best place to take part in the festivities is the capital city of Kathmandu where thousands of people converge on Durbar Square to eat, drink, dance to traditional music, and throw vast amounts of coloured powder and coloured water on everyone in sight. Be sure to wear old clothes because you’re sure to get doused. Holi officially takes place on March 20, but the celebrations start about a week before and carry on for a few days afterwards.

EARTH DAY 2019 The first Earth Day took place on April 22, 1970 when thousands of Americans took to the streets to peacefully demonstrate for environmental reforms. Their efforts paid off because later that year the US government created the Environmental Protection Agency, the Clean Water Act and the Endangered Species Act. Now every year on April 22, over one billion people in 193 countries celebrate Earth Day to champion environmental protection. The theme this year is ‘Protect Our Species’ to raise awareness about the accelerating extinction rate of millions of species around the world. www.earthday.org UBUD FOOD FESTIVAL Eating locally is just one way to live a more conscious life, and there’s no better place to get your fill of vibrant local food than the Ubud Food Festival. The festival will take place from April 26 to April 28 with the theme of ‘Spice Up the World’, which celebrates Indonesia’s extraordinary cuisines and fascinating culinary cultures. You can expect a smorgasbord of stellar foodie events like cooking demonstrations, market tours, handson culinary workshops, film screenings, and more. Be sure to check out the food stalls at Taman Kuliner to sample local delicacies and signature dishes by some of Bali’s best eateries. www.ubudfoodfestival.com

April 14 – Nepali New Year (Bisket Jatra): Bisket Jatra marks the beginning of the new year in Nepal and is a cause for huge celebrations, especially in the city of Bhaktapur about eight miles from Kathmandu. Here the festivities include massive parades and chariot processions through the streets, the erection of a 50-foot lingo pole with ribbons representing serpents, tongue piercing rituals, and a spirited tug of war between the residents of the upper and lower sides of the city. All are welcome to join in the festivities, which also include tons of great food, drinks and music. IF YOU’RE IN AUSTRALIA . . . March 8 to March 24 – Melbourne Food & Wine Festival: Foodies will be flocking to Melbourne in March for the 27th edition of the Melbourne Food & Wine Festival. Choose from over 200 events including one-off collaborations by some of the world’s best chefs, country getaways to sample farm-fresh food straight from the fields, progressive dining experiences where you can tour some of the city’s most renowned gastronomic neighbourhoods, and all manner of wine tastings, chef demos, food trucks, pop-up bars, and talks on sustainable farming and dining. April 18 to April 22 – Byron Bay Blues Fest: If you’ve never rocked out at the Byron Bay Blues Fest, then this is the year to do it because the festival is celebrating its 30th anniversary with their biggest celebration of blues and roots music yet. The lineup is pretty spectacular with big names like Iggy Pop, Jack Johnson, Tash Sultana, and George Clinton all set to get the crowds grooving. Set on 120 hectares of the Tyagarah Tea Farm, the festival will feature over 200 performances on various stages, camping for up to 6,000 people, five licensed bars, and over 100 food stalls and beer gardens.

DESIGN CULTURE DESTINATION

www.originubud.com

www.originseminyak.com

Line caught. Open fire. Zero waste. Potato Head Beach Club Bali. ptthead.com

giving back

sharing is caring. except when it comes to plastic.

SCHOLARS OF SUSTENANCE INDONESIA On an island as hotel-heavy as Bali, it boggles the mind to think about how much food goes to waste across the island every day. This is particularly disheartening considering how many people struggle just to meet their daily nutritional needs. What if all that edible food ended up in the mouths of people who need it most instead of the landfill? One organisation is ensuring that happens one truckload of food at a time. Founded in 2016, Scholars of Sustenance Indonesia works to tackle food waste and food insecurity in Bali. To do this they pick up surplus food from partner hotels in popular tourist areas like Sanur, Kuta and Legian and distribute it to people in need. Any surplus food that is not fit for human consumption is either composted or given to low-income pig farmers, thus helping the environment by reducing the amount of waste that goes to the landfill. Director of Operations, Duaine James Denton, says, “We are an international food rescue foundation that is currently working with 31 hotels here in Bali. Basically we provide food grade containers, logistics, staff and transportation to pick up surplus food from large commercial outlets (here in Bali thus far only hotels). We pick up the food using freezer trucks or cooler motorbikes and bring it back to our facility where the food is checked to assure safety. We then pass on the food to communities or organizations in need.” SOS Indonesia initially started making deliveries to the Bali Street Kids Orphanage and quickly branched out to additional orphanages and community organisations around the island. They currently donate food to groups such as YKPA, Solehouse, Rumah Berdaya, Seeds of Hope, Sidhi Astu, and the Bali Street Kid School to name just a few. With help from the Bali Hotel Association, they are continuously adding new hotels to their food rescue list and increasing the number of recipient kitchens. Duaine says, “We are also starting our Kampung programme this year, in which we will give food to struggling villages in Northeast Bali. We will work directly with the desa head or governor, banjars, schools and community officials to ensure the people we are giving food to are the ones incapable of obtaining decent nutrition otherwise. “We are aware that many people who need food the most cannot make it to the truck physically due to age, deformity or mental condition. This is where the Scholars part of the name comes in. We will utilise economically struggling adolescents from the area to help distribute food to the needy, and in doing so, they will earn points so they can go to junior high, high school or university. We will also help pay for their housing, petrol, phone, etc.” Scholars of Sustenance Indonesia is always looking for new hotels to come onboard as food donors. If you work in the hospitality industry and want to help those in need, plus do your part for the environment by preventing food waste, feel free to

get in touch with them at info@scholarsofsustenance.org. Non-hospitality industry folk can also make donations of food or money. www.scholarsofsustenance.org 4OCEAN When college buddies Alex Schulze and Andrew Cooper decided to take a surf trip to Bali after graduating, they never imagined that it would irrevocably change their lives and the fate of the ocean. During that trip, they experienced Bali’s marine pollution up close and personal and were devastated by the amount of plastic riding the waves with them. They wondered why no one was doing anything about the problem, so they embarked on a journey to find out. One day the friends visited a fishing village where they witnessed fishermen pushing their boats through mounds of plastic that had washed up on the beach. It was then that they realised plastic was not only threatening the environment, but also the fishermen’s livelihoods. That sparked the idea that perhaps the fishermen could earn extra income by pulling plastic from the ocean. The duo began to brainstorm ways to make that happen, and 4Ocean was born. 4Ocean creates a new economy for the removal of trash by giving value to ocean plastic. They hire local fishermen to collect plastic from the oceans and coastlines and provide them with reliable incomes and the latest technology to help reclaim plastic and prevent it from entering the ocean. The reclaimed plastic is then recycled and made into new products, thus eliminating the need for virgin plastics. As of July 2018, 4Ocean has pulled over 1,000,000 pounds of plastic and trash from the ocean and they now have offices in Bali, Florida and Haiti. In the coming year, they plan to have 4Ocean clean-up headquarters in 12 new countries. Funding for 4Ocean comes from the sale of bracelets that are hand-assembled in Bali and made from recycled materials. For each bracelet you buy, 4Ocean will remove one pound of trash from the ocean and coastlines. 100 percent of the sales go towards their global ocean clean-up operation including local clean-ups, incomes for fishermen, boat maintenance, education, trash disposal with local waste and recycling facilities, and new technology. Although 4Ocean does not take donations, you can help by purchasing bracelets and volunteering at community clean-up events. They also offer wholesale opportunities for retailers whose mission aligns with theirs. Be sure to check out their website for the latest bracelet styles, subscription offers, information on community clean-ups and news about their exciting new initiatives. www.4ocean.com

Experience Sumba and its rich culture in luxurious style at Lelewatu Resort. Jl. Lelewatu No 168 Wei Mangoma, Kec. Wanukaka Sumba Barat NTT 87272, Indonesia T. +(62) 811 39 606060 | E. info@lelewatu.com | W. lelewatu.com

MANARAI BEACH HOUSE Indonesia’s famed Ismaya Group is adding a whole new level of excitement to Nusa Dua’s social scene with its first beachfront establishment, Manarai Beach House. Offering a full-fledged beach experience from day to night, Manarai presents a blend of traditional Balinese craftsmanship and contemporary modern styling in the restaurant and through to the outdoor lounge with two pools and daybeds that overlook the beach and ocean. Here you can sample international and local dishes including comfort food and healthconscious fare, sip on whimsical cocktails made with Balinese ingredients and groove out to exciting music events. Tel: +62 361 477 2727 www.facebook.com/ManaraiBeachHouse

LISTEN TO YOUR GUT Do you often feel bloated, fatigued or struggle to absorb nutrients? If so, your gut may be speaking to you. Live Essences is a unique formula created by Iris Giannoulake, who experienced a health scare that prompted her to spend months researching ancient Asian and Celtic recipes and immersing herself in the latest scientific research on gut bacteria. Live Essences Wellness shots are made with natural, organic ingredients and fermented with essential probiotics and vital acetic acids that work to aid digestion, boost the immune system, fight bad bacteria and leave you feeling nourished, energised and vibrantly well. www.live-essences.com

MASON CHOCOLATES For over 30 years, the Mason family has been synonymous with quality culinary and adventure experiences in the heart of Bali. Now that same passion, drive and commitment to excellence can be discovered in Mason Chocolates. The Mason Chocolate Factory is located inside the stunning eco-friendly Koko Bambu Restaurant overlooking scenic rice fields. Inside the state-of-the-art factory guests can watch the chocolate making process starting with handpicked Indonesian cacao beans and following through to the finished range of deluxe chocolates that include pralines, truffles, super thins, chocolate coated nuts and dark, milk and white chocolate bars. Tel: +62 811 389 2686 www.masonchocolates.com 24

CHANNELING TULUM AT TROPICOLA Picture coconut oil melting in the sun, vivid blue water, languid hands on frozen drinks, the sizzle of shellfish over a wood fire, laughter, splash and chatter, and you have a pretty good idea of what Tropicola is all about. Mexicola’s new beach club offers long lazy days and fun balmy nights in a gorgeous mansion that evokes memories of Miami, Acapulco, Palm Springs, Tulum and Playa Del Carmen. Here you can party from 11am to midnight every day amid clean lines, bright colours, cascading plants and an amphitheatre that showcases the golden mile of Seminyak beach from every vantage point. Tel: +62 361 934 36363 www.tropicola.info

I N D U L G E I N T H E A L L- N AT U R A L F O R M U L AT I O N S D E D I C AT E D T O H E A LT H I E R S K I N A N D B O DY. 1 0 0 % N AT U R A L I N G R E D I E N T S K A R A N G A S E M . U B U D . D E N P A S A R . S E M I N Y A K . K U T A S A N U R . C A N G G U . J I M B A R A N . N U S A D U A . J A K A R T A S H O P O NLI NE AT S E NS AT I A . CO M

A TASTE OF INDIA AT THE WESTIN The Westin Resort Nusa Dua, Bali is spicing things up with a weekly buffet dining experience that celebrates the rich flavours of India. Executive Chef Manoj Rawat and his culinary team present a veritable feast every Friday evening in the tropical ambience of Ikan Beach Garden. Guests can peruse live cooking stations featuring exotic dishes from all over the subcontinent including traditional Indian street food favourites, classic stews from South India, vegetarian options and tasty morsels cooked in an authentic tandoor oven. A generous dessert station with Indian puddings, cakes and ice cream promises to finish things off on a sweet note. Tel: +62 361 771 906 www.westin.com/bali

SUBLIME SUMBA Fancy a quick getaway from the hustle and bustle of Bali? Sumba is just an hour’s flight east and home to the luxurious new Lelewatu Resort. Built in harmony with its magnificent cliff top setting, this serene sanctuary is surrounded by lush rainforest and blessed with a private lagoon. On site there are 27 gorgeous private pool villas designed to capture the essence of traditional Sumbanese culture, as well as two refined restaurants, a sublime spa, gym, horse riding track, game room and elegant boutique. Offering personal indulgence, romance and a touch of adventure, the resort leads the way in a new bespoke style of island life. Tel: +62 811 3960 6060 www.lelewatu.com

LUXE LIVING AT BANYAN TREE UNGASAN If you’re seeking a luxurious bolthole on the Bukit, look no further than Banyan Tree Ungasan, Bali. Listed as one of the 58 Most Luxurious Hotels in the World by Forbe’s Travel Guide, this spectacular resort is poised on a cliff top near Uluwatu temple and features 73 villas with private infinity pools, gardens and views of the Indian Ocean. Contemporary Balinese architecture and decor pervades throughout with marble floors, intricate stone and wood carvings and refined courtyards with Balinese bales and relaxation decks. Also on site are three gourmet restaurants serving fresh seafood, Indonesian classics and international cuisine. Tel: +62 361 300 7000 www.banyantree.com/en/indonesia/ ungasan-bali KARMA REEF GILI MENO Located on the tiny, traffic-free island paradise of Gili Meno, Karma Reef is a world away from the noise and demands of everyday life. This barefoot-chic beach resort offers beautiful bungalows and luxurious glamping tents that were consciously designed to leave the lightest possible footprint on the environment and stylishly appointed with comfort in mind. Karma Reef guests also have exclusive access to a secret beach where you can indulge in blissful spa treatments in the Karma Spa Tent, feast on freshly caught seafood and Mediterranean-inspired cuisine and kick back with cocktails designed by internationally renowned mixologist Grant Collins. Tel: +62 361 848 2202 www.karmagroup.com/find-destination/karma-retreats/karma-reef

CMY

MRS SIPPY THROWS A PARTY LIKE NO OTHER For those seeking a sleek spot to throw a private party or large event, Mrs. Sippy has you covered. This stylish Seminyak beach club boasts Bali’s biggest saltwater pool surrounded by plush daybeds and plenty of places to eat, drink and groove out to beats by worldrenowned DJs. The event packages are tailored towards companies, brands, influencers and your everyday holiday seeker. Invite your guests to chill out next to the pool or take the party inside amid rustic sandstone walls and vintage pink tiles. Either way, the team here can hook you up with mouthwatering Mediterranean and charcoal cuisine and cheeky signature cocktails. Tel: +62 361 335 1079 www.mrssippybali.com

ATLAS PEARLS ANNOUNCES DESIGN WINNER Atlas Pearls has proudly announced the winner of their jewellery design competition, Muhammad Ichsan, a junior architect at the firm of SHAU Architects in Bandung. Muhammad’s winning pearl ear cuff design was inspired by the Fibonacci sequence where each number is the sum of the two numbers that precede it. This sequence is often referred to as the universal rule of nature and it is said to govern the dimensions of everything from the Great Pyramid at Giza to the graceful seashell. Muhammad’s design is light and contemporary, which fits perfectly with Atlas Pearls’ philosophy of design for its South Sea pearl jewellery. www.atlaspearls.com.au/home

ESCAPE TO LOMBOK Planning a trip to Lombok? Sempiak Villas is South Lombok’s best kept secret. Located directly on the beach in Selong Belanak, the luxury resort offers well-appointed wooden hillside villas that boast sweeping views of the bay with its pristine white sandy beaches, turquoise waters and dramatic coastline. Here you can escape from the stresses of everyday life to a serene refuge surrounded by surf, sand and spectacular sunsets. Spend your days relaxing on a sun lounger at the private beach club, indulging in soothing spa treatments, finding your balance in the yoga centre, and wining and dining in the restaurant and bar. Tel: +62 821 4430 3337 www.sempiakvillas.com

BRAGA CONCEPTZ If you’ve ever wondered who brings in all the huge stars to Bali, Look no further than Braga Conceptz and GFS Asia Entertainment, two of the biggest events management companies for music and entertainment in the region. They’re responsible for bringing over celebrities like Jay Sean, Jason Derulo, Sean Kingston and IYAZ, and they plan to bring over even more in 2019 including Willy William, Sean Paul and ASAP Rocky. This year they will also be launching their own event space that can accommodate up to 15,000 people and their very own hip-hop and R&B music festival. Need a celeb to perform at your next party? Get in touch with them to find out how you can amp up your event. Tel: +62 878 6971 3991 www.facebook.com/Braga-Conceptz

W BALI - SEMINYAK PRESENTS

MIA

MIXOLOGIST IN ACTION

Amplify your cocktail. Pick your flavor and let our head mixologist craft it for you.

WOOBAR BALI FRIDAYS 4PM – 7PM IDR 135,000

For reservations +62 361 4738 106 b&f.wbali@whotels.com All prices are quoted in thousands of Indonesian rupiah & subject to 10% service charge and prevailing 11% government tax. ©2016 Marriott International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. W and its logos are the trademarks of Marriott International, Inc., or its affiliates.

BALI INTERNATIONAL INDIGENOUS FILM FESTIVAL Back for its second year, the Bali International Indigenous Film Festival celebrates indigenous wisdom and culture with three days of unique films that represent indigenous peoples from 12 different countries. The festival kicks off on May 10th with a grand opening ceremony at Njana Tilem Museum in Mas that will feature an indigenous welcome and blessing, a traditional dance performance, 12 invited film directors and three feature films. Over the course of the weekend, directors will present their films at Paradiso Theatre in Ubud followed by lively Q&A sessions where the audience can participate and filmmakers can meet, collaborate and inspire each other. www.indigenousfilmfestbi.com

GUIDED BY GRATITUDE Every dawn brings a new day, new possibilities and new causes for gratitude. For these reasons (and countless more), Four Seasons Resort Sayan is launching Bali’s first year-round wellness retreat. Inspired by Ubud’s unique healing energy and the Balinese daily rituals of thanks, guests can check-in any day of the year and embark on a personal journey of well-being. The Guided by Gratitude programme includes meditation sessions, yoga classes, a Balinese water blessing ritual, sound therapy with crystal singing bowls, chakra re-balancing spa treatments, and an exclusive Sacred Nap experience where guests are rocked to sleep in a silk hammock while listening to nature’s melody and Buddha’s story. Tel: +62 361 977 577 www.fourseasons.com/sayan

RAFTING BRUNCHES Take your brunching to the next level with Sthala Ubud’s unique Rafting Brunch. Step aboard your luxury raft and set off into the gently flowing waters of the Wos River. As you float down the river gazing out at the lush greenery on either side, your personal server will present you with a sharing menu for two featuring delicacies like mushroom and cheese quiche with a truffle cream sauce, river prawn thermidor, succulent steak sandwiches and chocolate-dipped strawberries. The brunch also includes a jug of sparkling wine or punch cocktails. Reservations are essential and must be made one day in advance. Tel: +62 361 301 8700 www.sthalaubudbali.com

PIER EIGHT Newly opened in January, Pier Eight is the newest addition to Sanur’s vibrant drinking and dining scene. This elegant beach bar is located on the golden sands in front of Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali and offers trendy, yet relaxed vibes. The delectable menu was designed for sharing with friends and loved ones and is sure to please any seafood lover with a selection of fresh delicacies straight out of the ocean. When paired with an extensive cocktail menu and wine list, subtle tunes and amazing views of Nusa Penida in the distance, it’s pretty hard to beat the extraordinary seaside ambience. Tel: +62 361 3011 888 www.fairmont/bali.com

BERAWA GETS A BOLD NEW BLONDE We’re crushing on the new Bamboo Blonde store that’s glammed up the Pantai Berawa strip with racks full of celebrity-approved fashions (faves of Tyra Banks and Paris Hilton). We’ve been following the Bamboo Blonde collective since 2007 when they opened their first store in Seminyak, and we think this new addition is the edgiest yet. Ever-evolving, the brand keeps amping up their apparel designs with knockout hand-printed fabrics, perfectly tailored fits and fresh style trends fashioned from the runway to work in real life. Look out for the funky exposed brick house façade where you can pop in to pick out onpoint threads, accessories and stylish homewares. www.bambooblonde.com 34

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTIONS Back for its fifth year, Sustainable Solutions is the Green School’s eco-festival that brings together educators, students, social businesses, start-ups, NGOs and community members to inspire, educate and equip our community to live more sustainably. The 2019 edition will run from May 2nd to May 4th with an emphasis on youth connections, activism and indigenous wisdom. All are welcome to join the exciting activities including eco-talks, documentary screenings, panel discussions, lively performances, art exhibitions and movement and meditation sessions. There will also be plenty of eco-vendors selling earth-friendly wares. www.sustainablesolutions.greenschool.org

BEAUTY CONFIDENTIAL How much do you know about the products you use on your skin? It’s easy to find information about which foods are good and bad for the body, but when it comes to skincare, it can be hard to get a straight answer. Tomoka Y. Nguyen is the founder of the chemical-free skincare line Jojomoka Skincare and she has a wealth of experience opening and managing award-winning spas and wellness centres around the region. Her new book Beauty Confidential gives insider tips on how take charge of your skincare regimen by making conscious product choices, knowing and understanding your skin holistically and creating your own skincare products so your beauty can blossom. www.jojomoka.net

Silver Baroque South Sea Pearl collection of “gouttes”, “colliers”, “boucles” and “cascades” of pearls. limited edition collection available in Seminyak. www.atlaspearls.com.au

Rose gold swarovski crystal skull earrings with rose gold patina finish skull - rose gold plated sterling silver - IDR1,950,000 www.mariejoellejewelry.com

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Rose gold flower of life earrings with herkimer diamonds - rose gold plated sterling silver - IDR1,980,000 www.mariejoellejewelry.com Available at These Retail Boutiques; ALILA LIVING: Jalan Taman Ganesha No. 9 Petitenget, Seminyak; CANGGU CRYSTALS Jalan Pantai Batu Bolong no. 1 Canggu; SEKALA STUDIO: Jalan Pantai Berawa 100.

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artsake breaking up.

the yak caught up with illustrator Nic Mac – who designed this issue's front cover image - to talk influencers and background checks. go. Ms Nic Mac … where in the world are you at the moment, and how should we address you? Hello! Well right now I’m in southwest London in Putney. And you can call me Nic. Is that what your mother calls you? She says she doesn’t, but I distinctly remember when I was in school, it was about a week or two that needed to pass before she would call me down for dinner with a loud “Niccc!” How did you get into illustrating and visual art? Was it always clear this would be your path? It’s one of those things really where you don’t realise just how drawn you are to something, excuse the pun, until it’s in every aspect of your life. As a kid, art was the only thing that I looked forward to, and as an adult, it still remains at the top of my list. I’ve been well and truly hooked, and pretty much every big decision I’ve made so far has involved art and illustration and how I can do more of it. However, as clear as it was to me, that I wanted to do it. It wasn’t always clear that I could. There was a lot of self doubt in the beginning, and it took quite some work to push past life’s little hurdles. But as much as they may try and knock you off your 'path', you can't really be swayed from the thing you love, especially once you've tasted it. Who are your greatest influences? I’ve been influenced by artists from a whole range of styles and disciplines, and the list keeps growing and morphing especially with more and more street artists like Pichiavo, Nychos and Dulk having really inspired me in the last year. Though there are definitely some big players that remain at the top of my list for specific reasons. Gerald Scarf has influenced me ever since I heard him talk about caricatures and how he kept pushing the boundaries of what a face could be, and constantly morphing the forms further and really playing with it. There’s a particular piece he did in the '70s where he drew Ian Fleming as James Bond and it remains one of my favourite illustrations. Not only is it a brilliantly eye catching piece of art, but it has a hidden truth behind the dramatically morphed and colourful forms, and when you really look at it, you're faced with a shocking scene

that is humorously ugly and actually quite pornographic. I could talk forever about different artists but one I’d like to mention, who is probably the most unassuming player, is Albert Giacometti. I suppose when artists talk of work that inspires them, there’s an assumption it will be very similar work that reflects a likeness or an element that makes sense. But with Giacometti, it is how he was as an artist that inspired me the most, and in turn has made me one of his biggest fans. You see it was his passion and his dedication to his craft. He was obsessed and sometimes I feel that is how you have got to be. You have got to be obsessed with creating. Because the more you obsess the more you create and the closer you might get to really being able to speak and communicate your message effectively through your art. Were you hyper into comics when you were younger? Miniature me was generally hyper, running up the walls and such but I only read Beano, which I loved, especially Billy the Wizz. I didn’t truly get into comics and graphic novels until I was at University. Speech bubbles in comic art and the way movement is depicted with kinetic shapes and colours really inspires me. I always aim to inject movement into my work and definitely have flicked to comic book fight scenes for some inspiration. How much of your illustrating is related to the world’s current problems? Not as much as I would like. I wish that everything I made could be powerful and relevant but it would be a lot of pressure. I always want my work to communicate something, whether it’s an important issue I want to highlight, an emotion or simply an observation I have of this modern world. A lot of the time, particularly recently, I have been conscious to let loose and doodle just for the sake of it. What’s your goal when you set about a new illustration? To make it as good as I can make it. To make sure it communicates as well as being something I genuinely want to draw, something I am excited by. Without passion it won’t work, it will have a flatness to it. This is what I like about the challenge of some commercial illustrations and commissions I may work on. Being able to find something within the brief that sparks your imagination, making it work for you, to ensure that what is created has soul to it. What's a typical day like for you? My days usually start off with having written a to-do list

the night before and then trying my best throughout the day to follow through with it all. I work from home usually but if I really want to focus, I’ll go out to a public work area and I have a couple of freelancer friends and sometimes we will stake out a table at a pub or coffee shop and work together. I suppose it’s the budget equivalent of having the shared studio space! What’s the biggest block to creativity for you? The main thing that blocks my creativity is simply when I’ve not allowed myself to be creative. It’s sounds so simple but it’s all too easy to get lost in something, and it may even be a project where you’ve been drawing all week! But for me ‘creativity’ is more than the act of creating itself. For a lot of times it can be very disciplined and precise, especially when working on commissions. True creativity is freedom of imagination, and randomness, it’s your inner child running around and causing havoc. So I’ll always remind myself to let loose on a personal project or just make a mess with paint and break up the routine a bit to ward off any creative blocks. OK let’s talk about that wave … If we’re not wrong, it’s a of reimagining of a famous image, no? Indeed it is, The Great Wave of Hokusai is one of the most celebrated pieces of Japanese art. And taking something so recognisable and injecting a different narrative to it was something that has really resonated with people. The shapes of the white surf in the original image were a perfect canvas, they had always seemed quite threatening to me, with the sharp spiked shapes of the wild water. So turning those into plastic bags echoed the threat I originally felt. The piece represents something of the past, something that also represents the untouched beauty of nature and how I’ve propelled it into the modern age, to warn and highlight what is to come if we continue, as we have. What’s next for you Nic? I’m planning more murals this year, and am particularly excited about one for the Migration Matters Festival in Sheffield with the aim of highlighting a positive message to the community. Mostly keeping my shop stocked with prints and drawing, drawing, drawing, I’m currently looking for an agent too, so give me a shout if you know anyone! I also have an exciting new project that I look forward to sharing in March. Watch this space. www.nicmacillustration.com

artsake

the one you carry.

upsidedownside.

people

You’ve worn many hats in your life including circus performer, champion skateboarder, ‘godfather of the New York club scene’, and the owner of Townhouse here in Bali. Not so long ago you reinvented yourself yet again. How did your most recent transformation come about? This chapter started about seven years ago when I was winding down my New York club life. I’d been working and partying in the club scene for more than 30 years and needed to slow down and lead a healthier lifestyle. I was introduced to cold pressed juicing and raw vegan foods by my partner Marcus at the Juice Press and I knew I wanted to follow this healthier path moving forward. So when I moved to Bali six years ago, I opened a juice bar at Townhouse and we had some success with it, but Bali wasn’t quite ready for juicing then. After Townhouse closed, it was the first time in my life I wasn’t working nights, so I started getting up at dawn visiting farms and learning about organic farming. I decided to revisit the juicing with In the Raw, and the timing was right.

You’re a huge champion of organic farming here in Bali. Can you tell us a bit about the work you’ve been doing with that? Organic farming is relatively new here, though there are a handful of producers who have been doing it for a while. As I travel around the island meeting farmers, cooperatives and government officials, the reality is that organic farming is complicated, difficult and expensive. For example, organic certification can cost up to $10,000 to $12,000. There’s no way a local farmer can afford this, so cheaper local certification is necessary. Next, without pesticides produce gets eaten by bugs and damaged easily, so we have to make our own natural pesticides. Getting produce from farmers who cannot transport what they grow daily to buyers is also an issue. I’m proud to say we have a network of farmers that grow completely organic for us and we guarantee to buy and transport their produce, so by the time this comes out, all of our juices and most of the restaurant produce will be 100 percent organic produce.

Tell us a bit about the ethos behind In the Raw Beachgarden. We hand-make everything, so nothing comes out of a bottle. There are no preservatives and wherever possible we use organic produce and try to source everything from local producers. We know where everything comes from and do our best to see that it’s ethically grown or raised, and we go the extra mile to steer clear of anything plastic. In fact, we’re currently making cool, light carry bags and shoulder bags to give away so everyone can carry one in the car or bike. Bali is our collective home and as business leaders we must do all we can to minimise our footprint here and lead by example.

We often hear you say that it’s all about balance, and that sentiment is also ingrained in Balinese culture. However, Bali’s ecosystem doesn’t seem to be very balanced at the moment. What do you think the most pressing issues are now? Bali is suffocating in trash and single-use plastic. It’s insane to me how there is no real trash and recycling system. Some of the poorest third world countries have better recycling and waste management systems than Bali, a wealthy tourist destination. The new governor seems to be serious about cleaning Bali up, so that’s a positive development. It has to change. The terrible images of Bali’s beaches and ocean covered and drowning in plastic went worldwide. All Bali businesses must be responsible and Bali communities have to stop using single-use plastics and reuse and recycle.

How have you seen perceptions shift in Bali when it comes to earth-friendly fare and business practices? We have a long way to go, but it’s definitely going in the right direction. The recent ban on plastic bags is a huge step forward, and the young generation is leading the charge. Everyone must do their bit, however small or inconvenient at first, to change old habits. I see many businesses making the effort to be responsible, like saying no to straws and plastic take-away materials, but these are mostly foreign-owned businesses that are aware and have the budget for alternatives. This has to trickle down to local warungs and all businesses, as the plastic culture along with massive pesticide use needs to be addressed and remedied.

What do you see as some of the solutions to those issues? There are a lot of new initiatives coming out by individuals and bigger companies. We work with Alex Tsuk of RefillMyBottle, Christian Fritz at ecoSmart Hub, Anastasia and Bluemoloko for carry nets for reusable bottles, Hugo of DFMP and his beach cleaning initiative, Holy Water for their reusable carry bottles and water alkalising systems, and Adrian Reed and Mark Copeland with Earth Ledger. All of these initiatives together help turn the tide. But there still needs to be more awareness at the school level to help people understand it’s in

their best interests to change now. If we all make small changes, it will have a massive impact. We are all guilty of being part of the problem, so we just have to try to be better every day in every way possible. In an ideal world, how would you envision Bali 20 years from now? I like to be positive about the future and not a grumpy old expat like those who crow, “You should have been here back when. Now it’s ruined.” I think Bali has a way of adapting to pretty much anything in its own unique way. Bali’s culture, community and religion are the glue that holds it all together. I hope and think Bali will develop more responsibly. In the future I see more restrictions on construction and proper waste management. I think the new generation sees the mistakes that have been made in the rush to develop Bali and will change things for the better. It’s always going to be busy and that’s good for the entire economy of Bali, but the standard of living should reach all corners of the island without harming nature. You’re living proof that if we put our minds to it, we can all make changes to better our lives and the world around us. What advice would you give others who also want to shift gears? Have the courage to follow your dreams and make a life that generally makes you and if possible others around you happy. It’s not easy to make change and step into the unknown, but if you never try, you’ll never know. At this time in the world, it’s never been easier to just up and follow your dreams. That ‘work 30 years in the same job and get the big house and picket fence’ carrot is done and dead. Go on an adventure and try something you’ve always wanted to do. When you love your work, it’s never work. What does the future hold for Mad Mark Baker? Bali! Honestly I’m so happy here and excited to see the potential for change and how we can play a positive role in helping to bring healthy sustainable options to everyone. I think Bali is going to become one of the world’s leading places for health and next-level wellness. I’m just so happy to be here at this moment doing what we are doing and spending every minute of my days with my best friend … my wolf dog Merlin. What could be better than that? www.facebook.com/intherawbali

pioneer mark baker introduced cold press juice to bali, one of many firsts in a life well lived.

hats off.

people we caught up with Indonesian designer, model, actress and environmental activist Fahrani Empel (Faâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;) to talk inspiration, eyewear and the birth of her son Matahari-Biru Anzus Pawaka-Sloth.

fa' and son captured on film by viktor sloth @viktorsloth.

Fa', it’s been a while and several dozen tattoos since we last spoke … what have you been up to? I've relocated to Berlin after my 10th year in Bali, five summers ago to be exact. The initial idea was to mingle with different mindsets, to understand the mentality and value of Northerners, to experience the change of seasons emotionally – and to actively explore different avenues of my creativity. I went from happy land, the sunshine, shirtless island, into a dark and gritty corner of the world. I dove in deep, and re-birthed my company PAWAKA in the city. I also recently just got married and have been blessed by a little sun. We named them* Matahari-Biru Anzus Pawaka-Sloth. Can you tell us about the process of transformation you’ve been through since you were younger… have you changed inside as well as out? I think the most significant change that has happened to me came from the inside out. The outside only shows the internal evolutions. Once I had moved on from the endless summer in Bali it just felt like I started a new chapter in my life – adulthood. Being in a "cold" place really shifts a lot of one’s perspectives and priorities. For the better. Who is cutting your hair these days? I have a friend in Berlin who does my hair, but when I am on the road I usually go to any barber in the area, I’m not so fussy about it. I always know what I want to do with it, it's not that difficult to instruct someone to get it done, especially with my short hair. You’re here at the moment, right? And shooting a movie ... what’s the story there? I was – I literally just left as I'm typing this back to you. My work partners and I came for a film production in Bali, our very first short to be premiered during Berlin Gallery Weekend in April this year. We are trying to capture the dark/light of the spirit world in a contemporary way, based out of our collaborative art piece, but keeping it sincere at the same time. It’s a project initiated by the artist Max Gartner, in collaboration with DUENDE and myself. The title is GHOSTSANDGODS. On the last day of production I gave birth to our first child in Ubud, two months early during a full moon. It was a very hectic moment in my life as we were meant to fly back to Berlin a few days later. So we were stuck in Bali for four months, being away from home, where I thought I was going to deliver my baby, and absolutely unprepared for the arrival. It was the divine plan all along, so we surrendered to it. Now the dust has finally settled, I can take a breather on the surface and answer this interview :) Your sunglasses and optical brand is rocking it … where did the name PAWAKA come from, and how has the business grown? PAWAKA is a name that my grandfather was given during World War II as his secret code name. He then adopted it as his last name, so I am a third generation Pawaka. The name in Sanskrit means Fire. We are about to get

into phase two in the business, expanding into Asia, Australia and the Middle East this year. It's been a crazy hard ride these last three and a half years and I am lucky enough to have solid souls building quality structure around it. How do you see the state of the world right now? It makes me nervous. I am not going to lie, but I remind myself to see it in a positive manner. It will get worse before we can heal as a planet. I think the bottom is not so far away. I try my best to create my reality without getting distracted by the rest of the world. How do you stay focused? I have to cut out many external distractions that come in different forms – energetically, physically and mentally. I have also learned to be a good friend to myself, that I don’t need anything except my breath, so I try to work on this. Breathing and meditation. This right here helps me go through some uncertain and hectic times and keeps me focussed on being present. Do you ever doubt who you are? If so how do you deal with that? I have an ability to remove things that don't serve me and move on. From memories, problems, to bad conscience. This serves me pretty well, I can quickly remove any negative notions and get on with life. I am rarely in doubt – my instinct guides me. Do you ever experience discrimination or criticism, as a woman, an Asian, or a fashionista? And if so has that always been while you’re abroad? Funnily enough the only discrimination and criticism I have had so far has come from my own people. I get it on a daily basis on my social media. Most of them criticize the way I go about my free life. It’s quite absurd actually, when the one thing that is free in this world is our life. I believe we must live it with the deepest truth of who we are. With no boundaries. For anyone who knows you, this is probably going to seem like a weird question, but we’re going to ask it anyway: is your appearance a weapon? I am aware that my appearance sparks many different reactions in people, and most of the time it’s a great conversation starter – a way to connect with others. I am not mad at it. What would you say to your 20-year-old-self today? Nothing at all. She has to go and get lost in order to find herself, and she will always manage. Fa', thanks so much for your time. www.pawaka.com @_pawaka_ *Fa' uses 'them' in the gender neutral sense.

people she survived communism, lost her mother, husband and son, is 77 and a fashion icon. luiz sanchez meets valerie von sobel. image: oscar munar.

The first thing I notice when I meet Valerie Von Sobel is her unbridled level of energy and mental alertness, which she attributes to being constantly curious. “Being engaged keeps you energized,” she says as we drink cold pressed juice. “Having a healthy level of self-respect made me become vegetarian 50 years ago, when I started exercising in earnest.” She may be a former actress and model, socialite and social philanthropist, yet Valerie is still referred to as a fashionista, and a fashion icon, something she considers a tad derisive. “Being a fashion ‘icon’ is a byproduct of dressing well and being unafraid,” she said. “Whoever coined the term fashionista should have enlightened us as to what that means. To me it sounds like a person fully occupied with appearances and trying too hard.” On the subject of fashion however, Valerie believes discerning between the mediocre and what is grand is a process of observation and learning what suits each individual. “That can only be taught to those who are curious and frankly, those that are do not need a teacher,” she said. “Anyone who has ever become good at anything usually began with an abiding interest in the subject. When you elicit a compliment on your hat it really says: you look good. Looking good is a combination of many elements, from being well groomed, understanding a bit about hair, makeup and skin, as well as proportions and colour. Using yourself as a canvas is either exciting to a person or it is not.” Her life goes far beyond fashion. Her passion for social and environmental concerns, her critical view of American politics and her critique on celebrity worship culture say much more about her than the often vapid and superficial world of dress-up. She has lived through more heartbreak and tragedy than most of us could ever cope with. Her life and hardship began in Hungary, where her family escaped the Hungarian communistera regime in 1956 and sought refuge in Canada before moving to the United States.

Her passion project today is the Andre Sobel River of Life Foundation, which she opened in 2000 in response to her son’s death in 1995. “It took me a few years after his death and my husband’s suicide, and my mother’s death between theirs to find some firm ground under me,” she says. “I wanted to find a mission to honour my son, and it came almost as a revelation on the eve of the new millennium. Could it have been worse than what I had experienced?”

cancer or helping orphaned children has better optics than financially supporting single parents so that they may spend more time with their dying children. Valerie is in a position where she frequently meets with the wealthy upper strata of American society, “and they don’t give a damn,” she says, “even when I write to them personally and in all seriousness, I won’t even get $100 from them. All the money goes into brick and mortar and research. In America it’s about naming opportunities.”

The foundation’s focus is on providing financial aid to single parents whose children are terminally ill. “One of the worst experiences any person can go through is not being able to be there for your children when they need you most, and when your child is dying, the last thing a parent should have to do is take on even more work to pay for their medical bills while their children are alone and suffering. There are hundreds and thousands just in the USA alone who have children like mine who from one moment to the next grew an inoperable brain tumor,” Valerie explained. “It is one of the largest-growing fatal pediatric illnesses.”

Her reaction to social media is no less brutal. A quick glance through Instagram proves her point. “Who is this?” she asks, opening a profile of an Instagram influencer with over five million followers. “What does she do? I mean she looks like an idiot and her commentary is idiotic.” Aside from a nice ass and an eye for well-framed selfie promoting some brand or another, not much. But every photograph has over 100,000 likes and nearly as many comments praising her. “There are new ways of communicating that are anti-thinking. We have forgotten certain things in the name of technology. Everyone wants a stupid dress worn by the duchess of Kaka, but people don’t think for themselves.”

Fund raising is not easy. Using her extensive list of celebrity contacts in America, Valerie has done her best to tug at the heart and purse strings of the rich and powerful and their followers. “It’s not a sexy issue for which to raise funds at all,” she lamented. “I have not been able to combine the two, and I have really tried because I think one should serve the other and it makes a more complete authentic picture of who you are by my age.” Her charity doesn’t have a happy ending. It’s about helping single parents to better cope with the darkest days of their life. There are no smiles, no cures . . . this means donors are more reluctant to help. “This cause is not supported by the public, and will not survive if it isn’t.” This is sad but true. The brand value of a celebrity is influenced by many factors, one of which is the type of charity a celebrity supports. Typically, feel-good causes with a promised happy ending does far more for a brand than charities such as Valerie’s. Supporting a cure for

“None of us are guilt-free,” Valerie continued. “We take the lowest and shortest roads as human beings, but there are some things that are so blatantly wrong and I have the benefit of perspective. I am nearly 78 years old. I’ve seen a different world where scholarship was honored. You could go to the small apartment of a scholar and offer them food in honour of those who have spent their entire lives in pursuit of knowledge. This has disappeared, now we just Google the thing and we take the top froth of the layer and suddenly we are experts.” In the age of the internet, celebrities are made every day. “Many of these people have nothing to offer and do nothing to be admired, but they have millions of followers,” she said. “It’s very fucked up.” www.compassioncantwait.org

"It's all so fucked up."

people

Alex Tsuk meets the inimitable Iceman, Wim Hof.

the other hof.

There are surely few more extraordinary men than Wim Hof. Known as 'The Iceman', this Dutch father of six is famous for pioneering a groundbreaking breathing technique that allows him – and his disciples – to withstand intense cold. And by intense, we mean intense. The man has broken 26 world records – including one for the longest ice bath. In 2007 he climbed almost to the top of Mount Everest wearing nothing but shorts and shoes, failing only due to a recurring foot injury. A year later he broke his previous world record by staying immersed in ice for one hour and 13 minutes. He’s also climbed Mount Kilimanjaro in only shorts, completed a marathon above the Arctic Circle in Finland in temperatures of -20 degrees and in 2011 broke his endurance record once again by sitting in ice for almost two hours. It’s hardly surprising the world considered him nothing more than a rather eccentric ‘extreme athlete’ for 25 years, but today he is the subject of international recognition for his breathing techniques which he says teach people to live a life free from fear.

rapid pace thirty times. Hof says that this form of hyperventilation may lead to tingling sensations or light-headedness. After completion of the 30 cycles of controlled hyperventilation, take another deep breath in, and let it out completely. Hold the breath for as long as possible. When strong urges to breathe occur, take a full deep breath in. Hold the breath for around 15-20 seconds and let it go. The body may experience a normal head-rush sensation. These three phases may be repeated for three consecutive rounds. Going into an ice bath could seem uncomfortable but for Wim, the goal is the exact opposite: “We are not seeking discomfort but finding real comfort, comfort of the mind. Out of the comfort zone, there is real comfort with yourself.” “The real control of the mind is learning to let go and have your feelings augmented, past the narrowed consciousness, the way we were told.”

Not only that but he believes his methods can alleviate symptoms of many auto-immune illnesses including multiple sclerosis, arthritis, diabetes, depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder and cancer. “With a simple breathing technique,” he says, “we have now changed the science books. We can win the war against cardiovascular disease and allow people to access their autonomic nervous system. They said it was not possible, but it is.”

Scientists say only 15 to 20 percent of our brain is in our wishful control. “We learn a lot of stuff in our schools, all this unnecessary useless data in our brain that takes a lot of space. We go to work and then one day we ask ourselves: why am I here? War is all over the news and the world is always on the edge of collapsing. But it is not who we are: innocent, nice, good people. We can return to innocence, be the way Mother Nature made us.”

Teaching breathing and cold exposure here in Bali, I decided to go to Poland and join the Wim Hof winter expedition, where participants get to immerse themselves in an ice bath and frozen rivers, climb a mountain in their shorts and get to connect and learn with the man himself.

“Control of the mind is making yourself go inwards, consciously tapping into the subconscious part of the brain, the reptilian brain. The grey atmosphere. Reconnecting with yourself, your health and your strength gives you the key to open the door and unlock the power of your own mind.”

It’s an intense experience that attracts a curious band of people, all of whom have travelled out of their comfort zone to learn from Wim Hof, who believes that we are able to regulate every part of our body with our brain and our breath, enabling us to withstand extreme cold. “When you go into an ice bath,” he says, “you feel the cold but the cold is just the trigger: it activates your soul!”

And once you know how to access the control room, you can go anywhere. Wim Hof continues: “It is a revolution in mental healthcare – a new way to treat depression, PTSD, bipolar, anxiety, sleep issues. We can now face all our demons, make friends with them, treat them like babies.”

And this is really what the Wim Hof method is all about. He offers a practical toolkit to reconnect at a cellular level with ourselves, to feel into our bodies, to be present and aware of what is happening inside our brains. “We have found the direct link between nature and our soul,” he says. There are many variations of the Wim Hof Method, but the basic version consists of three phases: controlled hyperventilation, exhalation and breath retention. The first phase involves 30 cycles of breathing. Each cycle goes as follows: take a powerful breath in, fully filling the lungs. Breathe out by passively releasing the breath, but not actively exhaling. Repeat this cycle at a steady

“We live in a society driven by fear and when we operate from an unpleasant emotion base, we cannot access true happiness. Fear comes when we are not fully in control of what is happening in our own brain. Most people who don’t know about it are like babies. Nothing wrong with their legs – they just don’t know how to walk yet. You can learn how to walk.” That’s when the breathing becomes a tool for deeper clarity: “What was complicated is going to be simple, what was heavy is going to be light.” Alex Tsuk is leading breathing and cold exposure workshops inspired by the Wim Hof method and other pranayama techniques. www.breathingcold.com

people

real-housewife-turned-hotelier sally bloomfield overcame adversity to fill her life to the brim.

Sally, your Instagram bio says that you’re a mother, hotelier, designer and … comedian … so now you have to tell us a joke! Sure can . . . but you forgot that 'Supermodel' is also on my bio! So anyway, someone asked Jim: “Now that you are retired, do you still have a job?” He replied: “Sure do. I am my wife’s sexual adviser." Somewhat shocked they asked: “I beg your pardon, but what do you mean by that?" He said: “My wife told me that when she wants my fucking advice, she will ask for it!” Seriously though you always seem so joyful in photographs. What’s your secret? Alcohol. I always ply myself before taking a shot (pardon the pun). You’re well known on the island … what brought you here in the first place? I have been coming to Bali for about 35 years (obviously I was two when I first discovered the island – wink wink) and moved here in 2012. I now divide my time between here and Melbourne. I introduced my husband to Bali about 17 years ago and he fell in love with the island and the people and we decided we would move here one day and hopefully open a hotel. Bloomfield opened November 2017. Unfortunately he passed away before our dream was realised. You’re known in Australia primarily for your appearance on The Real Housewives of Melbourne. How was that as an experience? I had a ball filming the show. I was already building the hotel and had two other businesses at the time so I was kept pretty busy. It was a great way to take my mind off the fact I had just lost Ian. I was welcomed into the RHOM family and got along with most of the girls, well that was until our trip to Mexico where it all went downhill with one particular

cast member, but that was bound to happen at some stage of shooting and I took it all in my stride. I had too much going on to let it bother me. It said more about the other cast member than it did about me. Did you at any point think: what the hell am I doing on this show? No, not at all. I am made of pretty tough stuff and I try not to regret decisions that I make. You just have to be your authentic self and let the chips fall where they may. I think in the end I was portrayed pretty well and it was a great experience for me. Would you ever consider making your own reality TV show? Ha, no thanks. I think one series is enough. Then again, never say never! Do you ever miss the magazine game? You were Melbourne editor of Harper’s Bazaar for a time. Yes, I was the Melbourne Editor for three and a half years! The hotel industry is my passion now. I will always look back on my time at Harper’s as a great experience and I had a ball while I was working there. It also gave me an insight in to how that industry works, which is helpful where I am now. Do you consider yourself famous? To be honest I forget that I was on the show until someone mentions it. Had I not had any other interests before filming perhaps it would be my world, but day to day I am still surprised when someone comes up to me to talk about Housewives. I have to admit though that I do love a little taste of fame and it’s great for business! How’s the hotel doing? The hotel is fantastic and I am surrounded by such an amazing team. We are currently looking to open

another one and possibly two in the coming year and beyond. We have a good formula and I would like to see it grow and become a great boutique brand. I would like to do a beachside hotel and possibly a more jungle experience and then perhaps branch outside Bali… What’s the best thing about being in the hotel business? What’s the worst? The best thing is definitely conceptualizing, designing and building the business and watching it grow. The worst is how many other hotels you are competing against and those pesky volcanoes that keep erupting! What is it that keeps driving you forward? I have two beautiful boys – Nico who is 16 and Jules who is 10 – and they are my motivation on a daily basis. I want to inspire them and let them know after a terrible loss that life does go on and for them to see that their Mum is a survivor and I am following my passion in life. And finally … what’s next for Sally Bloomfield? Possibly filming the fifth season of Housewives, opening a new hotel and writing a book. I started a book some time ago and when time permits I would like to finish it. I also have a fashion/accessories brand that is chugging along. I think that will do for now! Thanks for your time! You are most welcome. www.bloomfieldbali.com @sallybloomfield

field of dreams.

yak fashion

Photographer: oscar munar @oskarmunar Models: arielle, lilia @balistarz stylist: Angie Anggoro @glamazoid makeup: elle @shkurka hair: yessi @baliweddinghair

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omnibus

DENY DENY DENY more people in america believe climate change is a hoax than anywhere else on the planet.

gava fox takes on the climate change deniers.

In February 2015, Jim Inhofe ‑ chairman of the powerful United States Senate Committee on the Environment ‑

But there is an overwhelming consensus among scientists

against the American people" and attempted to debunk the

global warming real, but it is human-caused increases in

called global warming "the greatest hoax ever perpetrated alleged myth by tossing a snowball across the Senate chamber floor.

There shouldn't be snowballs in Washington in February, you see, so any suggestion that the earth was getting warmer was clearly a falsehood.

More recently, President Donald Trump has repeatedly scoffed at the idea that global warming was a thing,

-- particularly experts in climate -- who say not only is carbon dioxide emissions that are contributing the most to it.

A consensus in science is different from a political one in that there is no vote. Scientists give up arguing

because the sheer weight of consistent evidence is too compelling, the tide too strong to swim against any

longer. Scientists change their minds on the basis of the evidence, and a consensus emerges over time.

especially when unseasonal cold snaps hit the United

Not only do scientists stop arguing, they also start

As a polar vortex struck across much of the country in

All science depends on what precedes it, and when

freezing the Niagara Falls ‑ Trump tweeted: "Amazing how

acknowledges the work of others through citations ‑ a

States.

January ‑ setting record-low temperatures and completely big this system is. Wouldn't be bad to have a little of that good old fashioned Global Warming right now!"

It isn't the first time Trump has conflated weather with climate.

Weather, of course, is the day-to-day state of the

atmosphere and its short-term variation in minutes to

weeks. Climate is the weather of a place averaged over a period of time ‑ usually 50 years or more.

It is astonishing that in this day and age there are

still people who believe climate change is a hoax, but

relying on each other's work.

one scientist builds on the work of another, they

concept best summed up by the brilliant Isaac Newton, who when asked about the source of his genius replied: "If I

have seen further than others, it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants."

The debate is similar to that which raged from the 1950s to 1980s over the effects of cigarette smoking on health. The first scientific studies linking smoking to lung cancer didn't emerge until the early 1950s, in Britain, but it took until 1964 before the US Surgeon General confirmed the relationship.

then there are also tens of thousands of people who

Still, powerful tobacco lobbies in countries around the

never existed.

their own experts to counter suggestions there was a

believe the earth is flat ‑ and even more that dinosaurs

And nowhere on earth are these views more widely held

world continued to argue against the link, wheeling out scientific consensus on the issue.

than in the United states.

As scientific evidence mounted in the 1980s, tobacco

The Republican Party in particular is unique among

saying they weren't to blame as "how could they have

political movements across the Western world in denying climate change.

According to a leaked memo, strategist Frank Luntz

companies claimed contributory negligence ‑ effectively known" ‑ and health authorities around the world

generally sided with them, pressured by politicians fearful of losing the support of key donors.

advised members of the Republican Party "to make the lack

That all ended in the 1990s when the four largest US

science by "recruiting experts who are sympathetic to

suit worth $206 billion ‑ still the biggest in history ‑

of scientific certainty a primary issue" and challenge the your view".

There is nothing fundamentally wrong with challenging

tobacco companies settled a national class action civil

and agreed to a raft of changes that have transformed the industry.

science. Theories and hypotheses are meant to be

Another similar debate ‑ albeit less mainstream ‑

favor of more verifiable ideas.

vaxxers, who claim that vaccinations given to infants can

rigorously tested and if found wanting, cast aside in

surround the ridiculous campaign of so-called anti-

omnibus

cause autism and that children grow up with better health

endemic to the island.

Two centuries ago smallpox was rife across the world,

and leaving most of the survivors horribly pockmarked. The

about a population unable to tell the difference between

if their immune systems develop "naturally".

killing 30 percent of children who contracted the virus disease generally occurred in outbreaks, killing nearly half a million people a year in 18th Century Europe.

"what feels good, and what is true", and is therefore vulnerable to pseudo science or anti-intellectualism.

The English physician Edward Jenner devoted his life to

That ignorance, promoted by Trump and his fossil-fuel

in 1798. Less than 200 years later, the World Health

his followers, who swallow his line about cold weather

fighting it, finally developing the world's first vaccine Organisation declared the disease eradicated, the last naturally occurring case having been contracted by a

lobbyists, allows the US President to Tweet nonsense to disproving evidence of global warming.

hospital cook in Somalia in 1977.

Yet, as the highly respected New Scientist magazine

(In 2011, rinderpest â&#x20AC;&#x2018; a disease affecting cattle and

records were broken in January alone.

buffalo â&#x20AC;&#x2018; become only the second disease to have been

reported this month, nearly 40 all-time temperature

completely eradicated.)

Two weather stations in the US record recorded lows of

In 2000, measles was declared eliminated from the United

in Australia some 35 stations recorded all-time highs

States because internal transmission had been interrupted for over a year and any remaining reported cases were due to recent arrivals from abroad.

But then the anti-vaxx campaign took off, and the disease was back.

A 2005 measles outbreak in Indiana was attributed to

-36.1 degrees Celsius as the polar vortex struck, while including Noona in New South Wales, where the temperature

at night remained above 35.9 degrees Celsius â&#x20AC;&#x2018; the hottest night in Australia's history.

The mean temperature for January in Australia exceeded 30 degrees Celsius, the first time this has happened for any month in the country's history.

parents who had refused to have their children vaccinated,

All mathematical models, the magazine said, predict that

clusters of people who were unvaccinated due to their

should be equal, and new records occur less frequently

the three biggest outbreaks of 2013 were attributed to

philosophical or religious beliefs, while in January this year Washington state reported an outbreak of at least 36

confirmed cases of measles, most in an area rife with antivaxxers.

One proud anti-vaxx mother asked on Facebook for advice on how to protect her child from the outbreak. The replies were brutal.

"If only there was something that could protect against

contracting measles, like say a vaccine," said one person. "Have you tried 'thoughts and prayers'," said another. "I hear it works well for gun control too".

The idiocy isn't confined to people and their offspring.

in a stable climate, the number of hot and cold records over time.

Yet in 2018, 430 weather stations worldwide saw all-time

high temperatures and 40 saw all-time lows. This ratio is as clear a sign as any that the planet is getting warmer. After a Fox News poll last year suggested more than a

third of Americans were sceptical about climate change, the comedian-turned-commentator John Oliver responded:

"Who gives a shit? It doesn't matter. You don't need an

opinion poll on a fact. You may as well have a poll asking which number is bigger, five or 15? Or whether owls exist? Or are there hats."

The public scientist Neil deGrasse-Tyson possibly summed it up even more succinctly.

Christine Rena, who runs a popular kennel and cattery in

"I'm often asked if I believe in climate change," he said.

how she had to turn away two mutts from boarding because

gravity?"

Canggu, here in Bali, lamented on Facebook a few weeks ago their owners had refused to ever have them vaccinated

against rabies and other common canine viruses that are

"The Demon-Haunted World" Carl Sagan warned of a

descent by much of mankind into ignorance and worried

"Now I just reply with the question: Do you believe in

In 2018, 430 weather stations worldwide saw all-time high temperatures.

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Sanur I Ubud I Nusa Dua I Jimbaran ...where life is a private celebration MORE ABOUT US

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Bali is an Indonesian island known for its forested volcanic mountains, iconic rice paddies, beaches and coral reefs, all beautifully reflected throughout Impiana Private Villas Baliâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s three resorts ideally located within Seminyak and the natural beauty of Cemagi and Ubud.

CHANGE

THE TIDE IS FINALLY STARTING TO TURN AGAINST PLASTIC IN BALI.

stephanie mee SPOKE TO SOME OF THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE HELPED TO MAKE THE CHANGE.

image by pepe arcos.

CHANGE DISRUPTIVE INFLUENCE.

zerowaste He’s been called an artistic visionary, a champion of Indonesian culture, an industry disrupter and an entrepreneurial savant. You may also know Ronald Akili as the co-founder and CEO of one of Indonesia’s favourite lifestyle and hospitality brands, The Potato Head Family. And if you’ve ever been to Potato Head Beach Club or Katamama Hotel here in Bali, then you know that Ronald and his team are leading the way when it comes to sustainable sensibilities in the tourism industry. Conscious living is the ethos at these cutting-edge properties and can be seen throughout from the thousands of repurposed antique Javanese window shutters that flank Potato Head Beach Club to the hand-dyed Indonesian textiles that adorn the rooms at Katamama, sustainability workshops held at the resort, art installations made from recycled materials, zero-waste kitchens, and the PTT Family’s recent carbon neutral certification. We had a chat with the man behind the scenes to find out more about his commitment to provide good times and do good in the world. From the beginning, the Potato Head Family has focused strongly on sustainability and support for local communities. Can you tell us a bit about why this is so important for you? Desmond Tutu once said, “Do your little bit of good where you are; it is those little bits of good put together that overwhelm the world.” Even though we are a small company compared to global giants, as a lifestyle hospitality company we interact with around 10,000 people every day among our guests, colleagues, partners and stakeholders. So I started asking myself, “What if we are able to evolve hospitality not only as a service industry but as a catalyst for a greater change?” We can play a great role of being the mediator and curating solutions in ways that are more relevant and inspiring to our guests.

RONALD AKILI

How do you find the balance between offering a five-star experience and staying true to your earth-friendly goals? It’s our goal to prove these two objectives are not mutually exclusive. You can be earth-friendly while offering a five-star experience, and in fact, we’ve found that turning waste into beautiful, functional amenities and supporting responsible, local suppliers has only made Potato Head more dynamic. This is our ninth year and we’re facing much more competition, but our financial numbers have never been better. Our customers have never been more engaged and our team satisfaction has never been higher. We started seeing these positive results the moment we began this journey. In your opinion, what are the biggest issues Bali faces today when it comes to tourism and the environment? Our biggest concern is single-use plastics, which we banned across Desa Potato Head earlier last year. Now the government has put a ban on them island-wide, which we’re really excited about. Our ancestors used organic materials like banana leaves as packaging, so Bali wasn’t prepared for the amount of plastic tourism brought with it. But, ironically, we feel like tourism can be a vehicle that helps solve the problem. We showcase art installations made from waste around the desa, we have Sustainism Lab, an R&D workshop that guests can visit to see how we turn plastic and other waste into new materials, and we’ve gone beyond using bamboo or glass straws in all our F&B venues and built an entire restaurant (Ijen) out of recycled materials. These are just a few of the ways we’re showing guests that there are solutions to this crisis, in hope it will inspire them to make changes back home. This is a global problem, and if we don’t make this change, the consequences we pay will be much greater.

Potato Head Family was the first hospitality company in Indonesia to be certified as carbon neutral by the UN. What advice would you give to other businesses that want to follow in your footsteps? I think the easiest way to get started is bit by bit. Creating a fully circular, zero-waste company (which we’re aspiring to be) can sound daunting. We just began taking steps to reduce our environmental impact, and meeting the UN’s Climate Neutral Now standards was something we felt we could achieve. It also gave us the opportunity to look at our operations, and once we really dived in, we spotted other ways to reduce our impact. If you make it a focus, a company initiative and set realistic goals, the momentum just starts to swing in that direction and for us, at least, it’s a filter which we run everything through: is it sustainable? It seems you’ve gone above and beyond when it comes to eco-friendly initiatives, but we know you never rest on your laurels! What’s next for the Potato Head Family? Right now we’re working on the launch of Desa Potato Head, which is the unification of Potato Head Beach Club and Katamama, along with a new OMA-designed building opening later this summer. Ten years in the making, the desa will be a physical reflection of our ‘Good Times, Do Good’ ethos and will be as zero-waste as possible operationally, seamlessly blending sustainable living with music, art and design. Potato Head has evolved into a fully integrated lifestyle brand centred around the flagship village in Bali. Desa Potato Head will lead a new movement of modern sustainable living, reflecting a balanced lifestyle that is increasingly embraced on a global scale and will become the go-to brand for anyone looking to live a conscious lifestyle without compromising modern comforts. Amen to that. Ronald thanks for your time. www.ptthead.com

change

maitri, left, and sean. image oscar munar.

businessunusual You don’t have to be a local or long-time resident to see that Bali is changing drastically. Even first-time visitors can’t help notice rampant development taking place all over the island. Unfortunately change and development are inevitable in a popular tourist destination like Bali. However, one homegrown company believes that it doesn’t have to come at continuous cost to the environment. Entrepreneurs Sean Nino Lotze and Maitri Fischer grew up in Seminyak and Ubud respectively but met in Europe where Sean was studying sustainability economics and Maitri was studying geophysics and astrophysics. They instantly bonded and formed a friendship that would later develop into a shared mission to protect and preserve their childhood home. Sean says: “We grew up on the island and had the privilege of experiencing Bali in the 1980s and ’90s, a simpler time when the natural beauty and magic of Bali was everywhere. It is something we strive to continue.” In 2014, the duo founded Mantra, an environmental consulting company that focuses on the tourism industry. The team consists of specialists from Indonesia and abroad who help property owners build more sustainably. Their goals are to demonstrate the financial benefits of eco-efficiency and to give property owners the tools they need to meet eco-friendly goals and international green building standards. The experts at Mantra consult on everything from energy consumption to environmental system design and sustainable engineering. They provide property owners with audits in energy, water and waste and help implement systems to measure and manage sustainability. Over the years they have helped clients save millions of resources and up to 50 percent on water and energy costs.

Sean Nino Lotze and Maitri Fischer

Sean says: “Decision makers in business and government lose sight of the larger meaning of their work and the impact they have. It is natural for humans to become immersed in their daily activities and get caught up in their routines. We have been successful because we help leaders find the right environmental solutions on their own so that environmental management becomes their natural inclination.” Despite being a small company, Mantra boasts an impressive portfolio with clients like Waterbom, the Viceroy and Potato Head Beach Club. They are currently working with Atelier One and Andra Matin, and there are plans to do a project with the late Made Wijaya’s landscape team and the world-famous Frank Gehry and Turenscape. Sean says: “Business leaders of today are learning that they need to put forward lean, clean and cool new products that are environmentally friendly. You don´t see market leaders hanging their logos on gas guzzling and polluting technologies and experiences anymore. Perception is changing, especially among our youth, tomorrow’s biggest consumers.” In addition to helping corporate clients lessen their environmental footprint, Mantra also partners with local organisations like Merah Putih Hijau, which helps local communities build and maintain waste management infrastructure. Mantra supports the MPH approach and has enforced waste separation at each of their partner hotels and resorts. They share MPH’s belief that we can reduce the waste that goes to Bali’s landfill by up to 90 percent. Mantra also works closely with the Bali Water Protection Program to help save and protect Bali’s freshwater. They engage with businesses and communities to provide educational tools and engineering solutions for efficient water management and offer partners the opportunity to adopt a river or well. These rainwater-fed

gravity wells and filters act as rapid freshwater replenishment systems in critical areas around Bali. Another issue Sean believes is crucial right now in Bali is mobility and the planning of common space for transportation. He says, “On-going privatization is boxing up every space that once was vast and open for everyone to enjoy. Now we’re standing in traffic, boxed in between concrete walls, on tiny roads facing massive buses and trucks and breathing toxic exhaust fumes versus riding in the open with vast views and breathing fresh air. “This is actually an environmental problem and one that we can counteract. For example, there could be a land fund owned by the people that buys land and holds it in the name of the public. We could also build centralized multi-storey parking houses, develop village-scale alternative transportation modes, or enforce weekly bans for motorized vehicles. The public needs to start asking some tough questions.” Despite being deeply aware of the environmental issues Bali faces, Sean and Maitri are optimistic that citizens and users of resources are slowly becoming aware of their individual impact and that Mantra can be a force for change. Sean says: “It would help our future generations if we had a platform that promoted environmental literacy. How can we make future green leaders be more confident in their assumptions and help them gain confidence and grow movements that bring change? What kind of tools do they need from us? These are the questions we are really interested in.” www.eco-mantra.com

change

sayno2plastic Melati, you and your sister Isabel were just 12 and 10 years old respectively when you started Bye Bye Plastic Bags. In what ways do you think being young worked for you? When we started BBPB you have to remember we had no business plan, no strategy and no funding, but what we did have was a clear vision and LOTS of passion. This was definitely an innocent and maybe naïve way of thinking like children. To be honest, I think our age has been our greatest tool. It’s served as a powerful voice and a wake-up call for the older generation. We made things happen because “If not us, then who? If not now, then when?” After all, we kids may be only 25% of the world’s population but we are 100% of the future. What are the biggest challenges you’ve faced and how have you overcome them? We’ve had many ups and downs during our years campaigning. Our team sometimes struggled with long-term commitments because we wanted change NOW. And Bali is a very transitory island, so there were many people who came and went. Our funding was and still is a challenge, but we manage because people always want to help. And lastly, I guess connecting it to the first point of long-term commitment, it's been a challenge to balance the agenda of a teenager and that of a changemaker. BBPB has gone on to become a national and international movement with teams in over 35 locations across the globe. In your opinion, what are some of the key factors that have made the campaign so successful? We made it really fun for other young kids to join. We created a handbook or starter kit that took them through a journey of what it was going to be like, including the do’s and don’ts and how to’s. Also I really feel it’s the power of the younger generation. We know we can’t wait until we graduate high school to take action. It also really helps to have a network and a team of like-minded people. The 35 global team leaders are one of my favorite aspects of BBPB because they give me energy.

melati & isabel wisjen

You also founded the One Island, One Voice movement. Can you tell us a bit about that and the KOMITMEN campaign? One Island One Voice was created because we were building so much momentum with BBPB that we wanted to ensure everybody working towards the same or similar goals could use that momentum. Today OIOV is a people-powered movement that acts as an umbrella for like-minded organisations in waste management or prevention. With One Island One Voice, we quickly learned that we couldn’t just stop at saying no to single-use plastic bags. What about the straws, the bottles and the cups? So this is where the KOMITMEN campaign came in. We launched it in July 2018 and approached Bali-based businesses to join the movement. To date we have over 400 locations that have signed the KOMITMEN and made goals to eliminate single-use plastics. You must be elated that the governor of Bali has now banned single-use plastics on Bali. What are your thoughts on that? As you can imagine, our team is so happy! Finally after six long and hard years of campaigning, and thanks to the effort of many, Bali is where it is today. Of course there is still a lot to do, but our team at Bye Bye Plastic Bags is ready to do our best where we are needed. The consistency of implementing the regulation has us worried and how the right alternatives (and which ones) will be introduced. This is a great opportunity for young Indonesian entrepreneurs to jump on. In regards to the green movement, where would you like to see Bali in five years? We really believe that Bali can be an example for the rest of Indonesia and the world. We’re off to a good start with this ban on single-use plastic bags, but what’s next? We’ve learned that over the course of six years, the long-term solution is waste management, separation and collection. Hopefully in the next five years we’ll have that sorted out and the consumption of single-use plastics will be decreased significantly. Why not go back to banana leaves? Or become a hub for sustainable and zero-

waste lifestyles? Also we need to stop building over our nature, create more national parks and preserve Balinese traditions. You’re constantly on the go campaigning and sharing your message around the world. Where are you now and what are you working on? Right now we’re home in Bali. Bel is in her 11th year at high school and I’m on my GAP year. I start filming my documentary in a month and will be travelling to eight corners of the world to find other young changemakers. We’ve been travelling a lot, but for now we’re enjoying the super sunsets on Bali as much as we can. Do you have any big plans for 2019? Actually yes! We’ve been working on something really exciting for the past three years, and it’s all about youth empowerment. We’re about to launch YOUTHTOPIA, so fingers crossed and wish us good luck. More good things to come in 2019! Even though you’ve been successful in getting your message out, we know it can’t be easy fighting the good fight. What keeps you motivated and inspired on the tough days? Yes, it can be hard and lonely sometimes. I love seeing and learning about other people’s projects and ideas, so that keeps me hopeful. And if that doesn’t do the trick, then a kelapa muda and Netflix will help me over it. What advice would you give to other young people who want to get involved in making the world a better place? We’ve learned so many lessons, and that makes us want to share so many things. The most important one though is to find your passion. What is it that you really, really, really care about? What gets you excited? Find that one thing and go for it. Don’t forget the power of a team around you. Surround yourself with like-minded people to help you take your idea to the next level. And lastly, don’t forget to have fun. www.byebyeplasticbags.org

melati, left, and isabel. image: oscar munar.

change

gary the elder.

nosmallchange When you started Make a Change Bali in 2009, pollution wasn’t the hot topic it is today. What drove you to dedicate so much time and energy to a cause that wasn't really championed? In 2009, plastic was everywhere on the island. My brother Sam and I would paddle out on our surfboards and get plastic entangled in our arms or go for a run and have to jump over plastic on the beach. You naturally become very concerned with a problem when it’s right in front of you and affecting your own playground. Our first instinct was to clean up the beaches, so every Saturday or Sunday morning we would be on a different beach cleaning up. There were very few clean ups happening on the island at that time, so people were confused by what we were doing and even more so that teens were out with trash bags cleaning up. We were fuelled by energy, but above all a desire to protect the world that we were growing up in. Back then there were only a handful of young people getting involved in environmental issues on Bali, but today we’re seeing a huge uptick in young eco-warriors. Why do you think Bali has become such a hotspot for youth eco-activism? Here in Bali we’re seeing environmental issues front and centre. As a kid, when you’re learning about environmental issues in school and are exposed to the real impacts it has on your environment, you become more aware and want to be part of the solution. When we started in 2009, there were very few youth-driven movements on the island. In fact, we may have been the only ones tackling the waste problem. This was when the Green School was just getting started, and they went on to become such a pioneer in enabling kids to be sustainable leaders. This has had a snowball effect on all schools on the island becoming much more environmentally focused. In your opinion, what are the most effective ways to get the message out about pollution and encourage people to live more sustainable lifestyles? For us one of the best ways to reach the most people possible is through social media. Just by speaking about the cause you’re able to raise extensive awareness about an issue. I went on to study film to use the power of image as a tool for change. By combining short-form

Gary Bencheghib

videos and social media, especially in a country like Indonesia, which has the world’s biggest population of Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp users, we feel we can get messages out very rapidly. On your most recent expedition you circumnavigated Bali on a repurposed bamboo boat to raise awareness about marine plastic pollution and celebrate local communities taking action against the problem. What discoveries did you make on that journey? We learned that there is an existing awareness and many great initiatives active around the island including the West Bali National Park in Menjangan, the Bali Darlings, a community cleaning up remote beaches in Jembrana, and Serangan Bebas Plastic, a group of young boys cleaning up the mangroves of Serangan. These people are exposed to the problem firsthand and each group is coming up with ways to tackle it from organising trash walks, trash runs, trash bike trips and dives for trash. We also did micro plastic samplings all around the island at over 30 different sites, and in each of our samples we found alarming levels of micro plastic particles. It was a stark reminder that the problem is there. How optimistic are you about seeing real change in Bali and Indonesia when it comes to the environment? For the first time ever, we are now seeing political leaders in Bali take action to a new level and make the environment one of their biggest priorities. For example, Denpasar Mayor, Rai Mantra, has banned single-use plastic bags in Denpasar and our Governor, Wayan Koster, has announced a ban on single-use plastic bags, straws and styrofoam on an island-wide level by the next six months. As for Indonesia, the country really woke up to the plastic problem in 2018. Early that year, the government announced they wanted to reduce 70% of plastic ending up in the ocean by 2025. The Citarum River clean up has been a great pilot program to see how a country can utilise army force to make plastic pollution a national issue. The next steps will now be following these commitments in the long term.

What advice would you give other young people who want to get involved in eco-activism? You’re never too young to make a difference. As young activists, we often get lost in that, but persistence really pays off when it comes to making change happen. Over the course of the last 10 years, we’ve seen a huge increase in the amount of plastic on our beaches, but that hasn’t stopped us, it has only motivated us to go above and beyond and make it our life mission to battle this problem. Persistence involves finding new approaches to tackle a problem and never giving up. What were some of your greatest accomplishments in 2018? 2018 was a great year for us with so many international conferences being hosted on Bali and so many eyes on the island. We started the year with a garbage emergency that named Bali a trash island and that went global. With so many shocking images coming from Bali, the world, and in turn Bali, realised that we could not look away from the problem. Last year also marked the launch of the Citarum River clean up. Since then, over 7,000 military troops have been on a full-scale clean up to make the Citarum River’s water drinkable in the span of seven years. Since then, we’ve seen so many changes that we never would have expected including 70 factories being temporarily closed down due to wastewater dumping and villages adopting no-plastic policies. Do you have any big projects in the works for 2019? This is Make a Change’s 10th year, and also the year my younger brother Sam graduates from university, so he’ll be joining me full time. Our next big project is currently in prep mode for this summer. I can’t say too much about just yet, but keep an eye out on our social channels, as we launch on June 8th for World Oceans Day. www.makeachange.world

change

hanalei swan HanalEI, we know you’ve been active in many areas over the last few weeks. Where have you been and what are the messages you’ve heard on your travels? Over the last three weeks we have been in the United States for the winter X-Games styling the Olympic gold medalist in snowboarding, London for Fashion Week, Paris and Scotland. The message that I’ve been discussing is about the effects our choices have on the planet and how fast fashion is the #2 contributor to waste next to oil. More and more people are becoming aware of what we are doing and say they want to make change, but honestly most of them are not doing much about it yet. What is fast fashion and why is it so important to you? Fast fashion is when mass retail brands produce clothing at an ultra-fast pace, using low quality materials, low pay and poor working conditions for workers. I care about educating people on the damage of fast fashion because it’s contributing to the destruction of our planet, and if we don’t do something about it the future of our children and planet is going to be compromised. Fast fashion brands like Zara, Forever 21 and H&M are leading contributors. All on-purchased and on-used clothing is dumped into our landfills, and the dye they use goes into our water supply. Do think it is incumbent on today’s youth to get involved in climate change and why? Yes. If today’s youth don’t get involved we won’t have fresh drinking water. Today only three percent of the water on our planet is available for drinking and when these clothes are dumped into our landfills the dyes eventually contaminate it. Many of the underdeveloped countries don’t have adequate cleaning systems for the water. People are being harmed every day just by drinking it. What are you personally doing to get the message out about what’s going on our planet? I am sharing my message every day using the biggest platforms available, educating the world about our harmful actions. I travel the world speaking on stages in front of educated people and teach them about fast fashion and its harm. The more people learn that it takes over 700 gallons of water just to make a single cotton T-shirt and that

we will run out of drinking water if we continue at this pace the better chance we have at solving the problem. My company, HS STYLES, uses eco-friendly and life conscious materials like modal cotton, peace silk and bamboo to produce our clothing. We use a limited amount of dyes and recycle our materials. Our workers are treated like humans, not machines. We pay them quality wages, cover their food and accommodation so they work in a safe and happy environment. Happy workers create happy clothing. What can other young people do to get involved and change practices in the fashion industry? By understanding what they buy and the brands they buy from. Reading the labels and asking themselves first, “do I need this?” or “do I only want this?” How do you deal with people who say ‘you are just a child, you don’t know anything’. I just keep researching and educating myself. Knowledge is power and the more I know the less I care about what people say. I don’t care if I sell a lot of clothing. I just want people to make smarter choices. In what other areas can the fashion industry improve its reputation do you think? Through changing the standard for beautiful. We see all the models in the beauty standard as thin, tall, blonde hair, blue eyes. But what if we all could feel beautiful and the fashion industry showcased women and girls with different bodies that were all looked at as being beautiful? If you could address a roomful of the world’s leaders what would say to them? I would ask them how do they feel that the youth of this world is educating them on our future? I would tell them to look at their children and tell them what their planet will be like if we continue at this pace. That if they don’t take responsibility for the planet we live on and for the future of our families, then they will not have a planet to enjoy. Hanalei, thanks for your time. hanaleiswan.com #WEARSLOW

grown ups have failed us this bali-based 12-year-old travels the world educating older people on the dangers of fast fashion. we should listen.

hanalei swan, by ryerson anselmo for costes portrait.

change

resource alex, can you tell us a bit about how you got into eco-activism, and in particular as it relates to tourism? I have over 20 years' experience in hospitality and have witnessed first hand the negative impact tourism can have on local communities and the environment. While living in Laos, I led a workshop with small eco-minded hoteliers from Myanmar and realized there was no real platform to promote eco-resorts, so I decided to build BookGreener. I researched and listed about 5,000 eco-friendly properties around the world and learnt a great deal about what made them eco-conscious. In Bali I became fascinated by the Balinese sense of community and the Tri Hita Karana philosophy, which promotes harmony between people, nature and god. Inspired, I decided to build a community of business change makers in Indonesia called BGreener. I believe in the power of community as a way to shape the world. BGreener members aim at making a positive impact on local communities and the environment. They know they have to preserve the very reason people come to these places. In your opinion, what are the biggest issues Bali faces right now when it comes to tourism and the environment? The ever-growing number of visitors is putting a lot of pressure on Bali’s limited resources and space, so water scarcity is a major issue. According to a report by the Bali Water Protection Programme, the island’s water table has dropped more than 50 metres in some areas in less than 10 years. This is alarming when you think about how many Balinese people rely on agriculture. Plastic is another major issue that many people are now aware of. Not enough is being done of course, but the recent ban on plastic bags is wonderful news and the local government should be praised for it.

alex tsuk

With BGreener we launched www.refillmybottle.org, which includes a map of where you can refill your water bottle, offering an alternative to single-use plastic bottles. Your projects focus on making it easier for tourists to travel more consciously. What are some of the most effective ways travellers can become more eco-friendly? • Travel less. Take time to discover the places you visit rather than running from one Instagrammable spot to the next. • Measure your carbon footprint. Write down how many plastic bags you use, how many straws, take away containers, litres of petrol, kw of electricity, miles in the air, kg of meat, etc. The simple act of taking notice of your impact will make you want to reduce it. • Speak up. When you witness a business doing something good, praise the staff and the owner. Faming is more efficient than shaming! Mention it on social media and inspire other businesses to follow. • Bring your own eco-friendly soaps and products. • Be curious of others. • Eat less meat. • Use public transport or share rides. • Eat local food. • And of course, carry a refillable water bottle, download the RefillMyBottle App and join the #refillution What benefits do businesses gain from joining communities like BGreener and RefillMyBottle? BGreener members meet once a month to connect with other business owners and brainstorm social and environmental solutions in their area and globally. Topics of discussion could include ecoconstruction, impact on communities, zero-waste, improving online reputations, supporting local entrepreneurs or how to recruit better. It’s a great way to get inspired and connect with like-minded

business owners. With RefillMyBottle any business in the world can be listed on the app if they offer a refill station. Although it’s still relatively new, it has already spread to 10 countries, and the owners of the refill stations often connect to discuss local environmental and social issues. How optimistic are you about the future of the green revolution in Bali? Bali is a very powerful place and every day I meet incredible people who are dedicated to building communities and spreading better practices. At our BGreener meet-ups I see entrepreneurs brainstorming ways to collaborate and support each other’s initiatives and scale good ideas. So many entrepreneurs believe that doing good and doing well go hand-in-hand, and I truly believe that whatever you give will come back to you, often in ways you don’t expect. Do you have any exciting new projects on the horizon? We just started Togetheraid.com, a website and app that connects donors directly to beneficiaries after natural catastrophes. The idea came about following the recent Indonesian earthquakes. After each earthquake, we created the Facebook groups Lombok Earthquake Relief and Sulawesi Earthquake and Tsunami Relief. Right away we received so many messages from people who wanted to donate to the survivors, so we put together a Google map of the main NGOs that were on the ground helping. Togetheraid.com is still in the infancy stage and anyone keen to get involved in this project is welcome. www.refillmybottle.com www.bgreener.org www.togetheraid.com

alex tsuk by oscar munar.

CHANGE

rainforestpavillion If you attended any of the last three Wonderfruit festivals, you may have come across Rainforest Pavilion, a brilliant arts and entertainment platform that aims to make saving our rainforests fun and sexy by combining music, art, and dialogue in one immersive space. This year the Rainforest Pavilion brought together DJs and performers from around the world, ecological speakers from the IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature), vendors, artists, and scientists to celebrate rainforests and raise awareness about their destruction. They also raised enough funds to purchase 404 hectares of rainforest in Kalimantan for conservation through Rainforest Trust. We caught up with Rainforest Pavilion founder Alex Joy to find out more about this unique platform and the issues that are most important to them. Alex, how did you get involved in eco-activism and rainforest conservation in particular? I was brought up with rainforest conservation. My father was very active in battles to save the temperate rainforests around Victoria, British Columbia, where I grew up. My parents also brought me to live in the rainforests of Sarawak when I was about six. The whole family went on long treks and lived with the Dayak people, who shared their ways of dance, hunting, art and thriving in the forest. So I developed a deep appreciation for forests from a young age. How did Joy Collective and the Rainforest Pavilion come about? Founded in 2016, Joy Collective came about when I realised what an interesting network of people I knew and how if I could unify people from different sectors and industries towards common causes we could really have an impact. Rainforest Pavilion grew out of this and is the first project of Joy Collective. When I first experienced Wonderfruit festival and learned about their ethos, I was eager to get involved in something in the music industry that went beyond just the good times. I pitched the Rainforest Pavilion concept and the festival curator and founders liked it. Then I actually had to pull it off, so I shared the idea with my Bali fam, Halim and Tina Ardie. They also loved the concept and threw themselves at it fully. Now it’s three years later and we’re still growing. The process has brought me together with so many interesting,

alex joy and the collective

dedicated people. It’s a really good feeling when something grows organically in an industry that has become almost overwhelmingly about hype. One of your goals is to make saving the rainforest fun and sexy. Why is that important? For something to become popular in the 21st century world of selfies and chronic vanity it simply must be sexy. Imagine if saving rainforests was seen as a symbol of prestige the same way a fancy car or handbag is. If saving the environment was the ultimate status symbol, imagine the steps that we would be taking to preserve ecosystems rather then exploit them to buy other status symbols. What are the most critical issues right now regarding rainforest conservation in Indonesia? Like many countries, Indonesia has many issues when it comes to rainforests including lack of foresight and enforcement of laws, population pressure, and irresponsible agricultural practices. In some areas Indonesia is improving with deforestation rates going down. This is due in part to a proactive fight against land clearing to fight the haze issue as well as market pressure on palm oil to be produced without deforestation. Indonesia actually has progressive laws to prevent deforestation of original forests and most major palm oil retailers and manufacturers have made zero deforestation pledges, so if we can hold them to this, Indonesia could become a leader in conservation. To date, what are your biggest accomplishments with Joy Collective and the Rainforest Pavilion? The last installation at Wonderfruit festival was our biggest accomplishment. At the previous site we were working with an existing structure by Thai architect Duangrit Bunnag so we didn’t have to build the actual structure. This year we worked with designer Matteo Messervy and builder Mana Sarewong to build it from the ground up using bamboo and an open-plan design featuring nature as the backdrop. It was challenging, but also liberating. Also, the proceeds this year will also lead to the support of 404 hectares of forests. This is 100 times more land then previous efforts!

How optimistic are you about the future of Indonesia’s rainforests? It’s very hard to say right now. The past 50 years have been devastating for Indonesia’s forests. For example, Papua has the most massive tracts of forests in Indonesia, but there is a lot of industrial development slated for Papua. We have long identified extremely destructive industrial practices that have detrimental effects of human life as a whole, but we have an economy that rewards these destructive practices. Until we can evolve to a new value system, there isn’t a lot of hope for rainforests. Globally we are seeing a stark increase in deforestation, including the USA, Brazil, Russia, Eastern Europe, and embarrassingly in Canada (my home country). As these ancient trees become rarer, their timber also becomes more valuable. In my view all original forests should be protected. I’m not suggesting the end of forestry, far from it, just an end to taking from ancient rainforests that stand at far less then half of what they once were. To date only two countries that I know of have taken this step: New Zealand and Thailand. That being said, one of the great connections I’ve made through Rainforest Pavilion has been with with Dr David Gaveau. I’m impressed with the work he is doing with CIFOR, which is mapping in detail what is happening with deforestation in Indonesia focusing on one island at a time. This is a working model for Kalimantan now and shows the slowing of deforestation rates in recent years, so there seems to be some progress. Are there any big plans on the horizon for Joy Collective and the Rainforest Pavilion? Yes! We’re releasing the music recorded at the Rainforest Pavilion last year as a mixcloud series and 100 per cent of the proceeds will go to rainforest conservation. We are also planning a Rainforest Pavilion in Vancouver to bring attention to the shocking increase in deforestation of ancient forests there in the recent years, and fundraising and planning for the 2019 pavilion at Wonderfruit. It’s going to take a lot of work to reach my goal of preserving five million hectares of rainforest, but I’m confident it can be done. www.facebook.com/rainforestpavilion www.facebook.com/wonderfruitfest

group hug. image jason reposar.

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ano mac and the deus crew sought out a remote corner of Indonesia to shake off the tyranny of modern day life. images: Harry Mark.

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travel "Hour after hour we take wave after wave until I reach my fill."

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The sounds from out my window is a village mixture of quiet, construction hammers and birds. The odd scooter winds in and out of ear shot and the tempo is set to the whir of the fan. There is a certain pureness to it that you don’t find back in the metropolitan muddle. We are finally in a place that offers the chance to decompress. It allows us that spare moment to wallow in the tranquil, meet and greet with the local people. And there are the quiet moments where I get the chance to reacquaint with our self.

with different mates are laced up along different tacts. One thread takes a pregnant pause as I capture a wave and then slowly paddle back out to the lineup. I start up another hot topic with someone else before my old pal from before comes back out. I throw in some more thoughts I’ve had with a sentence or three on the thread of before, then acknowledging the unspoken word that the next one is mine, I spin my board around and paddle for the wave, throwing one last pertinent point back over my shoulder as I am picked up and carted away.

Most surf trips these days end up being frantic adventures. No downtime nor relaxing. Chasing swells that start on a screen as brightly coloured lines in the seas well south of Africa. Lines that grow up to become massive waves carrying with them a burden of consequences as they crash upon reef and rock. The frantic stressed travel. Tickets booked, bags packed and bolting out the door to make it in time. Convoluted flight plans that leave you sleeping on airport floors. Nothing coasts, the whole thing is a frantic 100 miles an hour.

And so, the day goes. Hour after hour we take wave after wave until I reach my fill. I flick off one and decide it’s my last. I’m near the shore, I simply plop straight down, sitting in the shallows. The hours of exertion have left me tired but with it there is also a lightness. I know what it is without looking. I’m lessened of the urban burden, after only a day in it seems to have lifted as quickly as the coolness of morning disappears here. The wet season feeds us a personal body compress that the warm waters don’t seem to lessen. But its embrace is empowering. I collect my board and wits, traipse up the sand and retire to sit on the shore in the dappled light landscape of tree strewn shade and watch mates satisfy the more.

This time it’s going to be different. We’ve set our sights on a scenic spot because beauty is part of the mental picture I’ve painted. This is the search for small and perfect rather than the chase for gigantic and menacing. This is the antithesis of what a surf trip has become. In this rash of rapture, we arrive where time stops and small perfect waves peel past the point. One after another. Time after time they break in the same spot. The same way. We get to do it over and over again. Calm is bestowed through repetition. We’re a weird medley of mates, made up of friends and some ring ins who just happened to be in the coincidence of location and like-mindedness, so laughter and the chance to share moments are guarantees. There seems to be a game going that we’ve all entered, us and the concurring around us, no one is planning to be a winner. Prize goes to the person with the most smiles and looking around we can see that everyone’s counting themselves lucky. Yelling and calling out each other. One-upmanship abounds. Conversations

be sure to be keeping the sludge level high. Legs are thrown over the once regal relics and with some coaxing of the kickstarts, we get them all ringa-dinging. Down the highway in a loud cloud of exuberance, we head, fifteen minutes later, coming to the turnoff. We slow to turn right and see the road go from tar to clay, let out another collective gust of glee and twist the throttles downwards launching along the terracotta track and into the jungle. The road, if you could call it that, appears to play with us for the first thirty minutes before growing bored, then it seemed to be throwing little obstacles in our path to pitch us off. Steep runs and slippery bends did indeed manage to dismount a few of us, the rest made it through. We crested the last bend and a clearing with buildings and machinery made us slide to a stop. On three sides we could see out and down. The canopy below cut off any glimpse of the sea left behind but the blue sky gave us the encouragement we needed. Seeing the activity around us ripped me back to reality, the jungle had been uncommunicative and portentous

One morning after a fair few there, we wake and find the surf has gone from small to not at all. As if in a hive mind, we roll over and sleep a little late. The banter has moved to crowd a local restaurant where breakfast is taken. By eleven we’re beset with boredom and eyes wander over some reasonable looking two stroke motorbikes that are scattered about out front. You have to take your fun where you can find it, should be no surprise to hear minds and loose tongues conspire to add adventure to the itinerary. We negotiate with the owners to let us use them. They, of course, have already thought us as reckless and laugh as they go away counting their handfuls of good fortune.

but here people moved once again with purpose. There

There’s talk of a coffee plantation up the hill. Rather remote, to get there we have to travel for about forty minutes up a road that resembles a riverbed at the best of times. Presently it is the middle of the wet season, the daily showers would

looked back to my compadres, laughing and chatting,

were beans being cleaned, coffee roasting and even a café that served rich fresh coffees to all of us while we sat in the dirt down one side, backs to the wall regaling stories of this corner and that. There’s that slide in my minds apostrophe eye where I thought for a couple of seconds I was a gonner before pulling it back into line. Glancing to my left and the past the clearing out across the sea of green, split in half with a bright blue sky, I knew we’d found a hidden corner to slow from the metropolitan monotony all the while never actually slackening the speed at which we devoured things, I taking in their slowed manners and decelerated speech. Laughter was rich, real and from the heart and watching them there I thought that perhaps it had only needed the addition of this very easy company.

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"You have to take your fun where you can find it."

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"We arrive where time stops and small perfect waves peel past the point."

constant wining

island life.

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in the pink Two Islands Rosé joins the Rose Revolution as Ondy Sweeting talks to winemaker James Kelleske about this latest journey to the table. Image: Lucky 8. Happy, smiling wine lovers across the globe love little more than to sip on a chilled glass of rosé from spring to the late, late summer. As the wine world’s biggest juggernaut in recent history, the blush coloured drop has become an exulted libation. In France the world’s most popular rosé Chateau d’Esclans’ Whispering Angel is thought to release 3.2 million-bottle vintages yearly. Having for relentless years being dismissed as ‘too French’, rosé is now here to stay and one Bali wine maker has tirelessly slogged it out for nearly 18 months to make a fresh and tasty batch especially for the local market. Two Islands’ chief wine maker James Kelleske has a passion for the pink stuff. “My affair with rosé has been around for at least 10 years. It was still unpopular to drink it back then, particularly among guys, but the French have been drinking it for years” he says. Then I went to a rosé wine dinner at SIP in Seminyak and they had Chateau d’Esclans’ Whispering Angel and the Garrus Reserve. “This unique rosé is produced in very few barrels from 80-year-old vines on top of a hill in Provence and it is considered to be among the great wines of the world with the possibility of joining the heavenly pantheon of La Tour, La Tâche, and Le Montrachet. “The Garrus makes me almost cry when I drink it. That got me even more into rosé because of the match with the climate here,” says James. Two Islands parent company Hatten already had a rosé for more than two decades. “My original focus was to improve that and it was my baby and I’m proud of how it has developed from grapes grown in north Bali,” he says. “But already the trend towards rosé was unstoppable and then as far back as five years ago, the requests were coming in for a new rosé as part

of the Two Islands range. So we did a limited release. Halfway through that process our owner decided there was enough demand to take it commercial,” says James. The Australian wine maker who grew up in in South Australia’s Barossa Valley went to work designing the wine. “I decided on what style I’d like and to source the fruit as well as the technical process in collaboration with the sales team and what the market wanted. “I love French Provencal wine. It is fresh and crisp with a light colour. With our rosé we went a bit unique because about 50 per cent of the blend is a pinot grigio, which gives the beautiful colour and is tanic and dry, giving the wine more structure rather than the traditional granache from Australia than can be flabby. Ours is only 50 per cent Grenache, which gives it the rose peal fruitiness that is light and soft,” he says. Rosé is universally a wine that is best to drink at 18 months. A locally produced wine with grapes from Australia’s exceptional South Australian vineyard bypasses the delays associated with importation. It is a long journey from a French wine house to shipping with oceans to cross and customs paper work, taxes, inspections and other red carpet to master. Often foreign rosé wines are past their best when they arrive at the table. They are infinitely drinkable – just not perfect. “Like many whites, rosé doesn’t travel well so it is fantastic to feed the market with fresh wine,” James says. The Two Islands Rosé was launched before Christmas and the response from the big beach and cliff clubs has been dramatic to the point of intimidating. “They’ve almost scared us. I was tentative about how much to produce but it seems we should have

made more. I don’t like to say no and we always want it to be available for those with us on the wine list. Next year we will definitely produce more rosé to satisfy the market.” Hatten produces 1.5 million bottles a year and that is across 25 products, including the rosé. Next year, James is considering producing more than 50,000 bottles of the rosé and believes that the figures will continue to grow – and fast. “One of my criteria for the rosé is the colour. People don't usually pick wine by the colour but colour with rosé is important. I’m often sitting at the beach and I’ve seen a bottle of nice rosé go past and just the sight makes me really want some. I’ve told the marketing guys to create a design that is eye catching so that when the waiter whizzes past other people will want it,” he says. The wine maker produced his first batch trial in 2017 then the following year he ordered the fruit. “We did another five different trials and it really didn’t take that long to crack it because the fruit was so good. Sometimes it can take 50 trials for new products but it took us only eight. We modified it to suit the market and it’s absolutely perfect for Bali. I’m delighted with result,” he says. However, this serious lover of pink angels tears does have a single moan. “Having been in the thrall of rosé for so long and being one of the few non-European men who love to drink it in public, I was almost disappointed by the Rose Revolution because it has stopped being unique.” www.twoislands.co.id www. hattenwines.com

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taken not stirred the speakeasy you won't shut up about

the crowd is downstairs.

If you’ve been barred from El Nacional, you must be good, as bad behavior is positively encouraged and dancing on tables is almost required. Following on from the crazed Speakeasy whisky bar, 40 Thieves, that fills our nights with friends, funk and hilarity, El Nacional is the latest incarnation from the genius behind the bar, Shah Dillon. For someone with a total obsession with secrecy (the bars are located by groping your way through unassuming dark curtains hidden at the back of funky Asian restaurants), the guy has charisma in spades. El Nacional could have gone the way of so many bars, slipping into total obscurity, especially as it’s just doors away from the runaway success of 40 Thieves. But no. Curiosity got the better of the Bali fun crowd and those who loved the original, found a second home here.

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Firstly, we can tick off what there is to love: With 40 Thieves, whisky reigns. At El Nacional, it is the largest stock of rum in Indonesia (or so the flyer goes). Tick that box if you’re a rum lover. Secondly, there is a shared distaste for doof doof music. Forty Thieves loves to funk, they’ve even been known to disco. El Nacional is for those who love a Latin-inspired beat and have been known to spontaneously tango (or something resembling it). Then things start to get interesting. These are bars that are all about making friends. You may come alone but chances are you’ll leave with a whole new set of friends. The fact you may not recognize them in the light of day is another matter. Love stories have been told and unravelled here. The main bar is where the party happens, while the dimly lit corners are perfect for those who have something on their minds, or think they do.

Both bars share an over-abundance of enthusiasm, spiked in no small measure by Dillon himself. The cocktails are king and the liquor runs deep. El Nacional is a bar, first, second and third. Dancing is optional, and encouraged, although there is no dance floor. Surviving the night is also optional, more than one punter has needed assistance making an exit, but there’s no judgement here. The only thing that will get you thrown out of this bar is a bad attitude, or even worse, ambivalence. If you are going to slip behind the curtain at El Nacional, be prepared to have fun and be fun. And whether you like rum or not, at some point, it will be thrust upon you, possibly by a perfect stranger. If he’s dark and grinning, you may have met the man himself, the irrepressible Mr. Shah Dillon. S.D. www.el-nacional.com

MADE FROM

REAL APPLES

oral pleasures

seven wonders sarah douglas rings in the changes at settimo cielo, where rustic refined italian cuisine still rules the roost. image: lucky 8.

pleasant platter.

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Nonna would freak! The youthful, earnest Northern Italian Chef, Alberto Panciera, has taken an Italian classic and made some serious changes, putting his creative license to the test. The traditional proscuiotto melone is pushing the boundaries, the orange melon has been replaced with finely sliced pears, grilled for maximum flavour, and the delightfully salty crunch was never in the original. Luckily, this enthusiastic chef is far from his village and his family need never know. Diners who lust after great tasting food and don’t give a stuff for tradition will love it, and I suspect quite a few Italians will too. But don’t tell Grandma! Settimo Cielo is a very sexy little restaurant. The interiors are a mix of soft and shiny. Black and silver waver under the shock of pink and soft cream. The hanging lamps soften the scene and the lights are low. Lunch at Settimo Cielo is a popular hangout for locals and the grazing menu, all you can eat for less than Rp250,000, often sees diners lingering through to sunset. Evenings are made for lovers, and lovers of good food. It’s perfect for hiding out in a romantic corner or putting some tables together and settling in with friends. Yet it is the food that keeps us coming back. ‘Rustic yet refined’, reads the menu and the classics are all here. From ragu to slow cooked lamb shanks; homemade pasta in all its familiar guises; risotto to seafood, meat dishes and a menu of starters that are guaranteed to seduce. Chef Alberto, or Pancio as he known around his hood, joined Settimo Cielo last year. He follows on from founding chef, Nicholas Lazzaroni, and has a lot of respect for the way things have been set up. He is equally determined to put his own stamp on the menu. The Italian owners are hesitant about change. Yet the thoroughly modern and very beautiful villa complex behind the restaurant, The Layar, has given Alberto all the inspiration he needs to introduce some modern takes on the classics. We sat down to a comprehensive and very Italian menu. Chef informs us that there will be some of his own personal favourites included for dinner. In other words, ‘don’t over-order’. It’s a challenge as there is no shortage of dishes that appeal. We decide on a series of starters to be followed by pasta. A main may have to be sacrificed for dessert. Maybe.

I spotted the grilled pear and prosciutto immediately and it was every bit as good as it promised. The crisp proscuitto played off the cured ham and the grilled pear beautifully and the addition of stracciatella, a creamy curd-like cheese, was perfect. I also fancied the scallops, served with pea puree and almond cream. This is another of Pancio’s dishes; modern, subtle and delicious, the scallops perfectly grilled. My friend chose stuffed zucchini blossoms, full of flavour, oozing with a creamy combination of cheeses and offset with battered slices of pumpkin. It was crisp, light and tangy. We were urged to try one of his most popular entrées, a calamari stuffed with ricotta on a bed of purple sweet potato purée. It was delicious, yet the prosciutto with pear was my favourite, the scallops a close second. There is a dish from the original menu that I always order and although I detect a slight frown from the chef, I have it anyway. This is one of the dishes he would like to replace but regulars diners, like myself, are also tough to accept change. It is a hand-made ravioli stuffed with ricotta spinach and egg yolk. The yolk runs yellow and mingles with the crisp pancetta to create the sauce. I know it’s probably run its race but I’ll miss it. We also ordered the mushroom risotto, and it’s easy to see why this is one of the most popular dishes. Redolent with the pungent flavor of porcini and topped with finely sliced raw mushrooms and parmesan crisps. Chef Alberto came to Bali from Shanghai, where he worked for the popular E-Willy group, started by a famously eccentric chef from Barcelona. His career has seen him work in London, Australia, across Italy, in China and currently Indonesia. His last posting was at the Nihi Sumba resort, which attracts a very discerning surf clientele. “I love the classics, I’m Italian. The menu at Settimo Cielo is based on rustic food, which I love, but I also want to refine it, modernize a little. When I first arrived there was a lot of cream and butter on the menu, now there is very little. Tastes change and this restaurant is already excellent, I think I can make it even better,” he tells us at the start of our dinner. Albert is at heart a technician. His dishes are exacting yet remain soulful. His home in the small town of Trissino, in northeast Italy, inspires his choices while his time travelling the world has given him a wider perspective. Settimo Cielo is a more polished

restaurant experience since he arrived, the service is perfect, the dishes arrive beautifully plated and the wine list is full of good choices at excellent prices. As Pancio promised, a main arrives to surprise us. The slow cooked lamb with lentils and the pork belly are two of his personal favourites and just as we begin to relax to the promise of dessert, a final dish arrived. “The lamb is ready in moments as we prepare it in advance,” he tells us, the hint of a smile on his face. Indeed this is a dish that should not be overlooked. Cooked for 12 to 15 hours in a sous-vide bath, it is still slightly pink in the centre and cuts like butter. The lentils with bacon are a perfect accompaniment and the carrots, pickled and then charred, are heavenly. A hint of balsamic finishes the dish. Between us we just managed to finish it, every mouthful was a delightful challenge. The soft Valpolicella I chose was perfect with this meal. The air-conditioning had us believing that we could actually pull off a substantial meal like this. The dining room was humming by now with late arrivals and we could easily have reached for another glass. Settimo Cielo has that effect on you. The dessert Pancio served was very much in keeping with his personal style. The plate reminded me of his time at Chachara, the E-Willy tapas restaurant that brought him to Bali. A raspberry spattered plate was dotted with chocolate ravioli; bite-sized pastry parcels stuffed with molten chocolate. A touch of marscapone dressed the pretty plate. It was a nice finish and surprisingly light. It was a delightful finish to our delicious evening. The chef joined us for a glass of wine, talking of his vision for Settimo Cielo. He knows that change will have to come slowly, his regular diners and the Italian owners will insist. However it is already clear where he is headed and it promises a lighter, more modern take on Italian classics that are loved the world over. Sweet dreams are made of these and heavenly thoughts of glistening ravoli and little chocolate parcels send us floating home. Content, well fed, sparkling from good wine, great service and a restaurant experience that never disappoints. Put Settimo Cielo on your map, there’s a lot to love. www.settimocielobali.com

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seas at the edge ondy sweeting samples the high life

The dramatic cliff of Uluwatu has a dazzling new star of South East Asian cuisine with Seas restaurant at The Edge. In the lush grounds of The Edge – a villa resort and the luxury cliff club oneeighty – Seas is perched in a glass aerie taking in the fabulous views over the famous pool with its five-metre glass bottom lip set over the cliff and the Indian Ocean. A central feature of Seas space is a contemporary carved interpretation of a lotus flower with the stem wrapped by a circular sofa and the rising root moving towards the roof and separating into petals that seemingly support the ceiling. Cleverly concealed lighting creates a warm ambience amid the glass and timeless ocean view. Tables have double linens and a tiny wreath of rice sits at the centre. The delicacy of the décor defies the potent impact of the menu that traverses the region and presents popular classics and rarer dishes with unusual ingredients. On the pans is the acclaimed Balinese Chef Nyoman Suasa who has been at the vanguard of the resurgence to bring authentic Indonesian cuisine to the world. Much of the menu looks outside of Indonesia for inspiration and establishes a regional taste while unusual ingredients perfectly pair to ancient South East Asian culinary techniques. Vietnamese sawtooth coriander from Bali’s holy rice terraces of Jatiluwih is cooked as tempura and flash fried to create a delicious pre-dinner morsel along with warm tempe chips that are crisp and salty. Match this up with Seas signature Siam Colada cocktail crafted from mango infused rum, virgin coconut cream, caramelized pineapple and kaffir lime for a tropical treat. The magical in-house mixologist Mambo has curated a cocktail list that compliments the menu and includes a refreshing Ginger Caipirinha and a Holy Basiloska. Entrées include smoked coral trout and salmon

roe wrapped with betel leaves and finished with Thai spices and palm sugar that sends layers of fresh flavours to titillate the tongue. A bite size Singapore chili crab without the shell topped with soft shell crab arrives on a mantou bun is salty and sweet. Divinity appears on the table in the form of a light lamb martabak served with crunchy cucumber pickles, a crisp fried curry leaf and sublime curry sauce. The main affair is a culinary tour of the region including Vietnam, Bali and Malaysia with an opulent beef cheek rendang – an Indonesian classic – sweetened with freshly pressed coconut cream that makes a thinner curry in honours the Malaysian methods. The delicate flavours and subtle heat delivers an undercurrent of exotic spice and tastes. The tender beef cheek melts in the mouth. Prawn banh xeo pancakes, tinged yellow with turmeric, are stuffed with fat prawns, pork, peanuts and coconut caramel. A dazzling return to the culinary traditions of Bali comes as a plate packed with four halves of perfectly barbequed Bambu lobster that fall away from the shell at the slightest touch. The meat is flavoured with a mix of Jimbaran-style spices that carefully deliver aromatic spices that do not overwhelm the creamy and salty sweetness of the lobster meat. The Bambu lobster is served with Balinese lawar – a delicious vegetable mix of green beans, coconut, bean sprouts and local spices and finished with a citrus shock of calamansi. A separate dish of steamed Chinese Kailan is cooked in the classic manner in a wok with garlic. The provenance of the produce is impressive with organic ingredient used at every possible turn with the dynamic flavours speaking of uncompromising quality. Chef Nyoman has cunningly crafted a menu that explores the region while being firmly rooted in Indonesia and supported by Western methods.

His superb culinary pedigree includes the elite kitchens of the Beverley Wilshire Hotel in Los Angeles, the Four Seasons Resorts and upscale Seminyak dining destinations of Bambu and La Lucciola. Dessert is a revelation of how a simple dish can be made astounding. The Indonesian Lak Lak is pandan pancakes with fruit and coconut cream. However, this baby comes as six tiny fluffy green cakes crowned with different glories including a mélange of tropical fruits, palm sugar caramel, nuts and coconut with edible silver leaf. Second dish is a beautiful looking Bombe Alaska with durian gelato covered in pandan meringue in small spikes to reimage a durian and finished with an Indonesian rum flambé. The flavour is as unforgettable as the sight of blue flames cooking the green meringue at the table. One bite was enough. Seas takes wine seriously with Sommelier Nyoman Suwinda Yasa – who was named Bali’s Best Sommelier 2016 – in control of two bespoke cellars filled with more than 2,000 wines from the major houses of France and Italy plus showcasing some of the world's better but lesser known producers. Seas is a brilliant addition to the exclusive and growing number of dining destinations that truly investigate the amazing treasures of South East Asia. Arrive early for sunset drinks and watch the day move into night. A viewing deck at the bar is a gorgeous location for spotting marine life feeding while the Bali sky drifts through its nightly dance from pink to blue to black with a billion silver stars overhead. www.mesahotelsandresorts.com/theedge/cuisine/ seas/

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big six Ijen at Potato Head Potato Head has spearheaded a range of eco initiatives, including the use of a million hand-made bricks to build their hotel Katamama, hosting eco festivals and promoting a range of eco warriors. Their no-waste restaurant Ijen is the tip of the Iceberg for this modern group. Ijen strives for zero waste at their atmospheric seafood restaurant located on the heart of the iconic beach club. Dedicated to sustainable line-caught seafood, served on banana leaves and cooked over wood fires, they strive to find new ways to use their leftovers. Restaurants have long done this but packaging and kitchen waste continue to pile up. Potato Head will not accept deliveries in plastic, their leftover rice is used to make their own rice crackers, vegetables are pickled and preserved and turned into sambals. The downside is that certain items may not be available on the night you are dining; the upside is that there is always a range of nightly specials. Tel: +62 361 4737979 www.ptthead.com/bali Yak Map L.5 GIVE café Going above and beyond their commitment to the planet and the island they love, the vegan menus from KYND Café have given rise to a concept that is as mindful as it is generous. The girls behind KYND, the delightful and popular vegan café in Petitenget, have traded on their success story at GIVE café to literally give back. The simple, and simply delicious, plant-based food and drinks on the menu sustain communities through their not-for-profit business model. All profits are given to three charities they choose, changing monthly to spread the love. They strongly believe that when you have more than you need you ‘ build a longer table, not a higher fence’. The food is as fresh, healthy and delicious as KYND café yet here, each purchase has a purpose; to give back to the island that sustains them. In their first four months of operating, they were able to give over Rp12 million to the planet, over Rp13 million to animal charities and over Rp14 million to charities that support communities. That’s an average of more than Rp10 million per month given to local charities. Best of all, they aren’t scrimping on the menu; it’s well worth visiting for the food and the knowledge that every bite is a donation. Needless to say with this attitude to giving back, plastic is not an option and waste is a dirty word. Tel: +62 854 42861236 www.givecafe.org

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sarah douglas seeks out the most environmentally aware restaurant options on the island.

Bali Asli Bamboo plates and drinking vessels, real cutlery and reuseable napkins are just the beginning of this story, which reads like a Balinese love affair of the culinary persuasion. Following on from a career in some very high profile cafes, restaurants and five-star hotels, Australian-born Chef, Penny Williams decided to get real and Bali Asli was born in the mountains beyond Candi Dasa. Asli in Balinese means original, and Bali Asli is as authentic as you can get. Eschewing modern appliances and dumbed down recipes, this is going back to the roots of Balinese food. With a totally local list of ingredients, mostly from the region directly surrounding Bali Asli, the stoves are fired by wood, cooking utensils are the same as those used in an original home kitchen and the dishes are based on authentic Balinese recipes. Penny also runs a cooking school at Bali Asli, which includes heading out to local markets, buying fresh seafood from the fishermen who caught it, walking through the fields to forage for fresh herbs and local vegetables. And while it may be rustic, the incredible views of nearby Mount Agung are astonishing and the open-air restaurant is spacious and beautiful. Tel: +62 822 36909215 www.baliasli.com Zero Waste Bali and Mini Muncher Mini Muncher was just the beginning for this unassuming eco-warrior. Silvija Rumiha moved to Bali with her family in 2011 and began a journey that has impacted many of us. Her first business was Mini Muncher, based on the recipes she created for her own children. Having access to organic, homemade baby food and children’s meals proved popular with both locals and tourists. The next move was opening Zero Waste Bali, her Umalas store that promotes a totally waste-free lifestyle, followed by her second store in Ubud. Silvija’s approach is simple; bulk containers dispense food, detergents and personal hygiene products in re-usable containers that can be returned and refilled or simply passed on to a new user. Cutting out the packaging and selling affordable chemical free products is a small step perhaps but one that has had a big impact. Her philosophy of sharing includes a range of her own delicious recipes that are featured on her website and social media. Silvija’s husband Bruce is on the management team at Ku De Ta, who has also used her influence to ban plastic at the beautiful beach club, which extends to their staff and suppliers. Silvijas’s commitment extends to her own home where she strives to teach her children the value of memories over things. She walks the talk including

cleaning her home with non-chemical detergents, cooking healthy wholesome meals and recycling every possible thing to reduce waste. Tel: +62 878 62305959 www.zerowastebali.com www.minimuncher.com Alila Hotels Zero Waste With four stunning hotels and resorts in Bali, Alila announced in 2017 their ‘ Zero Waste to Landfill Project’. This commitment to the environment extends beyond their restaurants and includes collecting rainwater, composting, mulching cardboard, converting waste into fuel for hotel lamps and crushing glass to be used in building blocks. They also work with local communities to share their expertise and reduce the human impact on the island. Each resort extends this philosophy to their kitchens, their staff and their suppliers. The result is a fivestar experience that does no harm. Increasingly big name hotels and influential restaurant groups are doing their bit to reduce waste, encourage recycling and educate their staff and the villages that surround them. This includes their ‘Gift to Share’ Program that encourages guests to donate any amount they choose to the local community efforts that are initiated by the hotel or resort. Suddenly hanging out at the Beach bar at Alila Seminyak, dining at the seaside restaurant or heading into the hills to enjoy the gentle hospitality at the Ubud resort becomes more than a delicious experience. www.alilahotels.com W Bali Yet another luxurious resort that has taken it’s environmental impact into consideration is the W Bali in Seminyak. With an Executive Chef firmly committed to zero waste in his kitchens, dining at W is not only a delicious experience it is also a masterful and creative approach to eliminating kitchen waste. In a resort as large as this, it is an accomplishment. W has also hosted some of the world’s leading chefs who are promoting zero waste, check in to their events calendar to see who is coming up next, it’s been an eye-opening experience that even extends to the cocktails served at the resort. The latest initiative, as part of Bali’s Biggest Clean Up 2019 was the erection of a giant metal fish, named Goby, where guests and the public are encouraged to collect their plastic for recycling. It’s a work of art that shines a light on a problem being battled in every village and city across the globe. Tel: +62 361 3000106 www.wbaliseminyak.com Yak Map K.4

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O n d y i n

S w e e t i n g t o

v i l l a

Origin Villas is not somewhere that jet set wanderers will want to stay - it's somewhere they will want to live. There is something special about waking in a swank villa to descend an airy staircase to a dining area where butlers are laying the table with piles of fresh tropical fruit and warm croissants. Welcome to a tropical morning Balinese style at Origin Villas – Seminyak’s hip new boutique villa complex where the pushbikes are free to use every day and professional staff facilitate an epic lifestyle. If ‘location’ is the magic word for a holiday, Origin Villas is in a spot that demands the attention of smart travellers. It’s in a quiet and well-lit gangway that connects the stylish Seminyak Village mall and the famous Oberoi Road – Eat Street. As a villa within easy walking distance of an exquisite coast with golden sand beach and an azure sea, great restaurants, cafes, bars, clubs and unique shopping, street markets plus a beautifully mysterious Balinese sea temple, Origin is a utopian holiday refuge. The eight villas are a stylish blend of post-industrial design with metal shutters, white lines and black steel frame windows. Soaring ceilings and sharp angles are softened by tropical gardens with mature frangipani trees in constant bloom, palms and soft grasses. The fashionable and soothing monochrome colour palette is brought to life with island tones of big rattan and canvas sofas – full of cushions with black and white geometric designs and dining table chairs with cushions printed with big banana leaves and palm fronds. The table is overhung with diaphanous rattan light shades. Five giant panels of hessian are the lone wall embellishments in the living space, which has a kitchenette that functions well for endless drinks and snacks. The living area is closed on three sides and the front opens to the garden with timber decking that flanks a sparkling blue 20 metre long swimming pool. Water features are quirky stone Balinese frogs that shoot water into the pools. Giant floating beanbags are poolside, along with sun lounges and the staff offer an enormous canopied inflatable double chill-out bed with built in drinks holders as a fun way to waste away an afternoon relaxing. What could go wrong? Absolutely nothing with this team looking after you. A huge rectangular timber gate connects a three-bedroom villa to an adjoining four-bedroom abode to create a wonderfully sprawling estate with two pools, twin kitchens and seven bedrooms. Perfect for families holidaying together since one can be used as a teen retreat while the adults kick back and enjoy the solitude. Close the gate for privacy. Equally, it would be an awesome set up for a band of jet set friends.

c h e c k s b l i ss .

Origin has eight villas across the spectrum from a studio, one, two, three and four bedrooms over two levels with few connecting walls. The layout of the three-bedroom villa is informed by the desire for privacy. The master suit takes up the entire top floor and is accessed via unique steps that start off as three modern rectangular stepping stones with black volcanic and white geometric tiles and they are set in a pond in the living area. The master bedroom keeps the minimalist theme going with more empty floor than furniture. Bedside tables are filled with tribal artifacts and a long and beautifully lit balcony with a private swing grabs the attention and reminds guests they are in Bali. The sense of space that the design delivers is luxurious. Its only nod to technology is a Smart TV positioned high in a corner – perfect for bedtime viewing and a small bar fridge. The bathroom is big and restrained in décor but the one-way picture window has a garden view across the grounds without endangering privacy. The bathroom products are bespoke and made fragrant with amber, honey and black tea and follow the drift to eco-friendly sustainability with recognizable ingredients rather then glycols and petrol chemical byproducts. A second queen size bedroom adjoins the living space with glass-paneled walls and a view of the pool and garden. The shower is neatly tucked into the staircase overhead and is found via a dressing room that has a safe box and hanging space. The third bedroom is across the garden and is a fitting piece to the black, grey and white spread with the occasional piece of indigenous tribal art. It is fully decked out with a dressing area and bathroom and soft fluffy towels are on hand. Each room has powerful air conditioning, which is a non negotiable in Seminyak’s sultry habitat. Origin Villas has a cool vibe of casual individualism free from overloaded consumerism and competitive opulence. The breezy space is simple without compromising luxury. Origin Villas also has a sister estate in the cool hills of Ubud where Bali’s unique culture is easily accessible – just ask the staff and they will pass you local knowledge that will allow you to explore the rare and exotic ceremonies in close range to the property. www.originseminyak.com

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The ebullient arts of Pascal Morabito – architect, perfumier, sculptor and quixotic creator are carved into the cliff of one of the world’s best hidden beaches – Bingin. Morabito Art Cliff is an amazing escape where guests and beach hunters are required to leave the car behind and walk along a pretty pathway and down some serious steps. The effort is worth every muscle flex. Descend the staircase and the view is breathtaking and Morabito Art Cliff matches this natural beauty with a unique built environment. The villas are as charming as the Morabito Art Villas on the beach at Berawa – a destination that is believed to be the inspiration behind artist Damien Hirst’s Venice Biennale 2018 entry that beamed into found treasures. Morabito Art Cliff has six individually designed villas named and themed after Pascal and Marie’s favourite destinations on the globe: Santorini, Venice, Capri, Manhattan, Miami and Cartagena. Each have air conditioned two bedrooms and living space plus ensuite bathrooms, some have Jacuzzi’s while Miami has a private pool. Every room has big and astonishing views over the blue Indian Ocean from Padang Padang beach to Dreamland. Every mirror inside the villas is perfectly placed to capture the views and often creates a 180-degree ocean scape effect. “I’m getting too old to travel to so many of my favourite places,” Pascal says, “so I decided to bring these places to Bali. It is easier to come to Bingin than to get to Cartagena.” Like Capri and Santorini, Morabito Art Cliff clings to a cliff but better than both of those destinations, the property is merely steps away from the beach. Santorini Villa feels that is has slipped off the time and space continuum from the Cycladic Island and fallen on Bali’s Bukit peninsular. White and blue rules with curved arches and multiple decks, benches and concrete floors painted in washed blue on blue within a French Baroque-style frame. The main bedroom – which has glass doors to the balcony and ocean views from the bed, is named for Salvador Dali and has a tribute to the artists The Temptation of St Anthony – but with the saint bearing a sword instead of a cross – on the ceiling. The white room has an ensuite that captures the view to the famous surf break off Dreamland. The room has a private access to a four person Jacuzzi that delivers a superb massage under the night sky where limited ambient light creates a sky full of stars – some blazed across the sky. On entering the second delightful bedroom, which has a fabulous original 1950’s P&O bedhead with working lights, enjoy the design quip where the door into the bedroom looks like a mirror.

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Expect to be looking over your shoulder to uncover the prank. The dining table is in a central position overlooking the white and blue painted terrace and ocean view. White antique French furniture and Indonesian day beds compliment the design. The kitchen is Parisian in size and equipment with just enough gear to produce a fine meal in a small space. The Greek-style private roof top dining room is filled with tables and chairs under charming Balinese umbrellas and open views up and down the coast. A sunset and dinner on this terrace is insanely beautiful. Think blue doors and white walls with brilliant bursts of pink and orange bougainvillea flowers mixed with the soft fragrance of frangipani trees. A giant empty Baroque frame molded into the ocean front wall is sweet art and Insta-impeccable. The Capri and Miami villas share a floor and can be opened up to create a four bedroomed single villa with a private pool and Jacuzzi. A butler looks after every whim and breakfast is brought directly to the villa at the specified hour. Dinner is available with notice with daily specials like barbequed lobster and fresh pasta dishes. Every other request is only a text away. Morabito Art Cliff is an evolving project with a new villa under construction now and plans to build down to the beach. Each villa exhibits extraordinary international treasures of art and antiquity that Pascal has collected over his long life of searching for beauty. Expect museum quality original carved Roman stones from when Rome occupied France – we are talking circa 52 BC - and marble from ancient Greece. Every niche and corner bears visual details such as Chinese porcelain to empty frames capturing the raw limestone cliff, old indigenous boxes, and black or red lacquered chairs with gold trimming. The old collection of Chinese furniture works well with contemporary tricks like the remote controlled curtains. All six villas enjoy a lush back view of the green juggled cliff and side views of the ragged coastline, where families of monkeys live and eagles soar. Morabito Art Cliff with Marie and Pascal as hosts is dreamy barefoot elegance with the French flair that will murmur to romantics. www.morabitoartcliff.com

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The Yak experiences the unprecedented and majestic Apurva Kempinski.

It has taken more than half a decade for Bali’s newest luxury hotel to rise from the limestone cliffs of Nusa Dua and The Apurva Kempinski Bali is absolutely worth the wait. Majestic by name and nature, this resort is a temple of luxury and an open-air theatre of art. The word ‘Apurva’ translates from Sanskrit to both ‘unprecedented’ and ‘majestic’. The name is the perfect adjective for such a monumental foray into the rarified world of luxe destinations in Bali. It is a loving tribute to Indonesian style and an artistic confluence of Bali and Java. The lobby is seriously grand with jaw dropping eight-metre high handcarved Javanese gebyok partitions that reference the ancient times of the Majahapit kingdom. Hundreds of artisans worked for years creating these immense panels that hold both Balinese and Javanese motifs and serve to envelope lounges and sitting areas. It is not possible to ignore Indonesia’s royal heritage with the Javanese pendopo design of big open spaces and terraced canopies. The gebyok also draws the eye to the heavens where a stepped ceiling diffuses the light into burnished brass. At night a fire ceremony ignites upon the forecourt held within the likeness of a giant glass lotus flower in the pools just beyond the portecochère. As the sun sets, look back on the stunning terraced building with a mighty 250-step grand staircase running down the centre of the building that is a clever reimaging of Bali’s most important religion destinations – The Mother Temple Pura Besakih on the slopes of Mount Agung. Accents positioned throughout the hotel beam into the past. Check in desks are decorated with ancient artifacts or elaborate wedding crowns. Interior designer Rudi Dodd has enacted a masterpiece of restraint with elaborate and opulent form. The space draws from the elements with water in endless ponds and the vast ocean, which the lobby overlooks. Sophistication is key and the reception gives way to outdoor terraces and stairs. The Apurva Kempinski launched with 475 rooms and villas in two wings. There are lagoon rooms with steps into the water from the private terrace. Club rooms have sprawling rooms with a private pool and balcony plus the club lounge and restaurant. Even the well-equipped gym makes the most of the big ocean views. Within this design feat created by award-winning architect Budiman Hendropurnomo of UK-based Denton Corker Marshall is a ballroom able to host a thousand people and multiple restaurants including the international all-day dining at Pala that dishes up succulent steaks, crisp salads, Indonesian treats and mouth-watering luwak coffee tiramisu. It has its own roof top bar. The Apurva Kempinski is home to Bali’s first aquarium restaurant, Koral,

which will showcase fresh seafood that is bred and nurtured within its own aquarium as well and fabulously fresh produce from outside. The go-to place for Japanese cuisine is Izakaya by OKU, the Bali branch of the award-winning OKU in Kempinski Jakarta and glass-walled banquettes outside of the restaurant have epic views over the grounds to the sea which is perfect for a sunset dinner or afternoon tea. The club lounge on level nine is reserved for specific guests and has a bar, indoor and outdoor seating, a private pool and outdoor sun lounges as well as an exclusive 10th floor restaurant for breakfast accessed via an internal staircase. Back inside the lobby is the Selesar deli with its resident expert of the famous herbal tonic Jamu who is happy to discuss the secrets behind his five different varieties of the drink, prepared everyday in his kitchen. They also sell delicious snacks and wondrous Balinese coffee. A gallery will soon open beside this deli as the go to place for arts and crafts exhibitions and purchases. The resort has a beach club, kids club, conference rooms and a bride's fantasy wedding location at the Apurva Chapel – a glass fronted sea sanctuary with 100 seats. Throughout the resort it is fun to spot subtle nods to local crafts from the replicas of batik stamps through to the use of jamu and pandan leaf infused arak – or rice spirit – cocktail called the Acaraki. Nothing about the Apurva Kempinski will allow guests to think they could possibly be anywhere else but the Island of the Gods. More than 475 room range from the 65 sqm to the 1,369 sqm beach front Nusantara Presidential Suite and all embrace exquisite lines of Indonesian design that verge on Zen. The pillows are cloud-like in their softness and the toilets seats are heated and automated. More than half of the accommodation has a private pool, while the resort has multiple places to swim including meandering lagoons at the central of the estate and a 42 metre ocean front pool plus a safe kids space complete with water slides. Slip into the divine confines of the Apurva Spa where the philosophy is to achieve peace through a balance of inner and outer beauty and the choice is an array of seductive Indonesian massages and treatments performed by experts. Dip into sunrise yoga and a chakra mediation followed by a sacred Balinese purification blessing at a nearby cave temple –something that cannot be experienced anywhere else on earth. The Apurva Kempinski is a community within a town crafted from the most beautiful woods and indigenous fabrics that celebrate local culture. www.kempinski.com/en/bali/the-apurva-kempinski-bali

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venting in a villa

glamprock ondy sweeting slums it in style at tented sandat glamping. images Stefano Scatà.

Sandat Glamping whispers sweet words to travellers who know their way around luxury hotels but yearn for something different without a loss of luxury. Soaring cathedral ceilings hewn from bamboo and sealed with alang-alang grass roofs, airy spaces and whimsical décor are the gorgeous aesthetic of Sandat Glamping in the lush rice terraces of Ubud. A neat and friendly reception adjoins a yoga shala and the pathway to the main building – a magical structure shaped by its position in the Indonesian jungle to deliver an elegant restaurant, bar and lounge space. A soothingly curved wall conceals the kitchen and doubles as a hall of mirrors with 101 different frames containing looking glasses of every size and shape. Sandat Glamping is a unique mélange of tropical élan, delicate French country furniture and a collection of artifacts from the archipelago and Europe. It’s a personal collection. Every piece of furniture, lamp, decorative accent is hand picked by owners and creators Emanuela and Federico. Statement pieces like the lush antique metal day bed festooned with cushions and draped with sheer fabric deliver a dreamy centerpiece inside an established succulent garden. As every designer knows the devil is in the detail and Emanuela, a former lawyer from Venice, has a sharp eye for style. Pretty tinkling bells is how staff announce their arrival at your tent and phones are not used to call for an attendant but rather a musical instrument of multiple chimes. A small lounge by the restaurant – which has superb pasta and a visiting Italian chef who trains staff for two months every year – has overstuffed couches, a library and central table with a dozen silver candle holders, a fragrant floral display and wire mesh decorative Indonesian hats on display. To the side is a French style outdoor setting ready with hand-carved chess set. At the base of a polished stone serpentine staircase is a tree with seven glass table lamp chandeliers while a long communal dining table is overhung with five large shell chandeliers. “We started without a business plan but with a dream,” says Federico. The couple first discovered the joys of glamping deep in South Africa and so taken by the notion they decided to make a life change. “We never wanted a place with 20 or 30 tents – it goes against our dream of creating an exclusive and peaceful place. We decided with start with a glamping destination just outside of Venice and then we wanted a reason to keep coming back to Bali,” he says. Sandat in Ubud has five tents discreetly positioned at the end of small pathways that wind through flowering tropical gardens and overhanging trees. The tents are secured on timber decking and the surrounding screened windows deliver superb jungle views and a cool breeze.

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Each tent has a private swimming pool and sun lounges. Inside the tents the glamorous reality of glamping fully reveals itself with a four-poster bamboo bed in the centre of the circular room. Air conditioning is at hand but the gentle breeze makes further cooling unnecessary and a small fridge is filled with requisite drinks and coffee and tea making gear. An overhead fan is directly above the bed and TV is banished from this serene camp. All five tents are decorated uniquely and the Ogoh Ogoh tent has two peacock chairs either side of a coffee table and original art hangs on the canvas walls. Sailcloth curtains are drawn back from the screened windows and secured with cotton cord and pretty tassels. These tents have impressive bathrooms, particularly given that standard tents have no such thing. Two bamboo wardrobes – complete with an electronic safe box - flank a central curtained door to make the wet room private. The bathrooms are delightfully designed with a power shower encased in a circular shower ring hung with canvas curtains in big top stripes. The Ogoh Ogoh tent bathroom has a vintage chandelier of wire twisted into rococo curlicues and adorned with strings of pearls and cocktail jewels in neutral colours. The effect is tropical safari and a vanity and toilet complete the picture of nature meeting luxury and utility. Sleep without the air conditioning and keep the curtains back to fully immerse in the jungle air and sounds of wildlife that includes monkeys. Have a massage in the tent and drift into gentle slumber. Sandat also has three traditional Indonesian lumbungs – two level rice storage buildings made of wood – converted into accommodation overlooking a shared pool. With a bedroom and living space upstairs, the lumbungs have open-sided lounge space at ground level that catches the breeze and scent of the gardens. Emanuela and tattoo artist Federico opened their first glamping camp in the rural outskirts of Venice in Italy. They opened Bali’s first glamping camp in 2013 and created a beautifully different place to stay. The incredibly beautiful bamboo buildings were created without the help of an architect with the couple relying on themselves and the deep knowledge of local artisans to make this elegant escape. Sandat is off the well-trodden path to Ubud but it is about a 10-minute drive into the town with all of its fabulous restaurants, art galleries and performances. That's if you ever want to leave. www.glampingsandat.com @glampingsandat

glamorous camping au naturel.

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brands

an ishmaya story.

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The secret behind Ismaya’s success. By Luiz Sanchez

When it comes to high-profile luxury brands, every industry has a few names that come to mind. Hugo Boss represents luxury fashion and design, Rolex is the pinnacle of watchmaking, and Oberoi encapsulates luxury accommodation at its finest. The Ismaya Group belongs among the list of toptier luxury brands, being leaders in the hospitality industry in Indonesia. 2018 marked 15 years since the lifestyle brand opened its first venue, the Blowfish Kitchen and Bar in Jakarta, and entering its 16th year Ismaya has big plans going forward. Ismaya currently operates 27 lifestyle brands ranging from restaurants and lounges to entertainment, operating under the philosophy of ‘Creating the Good Life.’ In 2018 they built their first lifestyle establishment in Bali, Manarai, and have opened several more in Surabaya. This year the company is focusing its efforts on expanding beyond the Indonesian market and into Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. By the end of the year, the company plans to double the number of venues operating under the prestigious Ismaya brand, with 80 new locations slated for construction across Indonesia. Not many brands have managed to so successfully continue to expand and dominate the market. So what’s their secret? According to Christian Rijanto, Co-Founder and Director of Ismaya, the answer lies in the diversity of their portfolio. “Each Ismaya property is unique in terms of product offering and design,” he says. “Each caters towards a different segment or demographic. I’d like to think Ismaya is known for its attention in all aspects that create a positive, memorable customer experience – starting from the interior design, creative branding, passionate service, product quality, variety and, most importantly, good value.” Take Manarai in Bali for example. Chefs Stefan Poyet and Philip Mimbimi have brought together

some of the best and most popular dishes from across the Ismaya catalogue, added their own twist to them, and created a fine-dining experience that gives even the best restaurants in Bali a run for their money. Having eaten there several times and tried everything on their menu at least once it is one of the few places on the island where a pricey meal really delivers a bang for your buck, and their ever-changing menu means there is something new to try every time. The venue itself is stunning, with two swimming pools and dozens of lounge chairs by a pristine beach in Nusa Dua. Not only is the venue beautifully designed in a modern architectural style, but it also blends in nicely with Bali’s cultural and geographic aesthetic. It’s their attention to detail on all levels, from architecture to customer service, that attracts new guests and keeps them coming back. “It’s what makes customers eat, drink, and celebrate time and again at Ismaya,” Rijanto says.

yearly Jakarta-based music, art, fashion, and food festival in the summer, which began in 2014. We the Fest features famous artists from around the world, including Azealia Banks, Ellie Goulding, and the Australian electronic band Miami Horror, as well as a plethora of prominent Indonesian artists. For the more culinary inclined, Ismaya runs the Jakarta Culinary Feastival every year. JCF hosts coffee workshops, kids cooking classes, a mystery box challenge for the aspiring chefs among us and a number of other activities. The Feastival is a must for lovers of good food and coffee, and is fun for the whole family. Now, if you are looking for a massive party experience headlined by some of the biggest names in music then look no further than the Djakarta Warehouse Project. DWP began in 2008 and starting in 2010 has

The past two years have been a gamechanger for the Ismaya Group. “We have massively expanded during the last year or so, and we did it not only by opening new outlets and concepts in major cities in Indonesia, but we also brought some of our most beloved brands overseas,” Rijanto says. Ismaya expanded to Dubai with brands such as GIA, Social House and Markette, and this year is looking to open several new outlets in the Asia region.

been a yearly event with artists such as Steve Aoki and Skrillex rocking the stage. From their modest beginnings in 2003, Ismaya has grown to be a trendsetter in the hospitality and lifestyle industry in Indonesia. With a bit of luck and a lot of hard work, Ismaya looks set to grow well beyond Indonesia to become a global leader in their industry. If they continue to develop

Following the popularity of their On/Off Festival in August last year, Rijanto is looking to build on their success. “From our entertainment branch, each year our festivals are growing bigger and better in terms of value, service and quality of not only the performers but also the whole festival experience itself,” Rijanto says. “We are looking forward to keeping on creating new festival concepts that encompass music, food, and art, not only in Jakarta but also elsewhere.” Ismaya runs We the Fest, a

innovative concepts with a team of passionate and well-trained staff members then it would not be surprising to see Ismaya become the most prestigious lifestyle brand in Asia. “Within the next several years, we will certainly be continuing this trend of ‘Creating the Good Life’ in other cities in Asia and beyond,” Rijanto exclaims. www.ismaya.com

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over the edge

breathe and be amazed.

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tugu lombok Jewels of the sea and timeless tales greet saraH douglas At Tugu Hotel Lombok.

There are places that stay with you. They linger in your memory and tug at your emotions. Sire beach in Lombok is one such place. I fell in love at first sight and was thrilled to be heading back. It was with more than a little excitement my writer friend and I rushed through Bali airport for the 20-minute flight to Lombok. It’s the first time I’ve visited the mainland since the earthquake last year and I’m hoping for the best. Our destination is the Tugu Hotel on Lombok’s pristine northern beach. I’ve enjoyed some great lunches at this unique hotel in the vast open dining hall with soaring ceilings. The hall was inspired by the Hindu Majapahit legend of a beautiful princess who was turned into a snake and a rooster. Ten metre tall statues of the princess Dewi Sri act as pillars in this astonishing restaurant hall, while a carving of the rooster with a snake tail runs the length of the roof and overlooks the brilliant green pool. Like most things at the Tugu Hotel, it tells a story, of good and evil, of warring Hindu Gods and finally, of balance. Each of Tugu’s hotels bear the mark of its founder, an art collector, who created a small group of boutique hotels and resorts reflecting his love of art, architecture and the culture of Indonesia’s islands. Each hotel tells a story of its location and its history, this one is no exception. Our Tugu Lombok experience begins in the lobby, created from an old building that was dismantled and reconstructed here. It belonged to a Malay businessman who migrated from Sumatra in the early 19th century. Malay, Chinese, Arabic and European influences come into play and the entire house now acts as the lobby. You know as soon as you arrive that this is no ordinary hotel. The Manager, Hanny, greets us and offers us a choice of rooms. Accommodation at Tugu Lombok ranges from a Presidential Villa, two amazing seaside villas, garden villas, bungalows and suites. Sprawled across a beautiful piece of land running along the peaceful beachfront, each area of the hotel has its own character and a story behind it. On Hanny’s suggestion we followed her to the Bhagavat Gita suites and we never left. There are seven suites in this section. Each is vast, with antique fourposter beds, tall antique doors that open to a private garden with a bale, a private pool and views across the

sea. Inspired by the wayang tales of the Mahabharata they are fitted with antique furniture, giant carved mirrors and feature bathrooms created from river stones with an outdoor bath. Although we would be sharing a bed for our twonight stay, we barely registered each other as the bed was enormous, the mattress a dream and the goose down pillows soothed our dreams. It really was an incredible room. Tugu sits on one of the prettiest beaches I have seen in Lombok. Surrounded by luxurious villas on large pieces of land, with Lombok’s stunning golf course behind you, you barely know anyone else is there. We hardly unpack before heading out to the beach. The sand is the colour of the creamy pearls that are farmed here. The water sparkles in aquamarine, shallow and with barely a ripple of waves. As the sun sets, fishermen stand waste deep in the calm water and the only sounds are the breeze gently rustling the trees above and the soft wash of the ocean. The beach is where afternoon tea is served. With such a long stretch of beach there is space for guests to find their own piece of paradise. Weathered wooden furniture and sunbeds dressed with traditional batik spread out from the little bar where softly spoken waiters serve you tea and drinks throughout the day. Afternoon tea is a mix of traditional sweet and savoury snacks with tea and coffee served in large pots. Two days is barely enough time to register all there is to see and experience at this resort. Every walk introduces you to reminders of the past. The Hening Swarga Spa is inspired by a lost temple from the 10th century. The Rama Sinta hall, where weddings and celebrations take place, symbolizes one of the eternal love legends. An antique barong sits outside, billed as the oldest in existence, while the front of the hall is an antique joglo, a reminder of the past that is preserved beautifully. It could be overwhelming were it not for the incredible amount of space. Every small journey at Tugu Hotel is like this; delightful, magical, special with an incredible reverence for Indonesia’s stories and its indigenous people. Luxury never looked quite like this and that is why Tugu Hotels are such treasures, each different; vessels for legends, art, history and architecture. On our second day we took a boat to the Gili

islands. Unfortunately Tugu’s boat was unavailable, it looks every bit as romantic as the resort itself. Gili Air is a short 15 minutes from Tugu so snorkeling, diving and cruises are some of the activities on offer here. After a beautiful afternoon on the islands we happily returned to the calm of the resort for a swim before dinner. The menu at Tugu offers a mix of local and international dishes. For our final dinner the manager surprised us with a stunning rijstaffel dinner, a royal procession of dishes that combine the best local cuisine from the menu. A family were seated at the centre table, decorated with local offerings. Other guests were casually seated around the restaurant. We sat overlooking the romantic bar, decorated with Javanese art and antiques, served by waiters in traditional Sasak dress from Lombok’s indigenous culture. It was a feast and a wonderful way to end our stay here. Saying goodbye was not easy, we loved our room, our fellow guests were equally enthralled by the resort and included people from across the globe. Before leaving we had one last swim and then a massage in the astonishing spa temple overlooking the gardens and the sea. From Tugu we were heading to the other side of Lombok. While effects of the earthquake can still be seen and building is going on in all the small villages we passed here, Tugu was largely untouched. Before re-opening, the Tugu staff and management worked tirelessly to fundraise and rebuild communities in Lombok that had been affected by the quake. This commitment to their staff and the island that inspired this Tugu resort is reflected in the people we meet. Their eyes sparkle, their smiles are truly genuine and knowing that they work for a family business that puts their lives first is reflected in their faces. This is my second stay at a Tugu Hotel, the first was in Canggu, an equally enthralling hotel. I would return in a heartbeat. My love affair with this part of the island of Lombok continues and is now fed by the magic of this place, it is a very special resort and I can think of no better way to experience the very best of Lombok, its people and its heritage. I know more than I did before and am richer for it. www.tuguhotels.com/hotels/lombok

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Sand, Sea & Soul Selong Belanak Beach â&#x20AC;&#x201C; South Lombok

www.sempiakvillas.com

info@sempiakvillas.com

+62 821 4430 3337

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sounds around

flight decks.

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suite sounds W hotel's dedicated sound suite offers visiting artists and first-timers alike the chance to create in a professional studio right in the heart of the seminyak resort.

Bali is a very popular destination for musicians touring throughout South-East Asia and Australia, particularly those coming from as far out as the USA or Europe. It is a convenient place to stop in during a tour and as such has become a prime location to see world-class DJs and other artists.

schedules tend to leave little time for them to get to know their local promoters. “Maybe you take them out for dinner but you don’t get to know them very well, but the sound suite has been a great relationship builder,” Damian explains. “When they stay for more than a day they hang out and you get to know them properly.”

Back in 2016 the W Hotel in Seminyak inaugurated the W Sound Suite in response to the number of visiting artists who wanted both the comfort of a luxurious hotel during their stay and a space to create new music as their inspiration strikes.

The Sound Suite is a 50-square-meter space that comes fully equipped with several keyboards, mics, mixers, DJ setups and a live room where people can record acoustic and electric sounds. The space is comprised of a control room, a lounge, and a live room with access to a garden that can double up as an event space. The nearest room sits three meters above the Sound Suite, with tons of sound insulation between them. The space is sound proofed to the point that nothing short of a jackhammer outside the room can disturb the artists within.

Tucked underneath the W’s foyer, the Sound Suite itself is a work of art. Everything from the lounge to the main control room and live room is purposefully designed and inviting. As I walked in I was greeted by Damian Saint, Sound Suite’s Music Curator. His calm demeanor and laid-back personality instantly put me at ease and turned a Q&A interview into a friendly banter. I probably took up more of his time than I should have, but he never showed it.

The space itself is also open to the public. According to Damian not only can anyone who is willing come and use their facility, they actively look for lesser-known or amateur artists to find new talent. “The most frequent kind of guests we have Damian and I spoke about what makes aside from guest DJs are in-house guests the space so unique. The truth is there for DJ lessons,” Damian says. “It's not just a are very few hotels in the world that room for DJs. We have recorded bands in incorporate a sound studio for visiting damian saint, sound suite's music curator. here, done voiceovers for CNN, Channel artists, and as music is a core part of the News Asia, meditation podcasts. This is a W experience it made sense to create creative hub for musicians, DJs, radio shows, podcasts, and our in-house guests get a space in-house that minimizes the amount of travel time an artist on tour has to 50% off. It is a fully-functional, fully-versatile studio that is open to anyone that wants spend. “The concept comes from having these artists who are struck by inspiration to use it.” in the middle of the night and wanna work on something,” Damian explains. “So they would write in their rooms or have small speakers set up and that could disturb The Sound Suite is very popular, and as such requires booking in advance. With other guests. We wanted to create a space where people could work on their music famous musicians such as Deadmau5, Chromeo, and Nightmares on Wax making that was available around the clock whenever something sprung to mind.” use of the space, you best believe the Sound Suite at W Seminyak is more than capable of catering to your every need. W Bali was the pilot project, and it has since expanded to Seattle, Hollywood, and Barcelona. “W Bali has the most constant flow of artists coming through, which Part of what makes the Sound Suite so special is Damian himself. As an comes down to destination,” Damian continues. “Not only is it right in the heart approachable, friendly, and experienced artist, Damian often sees recurring artists of Seminyak but also globally, like a trade route really. Artists tend to tour in the that are booked to play in other venues visit the Sound Suite in their down time. summer, and so when it is winter in Europe or America many go and tour in “Sometimes these other venues don’t like that, I’ll tell ya,” he says laughing. Australia, stopping in Bali to or from the tour.” Artists typically fly in and out within a day or two, leaving little time for R&R. Visiting a studio to record anything during this time also means more travelling, and their

www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/dpswh-w-bali-seminyak

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fashion freestyle

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fashion freestyle

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advertiser's directory

EVENT ORGANISER Pro Motion Events Tel: +62 361 4725190 www.pro-motion-events.com Page 141 Virtuoso Production Tel: +628113964444 Page 98 HEALTH, SPAS & SALONS Blow Bar Tel: +62 361 3350600 www.blowbarbali.com Page 65 Yak Map R.8 Glo Day Spa Tel: +62 361 738689/ 282826/ 9348844/7015600 www.glospabali.com Page 99 Yak Map L.1, X.10 Kayu Manis Tel: +62 361 705 777 www.kayumanis.com Page 80 Yak Map E.16 Spoiled Tel: +62 361 8475141/+62 81999288555 www.spoiledhairdressers.com Page 7 Yak Directory Yak Map R.1 HOTELS & VILLAS Fairmont Sanur Beach Hotel Tel: +623613011888 www.fairmont.com/sanur-bali Page 41 Yak Map H.11 Four Seasons Jimbaran Tel: +62 361 701010 www.fourseasons.com Page 46 Yak Map F.16 Impiana Private Villas Seminyak Tel: +62361730840 www.impianaseminyak.com Page 81 Karma Beach Club Tel: +62 370630982/+62361848 2202 www.karmaclub.com www.karmagroup.com/karmabeach Front Inside Cover Yak Map F.15 Lelewatu Resort Sumba Tel: +62 81139606060 www.lelewatu.com Page 23 Montigo Resorts Seminyak Tel: 623613019888 www.montigoresorts.com/seminyak Page 130 Yak Map N.5

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Origin Seminyak Tel: +623619083143 originseminyak.com Page 17 Yak Map N.8 Renaissance Tel: +623612003588 www.renaissancebali.com Page 70 Yak Map F.16 Sandat Glamping Tel: +62 361 8946388 www.glampingsandat.com Page 22 Yak Map H.11 Sthala, A Tribute Portfolio Ubud Tel: +62 361 3018700 www.sthalaubudbali.com Page 27 Sempiak Villas Lombok sempiakvillas.com Page 130 The Anvaya Beach Resort Bali Tel: +62 361 759991 www.theanvayabali.com Page 19 Yak Map C.13 The Apurva Kempinski Tel: +62 361 2092288 www.kempinski.com Page 1 Yak Map H.16 The Edge/Mesa Hotel & Resort/Seas Tel: +62 361 88470700/+62 361 8470700 www.mesahotelsandresorts.com www.oneeightybali.com Page 40 Yak Map G.14 Villa Palma Tel: +62817347389 villapalmacanggu.com Page 131 Yak Map K.1 W Bali - Seminyak Tel: +62 361 4738106 www.wbaliseminyak.com Page 31 Yak Map K.4 MEDIA / PRINTING Supa Print Tel: +62 361 8475740 www.supa-print.com Page 141 MISCELLANEOUS Bali National Golf Club Tel: +62 361 771791 www.balinational.com Page 106-107 Eco Bali Tel: +62 82237799819 eco-bali.com

Yak Map C.7

Yak Map H.16

Page 5 Yak Directory Liga.Tennis Center & Academy liga.tennis/club/ltca Page 28 Yak Map R.1 Mason Adventures Tel: +62 361 721480 www.masonadventures.com Page Back Inside Cover Yak Map H.11 New Kuta Golf www.newkutagolf.com Page 131 Yak Map E.16 Waterbom Bali Tel +62361755676 www.waterbom-bali.com Page 29 Yak Map C.12 Hanalei Swan www.hanaleiswan.com Page 64 Yak Map J.1 PROPERTY Bali Landscape Company Tel: +62 361 8975105 www.balilandscapecompany.com Page 2 Yak Directory Yak Map O.1 RESTAURANTS & BARS Aperitif Tel: +62 361 9082777 www.aperitif.com Page 117 Da Maria Bali Tel: +62 82237733099 www.damariabali.com Page 7 Yak Map U.13 Motel Mexicola Tel: +62 361 736688f Page 47 Yak Map O.7 Manarai Beach House Tel: +62 361 4772727 www.ismaya.com/eat-drink/manarai Page 4-5 Yak Map G.16 OMNIA Dayclub Bali www.omniabali.com Page 9 Yak Map E.16 Potato Head Tel: +62 361 47377979 www.ptthead.com Page 18 Yak Map L.5 Settimo Cielo Tel: +62 361 4741117 www.settimocielo.com Page 80 Yak Map R.6 Sugarsand Tel: +62 361 2099999

www.sugarsandbali.com Page 71

Yak Map P.13

Tropicola Tel: +62 361 9343636 www.tropicola.info Page 35

Yak Map K.4

SHOPS 69Slam 69slam.com Page 11 Yak Map E.6 Atlas www.atlaspearls.com.au Page 13 Yak Map V.15 Bamboo Blonde www.bambooblonde.com Page 15 Yak Map S.8; N.2; O.7; N.11 Bloomz Flowers Bali Tel: +62 812 465 484 99 bloomzbaliweddings.com Page 99 Yak Map X.1 Deus Ex Machina www.deuscustoms.com Page 2-3 Yak Map P.8; O.6 Heineken Strongbow www.multibintang.co.id Page 111 John Hardy Tel: +62 361 469888 www.johnhardy.com Back Cover Latif Living Tel: +62 361 449 29 03 latif-int.com Page 21 Lily Jean Tel: +62 361 9342283 www.lily-jean.com Page 33 Yak Map V.11 Periplus www.periplus.com Page 141 Philip Lakeman Ceramic Tel: +62361281440 www.lakemanceramic.com Page 142 Sensatia Botanicals Tel: +62 363 23260 www.sensatia.com Page 25 Yak Map P.8; L.1 Warisan Tel: +62 361 701081/730048/421752 www.warisan.com Page 6 Yak Map V.5

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horoscope

astroyak

star gazer dallas kalmar hits the charts to put your life in perspective.

“Here comes the sun…” With a rare two full moons igniting your partnership house on March 20th & April 19th, you can expect to seal a deal in love, business or both! Refer to September of last year for clues about how this will unfold. On April 5th, the Aries new moon acts like a cosmic reboot for any areas in which you’re feeling stagnant. Set those intentions, then feel your way to real. When Venus saunters into your sign on April 20th, you’ll be dripping with personal magnetism and – if you’re single – perfectly postured for romantic wo/man-ifestation.

aries

“Running on empty…” On March 28th, Mercury’s forward motion in your social 11th house of technology and networking couldn’t come fast enough, especially with the hurry-up-and-wait energy you’ve endured around a passion project (and the communication fires you’ve had to extinguish in the interim). A rare duo of Libran full moons light up your house of work, routines and health on March 20th & April 19th, which could spell adrenal fatigue if you’re not careful. Lay off the caffeine and sugar, especially in March while energizing Mars calls on your sign. The Taurus new moon on May 5th heralds your own personal new year, which is full of promise – don’t waste it because you’re catching up on sleep!

taurus

“Stop in the name of (self) love…” March finds you contemplating your career or calling – where you may have been derailed, and how to get back on track. With Mercury shaking up your 11th house of networking and the full moon fois deux in your creative/ rewarding 5th house, have no fear about getting clear on (and expressing!) your innovative ideas come mid-April. Tap into the energies of the Taurus new moon in your house of healing/closure on May 4th by putting yourself under self-care arrest: escape your inbox, rest up, practice forgiveness, and (as Taurus rules the throat) – speak your truth. Easy does it.

gemini

“Baby, come out of your shell…” The new moon on April 5th activates your career house for the next six months, dangling yet another dream opportunity for the taking (or this could be a carryover from one you envisioned last month). Ample cosmic assistance arrives to see it through, when energetic Mars bounds into your sign on May 15th. As Mars is the planet of action, passion and sometimes aggression, your ambition returns – and so does your libido! When the Scorpio full moon illuminates your romantic and creative domain on May 18th, it could give you the courage to make a sultry first move – or an overdue assertion of personal power by expressing some repressed feelings.

cancer

“All we need is just a little patience…” As Mercury does the electric slide through your 8th house of desire, intimacy, joint ventures and investments for most of March, take heed: like applying hand cream whilst driving in the fast lane on a busy highway – it (most likely a potentially fatal attraction or formal agreement to be signed) can wait. All of these issues will be better informed by late April, courtesy of a second full moon in your communication house on the 19th. Until mid-May, Venus in Aries encourages all things unconventional in romance – whatever you’d usually do, try the opposite!

leo

“With my mind on my money and my money on my mind…” Your earned income sector is all kinds of lit up in March & April. With two full moons there (the first on March 20th, the second April 19th), dividends abound after a labour-intensive six months – and possibly even a windfall (just don’t spend it all on gin & juice). However, with sleepy Mercury riding the bull in your partnership house for most of March, this payout comes with a penultimate test of your faith and patience. In negotiations, unforeseen delays can benefit you, so use this period for review and necessary revisions.

virgo

“You’re all I need to get by…” Like it or not, the spotlight is yours for the taking – not once, but twice – as a rare duo of full moons in your sign roll out the red carpet on

libra 144

March 21st and April 19th. A once-ethereal idea or unfinished project gets the cosmic greenlight, as long as you strike a healthy balance between ‘me’ and ‘we’ in a team situation. On April 5th, the Aries new moon in your partnership sphere offers a cosmic clean slate in love and business. Healing Chiron also here could catalyze a sudden urge to merge – or detach with love – over the next six months. “Running on empty…” Expansive Jupiter in your earned income sector has resulted in a ‘do now, feel later’ cadence since November, but with two consecutive full moons beaming in your 12th house of healing and closure, March and April should find you donning your Greta Garbo more than usual. It’s time for balance: diarize your downtime, and release whatever you’ve managed to suppress (deep down, you know what that is … ‘cleanup on aisle me, please!’) – perhaps with the help of a therapist or energy worker. That way, your tanks will be full in time for a transformative month in relationships after the full moon illuminates your sign on May 18th.

scorpio

sagittarius “Should I stay or should I go, now…” Since November, the pace has quickened and you’ve enjoyed a lot of cosmic liberties – luck in spades and the confidence to match. When Jupiter (your ruler) reverses for four months on April 10th, you might feel like your luck has run out (it hasn’t). In March and April, two consecutive full moons in your 11th house of teamwork could prompt you to challenge a project’s makes-the-dreamwork capacity, so you’ll need this comparably quieter time to scrutinize, identify and take advantage of the opportunity (or dodge the headache) being presented to you. May 4th’s new moon offers a new beginning in your work life. “Taking care of business…” With Mercury wreaking havoc on your communicative, technological 3rd house for most of March, you’ll need to devote extra time to precautionary measures. Back up those files, reconfirm appointments and travel details, take pause before signing anything or hitting “send” on electronic messages. On March 28th, Mars ignites your organization zone until May 15th, driving you to streamline your life and tackle any unfinished business – all this in preparation for the (second) Libra full moon in your career house on April 19th, which might set your loftiest professional missions in motion.

capricorn

aquarius “Stars when you shine, you know how I feel…” March kicks off with a beautiful bang as Venus graces your sign until the 26th. Be it turning heads or attracting life’s unexpected luxuries, you’ll have plenty of reason to be out and about (and sizzling from within)! Careful though: with Mars in your fertile 5th house until May 15th… well, need I say more? The new moon on May 4th falls in your house of home and family. If you’re looking for a new home or just to spend more time with loved ones, you’ll have ample cosmic support now, but remember: ‘Om’ is where the heart is. “So call me, maybe…” Happy solar return, Pisces! Your first gift will be a new moon in your sign on March 6th, turning the soil for you to plant your seeds of desire (and hopefully harvest six months from now). A full-moon double-header in your eighth house of intimacy and joint finances sounds the call for some romantic decisions and fiscal due diligence. Give yourself (or someone else) the space to feel more clearly, be it in love or money. By the time Venus flutters into your expressive 3rd house mid-May, you’ll be feeling extra sensitive-yet-centered and ready to let ‘er rip – with your usual brand of grace, of course.

pisces

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