The Yak #52

Volume 52 SEPT/OCT/NOV 2016

skinny dipping rum diaries light waves rock steady anti social media

SEMINYAK VILLAGE G-18B, GROUND FLOOR

T 0361 474 1819

.CO HAN K H A FAR

M

BIASAGROUP.COM | BALI SEMINYAK - SANUR - UBUD | JAKARTA KEMANG B I A S A G R O U P. C O M | B A L I S E M I N Y A K - S A N U R - U B U D | J A K A R T A K E M A N G

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DISCOVER INDONESIA SELF STYLED HOLIDAYS AT ALILA LOWEST RATE + PRIVILEDGES Indonesia is a land of great diversity, offering a spellbinding mix of relaxation and adventure, histor y and culture, age-old traditions and modernity. From the paradise island of Bali to the bustling metropolis of Jakar ta or the ancient royal city of Solo, we invite you to discover its many unique sides in one complete experience with Alila. Style your travels any way you want, encompassing a stay in any or all of our eight Indonesia hotels - your gateway to The Best of Indonesia.

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www.theyakmag.com

Volume fifty TWo SEPT/OCT/NOV 2016

The Yak Magazine Sophie Digby, Agustina Ardie, Nigel Simmonds Creative Director Stuart Sullivan Sales & Marketing Peta Johnston, Amik Suhartin Production Manager Evi Sri Rezeki Graphic Designers Irawan Zuhri, Ida Bagus Adi Accounting Julia Rulianti Distribution Made Marjana, Putu Widi Susanto, Gede Swastika, Kadek Eri Publisher PT. L.I.P Licence AHU/47558/AH/01/01/2011 Advertising Enquiries Tel: (+62 361) 766 539, 085100431804, 085100431805, 085100431796

on the YAK cover: Photography: Ted O’Donnell Styling: ozlem esen mell Model: Madeline Holznagel Hair and Makeup: Luana Coscia all clothes by alice Mccall. Shoes and rings Stylist’s own.

e: info@theyakmag.com, sales@theyakmag.com The Yak, Kompleks Perkantoran Simpang Siur Square, Jl. Setia Budi, Kuta, Bali 80361, Indonesia

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Opinions expressed are those of the authors not the Publisher. The Publisher

© PT Luxury In Print

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The Yak Magazine Bali.

infringements on images supplied directly by advertisers and/or contributors.

Check us out online, we’re awesome (if we do say so ourselves). Peace.

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contents 22

What’s In A Name?

24

Calendar Candy

26

Charity First

28

Cuffstodian

Yakety yak

dates with destiny

one world

giving back

30

15 minutes

32

new in the hood

44

Bob Marley

Top Of The Tree out of the box

Barang Barang

90 14

50

Skinny Dip

56

Renato Vianna

60

Diana Rosa

62

Nusa Caña

66

Emmelyn Gunawan

70 74

culture vulture

people

people

brands

people

sounds around

Iwanouz people

Indra Lesmana

78

76

Dimas Dwitanto

78

Ted O’donnell and Vicki Lee

84

From Russia With Love

90

people

art

passions

Yak fashion

Madeline

108

Cocktails Ahoy

112

Day Clubs

116

62

taken not stirred

oral pleasures

oral pleasures

Kayumanis

32

SUNBRELLA® IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF GLEN RAVEN, INC.

S U N B R E L L A . C O M / YA K

contents page100: Omnibus: online antics.

118

Fat Gajah

120

Fish & Chips

oral pleasures

Big Six

122

Life’s A Breeze

124

Light Waves

132

Alila Seminyak

oral pleasures

feature

pent up in a penthouse

56 18

134

Fairmont Sanur Beach

136

Good Karma

venting in a villa

brands

138

Secret Retreats

142

Suarga

146

travel

148

Client Clobber

160

What’s What

162

fashion freestyle

ad directory

astro yak

Horror Scope

venting in a villa

venting in a villa

Bali National Golf Resort

124

60

108

So it started with a Ku De Ta, a time when Cosmo’s overthrew Bintangs, and the denim-clad sun loungers elbowed red umbrellas, bringing together a bohemian tribe of beautiful and artistic people each and every sunset. Magically and musically we were led by the likes of vibe gurus Claude Challe of Buddha Bar fame. Time went on and a Yak came along, dishing out advice on the where, the what, the why and the when. Times were good, the days were long, the work was light.

Not much has changed since then, times are still good, the days slip into night, yet we are not too sure about how to keep the work light anymore. But back to some things that haven’t changed, those quirky word-crafting traditions pervade.

Our very own Lou Nietunz pens our Sounds Around column each issue and we occasionally wend our way through the Ministry of Interiors (for our beloved ‘decorators’) and visit Bali’s Members of the Cloth (our famed and fabled fashion designers).

And in each edition of The Yak we do hope we keep you entertained while we walk and talk you through all our features, be they Culture Vulture or Oral Pleasures.

We are quite happy to go Venting in a Villa with you and even get Pent Up In Penthouse, we’ve been doing it for quite a few years now.

Straight up and to start, we ask you to give back with our One World and become a Cuffstodian, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to become part of a gifting, selfless tribe. Then for 15 Minutes we hang out with Bob Marley, one of the original “original” tribes … and although I am almost sure he never made it to Bali, the Wailers sure did, as did his music legacy which reverberated from the few bars, pre Ku De Ta days.

New In The Hood introduces you to the ‘nuvo’ arrivees, closely followed by our Out Of The Box choices for this issue. Time to take our clothes off and go Skinny Dipping with Lorna Jane Smith, before we meet the gorgeous people that are part of the ‘Fa Brick’ of Bali – Renato, Diana, Marc and Andy, Emmelyn, Iwanoez, Indra and Dimas – this tribe have fashion, booze, music and interiors all covered.

And just like them, next up we cover art, photography and fashion and come a cropper when Gava Fox gets to enlighten us about the anti-social side of social media.

Cocktails are next in our Taken Not Stirred, yes we do mean by aliens, as we are sure that is what happens when we drink some of these fabulous concoctions. We are quite famous for our Oral Pleasures and in this issue we tussle with a Fat Gajah and end up finding out that life is a Breeze.

Then from breeze, to sea, to longboards, single fins and female surfers – such a fabulous feminine addition to the Batu Bolong/Echo Beach part of town. The gorgeous goddess tribe that each support the other as only women can.

Venting In A Villa takes us from Karma to Suarga and to a variety of Secret Retreats, all over the archipelago, before we get beautifully Pent Up In A Penthouse at the Alila Seminyak.

After going freestyle with all our favourite fashion brands we get to AstroYak by Dr Deepak who lets us know what’s in the stars for us in the upcoming.

One word before we go we would like to welcome the new word-crafters on the block, namely Sea Vu Play and Mrs Sippy, both locales of libations.

So saying to you Yakkers of the world “vu lay vu enjoy some kord on blu in your awt kutuer?” :) May The Yak be with you.

22

yakback Dear Yak, Your magazine is great! I chanced upon your website and it stood out immediately. Your work is top notch. Thank you.

Ian Powell, Boulder, Colorado Thanks for noticing!

Dear Yak, I’m still sharing the amazing editorial fashion shoot featuring my designs … many thanks to the amazing Amberly Valentine with styling by the one and only Ozlem Esen Mell.

Thank you The Yak Magazine, love your work!

Mauricio Alpizar, Bali Grateful for the gratitude, Mauricio.

Dear Yak, This is my favorite magazine in Bali – worldclass production, fantastic graphics and articles, a must-read every issue.

Monro Wine, WA *blushes Dear Yak, Hi, I’m Dwi from Bali. I enjoy to read your website. But I would like to give you a suggestion about your design especially on the background. It’s a bit terrible for me. I mean it’s cool to have a diagonal pattern but I have problem with my eyes (astigmaticeye) and it’s annoying when reading. I can see stripes and lines for hours. Please

consider about this issue. I love reading your post. Thank you.

Dwi Duly noted Dwi. We’ve deleted the stripy background, just for you.

Dear Yak, Fantastic fashion shoot in The Yak #51, truly.

Great edition, well done!

Don Albert , Voyager, Bali Dear Yak, Thank you so much The Yak … Love your magazine, and appreciate your work a lot.

Zohra Boukhari, Bali Dear Yak, I always tell my friends coming to holiday in Bali they must grab the map that is located in the back of The Yak Magazine – and holy mother of snobs, I have just realised it is on line.... You MUST print this map out if you are coming on over, it has every single super fabulous place in the hood that you need to know about. Hello you can thank me later The Seminyak Snob Dear Yak, I love this magazine … but I’m not in Bali anymore, it’s too bad – feeling sick.

Andreas Sri Handoko Somewhere that is not Bali

In The Lap Of: Ellen Degeneres One of our fave TV faces Ellen Degeneres was incognito in Bali recently we hear – she popped into Charlotte Chen’s handbag emporium and purchased a clutch or two. Ellen’s a near-vegan – she eats fish – so we’re assuming it wasn’t one of the goat skin collection. Or was it for pretty Portia, the love of her life? Go girls!

calendar

fridge magnet fodder for the peripatetic.

BALINALE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL Established in 2007, BALINALE is Bali’s premiere independent film festival bringing together filmmakers and film fanatics from Indonesia and abroad. The theme this year is ‘No Boundaries’ to reinforce the idea that there are no limits to creativity and means of expression. Besides nightly film screenings of independent films by first-time submitters as well as Oscar®, Emmy®, BAFTA®, AFA, FFI and Cannes award winning filmmakers, there will also be daily performances, workshops, seminars, children’s activities, student workshops, a nationwide film competition, and a free open-air cinema under the stars.

The festival takes place from September 24th to September 30th at the Cinemaxx Theatre in Lippo Mall Kuta. www.balinale.com GRACE JONES AT POTATO HEAD BEACH CLUB Party people will be making their way to Potato Head Beach Club in droves on October 8th to catch legendary disco diva Grace Jones in action. The Jamaican-born singer, songwriter, supermodel and actress rose to stardom in the 70s and 80s with hit tracks like ‘I Need a Man’, ‘Warm Leatherette’ and ‘Slave to the Rhythm’, and since then she has become famous for her new wave sound. This will be Jones’ first ever performance in Indonesia, and it promises to be a high-energy event under the stars in Potato Head’s spectacular setting next to the sea. Tickets are on sale now, but be sure to grab yours soon because they’re selling out fast. www.ticketbase.com IF YOU’RE IN MEXICO… October 12 to October 16 — Expo Tequila (Tijuana): Five days of tequila-fuelled festivities may sound like a frat boy’s wet dream, but the Tequila Expo is actually a pretty civilised and family-friendly affair. Featuring over 300 brands of tequila from some of the country’s top producers, this is a great opportunity to break away from that commercial swill you’ve been shooting and experience some seriously smooth tequilas and other agave-based bevvies. There will also be a ton of food stalls serving up authentic Mexican fare, live bands and traditional dance performances.

October 31 to November 2 — Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead): Much like Galungan and Kuningan in Bali, Día de los Muertos is a holiday to honour the deceased and invite their spirits to come back to Earth to reunite with their families. Starting on the evening of October 31, families throughout Mexico will visit the graves and tombs of their ancestors and leave offerings like marigolds, sugar skulls and candles, as well as toys for children and tequila and mezcal for the adults. Rather than being a sad occasion, this three-day festival is a celebration of life where families and friends come together to eat, drink, sing and tell stories about their loved ones who have passed.

IF YOU’RE IN SOUTH AFRICA… September 30 to October 2 — Hermanus Whale Festival (Hermanus): Every spring the coastal town of Hermanus welcomes the annual migration of the Southern right whales with the Hermanus Whale Festival. Watch these gentle giants glide by from the best land-based whale watching destination in the world, listen to live bands belt out rock n’ roll and indie tunes, and indulge in fresh seafood, local culinary creations, and fine wines from world-class wineries in the region. There will also be fun kid’s activities in the Marine Eco Village, a colourful parade, and a vintage car show.

24

UBUD WRITERS & READERS FESTIVAL Join thousands of thinkers, dreamers, artists and activists at the Ubud Writers & Readers Festival, Southeast Asia’s leading celebration of words and ideas featuring a diverse mix of literary luminaries from around the world. Now in its 13th year, the festival presents the theme of ‘Tvat Tvam Asi’, which is a Hindu concept meaning ‘I am you, you are me’. With this ideology of mutual respect and understanding at its core, the festival aims to foster cross-cultural dialogue and connection with a solid line-up of panel discussions, master classes, literary lunches and cultural workshops taking place between October 26th and October 30th. www.ubudwritersfestival.com MELBOURNE CUP Aptly referred to as ‘the race that stops a nation’, The Melbourne Cup is held every year on the first Tuesday of November at the Flemington Racecourse at the Victoria Racing Club, and it never fails to bring out thousands of spectators all dressed in their finest and ready to cheer on their chosen runner. This is Australia’s most popular racing event and one of the richest turf races in the world with championship thoroughbreds and jockeys thundering down the track to secure their spot at the top and win the $2.6 million prize.

In Bali you can catch all the race day action replete with cocktails, canapés and a multicourse meal at the Canggu Club or Cocoon Beachclub or Saigon Street.

October 2 to October 11 — Macufe (Bloemfontein): Now in its 19th year, Macufe draws the crowds into the normally quiet Free State capital of Bloemfontein every year with their arts and culture extravaganza. The name stands for Mangaung African Cultural Festival, although this is more like a series of mini-festivals all rolled into one. Events include jazz, hip hop and gospel shows, local theatre and comedy acts, poetry readings, a boxing competition, arts and crafts markets and an urban youth festival. Expect to see top artists from South Africa and around the African continent.

IF YOU’RE IN THE USA… September 12 to September 18 — Kentucky Bourbon Festival (Bardstown, Kentucky): Since 1776 the good folks from Bardstown, Kentucky have been distilling bourbon, and today 69 per cent of the world’s bourbon comes from this little corner of the world, so it makes sense that this historic town is also the home to the Kentucky Bourbon Festival.

The six-day event celebrates this smoky spirit with distillery tours that showcase the bourbon-making process, bourbon style cooking schools, black tie galas, and bourbon sampling sessions with live music.

October 13 to October 16 — New York City Wine & Food Festival: As if New York City wasn’t already enough of a foodie haven, the New York City Wine & Food Festival offers four days of star-studded events where guests can savour dishes by celebrity chefs, sample some of the world’s finest wines and spirits, and join hands-on cooking classes, intimate chef’s table dinners, and educational culinary seminars. Even better, all of the net proceeds go to the No Kid Hungry campaign and the Food Bank for New York City.

There are over 100 events on offer and tickets range anywhere from $10 to $250.

giving back

mercy, mercy me.

As this magazine goes to print a ragtag group of surfers, bikers, photographers and big dreamers will be making their way across Indonesia on motorbikes to surf, scope out the eastern island scene and do some serious good for remote and rural communities in need. Mercy Machines is their name, and giving a shit is their game.

The idea for Mercy Machines began with Dustin Ederer, who moved to Bali from California in 2011 to get involved in volunteer work. Since rocking up to our shores, he has helped build and manage orphanages on the island, teamed up with UNICEF in the Philippines to supply clean water to victims of Super Typhoon Yolanda, and worked with programmes to get kids off the streets and into school.

Most recently Dustin partnered with the Rotary Club of Bali Canggu to create a foundation that builds water storage tanks in remote villages in East Bali that have no access to clean water at all. The tanks were designed to collect enough rainwater to provide a family of five with at least two gallons of water a day throughout the entire dry season.

He says, “During the development of this project, I’d pack up my things, hop on my bike and ride three hours east to a village called Kubu. This idea of riding my motorcycle to remote villages grew, so I got some friends involved and now we’re riding 1,500 miles over the course of 30 days on motorcycles with surfboards and medical supplies.”

The team that Dustin wrangled together includes Michael Warchild, Cesar Fernandez, Anthony Dodds, Saskia Koerner and Crille Raskall. And because none of them are experts in the medical field (not even close they might say), they’ve enlisted the help of the John Fawcett Foundation to help them properly distribute the supplies. Their main areas of focus will be polio, malaria and water contamination.

26

Although polio was eradicated in the West in the mid 90s, it still surfaces in Indonesia, especially in remote areas where villagers have no access to the vaccine.

Malaria is also prevalent in all areas of eastern Indonesia, and can be fatal if not treated properly. However, the biggest cause of illness in the country is contaminated water, with over 50,000 Indonesians dying every year from waterborne diseases.

To raise money the progressive philanthropists started a Kickstarter campaign and invited challenger brands to sponsor the adventurers. In return, Mercy Machines’ photographers, videographers and editors will create unique content that showcases the products on the road and in the environment they were created for. In this sense the team are also what they call an ‘adventure marketing collective.’

The Mercy Machines crew will start their epic inter-island motorbike journey in Bali in mid-August and make their way across Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumba, Flores, Roti and Timor utilising ferries and camping out when needed. On each island they will connect with local social organisations and meet and help real people in real places with real needs.

The group states, “ We like to think of ourselves as the grungy and grittier version of the Fellowship of the Ring, but in this case, we’re trekking across rugged terrain to change lives and have the motorcycle and surf trip of our dreams.” The trip will be a combination of what they call ‘escapade and aid’. Or as Dustin succinctly puts it, “The concept itself is adventure while giving a shit along the way.” S.M. www.mercymachines.co

giving back

pay iT forward

become a cuffstodian and wear the peace cuff for a year to sponsor the less advantaged on our beautiful island.

Beautiful bling is one thing, but beautiful bling that makes a serious statement and tells a story is a whole other game. When these limited QG Peace Cuffs crossed our desk, we were pretty smitten with their bold design and overall aesthetics, but when we heard the story behind them, we were immediately on board.

Made by Groovy Gurus design house with support from the Quincy Jones Foundation, the Peace Cuffs consist of solid 925 sterling silver with gold-plated sections and icons that represent the five major world religions of Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism and Judaism. The symbols represent the beauty of each icon at its core, and focus on the similarities between each religion, particularly when it comes to the messages of peace, unity and love for our fellow human beings.

Adding to the appeal is the fact that only 15 of these cuffs were created, each numbered from 01/15 to 15/15. But before you go and try and snag yourself one of these unique creations, the cuffs are not for sale. The only way to get one of these babies on your wrist is to become a Cuffstodian. By making a minimum donation of IDR10 million (USD $750) to Yayasan Solemen Indonesia, you can be the proud owner of a Peace Cuff for a year and directly help disadvantaged people in Bali.

Yayasan Solemen Indonesia was formed in 2010 to raise awareness and funds to support accredited agencies and projects for the disadvantaged in Bali. At that time Sole Man Robert Epstone declared that he was going to go barefoot until Solemen raised US$1 million. He chose to do this in solidarity with those who don’t have a choice to wear or not wear shoes. He then set off on an ‘awareness walk’ around Bali with a medical team from Anak Anak Bali (Bali Kids) that included frequent health education checks and presentations in schools, orphanages and villages.

Today Yayasan Solemen Indonesia works closely with aid groups and rehabilitation centres to seek out people in need and quickly assess and assist those who are suffering.

They provide health and safety education, and where appropriate, therapy and medical treatment. To date they have helped thousands of people suffering from everything from malnutrition to mental illness and physical disabilities, and they have become one of the most well-known and trusted charities in Bali.

get cuffed. photo: lucky 8.

By becoming a Cuffstodian, your donation will go directly to needy and disadvantaged people in Bali. Each Cuffstodian is registered, certified and published, and gets to wear the Peace Cuff for one year. At the end of the year you have the option to donate again and wear the cuff for another year, or return the cuff so that it can be passed on to the next person on the waiting list. At that time your name will be engraved inside the cuff as a reminder of your generosity and custodianship.S.M. www.solemen.org

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Escape forTrue Luxury Leisure...

Experience True Luxury Leisure Beyond nature's hospitality

Royal Eat, Sleep & Spa Package

“A night in paradise” For 2 Persons Inclusive of:

1 night stay at one bedroom villa with private pool (villa category is subject to the availability) 100 Candles dinner include 2 glasses of cocktails & canapes, 6 courses degustation menu, romantic bath set up, strawberry chocolate dip and 2 glasses of sparkling wine to be set up in the villa A two hour couple spa treatment at the spa Morning village cycling, afternoon trekking and morning yoga based on hotel schedule Daily breakfast anytime anywhere or a la carte breakfast at Scene Restaurant Daily fresh fruit and a afternoon tea Shuttle service within Ubud area 24/7 Butler service Free Wi-Fi access

*Terms and Conditions Applied For futher booking, please contact our reservation team: The Samaya Ubud, Bali Banjar Baung, Desa Sayan, Ubud, Bali Phone: +62 361 973606 | Fax” +62 361 973610 Email: info@thesamayabali.com Website: www.thesamayabali.com

15 minutes

with bob gava fox lights one up with the bobster. respect.

At the birth of Zimbabwe in April 1980 I was a cub reporter on the country’s main newspaper, The Herald, and assigned to trail and learn from a grizzled veteran journalist who had forgotten more than I knew about anything.

Rhodesia, as it was then known, had in 1965 declared unilateral independence from Britain — the only other country to do so was the United States in 1776 — but was struggling to survive because of the dual effects of a Communist-backed insurgency and crippling international sanctions.

When the white-minority government finally saw the writing on the wall, suffrage for the black population was allowed, elections were held and Robert Mugabe’s ZANU-PF party won an overwhelming victory. In the months that followed, the country once again became a British colony, and Westminster was scheduled to formally grant independence on April 17 at a massive ceremony at the National Stadium attended by Prince Charles.

The early draft of the ceremony looked pompous and dire: Colonial bigwigs, judges in their robes, soldiers in dress kit and school children singing hymns, but two local businessmen decided to liven up proceedings by trying to get one of the world’s most popular bands to attend — Bob Marley and the Wailers.

The pair had no budget, no access to the equipment and technical expertise needed to stage such a massive outdoor concert and very little hope of succeeding, but they flew to Jamaica anyway to approach the reggae king, figuring that given he had recorded a hit song called “Zimbabwe” about the country’s independence struggle, they might get a sympathetic hearing.

They were right. Not only did Marley agree to perform, he offered to pay for the entire production, renting and flying in equipment from Europe and buying tickets for the vast crew required to stage the concert.

Marley enjoyed a special place in Zimbabwe’s musical canon. Race was so etched into the country’s woodwork that radio stations had two sets of pop charts — one for “black” music — mostly by local artists — and the other, by foreigners, for the whites. Reggae, however, straddled both and was popular among all races.

30

At midnight on April 16, Prince Charles lowered the old Rhodesian flag and Mugabe raised Zimbabwe’s new pennant, and Marley began to perform. There was immediate chaos.

legend.

Thousands of ordinary people who had not been able to gain access to the stadium suddenly surged through the gates, overwhelming authorities and flooding into areas reserved for foreign dignitaries. The police reacted ham-fistedly, firing tear gas and sending VIPs scurrying for the exits.

The band was forced to leave the stage after only one song, but when order was restored they returned to perform four more, ending their set with a rousing performance of “Zimbabwe” that had the entire crowd joining in.

The next day, I accompanied my mentor to interview Marley. As a long-time fan I could scarcely conceal my

excitement, but my much older colleague treated the assignment like a chore. He cared little for music in general and reggae in particular.

Marley was smaller and appeared more frail in the flesh than I would have imagined, but the world wasn’t to know at that stage that he had less than a year to live.

Cancer was consuming him.

We all shook hands and sat down, and my colleague asked the first question.

“Mr Marley,” he asked somewhat formally, “how significant is being here on this occasion to you?”

Marley held up his hand to hush him and replied: “First we need to smoke.”

An aid produced one of the biggest spliffs I have ever seen and Marley proceeded to puff furiously on it before passing it to me. I looked nervously at my colleague. He would certainly disapprove, but I couldn’t catch his eye, so I took a puff. And another. And one more.

I then I began coughing. Deep hacking coughs that I couldn’t control, my eyes watering.

Marley started laughing and gestured for the spliff to be given back to him before passing it to my colleague, who demurred.

“Brother,” said Marley. “If you don’t do the herb, you don’t get any words,” and held it out again.

This time my colleague accepted, but like me he immediately broke into a paroxysm of coughing.

Marley cracked up and called to his wife, Rita, who was also in the room.

“Baby, check out these white boys … they don’t know anything about the herb.”

I recall little else about the interview. Before every question, he’d arch his eyebrow and proffer the joint. If we demurred, he’d shake his head and refuse to speak until we took a puff. By the end of it I was stoned out of my mind — as was my colleague.

About half an hour later the interview was over and we headed back to the office. An attack of the munchies forced us to stop for a burger and as we sat eating my colleague looked at me with glazed eyes and spoke.

“You better not tell a soul about this.”

But then again, how could I not? Jah rastafari. I smoked weed with Bob Marley.

FA C E B O O K : B A B AYA G A B A L I - I N S TA G R A M : B A B AYA G A _ TAT T O O E M A I L : B A B AYA G A B A L I @ G M A I L . C O M J L . B AT U B O L O N G 7 7 - C A N G G U

SIGNATURE SCENTS FROM NATURE Canaan Bali has recently unveiled their scent-sational new line of products including reed diffusers, room sprays, candles and organic soaps infused with their signature fragrance, which gets its appealing aroma from natural ingredients like wild fig, fresh tomato leaves, sandalwood and vetiver essential oil. Head to their boutique at Katamama Hotel to grab some of their gorgeous cold-process soap made exclusively for Canaan by Republic of Soap. Each bar is mixed up in small batches, perfumed with Canaan’s signature scent, cut to size and stamped, smoothed and wrapped by hand. Even better, there are no petroleum additives, fillers, animal by-products or artificial colours, so you get a pure natural soap that produces a thick luxurious lather. Shop at Canaan at Potatohead Boulevard www.canaanbali.com Map ref. L.5

ROLLING IN LUXURY Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali knows that the last thing you need after coming off a long flight is to deal with pushy taxi drivers descending on you in droves at the airport. In fact, they believe you need something a little more hassle-free and a whole lot more luxe. With their Rolls-Royce Ghost service you not only get your own chauffeur waiting for you and ready to whisk you off to the hotel, but you also get to ride on soft supple leather seats in a whisperquiet ride in the back of their Rolls-Royce Ghost. The Ghost is also available for private sightseeing tours and special events.

Tel: +62 361 301 1888 www.fairmont.com/sanur-bali 32

KULINER EXTRAORDINAIRE AT KILO BALI With striking minimalist architecture in a subdued setting, Kilo Bali sets a different tone for the somewhat frenetic Seminyak scene. Step inside the dining room and natural light pours in from huge windows, while warm wooden tables beckon to both couples and large groups alike. Chef Tim Forster’s culinary creations include shared plates and ‘all-toyourself’ dishes that focus on fresh local ingredients and Asian cooking techniques. Think thick slabs of fresh snapper sashimi in a tangy yuzu dressing, savoury pork belly roasted for 24 hours, or hearty and healthy rice bowls with organic brown rice or quinoa, fresh veggies and your choice of protein like beef short ribs or pan-seared salmon.

Tel: +62 361 474 1006 www.kilokitchen.com/bali/ Map ref. T.9

Farah Khan There’s elegance and then there is Farah Khan. This brand oozes an elegance which one might call bespoke - yet none of us could dream up these fluid lines and colour combinations.

Farah Khan’s Fall/Winter of 2016 plays with visual art, China, traditional attire and embroidery, it’s in a class all of its own! The cheongsam with high necked and formfitting lines have been re-interpreted and updated to a westernised setting - Chinoiserie 2.0. From this collection expect a relaxation of lines to include highnecked dresses, bell-sleeved blouses and beautiful capes.

Farah Khan Fall/Winter of 2016 explores the colour palette of blues and white, black and silver, burgundy and gold with an accent on embroidery. Each piece a classic, each piece a treasure in the wardrobe. Available in Bali at Seminyak Village. www.melium.com Map ref. O.7

SUPER NORMAL COLLECTIVE If you’re going to live the island lifestyle, you’ve got to have at least a few staple wardrobe pieces that are lightweight, versatile and easy to throw on and off.

Super Normal Collective covers all of the above with their debut collection now available at Bali Boat Shed. Hit up their racks for statement printed tees, relaxed fitting linen and classic denim cuts designed to flatter all body types and styles for both men and women. Their focus is on quality fabrics, clean lines and ultimate wearability, and their walletfriendly price points mean you can kit yourself out in all-new gear and still have money left over for sunset drinks. www.baliboatshed.com Map ref. N.6

STEPPING OUT BIASA STYLE Designed to be relaxed, refined and free flowing, BIASA’s Summer-Autumn 2016 menswear collection features lightweight fabrics like cotton, muslin and linen in an array of sophisticated monochrome hues, as well as bright bursts of colour like tango orange and honey yellow. Breathable jackets, pants and shirts come to life with handmade dyes, bespoke block prints and hand stitching, and each piece is made for sunny days and warm breezes. Whether you’re scoping out the scene on the beach or sipping cocktails next to the pool, the collection offers easy-going tropical classics that will endure long past the 2016 season. www.biasagroup.com

LOGIN. FILL CART. RELAX Who needs to spend the better part of a day dealing with supermarket lines and car parks when you can get farm-fresh produce and gourmet goods delivered right to your door?

Compass Fresh sources high-quality foods from local farmers, bakers and culinary artisans, and then offers them at competitive prices via their online shop. Simply login, place your order and choose your delivery time, and then sit back and relax, go for a surf or have a nap while they do the rest for you. Each item is purchased to order, packed with care, and delivered using Google Maps and GPS systems. You can pay in cash or credit card, and should you have any issues at all, their customer service team is always on hand to help. www.compassfresh.com

Nooq by Qunci Our favourite sister island, Lombok, just landed a new, fab, must-visit hotspot - Nooq Lounge Bar and Restaurant. Located beachside in Qunci Villas - just a tad north of Senggigi - Nooq has picked up the Spanish-Asian baton and is running with a mouth-watering array of all things “España”. Of note: Pimento relleno de atun or tuna stuffed peppers; Boquerones en vinagre or vinegar marinated anchovies; four types of Paella; A Yak favourite Gambas al ajillo or garlic King prawns and a perennial favourite Albondigas en salsa de tomate or Meatballs in a lush tomato sauce. Desserts? Yes, the best of course, with offerings of Churros, Crema Catalana and Leche Frita - hard to get more typical than these! So if you’re venturing east, to our sister island, and wondering where to find outstanding food, with gracious service and an iconic view of the sun dipping behind Gungung Agung then book a table at Nooq. www.quncivillas.com 34

STRANGE BUT COOL At the age of 35 Tina Lim walked out of her job as Director of Regional Training at Christian Dior seeking a handbag to suit her personal style, but to no avail. It was then that she decided to create her own bags and forge ahead with a fashion line that worked for her personal style. In the years that followed she delved into evening wear and jewellery design, and she began to travel the world in search of ethnic fabrics, jewellery and artefacts. Now in Bali, Tina presents StrangebutCool, a funky Sanur shop showcasing her eclectic designs influenced by the glamour and elegance of the 1950s, colours and prints of the 1960’s, and timeless haute couture. Also on site is the Museum of Vintage Bags featuring her personal collection of over 1,000 vintage bags. www.strangebutcool.com

EXTRAORDINARY

EXCEPTIONAL

UNEXPECTED

SHANGHAI TO SICHUAN

THE ART OF INDULGENCE

Jl. Petitenget 208X I Seminyak, Bali, Indonesia I 0817 003 0088 I www.shanghaibaby.asia

KILLER RIBS AND TWISTED MARTINIS Fans of the legendary Naughty Nuri’s Warung no longer have to make a trip up the hill to get their rib fix, as this iconic restaurant has recently opened a branch in Kerobokan. Inspired by the rustic roadside warung in Ubud, the new branch features a sizzling outdoor grill to cook up the same giant slabs of ribs smothered in secret sauce that made the original famous.

Also on offer are Nuri’s filled-to-the-brim martinis and margaritas, but be warned— these are some seriously boozy bevvies. In fact, if you can handle three of these bad boys, you’ll earn a spot on ‘Nuri’s Wall of Fame’ and have your name carved into one of the walls for posterity.

Tel: +62 361 847 6783 Map ref. W.5

FACULTY KITCHEN & BAR Located on the second floor of Livingstone Cafe in apartment garden setting, Faculty is part of a cool collaborative concept store that offers smooth specialty coffees and fine teas from L/S Coffee Studio, chic designs from BURO Retail, and contemporary cuisine and handcrafted cocktails from Faculty Kitchen & Bar. Classic dishes here get modern and creative twists like tender short ribs braised in coffee, savoury duck breast smoked in tea leaves and fresh cod glazed in miso. They also offer big breakfast spreads, as well as fun weekend events like a Sunday market and Sangria Brunch.

Tel: +62 819 9994 6515 www.facultykitchen.com

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STYLISH SANCTUARY IN SEMINYAK Recently acquired by the prestigious Impiana Hotel Group, The Villas Bali Hotel & Spa is one of Seminyak’s must-stay spots with 50 stunning one, two and three-bedroom villas, each with their own private pool and lush tropical garden. Seminyak’s hotspots are just steps away, but with a wide range of world-class facilities and services on site, you really don’t have to leave the resort at all. Gourmet meals can be had at Prana Restaurant, and your private chef can prepare hearty barbecues and multi-course meals right in your villa. Indulge in luxurious spa treatments at the opulent Prana Spa, winner of the Bali Leading Independent Spa award from the Bali Tourism Awards, or soothe sore muscles with relaxing reflexology and acupuncture sessions at the Chill Reflexology centre.

Tel: +62 361 730 840 www.thevillas.net Map ref. W.10 Tattoo you Bringing international inspirations, art and ink to Bali, the team at Babayaga are here to set the tattoo bar even higher than it is! International professional artists brandishing American and European sterilisers and equipment are here to either follow your lead on what you want inked on your torso, or better still let those in the know inspire you to choose one of their bespoke, unique designs. Mothwinged daggers, dreamscapes, permanent goddess tattoos, life-like fruit, or a nod towards El Dia de Los Muertos with a skull and more…Remember you only really get one chance…so choose the best, take the pain and wear it with pride. Check out their studio on Jl. Pantai Batubolong in Canggu Tel. +6282237392705 www.facebook.com/babayagabali Map ref. N.1

Jenja offers a majestic night out, from world class DJs, delicious cocktails, to dancing until dawn.

ts suites bali

jl. nakula barat 18, seminyak - bali infobali@clubjenja.com 0811-3988-88; 0818-0877-0088 Jl. TB. Simatupang kav. 17 Cilandak barat Jakarta 0822-1181-3383

www.fb.com/jenjabali www.clubjenja.com

see you in the orchard Over the coming weeks and months there are going to be some sea changes down at The Orchard. With Lee Stone now on board in a full time consultancy role alongside the owner Graeme Storr. Both driven by a passion for Indonesian music coupled with a great work ethic, they are aiming to make The Orchard the centre of live music for Indonesian musicians on Bali. From September there will be clearer definition between the live music nights with Tuesdays becoming the weekly spot for Folk music with ‘Everyday Folk’, Thursdays will be ‘Souled Out’ with Dee Dice being the regular host with an array of guests playing Soul and R’n’B and Saturdays will host ‘The Marmalade Sessions’ with Aray Daulay and the Island Souls continuing their weekly residency with an array of top quality guests from Bali and beyond with a more traditional Rock’n’Roll and Blues fusion format. There’s also renovations in the pipeline to increase the capacity as well as changes to the feel of the venue. In its first year of opening The Orchard has already blossomed into a fantastic live music venue with a real family vibe to it, so we’ll see you there.

Tel: +62 361 3003 502 Map ref. X.13

Jenja Jakarta Our favourite nightclub in Bali, the ever effervescent Jenja, opened recently in the Big Durian. Sharing the love from Indonesia’s favourite island we are thrilled to see the Jenjaites making waves in the crowded streets…nothing better than to ket one’s hair down after a long slog at the office and a bumper to bumper trek home. Nights like Essence, Southside and Weekenders bring the best sound to Jakarta’s night life. As one Jenja Effbooker wrote “ Finally, it is the club many wanted but never got. A club with quality DJs of the electronic scene from Deep House to Detroit Techno dumping all Guettas and Tiestos. A club with a Funktion One Sound system (one of the best in the world)...” Jenja is located at the Cilandak Town Square 1st Floor. Opens Wednesdays thru Sundays 9pm - 3am www.clubjenja.com

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UNIVERSO RESORT Brought to us by the fashion leaders behind Havaianas and Seafolly, Universo Resort is the newest resort wear label from Universo inspired by designer Bruna Daudt’s Brazilian heritage, Australian influences, and beach culture. These easy-to-wear threads celebrate femininity with soft flowing pieces featuring tropical digital prints and glamorous fabrics and shapes, and honour masculinity with classic cuts and colours and effortless tailoring. For both the men’s and women’s lines, each piece is designed with comfort, contemporary design and vibrancy in mind. www.universoresort.com Map ref. X.9 DAMN GOOD DIM SUM Dim Sum and liquor. Need we say more?

Maybe not, but you know us—we aren’t exactly the silent types. Moon Rabbit is the hottest new drinking and dining den in the Petitenget hood, and not easy to miss with its bright red oriental style doors. Step into the opium den like setting, sidle up to the bar, and get your sip on with signature martinis and cocktails featuring fresh Asian flavours. Fill your belly with an array of dim sum selections like steamed hargow (shrimp dumplings) and cha siu bao (BBQ pork buns), or classic Chinese chow like salted egg shrimp or roasted pork noodles. Can’t seem to drag yourself out of your villa? Lucky for you they also deliver.

Tel: +62 361 474 0674 www.facebook.com/moonrabbitbali/

Tribal Kids There can be no greater thrill for a mother, grandmother or auntie than to buy shoes for kids - they are all just so cute in that size! And Tribal Signature have just come out with a new line of shoes for the little ones… Keeping the tribal and stylish concept of the brand, the crew at Tribal Signature have created handcrafted footwear with tribal accents using the natural dyed, hand woven, traditional “tenun” fabric. Something uniquely Indonesian that just makes your kids feet pop with style. I wish my boy was three again! www.tribalsignature.com

An Archipelagic Food Revolution As one of those leading the charge of the Indonesian food revolution, Republik45 have reinterpreted the archipelago's well-loved dishes, such as Chicken Taliwang (beware the heat), melt in your mouth pork ribs; a Yak favourite is Karedok - a crunchy veggie salad with a bite, and the island's perennial favourite the Bebek goreng or fried duck. Since opening just over a year ago the Republik45 team have transcended the hype and are concentrating on putting out memorable Indonesian food, some of which is not spicy for those who don't care for it. At the same time expansions and upgrades happened recently, adding a fabulous patio area with notable air-cooling systems and a for "sharing menu", a very important addition for those of us who like to try a bit of everything without diving into a fellow diners plate with our fork held high!

Tel. +6281337777622 www.republik45.com Map ref. U.5

To Market to Market…

Spain is on the rise again, and another one for the south Bali’s Bukit list. Bringing a ‘market’ concept into a meet, greet and eatery venue, El Merkat is creating a totally new twist, and whilst tapas and some Spanish dishes will be served, the team will serve up a masterful selection of dishes and bites from all over the globe, with a focus on affordability and environmental consciousness. Quality, originality and service will make El Merkat the new stop in, stop over bohemian scene on Jl. Raya Uluwatu. www.elmerkatbali.com Jewellery for Enlightenment These days we need all the help we can get to maintain a high vibration in these transformational times. So after spending almost two years in sacred silence the message was clear, Dhatri was to assist and heal us all by way of incorporating sacred symbols, crystals and sacred geometry into wearable art. Unique, magical, energising, sacred, transforming and gifting wisdom, Dhatri uses over 100 types of crystals from all over the world.

The team at Dhatri craft each piece with love and compassion and charge each crystal with love and good intention gifting the wearer with balance awareness, beauty and harmony. Soon to launch an online shop with online shipping we will no longer need to pop into the Sanur showroom to get our chakras rebalanced, having said that though the showroom is a veritable treasure chest of energised crystals and geomancy that is sublime to hang out in for a while…recharging. www.dhatrijewellery.com 40

Stay, Explore, Relax East Bali – fabulous history, great sightseeing, authentic cuisine – but how to get there, explore it all and get back to south Bali in one day? No need. Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali by Wyndham have found the perfect location to base yourself when exploring the east of this fabled island. The waves and rice paddies of Klungkung beach proudly host a 200-room Resort spread out over 1.4 hectares. A variety of rooms – Resort, Deluxe Pool Suites and Private Pool Villa – luxurious beach pool and garden pool with deck, spa and wellness centre are there for your lazing pleasure once the nearby historical tours have imbibed you with culture. Nearby the silversmiths village, traditional art market are short jaunts away through rice farm land. Well within reach are the fabulous Water Palaces, Kertha Gosa Justice Hall, and traditional cloth markets of Klungkung town. Try the Asian-insipred international fusion menu, or sit back and relax at Senja Poolside bar on your return, as the sun goes down and turns the skies to pink and purple. Great for families and romantic getaways.

Tel. +62 366 543 7988 www.wyndhamjivvabali.com

Jalan Pantai Cemongkak, Pecatu, Bali 80361 | P: 0851 0080 3416 | info@elkabron.com | www.elkabron.com

M Shaker Copper, Gold, Chrome, US$32.95 www.uberbartools.com

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ROSE BLACK HAT, IDR350.000 Raen Convoy Brown Rootbeer Tortoise, IDR2.500.000 CHECKMATE MOTO L/S, IDR520.000 VINCE JEAN NAVY, IDR849.000 BI-FOLD WALLET, IDR450.000 www.deuscustoms.com

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One Ocean Full face snorkeling mask 4.0 new design idr1.100.000 www.taskameracozazebali.com

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las vegas playsuit IDR690.000

macey crossover dress IDR790.000

tough love dress IDR 90.000

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LuxRoll IDR6.350.000 www.uberbartools.com

Nazarbattu Triangle case IDR325.000 www.anotherstores.com

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culture vulture

Lorna jane Smith goes Skinny Dipping With underwater artist Martine Emdur.

You can take the girl out of Bondi but not Bondi

out of the girl – as proven with acclaimed Sydney artist Martine Emdur, who classifies herself as a

works’ oily aesthetic depths.

“true local” to Australia’s iconic beach. She grew

“I love the idea of people being able to place

most “dominant vision” of her childhood. Martine

large scale so the viewer can feel immersed when

up with Bondi at the end of her street and it’s the started painting immense scale underwater scenes with people in different states of submersion.

Nowadays her body of work is testament to the

power of fluidity between humans and the ocean. All because of Bondi.

Martine’s primary goal for her artistic content is that the viewer is able to transport themself to

that place under the sea. “I want the surrounding environment, the light, the floating, the depth of the water, the temperature, the patterns in the

surface and the feelings all this evokes to be first and foremost.”

Then there’s the people gracing these epic

canvases, mostly nude, faceless and sensually

engulfed by dappled lights, perspectives and watery

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hues. The viewer can’t help but dive into her

themselves within the scene, and that’s why I paint standing in front of the painting. To feel the

sensation of floating, to feel the contrast of the warm sun rays on their faces and the cool water on their bodies, and to feel a sense of mystery

of things emerging from the depths. In some of my

works, I simply want to elicit a fun and liberating feeling. I feel there’s a strong sense of freedom and weightlessness to being underwater and baring

all, and I hope that sense of liberty comes across in my work.”

Her work is an extensive process that starts with a photo shoot. Martine has worked with an impressive yet varied array of underwater photographers

whose individual styles have conjured the initial

composition of each canvas. She spends hundreds of hours sifting through images looking for details

float away.

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culture vulture Making Waves.

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that spark those first brush strokes. “Once I start marking the canvas and painting, the shapes and

Recently Martine started experimenting with

think about it 24/7. I can’t say I remember every

bucket list. She described Bali as the home of

tones and contours become stamped in my mind. I’ll brush stroke necessarily but the forms stay with me.”

Presuming “forms” means bodies one wonders how she accumulated her models. When Martine first embarked on her successful career she used Facebook,

advising the time, date and place for a shoot and then simply hoping people who enjoyed a quick

skinny dip would turn up. And they did. She then

different locations and Bali made her underwater a “thousand beautiful visions”, a

destination

that is a visual treat for anyone. Martine took thousands of photographs during her Bali stint, enabling her relentless search for aquatic

inspiration. She was in awe of Bali’s spectacular sunsets, the rivers running through forests while being constantly caressed by a “divine dappled

light”, a prevalent feature that adorns her works.

recently put the word out at her favourite yoga

Martine’s an artistic water nymph who I feel would

mermaid. “Yogis are amazing underwater, and one in

never tires of driving home down Bondi Road towards

studio and discovered the closest likeness to a

particular was spectacularly graceful. I love her.

She was ever mindful of every transition from one position to another; every movement of hers was hypnotically fluid and totally mesmerising.”

The picture Martine’s currently painting (1.85mx3m . . . huge!) includes the nude forms of a PR

girlfriend, a corporate suit, a champion pole

drown in sorrow if separated from the sea. She

her home and seeing the ocean come into view. “I

constantly feel challenged and have a long way to go before I have mastered this subject. I imagine I’ll be continuing down this path for a long time

to come as both the ocean and the human form are a never-ending inspiration for me.“ www.olsenirwin.com

dancer and an advertising photographer. “As usual everyone’s a little reluctant to get their gear

off in the beginning but the minute they surrender it’s mermaid central. You can see them come alive.

Skinny dipping is so liberating.”

Martine is a self-declared wimp when it comes to the water, especially cold water. She actually forces herself to dive in and be a willing

participant of every shoot and of course the

choreographer of her watery waltzes. Occasionally she has to be the backup nudist. Martine’s desire for all things ocean is actually voyeuristic,

accompanied by an eternal guilt of cheating by not readily taking the plunge herself.

At the end of the day she is a true Siren of Ocean art. Her focal point is usually from the bottom of the sea and then she works relentlessly back and forth between sea and bodies, forever trying to

get fluidity of form, colour and light. Martine’s passion for turquoise, sapphire and glass green

martine. photo: lucky 8.

define her work. These lush, rich and deep hues are her steadfast connection to nature.

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people

r e n a t o tony stanton riffs with brazilian born renato vianna about his life by the sea. photos: saskia koerner.

Renato, can you tell us a little about how you grew up?

I grew up in Rio de Janeiro on the beach at Ipanema Arpoador, the counter culture stage at that time. Bossa Nova was born a few blocks from my house. I loved the sea and tried to go to the beach every day, even if it was only to look, study or work. I had a very good childhood with five sisters; I was an engineer’s son and my mother was a homemaker. She always made our clothes as it was difficult at that time to buy anything ready-made. All my sisters also sewed, my grandfather was a tailor and he made suits in a small office with four other people. I

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remember visiting him and being amazed by the process, and I always keep these scenes in mind.

And how did you arrive in Bali? I ended up working for one of the best clothing companies in Brazil, starting as a sales person, then moved to store management and finally to a new design department. It was a great period for me, working with the very talented owner. One day one of our suppliers came in with some swimming trunks made from Bali batik, and I became very curious about the technique. Back then there were no computers and printing fabric was a very long process. I was

people

fascinated. I sold my VW and used the money to come to Bali with a friend who had been here many times before. During that time the surf industry was only making black trunks, but I made 70 different samples that were very tropical and colourful, and I gave them to my friend when he returned to Brazil and told him to give them to my former boss. The buyers arrived at the office and immediately ordered 5,000 pieces. It was 1993 and I only spoke Portuguese. Can you imagine? There were no phones in Bali, we had no staff and no driver. I brought all of the fabric to the factory on my motorbike. The first delivery was not good, so I asked the guys at the bungalow I was staying at to help. Soon production got better and the orders grew to 15,000, 30,000, 60,000 . . . before long I started to build a brand called Totem in Brazil, which was very successful. After that I went on my own and started By The Sea. What was Bali like back then?

After one year in Bali I met a beautiful Japanese Brazilian girl, 19 years old, and we fell totally in love. We lived in Oberoi and our house was also our office, no TV, no phone and no distractions, just work and surf and love. Bali felt magical and the expat community was very small. The only places to go were Goa, Café Luna and the famous parties at Warisan, where we met. If heaven existed it was in Bali at this time, I believe. I surfed Uluwatu almost every day after 4pm until it was almost dark, when I’d drink a beer and watch the sun set. I was living in paradise on earth with the woman I loved. It was a special time. Our son was born the year later.

From Oberoi we moved to isolated Kerobokan, which was a great place with an amazing view, but at that time a lot of things started to happen with the business, so we decided to ask someone to check the land. The mungku told us it was a cremation ground … which explained a lot. We decided to move to Canggu in 1997. At that time there were only two warung on the beach. Our second son was born there. It was the most amazing experience I have ever known. Harumi started to have contractions while we were in the bath, and at the same time our then three-year-old son Kayu woke up, just in time to see his brother born and emerge slowly out of the water, just as the light grew in the bathroom. It is a moment I will cherish for the rest of my life.

So I guess you won’t be heading back to Brazil anytime soon . . .

I love my country and I love my people but I hate all the politics. Everyone’s life there has become difficult.

You’re a kite surfer, correct? How did you get into that?

I started surfing Copacabana when I was 14 years old, then later when I moved to

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Bali I improved my skills here. Ulu was my place, and Padang Padang. There were fewer people around then of course. These days I surf less and spend my time on my new passion, SUP. I started kite surfing around 10 years ago when I was on a surf trip to Sumbawa. Someone was selling a professional kite surf kit, so I bought it and started to learn. It was a bit like learning to drive when your first car was a Ferrari!

The kite was too fast for me, and I’d also decided to use it with a strapless board. I’m still learning to this day.

Ok let’s talk about the brand you’ve built here. When and how did it start?

As I said By The Sea started after Totem closed.

We had very little money, but with a lot of energy and love we achieved a lot. We were still distributing in America and had stores in Brazil, but after a while I decided to invest in the Bali market.

Who would be your perfect By The Sea customer?

Classic and elegant, casual-smart, resort and beach wear, By The Sea is always connected to the ocean and a relaxed lifestyle without pretension. I think everyone can find something they like in our stores. Business is good.

Do you design and produce all the clothes?

How are you involved and how far have you come as a company?

I used to design everything with my wife Harumi, but as the business has grown we have invested in professional designers to drive the brand to the next level. I think the potential for the brand is very big. I travel a lot and I’m always shopping and searching … and I know our brand can go all the way to the top.

We’ve now opened two shops in Jakarta and the sales have shown us there’s a big market for us in the cities.

Everyone we know comments on the quality of fabric and work on your clothes.

We only use natural fibers, and for me fabric has a soul. It’s my passion. I believe that we should give the best to our customers to keep brazil to bali. them coming back.

Ok, enough business. What’s your perfect day?

Sunrise meditation, green juice for breakfast, SUP in front of my house in Pererenan for two hours, then the office and kite surf in the afternoon after a workout or yoga.

Sleep early!

Renato, many thanks for your time.

My pleasure. www.bytheseatropical.com

Authentic Indonesian Cuisine

OPENING SEPTEMBER 2016 at Potato Head Beach Club, Bali W W W. K AUM .COM

people

diana rosa rocks out with the yak’s tony stanton. photo: saskia koerner lady diana wears: Leather fashion by @PatriciaBosdesign, available at housewives on fire, seminyak. ring by 21 dgrs. shot at salt studios.

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It’s been quite a year for you Diana, what’s going on?

Well, I competed on The Voice Indonesia earlier this year. I went through blind auditions to the battle round. Then I performed live at Taman Buaya Beat Club TVRI, covering a few of my favorite Slank songs. I performed with them in July at their concert in Bali with a couple of thousand Slankers, which was such a great experience. I’m also doing regular performances at several different venues across the island, and I’ve been blessed with feature performances with some of the island’s top bands including The Island Souls, Dice and Akustika.

You were all over the TV there for a while. How did you feel about your performance on The Voice?

I think I did alright. It was truly a great experience meeting all the coaches and competing with so many talented singers. Even though my journey was cut short, a lot of good things came from it.

Did you train formally as a singer, or do you come from a musical family?

What was it like growing up for you?

There were a lot of musicians in my family. My dad was a wonderful singer and guitarist and my mom was also a beautiful singer. But doing music for a living wasn’t a popular notion in my family. My dad would always push me to finish my education first – my musical endeavors came second. Being the naughty kid that I was, I remember skipping classes to practice with my band, or I would be off doing a gig somewhere at a small festival or bar around Jakarta.

How often do you and your band rehearse every week? You seem to have an enormous repertoire of songs . . .

Not as often as I should. Now that things are going in the right direction with some really exciting times ahead our efforts must be doubled! As far as my repertoire goes, I have my dad to thank for that. He had a massive collection of cassettes of artists from the 1920s to the 1980s. Growing up I used to go through all these cassettes and play them whenever I could – and then I’d sing over the top of them. I remember getting scolded regularly for not putting the cassettes back in the right cases.

Who are your musical heroes?

Oh boy, where to start . . . Macy Gray, Tracy Chapman, Lauryn Hill, India Arie, Jill Scott, Etta James, Angie Stone, Alanis Morissette, Grace Jones, Fergie, and as a ’90s kid, I worshipped Whitney Houston, Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys and Christina Aguilera.

What’s The Next Big Step for you?

I’ve been trying to release a passion project of mine called BALIFORNICATION. It’s taken a little longer than I planned . . . but hey, all good things come to those who wait, right? The album is kind of bits and pieces of my sporadic diary entries over the last 10 years living in Bali. The ups, the downs, my experiences and observations, the good and the bad along the way. The fusion between the Balinese culture and the West has created a unique dynamic of colors that shapes today’s society in Bali, it’s great material for lyrics! The track Balifornication,

for example, was inspired by a certain monologue by Edward Norton in the movie 25th Hour and then applied to everything Bali. I think it’s important that we look at ourselves in a kind of second degree, because if we can’t laugh at ourselves, who can we laugh at? There’s a bit of something for everyone on the album. There are a few profanities in there too on some of the ‘angry’ tracks, but it’s real, it’s raw and it’s me!

I’ve been blessed with a crazy good producer, Fallen Malaikat, who’s been doing some amazing new things on our electro/blues/funk/mash-up project with my boyfriend Graeme Storr, a brilliant closet lyricist. I’m also in the process of putting together my own band. We’re called Tainted Black. We’ve been spending a lot of time in the studio and we’re all gelling really well. We’ve got a unique sound, a kind of blues, soul, funk, rock feel to it. We’ve just had our first gig together too, at The Orchard Bar and Restaurant, so as you can imagine, we’re amped! And last but not least . . . in another very exciting project I’ve been collaborating with Aray Daulay and Dadang (Navicula) on a single in Bahasa Indonesia.

Are you writing your own material?

Yes, a little bit. I’ve found keeping a diary is a great way of collecting epic future lyrics (you just don’t see it at the time!).

Do you sing in the shower?

Bet your ass I do! Lol. It’s one of the best spots to sing, acoustically.

What would you be doing if you weren’t a singer?

I’ve asked myself this question a million times and I’ve actually done so many things over the years that I’m not sure. I’ve covered news stories for Australian TV, I’ve done business consulting, been an MC, I helped design and run a small restaurant, I’ve been a model and a presenter. I’ve done a lot of jobs! No matter what I was doing though, it was never really what I wanted to do and it was always just a way to support my musical career and pay for more studio time.

Music has always been where my heart is and I’d be truly lost without it. If I wasn’t a singer, I’d definitely still be involved in music somehow.

Ok, you’re on the deck of the Titanic and the ship is sinking and you’ve decided to stay and sing. What three songs would you choose?

Bhuahahahaha . . . I’d probably sing, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor, followed by Message In A Bottle by The Police and the grand finale . . . The End by The Doors.

Diana, thanks for your time and best of luck with all your plans.

Thank you! www.facebook.com/dianarosa.panjaitan

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brands Photos by Kelibow @ the Deus Temple.

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Indonesian rum – the tipple that history forgot – returns in style with booze brand Nusa Caña.

Tony Stanton hit the bottle with ambassadors Marc Rodrigues and Andy Gaunt.

Good morning guys. First off we want to know from you – as members of the bar – how do you deal with hangovers? Because we have a shocker today.

Ok so you’re here to talk to us today about Nusa Caña tropical island rum, obviously. It’s your first foray into the booze world as independents, correct? So why rum, and why Indonesia?

Andy: That’s one thing you have to learn in this business - they’re inevitable if you drink too much! After many years in the game, I’ve learnt (the hard way) that doing what you can to minimise the next day’s effects is what it’s all about.

Enjoy a drink, make sure you drink the best quality you can afford, and drink lots of water. In this industry, I hear all sorts of so-called hangover remedies, most are old wives tales mind you, but for me it’s really as simple as loads of water, time and maybe a painkiller or two. And nothing beats getting wet – a good surf washes out the system!

Andy: That’s right. We’ve all spent our lives working on some iconic drinks brands, and we’re excited to be able to bring together our personal passions with our professional experiences on our own project. Indonesia has a fascinating and almost unknown connection to rum – in fact it is the grand father of modern day rum. For centuries, travellers, traders and explorers have been drawn to these islands, whether for adventure or for the rich natural bounty. What a lot of people don’t know is that for millennia sugar cane has been cultivated here, in fact it is indigenous to this part of the world. We’ve forgotten that it was cane from here that would have been taken to the Caribbean, a region we now think of as the home of rum. History has forgotten that thanks to the early trade routes, some of the very first rums served in the punch houses and salons of 17th and 18th-century Europe were in fact from Indonesia. When we discovered this story, we knew we had to do something, and that is when Nusa Caña was born. It's a new island rum that's bringing back the forgotten spirit of those very first adventurers and the rum they discovered.

Marc: In my experience in the industry, I’m expected to be first man at the bar and last man to leave, seven days a week. Given this I don’t have the luxury of hangovers! But if one does sneak up on me I find a good reason to stay in bed.

A hangover is not a punishment for drinking too much the night before but a punishment for not drinking early enough the next day. Or as a wise man once said: “A hangover is god’s way of telling you he’s jealous you had a good time.”

We’ll try both of those, although it’s a bit late to stay in bed. Is it too early to start drinking? Let’s move on. Can you just tell us first a little about your backgrounds and what you’re up to in Bali and beyond?

Andy: Growing up by the beach in south-west England, in Cornwall, a love of the ocean has shaped my life, leading to a passion for travel (and warmer climates!), and probably why we live in Sydney now. I first came to Bali in the mid ’90s with a backpack, surfboard and hair down to my shoulders, and ever since that trip I’ve been drawn back to these islands. To be doing something that puts Indonesian craft back on the world map is fantastic. I’ve been nearly 20 years in the booze game, generally in marketing and strategy, working all over the world for some of the world’s biggest spirit brands. It’s been a fun ride.

Marc: Growing up in Australia firstly in Perth as kid and then the east coast as an adult I have always loved the energy and the sense of freedom that comes from the island of the gods, and as a result over the years I made my way here as often as possible. After turning 40 on the top of Mount Kilimanjaro I decided to end corporate liquor life and start my own business here in Asia. I launched a drinks magazine specifically for the bar trade as I felt Asia is the emerging center of the drinks world. This led me to wanting to contribute more and put the region further on the world drinks map, which has resulted in the creation of Nusa Caña along with four great mates. One of my roles in the team is to be here in Indonesia to facilitate this island’s visitors and the new modern tribe that have made it their home fall in love with the rum and the brand and help us take both to the world in the future.

So you’re using sugar cane from Indonesia to resurrect a pre-colonial tipple. Cool.

Yes. Crafted on Java, the original home of Indonesian rum, the heart of Nusa Caña is a rich Indonesian sugar cane spirit. To create it, Javanese sugar cane molasses are slowly fermented with pure, forest-filtered water and red rice cake.

The resulting liquid is distilled in ancient Chinese pot stills and then matured in Javanese teak casks, before being blended for today's tastes. This traditional craft has been carried out this way for at least 400 years, and probably longer.

We blend this rich and exotic heart to create a modern rum that is smooth, approachable and friendly, and our name reflects this – Nusa of course meaning island, the heart of our rum, while Caña is a nod to the international and modern world of rum today. We think that we have a great product that can put quality rum from Indonesia back on the map, both here and across the world.

Andy: Tell us a bit about how you came up with the logo and branding for Nusa Caña.

While we aim to put Indonesian rum back to the world, the soul of the brand is inspired by what we feel is the heartbeat of modern Indonesia – Bali. This is an island that all of us have strong connections to, and we love its heady mix of ancient days and modern nights. We wanted the brand to capture this mix, while feeling playful and vibrant, like the island's attitude itself, and we’ve worked on this with a great design team – a mix of local and international designers. The barong mask is our artistic interpretation of the ‘King of the Forest’ done by Stevie Anderson, a young UK designer now based here in Bali, and the visual colour scheme was inspired by the late Dutch-born Balinese

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artist Arie Smit, paying tribute to the island of the gods and Indonesian culture.

We’ve blended these traditional references with a modern design style that we think gives us a fresh look that really stands out from the crowd. Along with the rich and ancient culture, the island is a playground of fun and adventure, and we wanted to capture these contrasts through the branding. Whether it’s the deep blue colour palettes used in traditional batik craft, that we’ve blended with ocean and island scenes, or the graphic style developed by Sydney based agency Bold Inc, or even the street art that we’ve seen around the island, there is a bucket load of inspiration for us to work from here, and each element tells its own story of the island life we enjoy.

Marc: Tell us about the rest of the team behind the brand, and what you hope to achieve in Indonesia…

Our team has over 100 years booze experience and covers all aspects of marketing, mixology, commercial sales and fun times. As well as Andy who you have now met, we have Sam Jeveons our liquid creator and mixology expert. Sam was at the centre of the cocktail explosion in London in the late ’90s early 2000s before moving to Asia, where he has consulted on many of the regions great bars. Joe Milner our commercial man has worked around the globe and has sold most of the world’s great spirits across the region for the last decade. Finally our understanding of all things Bali and Indonesia – as he has made it home for the last six years – is Dre Masso. Dre is easily labeled a global drinks legend.

Marc: Where are we most likely to see you hanging out?

I will be wherever there is Nusa Caña, enjoying it over lunch at a beach club, during sunset, wherever that maybe, and then at a cocktail spot before and after a great meal somewhere on this island. I’m hoping to be another one of those men about town here spreading cheer and Nusa Caña tales all over the island.

To the trade out there I will be at your bar, on your lounges and beanbags and regrettably on your dance floors until the job is done and the island loves it’s very own rum.

Marc (left) and Andy. Bringing back the good times.

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Ok so if we clock you in a bar can we hit you up for a Nusa Caña tester? How would you recommend we drink it?

For sure you can – I’m always up for a drink and chat! I recommend it mixed with ginger beer when you’re parched after a surf, at the end of a jungle hike or watching the sun set. If you’re out to impress then dress up a classic mojito or daiquiri, Nusa Caña makes both of those local and amazing. But as Brian Flanagan once said (and I totally concur) “If you want to get loaded why don’t you just order a shot, Bar’s Open!” www.nuscana.com

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people

THE CREATIVE YOUNGER SISTER IN THE POTATO HEAD FAMILY, EMMELYN GUNAWAN TALKS WITH THE YAK’S LAURIE OSBORNE. PHOTOS: LUCKY8.

SO, Emmelyn, what was it like growing up with an older brother who’s a founder of Potato Head?

When I was younger I always compared myself to my brother, Jason. I shouldn’t, but I still do. We’re both quite ambitious and are both passionate about our work, even though we don’t discuss it so much now. I know he cares a lot about me and that he wants me to succeed in whatever I do as he has done with Potato Head. At times, it’s a challenge to figure out his thought process in regards to work and his vast businesses, but now that I’m running my own, I can see that we are quite alike.

Where did you grow up?

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I grew up in Jakarta and went to Melbourne when I was 15. I studied fashion design, and was in a bubble with other creative peers for about four years. I think I was living in the studio for the most part. When I graduated, I did a short stint at a fashion company but decided to go back to Jakarta in 2008.

What brought you back?

My brother was in the process of opening Potato Head Jakarta, and he asked me to design the uniforms. I came back for three months, but the culture shock was huge and I promised myself I would never work for Potato Head again (laughs). It was just chaotic, and I didn’t know how to work with suppliers at the time. I packed my bags for six months and went to Paris and stayed there to

a sophisticated dining experience

FIND US

Jalan Yoga Perkanthi, Jimbaran, Bali P. 62 361 705 777

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absorb its culture, memorise its streets and revel in its beauty. While I was there, my brother asked me to come back and work for Potato Head again, but this time managing the PR side of the business. At the time, I was obsessed with making macaroons in Paris so I said, ‘Okay, as long as I can sell my macaronis there’. We sold them for six months until I got too occupied with my actual job.

What kind of events were you involved in?

We would have Sunday markets at Potato Head Jakarta in Pacific Place. I would curate the events, working closely with the vendors to handle the products sold. We became quite well-known for our Sunday Markets and we still have them up until today. I found a way to work harmoniously with suppliers, and learn their processes. At the same time, I opened Escalier, the clothing store at the Bali beach club with two other friends who are still my core partners to this day. I was traveling here every six weeks, and Bali became a great break from Jakarta.

How do you feel about Bali now?

I’ve been living here about three years and I love it. It can be whatever you want it to be, but you have to let it come to you slowly and, at the same time, enjoy what it gives you. If you venture out of Seminyak, you will still find many craftspeople that will help you expand your imagination. I love going into their workshops; they are so simple, and humble. From the outside, it may look just like a little hut, but when you go inside there is amazing work going on.

If you are a creative person or a designer, Bali is incomparable!

How did you become involved with the hotel, Katamama?

Ronald and Jason, both founders of Potato Head, decided to build the hotel four years ago, and were working with an interior company minister of interiors. but they had so many more ideas. I was already quite familiar with the hotel’s design by then: the finish and concept. It was also during this time that I left Jakarta for Bali and began working with local suppliers on natural dye and indigo production, making textile samples and experimenting with various craft work. I met a lot of craftspeople around Bali, up in the north and east of the island. I wasn’t quite sure what I would do with my samples, but I knew I was heading in a certain direction. I had a good feeling about it. Occasionally, I would show my samples to Ronald and my brother. When they started to work on the amenities, they naturally came to me to discuss them as they wanted to showcase work by local artisans. It was a great match and a huge bonus for me to know that they love what I do and that I can continue to create what I love. Almost 100% of Katamama’s amenities are made in Bali by the local community.

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Is that how Canaan came about?

Yes, it was like an organic transition into my next step. Canaan is a store and gallery with a strong emphasis on promoting traditional Indonesian products in a modern setting. It is a great platform for me to showcase all of the work that we did for Katamama as well as expanding the range and continually supporting the artisan community in Indonesia. To do this, I curate the products and bring them together in a boutique setting. Many of my customers say that it’s through the curation that Canaan has become such a unique brand/store and gallery.

How does your curation process change as you branch out to new locations?

I look at the space first and find out what I can bring from Canaan to the new location.

For example, the space in our second store in Potato Head Hong Kong is designed by one of Japan’s most renowned architects, Sou Fujimoto, who conceptualised The Serpentine Pavilion in London. With his signature allwhite grid shelving, he brought to Canaan a very modernised element, something that’s very clean and sleek. From this, I curated bold monotone products which brought their own strong identity: a contrast to the white space.

‘Big Krabby Kane’ and ‘Piggie Smalls’. I always wanted to ask: who came up with the burger names at Three Buns?

Our executive chef, Adam Penney, is a burger aficionado. He proudly refers to himself as ‘the burger chef’. As a lover of hip hop music and street culture, that’s where he finds his inspiration. But if you look at our other wacky names within the establishments, they’re really down to all of us in the creative team, including Ronald and Jason. We love sitting down over the big table and just throwing crazy ideas around.

Will you continue to be a part of the group’s aesthetic in the future?

Yes, of course. Canaan is part of the PTTFAMILY. For me, it provides a holistic platform for the organisation by showcasing the work that we do with local people. It brings an element of human interaction between designers and artisans through the work that we provide, and through our journals, photos and documentation. ptthead.com katamama.com escalier-store.com canaanbali.com

sounds around

Lou Nietunz dances around the ring with Bali’s answer to Bruce Lee on keyboards, the everexciting, winning and grinning Afro-primed Iwanouz, for his take on the island, living as a musician and how he keeps his balance on the waves of Bali’s live music scene. Photos: Saskia Koerner.

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sounds around

funky town.

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So Iwan, how did you find yourself coming to Bali?

I was in Jakarta and was playing with a band called Steven and the Coconut Trees and we had a hit song called Welcome To My Paradise. We got to tour around Indonesia and even to Japan and Malaysia. So when I had a day off I would always come to Bali to learn surfing and have a holiday.

Growing up in Papua – how did you first get into music?

I think I’ve had music in my blood since I was born. In Papua everybody loves music and dancing, so music is a big part of our culture.

Was your family musical?

Yes. My grandfather was a bass player, and my grandma was a singer and everyone in my big family really loves to play music and sing. One of my uncles is a rock star in our town and it was he who first brought me up on stage when I was five years old.

Who would you say are you top musical influences or heroes?

They would have to be Bob Marley, Ray Charles, Herbie Hancock, Keith Emerson, Oscar Peterson and Beardy Man. You spent some time on the Gilis before? How would you compare the Gilis and Bali?

I stayed in The Gilis for three years. The Gilis is a paradise; beautiful and fun but too small to live there, honestly. Bali is a paradise too, but bigger, with more waves and more opportunity for musicians.

What’s the biggest surprise you’ve experienced during a concert so far?

I had a big surprise when I played my solos in Slovenia and Finland. I didn’t expect that people there would like my music . . . but they loved it! That was really good experience for me.

Working as a musician what’s your biggest challenge these days?

My biggest challenge is how to make everyone stay in love with my music and be happy.

Any new collaborations in the studio?

Yes, I’ve been busy on my live project with Aray Daulay and we made a band called The Island Souls so we play all around Bali. We are recording a couple of songs. A few months ago I got to play with Australian musician Ash Grunwald while he was here. I also have to finish my solo album, IWANOUZ. How do you see the music scene and industry in Indonesia these days?

I think there’s too much monkey business in Indonesia’s music industry right now. They copy our music or CD without permission and sell it really cheaply so we (musicians) get nothing at all. So in order to live we have to do a lot of gigs and live performances.

What would you most like to see improve on Bali or Indonesia?

Just that everyone keeps an open mind about every culture but still stays original.

Catch the positive and throw away the negative.

What’s your dream?

My big dream is go around the world and make everybody happy with my music and ride the most beautiful waves from around the world.

Favorite footwear?

Vans and boots.

Thanks so much for your time online, Iwan – keep those keyboards popping and we look forward to hearing your new albums when ready. Let us know* Thank you very much for having me in this cool magazine. I’ve been practicing so long to make my own style on the keyboard and it’s called “Funky Chops” style – NOT Bruce-Lee-Kung-Fu style.

Hai-ya! www.araydaulay.com

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he dreamt about his father, and the songs kept coming. tony stanton to talks jazz legend indra lesmana.

Hi Indra, what have you been up to lately?

I’m doing great, thanks. As usual I’ve been making and composing music every day, doing shows with my Trio Keytar Band and Krakatau Reunion Band around Indonesia, teaching at home and performing regularly at Sunday Mostly Jazz at Griya Santrian.

You’ve just released another album, About Jack, dedicated to your father. Tell us a bit about that … and about the man. What was he like on and off the guitar?

It was the anniversray of my dad’s birthday, and I had a dream that I was performing with him, playing all these songs that I had never heard before. The next day I picked up my keytar and tuned it to get that Jack Lesmana guitar sound, and I started writing all these tunes that I had heard in my dream. Within three days I had all the tunes down and ready to be recorded. So it’s an album dedicated to Jack Lesmana, an album about Jack, who was an incredible man, a great musician, a great father, a wonderful teacher and a man who has done so much for jazz in Indonesia.

You were a jazz prodigy from an early age were you not? When did you first pick up an instrument, and first perform live on stage?

I started playing the piano when I was nine, and started performing for the first time with my dad’s band when I was 10 and became his piano player until he passed away.

Do you believe musical talent is hard-wired into our DNA? Like it’s either there or it’s not?

Yes and no. I know some good musicians whose parents are also musicians, but then I also know a indra lesmana. lot of great musicians whose ancestors had nothing to do with music. I believe it’s more about how you grow up and your surroundings. I think if you are born and bred surrounded by jazz musicians and jazz music, then somewhere along the line you will get influenced.

What was your experience like as a judge on Indonesian Idol, and what do you think about the music business today?

That was a fun experience. I really enjoyed it. We had great

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moments and I met some great new talents, some of whom are still performing with from me time to time.

The music business in Indonesia has evolved now, it’s not the same it was before. It’s easy to record an album now, and most musicians have their own studio at home and with the power of social media they can build their own fanbase and followers and sell directly to them, selling their music and promoting their own concerts and merchandise. So it’s an exciting time.

Who are the bright young jazz stars of today in Indonesia?

Indonesia has so many good young jazz talents, all it takes to find the best is to search on Instagram and YouTube. It’s pretty amazing what you will find.

What does jazz mean to you?

I was born with jazz, I live with jazz every second of my life. So I guess jazz is like the air that I breathe every day.

Tell us about your gorgeous wife, Honhon … where did you guys meet, and what does she give you as a person?

We met in Jakarta about 20 years ago. She is a super talented person, she writes good lyrics, she takes great photos, makes great designs, she paints, she cooks, she raises our children, she does our business, she loves jazz and she is my best friend.

So I’m a lucky guy :) You’ve been performing and arranging Sunday Mostly Jazz at the Griya Santrian. How did that come about, and how has it been received?

I moved to Bali with my family two years ago. Together with my partner IDG Sidharta we are building “Sanggar Musik Indra Lesmana”, which is a community learning center for music.

It’s still in process now and hopefully will be ready next year.

Sunday Mostly Jazz is part of our activities to promote more jazz in Sanur and also to gather new young musical talents. We have done more than 30 performances in more than a year now and it’s going real great.

That’s good to hear. Indra, thanks so much for your time, and what you’ve done for the Indonesian music scene.

Thank you. www.indralesmana.com

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Dimas

Self-styled fashion designer Dimas Dwitanto dreamt too big for small town life.

Hi Dimas! Could you tell us where you are from and how you grew up?

I was born and raised in a small kampung near Jogjakarta in central Java, the youngest (and most spoiled) son in a family of six children; there wasn’t so much money around but we had a good life with lots of happiness and love. A happy and care-free childhood, after school with friends playing in the jungle, swimming in the river and helping out my father in his sawah.

Was there one event that occurred during your early years that taught you a life lesson?

Growing up I realized my dreams were too big for a small kampung life and directly after high school I went to Jakarta to explore the world.

Where did the interest in fashion design come from?

I’ve always been interested in fashion, and I grew up in a culture where women often wore beautiful traditional kebaya and sarong. I think I was especially influenced seeing my mother dressing up in kebaya and batik sarong when she went out to an event. I was always busy drawing people, mostly women, so when I came to the big city of Jakarta, where I was introduced to fashion for the first time, I found myself sketching dresses and dresses and dresses.

First just for fun, but later I sold quite a lot of these sketches. It grew from there and became my business.

What’s the hardest thing about working in the design business?

There’s a lot of competition, it’s not just fun and games; just being artistic is not enough, I also need to be a businessman in order to make my brand grow. I am dimas: designs on life. always on the lookout for opportunities. At the moment we have consignment sales in Bali and Singapore and of course we sell in my Studio/Boutique in Kerobokan, but I’m still looking for further expansion.

How would you like a girl to feel after she puts on a Dimas dress?

She will feel special but still herself. A Dimas helps to make her feel confident, and when she enters a room she will not go unnoticed; people will see and admire her.

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Where does the inspiration come from for your designs?

It comes from everywhere. Coco Chanel once said: “Fashion is not something that exists in dresses only. Fashion is in the sky, in the street; fashion has to do with ideas, the way we live, what is happening.” Or as Stefano Gabbana said: “Fashion takes its inspiration from society and everyday life, which is the same for everyone.” What more is there to say?

Practically, how involved are you in your designs? Is it completely hands on?

I am involved in every aspect of my dresses from beginning to end . . . the sketches, the fabrics, the patterns . . . building up the dress with lace, embroidery and beadings . . . it’s all done by me or monitored by me. I need to touch and feel everything before we use it.

Describe the Dimas style.

The style is simple, elegant and chic, with everything available for any occasion, whether it’s a day at the beach-club, an afternoon cocktail party, or a night out on the town. Our style is for women eager to show attitude without indecency. I also love to work with lace, so there is always lace involved in my designs. This and handmade beading embroidery is an important part of the signature look of a Dimas piece.

Ok, you’ve been banished to a deserted island for six months… what three things can’t you do without?

Three things? That would be Aiko, Harry and Zora, my dogs. Which means I would miss my cats a lot.

If you weren’t a fashion designer, what would you be doing?

Still something in fashion, maybe a make-up artist or even better a stylist. There’s nothing more fulfilling than transforming Cinderella into a princess.

Do you tend to follow fashions with your designs?

My designs come as they are, trend or not, that artistic part of my brain tells my hand what to draw and does not care about trends. Most of my designs are timeless. But of course the world does influence me and with that my designs.

Fantastic. When will we next have lunch?

Maybe after this interview? www.dimasfashion.com

art

ozlem esen mell interviews art power couple ted o’donnell and vicki lee.

Portait: tim Ashton.

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pollock to her dali.

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“A unified vision is essential to our creative process.�

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“It sounds so twisted but it was the beginning of an obsession that endures.�

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I first met Ted when he was the bass player in my band in 2012. He had a knack for music and was conscious of the planet and organic food way before it became hip. I knew Vicky from my early days in Bondi from the babe that worked at the local café to the chic girl who ran her own clothing label.

Never did I think an impromptu jam on the grassy knoll where I introduced them would lead to this incredible collaboration that is Ted and Vicky, a power couple making waves on the art scene with their unique pieces combining photography of nature with a twist of underwater flair. It’s not often in this art-saturated world that I want each and every piece from an artists’ collection. When you see their work and find yourself lost, staring into each piece trying to work out how it came to life… I caught up with Vicky and Ted in their beautiful Sydney home to find out about their combination of love, babies and art.

How did the idea for your work come about? When did you start it?

We were walking home from a date in the early days of our relationship in 2011 and saw some huge and quite grotesque Gymea lilies in the middle of the road. We stole one and took it home and poured tahini and flour mixed with water all over it and took pictures. It sounds so twisted but it was the beginning of an obsession that carries on years later, essentially exactly the same.

What are your roles within the art you make? Is it a total collaboration or do you have different roles within the pieces?

There is definitely a part of our process that is done together. Reaching a unified vision is essential to our creative process but generally we have a very complimentary skillset so our roles are quite defined as well. Ted is focused on the technical element to attaining the perfect version of our ideas and my place is developing the story through colour, form, texture and the feeling we are looking to provoke.

What’s integral to the work of an artist?

Movement and inspiration are synonymous to us. Both external and internal.

Travelling, a run or even just feeling your blood pumping through your veins while you are still. Feel the buzz in any way you can.

What’s the definition of a true artist to you?

Vicki: To allow yourself to see, smell, hear, touch and be beauty.

Ted: Someone who gets inspired by life, and responds, however that might be.

I know you have probably been asked this before, but our readers would love to know what inspires you in art and life?

Vicki: For me, being inspired is an internal experience. When I’m “there”, everything I experience is the ultimate inspiration. People you meet, the smell of freshly shampooed hair when you pass the bus stop in the mornings, the dead tree on the side of the street, the way the road bends all the way up the hill. Anything. Everything.

Ted: When things are right, you feel it. It’s not really something you can put into words, but that experience of being connected/tapped in.

What’s next for you individually and together?

We are working towards a new exhibition where we’ve crossed some new boundaries, which is exciting. We’re both constantly working on our personal projects and we’re expecting our second baby early next year.

Is there anything else the both of you do creatively?

Vicki: Cooking! It’s the ultimate space to create because you get to eat it all at the end.

Ted: We try and make everything a bit more interesting.

What is your personal favorite piece?

Vicki: I’ll always love our first series because it really is where we fell in love.

The memories held in those flowers will be there always and that’s so special.

There’s something so raw and awkward about some of them, exactly like young love.

Ted: For me it’s more about the series; I’m interested to see what comes out of it next because it’s always evolving.

Who is an up and coming artist you currently like?

Vicki: There are so many I’m in awe of. I love Indonesian artist I Wayan Yansen.

He is definitely a favourite.

What are your joys in life at the moment?

Vicki: Yokie, my baby, takes the cake. She is so bright, open and delicious.

Ted: Yep, Yokie is a constantly changing, shifting, morphing unknown quantity that makes life completely magic.

What is the process of your work?

The idea comes, we develop it over weeks, months even. Then we have a few fights about our differences of opinion and vision, and then we shoot and make up. Repeat.

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Vicki: “There will be an answer. Let it Be” ¬– The Beatles.

Ted: I hate advice.

When is your next show?

Hopefully we will squeeze it into 2016.

Dali or Pollock?

Vicki: Pollock takes us into the most raw and even aggressive human emotional space. Dali takes us to the ethereal and sub conscious world ... I’ll take a dream over reality any day. Dali wins for me.

Ted: Pollock for me. I like the unhinged process. www.tovl.com.au

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t tch abou i e l s a m tho n talks to e russia h o t k e g n n i i s p esca olga hy camera, a p u hotograp g p n f r u s picki li’s ining ba o j d n a winter rcle inner ci

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passions “I swam out at Batu Bolong for a sunset session and stayed until dark, until I couldn’t see a thing.”

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For the majority of us, the past plots our future, a calculable extrapolation across the years echoing through our lives.

It comes as little surprise that, from childhoods at the beach, salt spray constantly filling your lungs, the sand never one hundred per cent out of your hair and the ebb and flow of tides and swells a continual influence on daily life, a more creative type might pick up a camera and venture into the surf.

But, for a young Russian girl, confined to a photography studio because of the snow drifts and sub-zero temperatures that lay outside in her land-locked home town, a career shooting surf in tropical waters would be a leap of faith in anyone’s trajectory.

Olga Sinenko has always been a photographer at heart. She grew up in the Ukraine before moving to St Petersburg, where her father bought her her first camera. Still only in her early teens, the addiction of capturing lost and spontaneous moments consumed her.

“I would walk along the streets and take pictures of everything – animals, birds, trees, people, empty streets, shadows on walls, reflections in puddles,” she enthusiastically recalls. “At the very beginning it was reportage - I enjoyed freezing the moments of life, emotions, beautiful light or interesting scenes.

“The female side of my family has always been creative and talented,” she says of childhood inspiration. “Though my mum studied Maths and Physics, she also played the guitar and piano and had a very beautiful voice. I guess I inherited some of her creative talents.”

There was no questioning her passion, her career path destined even from that early age when most kids are wondering if ‘pop star’ or ‘pro sportsperson’ is a viable option. Her early exploits were in analogue, the tangibility of film and print increasing her fervour. But leaving home and craving a

temperate shift, a vacation to Goa in 2009 demanded a more convenient means of capturing images and Olga stepped into the digital realm.

“I experimented with the settings and tried to teach myself how all of the camera modes worked, but I still had a lack of knowledge, so I signed into photography school across the street [when I got back home]. It was in the middle of winter in Russia, so all the studies were in a professional studio. After four lessons I quit my job and start working in there.”

Discovering kitesurfing in the summer months of Russia, she headed to Mui Ne in Vietnam when her studies concluded. Warm ocean combined with smaller waves and consistent trade winds kept her there for the season, but when home still felt like the place she had left behind and the world was at her feet, Bali called to her.

She ended up in Canggu, one of Bali’s few true longboarding destinations, and it was here that her photography would find a whole new chapter. With her camera locked safely into a newly-bought water housing, she paddled out at Batu Bolong – a long-peeling, mellow beach break – and, as the sun slowly set leaving her in near-darkness, she discovered her true calling, the culmination of her passions, where aperture met water.

“I swam out at Batu Bolong for a sunset session and stayed until dark, until I couldn’t see a thing,” she recalls of the pivotal moment. “I messed up with the settings and had only one good shot, but it was worth it.”

Olga had found the best of both worlds – a place where she could feed her passion for photography while immersing herself in the energy of the ocean. In Russia, she had had no idea that surf photography even existed but, she admits, when she purchased her first water housing and paddled out, her desire for photography expanded exponentially.

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prices, friendly, long waves at my home spot, Her love of surfing is abundant, but it is perfect for beginners like me, tiny roads through photography that truly motivates her. While the rice fields... Even though I moved to the Bukit continuing work of terra firma, she has taken her a couple of months ago, I still visit Canggu to earlier inspirations out into the lineup, bringing take my best shots of longboarders that I can only a more candid, reportage style with her to create find there. images that break the stereotype. Private moments “I admire local surfers here. Deus riders are my between the sets, the joy of simply being in the true inspiration for both surfing and photography. ocean and the experiences around the riding of Andre Cricket (Deus’ in-house videographer) has waves feature in her work as strongly as surfing surfed only for couple of years but already has itself. Shooting in the studio, as she had in her shown a huge progress that I could only dream earlier days, is formulaic, predictable. Even about. [Canggu local] Ayok has the most grace and land-based photography has a significant amount of style - I always enjoy watching control, but in the ocean you are him surf. Seems like he’s at the mercy of the elements: dancing on his board and that’s “I love that water photography what I’m trying to capture – is not always predictable and all the passion and beauty of sometimes you can get a very local surfers.” interesting and artistic result by Sumbawa, the Philippines and chance,” she admits. “I love being the Maldives are all penciled in the water, it makes me feel into her passport for the near connected to the ocean and nature. future, but a trip back home, And when I catch a wave with my to family and the cold of camera I have as strong emotions Russia is long overdue. “I miss as when I catch it while surfing.” my family, and the cold,” she Olga prefers a freelance admits, “and I always try to lifestyle, not bound by visit a few photography classes timeframes, commitments or to learn something new when I’m contracts - “I like to be the back home.” master of my time,” she explains.

Australia is also on her But her work has featured online wish list and, having worked around the world. Working closely with the likes of Matt Cuddihy, with the creative team at Deus ex Harrison Roach and Zye Norris, Machina’s Temple of Enthusiasm in she’s keen to visit their home Canggu - where she lived for the town of Noosa Heads. last two years before recently “I have a huge desire to moving to the Bukit peninsula – olga at the office by Sergey Lukankin. reach Australia next year. I has brought her images to a global want surf and shoot that endless wave in Noosa I audience. Her work has been regularly featured always see pictures of!” in the annual SurfJam photo exhibition and surf From the alleyways and derelict buildings of festival in Bali, and even in landlocked Russia, St Petersberg to the shores of Bali, it has been her work has been gaining significant appreciation, quite a transition for Olga Sinenko. But it is featuring in the country’s edition of National perhaps that expanse of transition that brings such Geographic. an indescribable quality to her work, one rarely But it is the laid back calm of Canggu and captured by someone who has grown up with the ocean the Bali lifestyle that inspires her, helping their whole life. her thrive as a photographer and keeping her continually inspired: “I’ve always loved its atmosphere [in Canggu]; www.facebook.com/oceansfoto cosy little warungs with good food and cheap

yak fashion

Photography: Ted O’Donnell Styling: ozlem esen mell Model: Madeline Holznagel Hair and Makeup: Luana Coscia all clothes by alice Mccall.

Shoes and rings Stylist’s own.

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Perhaps you’re one of the 1.7 billion Facebook users in the world, or one of over a billion people who access YouTube every month, the 310 million on Twitter or the 255 million on Linkedin, the go-to site for those who have just been sacked or want to boast about their latest promotion. Pinterest, favoured by mums and kitten lovers around the world, draws 250 million unique visitors a month, eclipsing Instagram, the choice of the cool kids, which has 100 million users turning their selfies and pictures of lunch into blurry attempts at art via overused filters.

The spread of social media is a phenomenon that nobody would have predicted less than two decades ago, but the proliferation of smartphones and access to the Internet means it is now inescapable. Think about it for a minute: Facebook has more users than the population of China — and Facebook is banned in China.

Before Facebook, if you wanted to stalk your ex you had to actually hide in the shadows outside her apartment. These days you can access her page and cry yourself to sleep looking at pictures of her carousing happily with her new beau. In the past you’d have to break into that unapproachable hot girl’s apartment and rifle through her underwear drawer if you wanted to check out her lingerie. Now you can see all the bikini shots and duck-face images you want — and sometimes more — by “virtually” following her on Instagram.

Social media platforms are now among the biggest corporations in the world —and also the most influential — but in the words of Spiderman creator Stan Lee, “with great power comes great responsibility”.

Take Facebook, for example. It is well known the world’s most popular social media website was founded by Mark Zuckerberg while he was a geeky student at Harvard University in 2003. At first named “Facemash”, the utility drew on the pictures of fellow students he hacked from the university records department and then compared to farm animals, asking viewers to vote “which is hotter”.

Zuckerberg was nearly expelled for that, but he parlayed the site’s juvenile popularity into a more respectable vehicle for students to connect with each other, and the concept spread like a virus.

Perhaps chastened by the reaction of authorities to his first crude version, Zuckerberg in fairness has made social responsibility one of the cornerstones of the behemoth he has created, but there is no question that some people use Facebook and Twitter to harass, threaten, intimidate and shame those they have a grudge against — often with fatal consequences.

Scarcely a week goes by without a new story appearing in the media about

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lonely teens killing themselves because of negative comments, or trolling, they have received on social media.

In one case in Tawain last year, a young woman committed suicide with charcoal fumes live on Facebook because her boyfriend didn’t show up for her birthday. While some friends online pleaded with her not to do it, others accused her of being an attention whore — and none alerted the police.

Her final status update read: “My room is filled with fumes. I just posted another picture. Even while I’m dying, I still want Facebook. Must be Facebook poison. Ha ha.”

It isn’t just self-harm that finds a new home on social media websites. Last year Australia appointed a Children’s eSafety Commissioner after cracking a paedophile ring that scoured Facebook, Instagram and Twitter looking for pictures of youngsters. While proud parents had posted the pictures in blissful innocence, the paedophiles downloaded the images and sorted them into categories such as “cute kids at the beach” and “teeny gymnasts”, sexualising them further with lurid comments.

And it’s not just kids who fall victim to sexual predators on social media. In a truly bizarre case in Britain last year, a 25-year-old woman was jailed for sexual assault after pretending to be a man to trick her female friend into having sex.

Gayle Newland befriended her victim by posing on Facebook as a man, then bound her chest and wore a woolly hat and swimming costume as a disguise, telling the woman “he” was embarrassed about “his” appearance.

Having somehow also persuaded the victim to wear a mask whenever they met, the pair had sex nearly a dozen times before the dupe ripped off her blindfold during one encounter and discovered Newland wearing a prosthetic penis.

These are obviously extreme examples of how social media fails us, but in reality we let ourselves down online more frequently than we’d like to admit.

Start with validation. We all want to be liked and accepted, but rather than take the words of friends and family as encouragement, we now judge our worth by the number of likes and retweets we receive — even from complete strangers. Why did my profile picture update get only 42 likes?

Why does everyone like that person’s status but not mine?

And then there’s the false sense of connection. Facebook tells me I have 1,351 “friends” but a quick look at the list and I can honestly say I wouldn’t recognise half of them if they bought me a beer, yet I still routinely “like” things they post and comment on their triumphs and failures. According

the Internet is the ugliest reflection of mankind there is. so please Tweet this link, share it on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and like it on Pinterest. gava fox gets social.

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to Cornell University’s Steven Strogatz, social media sites can make it more difficult for us to distinguish between the meaningful relationships we foster in the real world, and the numerous casual relationships formed through social media. By focusing so much of our time and energy on these less meaningful relationships, our most important connections weaken.

We also tend to forget that the Internet is forever. Social networking sites encourage people to be more public about their personal lives and because intimate details of our lives can be posted so easily, users are prone to bypass the filters they might normally employ when talking about themselves. While a photo of friends getting high at a party may seem harmless at the time, wait until a potential new employer starts doing background checks on you. Most sites do allow you to control who sees the things you’ve posted, but often those limits are difficult to control or don’t work as well as advertised.

There is also no doubt that while social media sites have proven a great boon to some businesses, decreased productivity as a result of employees idling their time on them can affect the bottom line. One study suggests American workers spent 10 percent of their office time on Facebook, while another said social media usage by staff cost British companies more than two billion pounds a year.

Finally there is the “regret post”. How many of us have sent out a Tweet or Facebook update or Instagram image and immediately regretted it? If you’re lucky, you might be able to delete it before anyone notices, but in an age where being glib and witty on the Internet is synonymous with popularity, it is often too late, as Justine Sacco discovered last year.

Flying home to South Africa from New York, where she worked as a highpowered director of communications for a giant internet company, Sacco accessed her Twitter account during a stopover in London and, after a few too many glasses of wine, wrote: “Going to Africa. Hope I don’t get AIDS. Just kidding, I’m white”.

at a military cemetery. Stone had a running joke about posting pictures of her disobeying signs — pretending to smoke in front of “No Smoking” warnings, for example — but someone noticed that particular image and the backlash was catastrophic.

Soon there was a wildly popular “Fire Lindsey Stone” Facebook page and news cameras outside her home. When she showed up to her job, at a program for mentally challenged adults, she was fired. “After they fire her, maybe she needs to sign up as a client,” read one of the thousands of Facebook messages denouncing her.

Many a politician has fallen on their social media sword such as the appropriately named Anthony Weiner, who was forced to resign from the U.S. Congress after Tweeting pictures of his, well, weiner, to women he had met on the Internet. His Twitter username? Carlos Danger.

You don’t have to be an idiot to misbehave on social media sites.

In a scientific study, researchers looked at the Facebook pages of nearly 1,000 surgeons registered with an association in the United States. While 73 percent showed no signs of unprofessional conduct, 14 percent had potentially unprofessional conduct and 12 percent highly unprofessional — including binge drinking, sexual impropriety and ethics violations visible to the general public.

Social media also terrifies governments. As mentioned, Facebook and Twitter are both banned in China, although the country does have more than 10 million registered users for the former. Homegrown versions of social media websites abound in China, but they are closely monitored by a vast cyber police force and certain themes are frequently banned.

Iran has also blocked Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, although paradoxically the country’s president has his own official accounts used to disseminate government information.

Within minutes friends had chastised her for making so crass a comment and the damage could have been averted if she had immediately deleted it, but she’d switched the phone off and by the time she landed in Cape Town some 11 hours later it had gone around the globe.

At one time or another Bangladesh, Pakistan, Syria, Mauritius and Vietnam have also banned various social media sites — usually during times of civic unrest — but in most cases users can usually bypass firewalls by using a VPN (Virtual Private Network).

“You’re the No. 1 worldwide trend on Twitter right now,” was the first of hundreds of text messages that flooded into her phone when she switched it on. Days later she was sacked.

There is no doubt that social media can be a force for good. Thieves have been identified, stolen property returned, missing pets found and long-lost relatives re-united as a result of Facebook or Twitter — although perhaps none so spectacularly as the case of Korean twins last year.

Or take Lindsey Stone, a 32-year-old American who posed for a photograph while pretending to scream in front of a sign calling for “Silence and Respect”

The identical sisters, separated at birth and adopted separately by families

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in France and the United States, were unaware of each other’s existence for 25 years. American Samantha Futerman had become an actress and Anais Bordier a fashion designer until a friend of Bordier’s insisted she look at a YouTube video of Futerman because they were so alike.

A few weeks later, they got in touch and discovered they were born on the same day in the same hospital in the same town in Korea, and a DNA test confirmed their relationship. Sadly, their birth mother wanted nothing to do with them.

Perhaps not surprisingly, teen-crush pop stars and athletes dominate social media. Katy Perry is the most popular person on Twitter with nearly 93 million followers, beating Justin Bieber (86 million) and Taylor Swift (80 million) to silver and bronze respectively. U.S. President Barrack Obama is the rare example of a non-celebrity on the list in fourth place with nearly 76 million followers.

Selena Gomez is the most followed individual on Instagram with over 95 million fans, followed by Taylor Swift (89 million) and Ariana Grande (82 million) while football star Ronaldo leads the Facebook stats with over 116 million fans, followed by singer Shakira and actor Vin Diesel.

But do they reciprocate the love? Most certainly not.

Despite being followed by nearly 50 million people on Twitter, the ubiquitous professional celebrity Kim Kardashian returns the favour to just 120 of her closest friends. In addition to her massive Twitter presence, Taylor Swift has nearly 90 million followers on Instagram, but follows just 85 people — presumably all ex-boyfriends so she can check on their reaction to her latest heartbreak hit when she dumps them.

A trawl through the above-mentioned celebrity pages — I did it so you don’t have to — reveals a stream of self-promotion and marketing opportunity.

It is no secret that celebrities get paid to endorse products on their social media feeds — and the rewards can be lucrative — so a round of applause for Essena O’Neill, an 18-year old Australian fashion and beauty blogger and online celebrity who gathered more than half a million Instagram followers, who announced earlier this year she was quitting social media after realising the negative effect the hunt for likes and clicks had on her and her fans.

O’Neill deleted some 2,000 photos from her Instagram account “that served no real purpose other than self-promotion” and edited the captions to those remaining to reveal the reality behind them. One bikini photo which originally read “Things are getting pretty wild at my house,” now says “See how relatable my captions were — stomach sucked in, strategic pose, pushed up boobs. I just want younger girls to know this isn’t candid life, or cool or inspirational. It’s

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contrived perfection made to get attention.”

O’Neill isn’t the first celebrity to quit social media in a blaze of glory. Miley Cyrus, Zayn from One Direction and Iggy Azalea and have all announced their departures from Twitter — the latter with the choice epithet “the Internet is the ugliest reflection of mankind there is”, but some thrive on the cut and thrust of interacting with their fans.

Piers Morgan, a British journalist and failed U.S. Talk show host famously embroils himself in Twitter wars — with football stars in particular — but usually finds himself on the losing end.

“Football has myriad positional terms that have evolved over decades. For instance, Gary Lineker wasn’t a striker — he was a ‘goal-hanger’. ” Lineker, a national treasure, responded: “Better to be a goal-hanger than a phone hacker”, a reference to Morgan’s alleged involvement in the scandal when he was editor of The Sun newspaper.

But the “king of the zing” has to be James Blunt, the ex-British army officer who forged an unlikely post military career as a middle-of-the-road pop singer with such journal hits as You’re Beautiful.

While women around the world went weak at the knees listening to the crooner, most red-blooded males wanted to give him a black eye — and many felt brave enough to take him on in the anonymous security of social media.

“James Blunt is still moaning” Tweeted one critic after Blunt released his latest record. “That’s not me, that’s your wife,” he responded.

“James Blunt has an annoying face and highly irritating voice,” said another hater. “And no mortgage,” he replied.

“Every time someone plays You’re Beautiful a kitten dies,” suggest another antifan. “And I earn another two quid,” he shot back.

Our attention spans have shrunk to the 140-character Tweet, our news is made up of “listicles” from social sites such as Buzzfeed and we are now more likely to like a complete stranger’s picture of his lunch than we are to share a well-researched piece of long-form journalism, but social media is with us to stay.

So go right ahead and Tweet this link, share it on Facebook, follow us on Instagram and like it on Pinterest.

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taken not stirred beside a cocktail ...

Oh we do love to be best to dow n a her Sarah Douglas does places, of course. few. All in the right

el kabron

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‘Startending’ is now trending across the world as a revolution in twisted cocktails brings the man behind the bar into the spotlight. Bali is no exception, the old days of ordering a simple gin and tonic are gone, why stop there, when you can add some fermented fruits, infuse with gin and woody herbs and even add a little smoke?

El Kabron The venue that floats high above the Uluwatu coastline just got way cooler, if that is possible. Like a match made in heaven, El Kabron has welcomed maestro Startender Javier De Las Muelas to collaborate on cocktails. A feat of energy, enthusiasm and personality, it is just five short years ago that a group of friends set up a makeshift bar and a simple burner to make their signature giant paella. From there the venue grew into what it is today – one of Bali’s most celebrated clifftop clubs with an aquamarine pool, a sky terrace that hovers at the edge of the cliff and a very fashionable Spanish restaurant.

Perched on the terrace, reclined in a sun lounger beside the pool or getting familiar at the long bar in the restaurant, El Kabron lures people away, south with magical views, delicious tapas menus, a great soundtrack and a cocktail list that reads as well as it tastes. The perfect libation for sunsets over the endless blue horizon, expect smoky gin and tonics, icy flavored daiquiris, an exotic twist and Spanish flair. The arrival of one of the world’s most celebrated bartenders is yet another cause for celebration. Inspired by the popular Freixenet sparkling wine, Javier created five signature cocktails to add to the list and two zesty Sangria recipes. Think Perfect Belini, Da Vinci, Garden Party and Drive Me Crazy as starters to a night of celebrating life and Bali. The signature Sangria jugs are shaken up with two new flavours; passionfruit and Mimosa. El Kabron turns on the magic by day, through sunsets and all the way into late nights, enjoyed in true Spanish style. Gourmet meets Grand Master on one of the most magical balconies you’ll ever visit. www.elkabron.com Sardine Elegance meets art and intoxicating interiors at Sardine, which has remained a perennial favourite with foodies and barflys. It’s so deliciously sophisticated slipping into a bar stool overlooked by the ultra sexy mural behind the bar, or inhabiting a sofa under the giant bamboo that supports the soaring ceiling. In many ways Sardine was a groundbreaker when it opened and continues to deliver with style. The bar

here sparked the trend, which has now infectiously spread across smart bars in Bali, serving arak cocktails. Naturally the arak madu that is famous across Bali appears here and why wouldn’t it? A quality supplier for local arak is essential and if you have one, stick by them. Sardine creates delicious frozen daiquiris with arak, with fruity flavours including a divine and deeply satisfying raspberry daiquiri. If arak is too daring, have it spiked with rum. The arak madu is a heady mix of arak with honey and lemon, it is a drink that defined Bali for many years and it fits perfectly here in the bamboo terraces overlooking a verdant rice paddy or sunflower field. Seafood is king on the menu and naturally there is a stylish wine list to accompany it and some nice wines by the glass available at the bar. The jazzy soundtrack plays perfectly to sultry nights and arty interiors. The bar at Sardine is definitely something comfortable to slip into, anytime. www.sardinebali.com Saigon Street Take a perch streetside or slide up to the bar in the fresh, pastel interiors of funky Saigon Street.

Cocktails are king here and they all come with a twist of street that make them both delightful and refreshing. This is a magnet for the incrowd where lunches turn into dinners and vice versa. Espresso martinis go down a treat and they come straight up or with a Viet-inspired twist of vodka, coffee liqueur and Vietnamese espresso poured over condensed milk, stirred up for your ultimate sweetness. The pure white of the coconut daiquiri has made this one a firm favourite; icy, creamy and delicious, it combines white rum, coconut liqueur, coconut cream and kaffir lime with fresh lime, try to stop at Shanghai Baby. one. Home-made syrups, house infusions and hand-churned coconut cream add elements of Vietnam that are not only delightful, they are fresh and made for fun. The streetinspired menu is the perfect accompaniment to a few of these divine libations.

The Bang Bang came with a hearty recommendation from a couple of ladies who had detoured on their shopping expedition to fill up on the ultimate yin and yang cocktail; chili infused vodka, cucumber infused vodka and the juice of the cool, green fruit; tangy and moorish. Finally we had to put the Phu Cuoc Peppertini to the test; lemongrass infuses the vodka mixed with lychee liqueur, rambutan puree and fresh lime and finishes with a healthy dose of ground peppercorns, this one is smoking. A few of the delicious pork belly buns fuelled this drinking session, not the first, surely not the last. Take a pew and beat the heat at the refreshing Saigon Street bar. www.saigonstreetbali.com

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taken not stirred sardine. photo: lucky 8.

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Baker Street Social Something strange in the neighborhood? Oh yes. Late night murmurings in the vicinity of Metis has the locals confused. Groups of hipsters wandering the vicinity – lost perhaps? – in the late night hours. Are they searching for Pokemon or looking for the discreet door that will lead them up an anonymous staircase to Bali’s first speakeasy: Baker Street Social. The intimate cocktail bar opened without announcements, there is no sign, instead word of mouth and a healthy Instagram following is filling the space. Some nights the doors are locked, as the bar can hold a mere 30-40 guests and full is full. The menu reads like a mystery novel, occasionally a scary tale, as smoke-filled skulls mingle with whisky, bitters, sugar and smoked wood chips in the Smoky Old Bastard, first of our tasty cocktails and a hell of a kicker to begin with. The Unusual Shades of Grey features Earl Grey infused gin mingled with fresh citrus, honey, orange marmalade and orange bitters to create a smooth libation; while the Jungle Bird flirts with rum, Italian bitters, fresh citrus, fresh pineapple puree and coffee beans for an exotic twist. The gleaming bar is home to both familiar high-end spirits and some unusual artisan labels that are perfect straight up or mingled with mixers. Baker Street has built its reputation on solid pours so expect anywhere between 45-90 mls to lift the lid on your spirits. Run by a husband and wife team with five-star hospitality backgrounds, this is a passion project that has all the hallmarks of success. With a new creative director about to come on board to shake things up to even more exotic heights, be prepared for a lock-in at one of the island’s funkiest bars. Opens from 8 till late. Look for Shearlock, the funky barber downstairs and you are almost there. www.facebook.com/bakerstreetsocial Night Rooster We’ve come to expect great things from the team at Locavore and so it is no surprise to find that this cocktail bar is so daring and darling it has almost overtaken them. Filled from day one, the Locavore team allowed their creative barman to have his head with this pet project and he has created one of the most mysterious lists we’ve seen yet. Sleek in beige and green with the iconic cock crowing until all hours, the upstairs space is very European in design with sweet little Juliet balconies for smokers. The only downside here is that you truly do need some help with ordering and the team have been swept away with the volume of punters wanting to try it that there isn’t always time. We took a punt on a few of them and it was no surprise that they were all delicious. Ingredient-driven cocktails, this is a list that you won’t have seen before. The twist on classics is taken to the limits here with exotic ingredients that mingle in delicious ways. It’s intoxicating to be sure and almost impossible to stop at one as each new cocktail opens the doors to new tastes, new discoveries and a world of wonderful insights (heady cocktails can do that to you).

Try Into The Wild to discover pert Kintamani strawberries with wild berry preserves, thyme, Tanqueray gin, Cointreau and Moscato d’Bali served with a smouldering bowl of herbs as aromatherapy. This one sure made heads turn. Perhaps Ashes is more to your taste: blow-torched dehydrated fruit with vodka, Bulleit Rye whisky, sweet and sour, homemade fortified wine, palm sugar syrup, burned cassia bark and a molasses cracker served on the rocks with pine forest mist, you see where I am coming from? The whole list is like this, dare you order a boring vodka soda?

Mystifying, miraculous and so Locavore-ish, it’s also like the restaurant, very elegant.

So settle in folks, tomorrow is another day (although you may not be up to see it). www.facebook.com/nightrooster

EXOTIC RIDES BALI Highway Cruise Go on an adrenalin pumping ride down the Bali Mandara Toll Road in one of Exotic Rides Bali’s collection of supercars with the guidance of a professional driving instructor.

FURTHER INFO : EXOTIC RIDES BALI | info@exoticridesbali.com | +6281 338 555 888 (call/text) | +6287 773 232 276 (call/text) | www.exoticridesbali.com

oral pleasures

LAZY DAYS

Clockwise from top left: sundays beach club; ku de ta; jungle fish; the one legian; azul.

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Katie Truman investigates the island’s most inspiring day clubs in which to sun-bask, cocktail-sip, cool-off and basically fritter away the day. oh!

We’re all familiar with KU DE TA, one of Asia’s most iconic beach destinations fronting Seminyak Beach, a world-class restaurant-bar-lounge venue that burst onto the scene in 2000, arguably spawning Bali’s new wave of beach clubs and sacred Seminyak cocktail ‘n’ sunset rituals for which this hood is now legendary.

Other beach venues have sprouted and blossomed to success, but KDT still manages to remain classy, attracting hip jetsetters and ridiculously good-looking travellers. But like any good icon, ever-evolving KDT reinvents itself in true Madonna style.

Latest makeovers include two new “Sunset Boxes” either end of the beachfront timbered deck, ocean-facing for max sunset and sea views, especially from new sofa seating and an upper level lounge area, open to the stars for evening drinks and dining and adjoining a new chic restaurant within. KDT may be Bali’s original sunset destination but it’s pretty distracting daytime too, infused with a “beach lounge” as opposed to “beach club” concept; expect a distinctly loungey, chilled vibe with seriously good sounds, centred around the beachfront pool. Poolside day beds are hot property (minimum spend from IDR500,000) but there’s plenty of other places to hang, and knock back killer mixologist cocktails, like tropical island signature Vanilla Passion Foam, an all-new rotating menu of frozen Slushy Cocktails, or some Hubbly Bubbly. Renowned for its relaxed fine-dining, KDT’s modern gourmet global cuisine is showcased in multiple menus (including Kid’s and Vegetarian); start the day early with Breakfasts, where Ricotta and Strawberry Hotcakes, or Big Breakfast will blow away any hangovers.

From midday until late, the Grazing Menu is heaven-sent for poolside snacking – like freshly-prepared Sushi – but for full-blown lunches, head to the shaded beachfront bench tables. Naturally, sunsets are KDT’s busiest time with visitors descending en masse and savvy DJs spinning house beats – continuing the soulful soundtrack to your “Endless Summer”. Take a piece of the KDT lifestyle home, from their newly-branded Concept Store and some exclusive must-have designs. www.kudeta.com Fronting Bali Mandira Beach Resort, all-new AZUL Beach Club raised the bar this year on Blue Ocean Beach – not noted for its sophisticated dining scene – with its thatched bamboo, three-level venue alongside Blue Ocean Beach.

Naturally AZUL is a welcome addition for resort guests, but also for anyone else in the ’hood; the epitome of Bali’s laid-back, casual beach life, open-air and

fanned by sea breezes, with marine-themed interiors splashed with aquamarine blue, mirroring the sea opposite – and its name (“AZUL” means “blue” in Spanish).

Head first to AZUL’s upper level and the elevated sun deck, with boutique-sized pool, shaded lounge seats and a football-team sized circular Jacuzzi – looking out across Mandira’s main pool below. Reasonably priced, adults-only and peaceful, this is quite the little secret daytime oasis costing outsiders IDR250,000, with F&B credit back, for double cabanas or sun beds. Working up a tan is thirsty work: cocktails designed by Global Mixultant Joseph Boroski feature housemade, naturally infused liquors with floral, spice and fruit extracts – try the Vanilla Hibiscus Sangria Jars. Time for lunch and out of the heat, in the beach club’s upper floor bar-dining lounge – preferably at one of the cushioned circular pod seats overlooking the beach.

AZUL’s fresh coastal cuisine is created with archipelago-sourced, fresh seasonal produce. Menus, tinged with Middle-eastern to Japanese influences, are specifically geared to sharing, casual dining – try the Turkish Pide Pizzas or wood-fired oven Giant Kebabs, rounded-off with the divine, Papua Vanilla Bean Ice-cream (on Sunday’s, don’t miss AZUL’s all-new Sunday Roast and BBQ, from midday). Time for more sun-baking, then before you know it, Sunset Chill time arrives at 3pm, with special drinks promos and DJ sounds. Repeat at leisure. www.azulbali.com Even Ubud has got in on the act, with a new beach club – at least in spirit.

True, there’s no beach here, but with Jungle Fish – “The no beach beach club” – launched 2015, you can still have your upscale beach club vibe, albeit surrounded by rainforest and wildlife of a different variety.

Part of Chapung Se Bali Resort, a boutique villa retreat up in Ubud’s jadegreen hills overlooking the Osh River Valley, Jungle Fish restaurant-lounge-bar is now the place to diffuse, especially for those not holed-up at any of Sayan’s five-star cliff-hugging resorts. This stylish fish-out-of-water is essentially an open-air, split-level restaurant with a lower level pool, deck and bar, immersed in jungle above a gushing river. As Ubud sunsets aren’t worth the Snapchatupload (they still however, offer Sunset Happy Hours) and cool mists roll-in by dusk, daytime is optimum time here and the 35-metre-long pool and pool bar is where it all happens from 7.30am to 10.30pm. Simply fork-out the set entrance fee of IDR100,000 (half-price for kids aged six to 12, under six years, free); booking ahead is optional, but as weekends get mega-busy, best reserve the cabanas and hanging beds. Indulge in divine breakfasts and lazy, leisurely poolside

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lunches (from 11am to 6pm); the pool bar menu, operating until 9.30pm, is handy for those lingering-on for nibbles under the stars (alternatively, the resort’s newlylaunched Di Abing fine-dining restaurant, perched above Jungle Fish, offers ultraromantic dining post-6pm). All washed down with cocktails like Seasonal Mojito Flavours. Jungle Fish’s modern Mediterranean cuisine bursts with bold, fresh Asian flavours and Greek overtones, with signature dishes like Grilled Haloumi Cheese, sandwiched between eggplant slivers. Much of the kitchen’s fresh veggies, basmati rice and herbs are grown in the resort’s organic gardens and working rice paddies … well, this is Ubud! www.junglefishbali.com Finally, I found “The One!” No, not that type, silly, The ONE Legian, in northern Kuta, from January 1st this year, “the resort formerly known as The 101 Bali Legian” a renaming which would make Prince proud and officially recognizing this urbancontemporary, 301-room hotels’ new four-star status. Unashamedly geared to youth culture and predominately Australian party-loving crowd, The ONE isn’t really the haunt of families or more “mature” types, but if the face fits, nip-up to their vast Rooftop Dine & Music Lounge, with its open-air deck sprawled across the hotel’s fourth floor, with a partly-covered bar and restaurant area and beyond, awesome Kuta, ocean – and if lucky – volcano panoramas. This hidden sun-trap is surprisingly quiet daytime with most guests sleeping-off the night’s excesses – so grab one of several canopied cabanas (outside guests need to book ahead, minimum spend IDR250,000 with F&B credit back). Or head below to the open-air Sky Pool, a 22-metre-long infinity pool looking down on the mad streets below, with sun beds and Sky Pool Bar. All sections provide full Wi-Fi, all-day menus catering to all tastes and mixologist-concocted cocktails, keeping you happily fed and watered at refreshingly affordable prices. As the day progresses, this rooftop sees more guests emerging, morphing into a sizzling party-zone – especially on Sundays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 3pm onwards, with The ONE’s infamous Sky Pool Parties. Expect bikini-clad lovelies dancing in the pool, pumped-up, feel good beats from poolside DJs and Sunset BBQs – open wide for the liberally administered spirit shots – outside guests pay IDR100,000 for the privilege. All this flurry of activity eventually fizzles out, as the early evening crowd head off to Kuta’s nightspots, handily within staggering distance. www.theonelegian.com Like any self-respecting Bali socialite, upon learning that Finn’s Beach Club was relocating this June from Uluwatu to Berawa, mild panic set in. Happily, any fears were unfounded, as all-new Finns seamlessly transferred the same formula-winning mindset to absolute beachfront on Berawa, one of Bali’s finest surfing beaches, but reinventing itself in a same-same-but-different format. Now rooted in Canggu Republic, Finn’s is more accessible for the sun-worshipping and surfie crowd and judging by its fit-to-bust attendance – packed even on weekdays – obviously this was an inspired move. With an “affordable for all” and “everyone is welcome” concept, anyone from young families to bling-festooned Jakartans flock here.

The Finn’s trademark Balinese aesthetics remain, albeit now as a gi-normous, rustic-inclined structure, crafted from indigenous bamboo, woods and natural stone, with alang-alang roof domes. Importantly, the extensive compound is cleverly designed for guaranteed ocean views and maximum sunset exposure,

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wherever you’re lolling around. From 7am to midnight, Finn’s offers a cool hotspot with a Club Tropicana vibe; there’s no water sports provided like before, but plenty to occupy oneself. Everyone is welcome to indulge in the 30-metre-long infinity pool; front and centre of the action, more of an all-day mingling, cool-off spot (no room for laps here) with state of the art underwater speakers and singles-friendly, swim-up bar. Surrounding here, a sandy floored zone is chocker with day beds (minimum spend single daybeds at IDR250,000 and doubles, IDR 500,000), inclusive of full club facilities, Wi-Fi and more.

Throw-in jugs of Pimm’s and superior Mustard music system and life’s a beach.

The Surf Bar, a circular shaded enclave, offers the best up-close views of Berawa’s crashing waves and surfing activity – a tropical look-out perfect for Finn’s newlyminted Breakfast Menu (from 7am, noteworthy for its scrumptious Bakery Corner. At the rear, the semi-open restaurant- bar pavilion offers casual-stylish seaside dining and just launched dinner menu, while all-day global-inspired dining (until 11pm) covers vegetarian and gluten-free options. Once 4pm hits, the sunset crowd arrives and DJ beats progress to up-tempo and dance appropriate, while the surfing action continues well into the darkness with Finn’s sensational flood-lit night surfing. www.finnsbeachclub.com Meanwhile, down south in Uluwatu, along the Bukit Peninsula, Finn’s Beach Club has transformed into Sundays Beach Club, now part of rebranded The Ungasan Clifftop Resort, taking over from the former Semara Luxury Villas, perched on Ungasan’s cliff tops.

The all-new “Sundays” name deftly sets the scene, inspired by the official ‘day of rest’ – although any day of the week is fine to chill at this now well-established, ultimate beach getaway. For those unaccustomed, Sundays Beach Club rests at the base of the cliffs accessed 150-metres down via the resort’s inclinator: here you’re greeted with a secluded, white sand cove lapped by transparent, emerald-hued water and a Robinson Crusoe-style, thatched beach bar and restaurant. All yours for a day pass costing IDR300,000 (kids aged 3 to 11 years, IDR50,000) with IDR150,000 F&B credit back, water sports equipment, beach club facilities, towels and Wi-Fi. The remaining in-house management is focused on upgrading service levels and enhancing facilities, so far, upgrades include new bathroom amenities, sunsetevents deck and retail store, but from 9am to 10pm daily, Sundays pretty much carries on the same idyllic scenario as before. So here’s what you do: stand-up paddle, swim or snorkel in the shallow reefs and magical, “Peeping Lagoon;” but if that’s all too exhausting, diffuse at the Spa Bale or on one of countless bean bags and sun beds, armed with a Low or High-Tide Cocktail (watch out for those “Rogue Waves” – AKA pitchers of Sangria).

Rustic beach shack charm, check, but the restaurant-bar dishes-up surprisingly good gourmet nosh, complete with a well-stocked wine cellar: the diverse menu covers gourmet pizzas fresh from the stone oven and Sundays Cliff Edge Burger (with grilled Australian pure beef and smoked cheddar), almost as mountainous as the resort cliffs. Kids under three go free, have their own dedicated menu and should go overboard exploring low-tide rock pools and toasting marshmallows at dusk around the bonfire. It’s a bit of a trek down here, so make a blissful sun-day of it. www.sundaysbeachclub.com

SUNDAY YUM CHA WITH FUN-FILLED ACTIVITIES (free resort beach-pool & kids club access) Every Sunday, at The Restaurant 12:00 – 15:00 IDR 250,000++/ person Children below 6 years old - eat for free Dim sum, chinese cuisine selections, free flow tea, Lamian Station hand-made noodle process Special Beverage Offer - Buy 2 get 1 selected drinks

Jalan Sunset Road, Kerobokan, Bali, Kuta, Indonesia RSVP +62 361 8981234 E bali.offer@thetranshotel.com W www.transresortbali.com

oral pleasures

the sweetest thing old java meets bali at kayumanis resto jimbaran.

Like a whisper of a breeze, Kayumanis in Jimbaran seems to dance lightly on its palm studded property. An elegance born of the sophistication of Java combined with the breezy familiarity of Bali, it is the perfect example of a new breed of Indonesian boutique resorts that are carving out a niche all their own.

Therefore it is no surprise to arrive at the new Kayumanis Resto Jimbaran to discover that Indonesian food has a new home that offers a culinary journey through Bali and Java and hints at exotic islands beyond.

Indonesian food is currently being reinvented all over the island, with varying results. Absolute authenticity is at the heart of this Resto, the dishes are so intrinsically linked to village life and yet they translate beautifully to a restaurant setting. Through the menu, we visit regencies, villages, temples and palaces in a culinary journey that is every bit as interesting and intricate as the dishes served.

The Resto is housed in a graceful new joglo, built on a wide green lawn amid the swaying coconut palms, the smell of new teak is like a tonic as you enter. To say it’s pretty is an understatement. Whitewashed, large, airy and surrounded by windows leading out to terraced verandahs, it’s like a little piece of old Java transplanted here. With the characteristic tiled floors, elegant rattan furniture, hanging glass lamps under a soaring carved ceiling, it’s lovely in so many ways.

Our culinary journey begins with a hybrid dish of sorts, Lumpia Bebek Jamur or deep fried spring rolls, filled with duck and shitake mushrooms and served with a sweet chili dipping sauce, they are crisp and delicious.

Served alongside are fresh spring rolls, similar to Vietnamese spring rolls, in a nod to the health conscious.

Together with these we are served a dish called Ayam Dabu Dabu, which is an instagram picture in the making. A light salad created with shredded chicken, raw vegetables and a splash of chili lemongrass sauce to interrupt the swirled pattern on the plate. It is light, fresh and complex, despite the very simple plating.

As is often the case with Indonesian food, the dishes keep coming.

Next, a spectacular dish that includes half a smoky marinated duck perching atop a terracotta grill on a large platter that includes a clear chicken soup with hand-made dumplings, delicately spiced minced chicken sate and a range of vegetables. The highlight for me is the duck, the skin crisp and the flesh tender and full of flavour. Interesting to note that this is a dish traditionally served to priests when they visit a Balinese home during a ceremony.

The next platter to arrive finds its origins in Java. Nasi Bakar is a traditional rice dish, wrapped in banana leaf and roasted. This parcel is packed with purple sweet potato to add colour and texture. It is served

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with a variety of dishes that include Kare Ayam, a braised chicken in turmeric and coconut sauce; Mangut Ikan, grilled and braised fish with chili sauce and a delicately spiced Beef Rendang. The plating is truly beautiful and arranged with an eye for the artisan, delicately placed to compliment the diner and to enhance the experience.

The menu offers a variety of interesting drinks in addition to wine, beer and spirits. Cocktail and mocktails are spiced and spiked with local flavours and a range of traditional health drinks is also offered, including the popular jamu kunyit with turmeric, lime and tamarind. Fresh juices are also sourced locally.

Dessert is an adventure full of sticky textures, icy concoctions and brilliant colours. Despite the fact that the selection in front of me looks for all the world like a child’s candy shop, brilliant in pink, bright green, purple and icy white, I am impressed by how deeply complex the flavours are, and simple really.

The es cendol is rescued from being too sweet by a roasted banana that gleams on top adding a welcome smokiness to the worms of green flour jelly at the base. Another famous and much loved sweet is made with the local purple sweet potato rolled around palm sugar and covered in grated coconut and is a mix of sweet and slightly salty that is surprisingly good.

Wingko Tape is a traditional sticky rice cake that is baked to give a caramel effect and served with fermented rice on top, in a brilliant green.

Es Pisang Hijau is as the name suggests, green. A pandan banana fritter is served with rice porridge, condensed milk and grenadine syrup served over crushed ice.

There are a number of things that sets the Resto Kayumanis Jimbaran apart from the rash of Indonesian restaurants that have opened recently.

Firstly the elegance of the venue, secondly the skill and knowledge that infuses every dish, and then the staff. Kayumanis is almost completely staffed by locals, many from the village where the resort is located.

They fill the resort and the restaurant with personality that is completely genuine. Many return guests take time out to sit with the staff they have met on previous visits. Rather than simply a holiday resort, guests can really discover Bali and the Indonesian archipelago through the staff and the food and this is where Kayumanis shines. It is authentic, completely original and very genuine. Well worth a visit for those who seek to know more about the culinary heritage of Indonesia. www.kayumanis.com

simple pleasures at kayumanis resto.

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the big elephant in the room has turned into quite the noodle.

The buzzword these days is authenticity but it has always been the defining feature of the restaurants run by ex-New York chef, Agung Nugroho. It is also the starting place for the evolution of Fat Gajah, which has held firm as the baby of the group, which includes signature restaurant Chandi in Oberoi Road and Arang Sate Bar in Ubud’s main street.

There are two things that motivate Chef Agung, a native of Jakarta who burned his fingers in some of the great kitchens of New York City and lived to invigorate Indonesian food from a very personal place.

“Fat Gajah has thrived as the baby of the group for some time now, an idea born of a love of noodles and dumplings inspired by China but incorporating all the things I love about food. Chancing on a new premises in Oberoi Road inspired me and the team to think bigger, to reclaim Oberoi as the original Eat Street and to create something which is very personal and personable,” he explains over a coffee at the neighboring Corner House.

A collaboration with young Indo/French designer, Ines, who is by trade a muralist, has also given birth to a fresh take on interiors; a little Indo, a little Indochine, a New York splash and an original perspective on restaurant interiors.

It doesn’t look like anything else, it’s casual, chic and food is at the heart of it,” says Agung.

Often curtailed by having to create within the confines of other designer’s concepts in the past, she spent time with Agung and through his philosophy about food began to paint a picture of the restaurant required to showcase the food he had in mind. In this case, she has been given free reign and in the process has discovered some brilliant young designers working in Indonesia to add elements of interest.

The kitchen lies at the heart of the restaurant and can be seen by diners throughout the airy space, which opens to rice fields at the back, a rare commodity in Oberoi Road. The open plan restaurants leads diners from the streetscape through to the outdoor terrace with a mix of dining and drinking spaces in between.

Here Chef Agung and his creative Executive Chef Fernando De Souza, continue their exploration of fine noodle and dumpling dishes, which owe nothing but their inspiration to China. As with Chandi where the inspiration is the food of Indonesia and well known local

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dishes like nasi goreng come in variations of black rice with giant prawns punctuated with calamari; crispy duck and lychee; or pork and pineapple versions, the final dishes are entirely subjective and have enthralled diners for over eight years.

At Arang Sate, some of Agung’s favourite ingredients like asparagus and steak and eggs are recreated as sate and succulent duck breast is basted in Maduranese spices, threaded on skewers and given a lick of charcoal to give a whole new expression of the classics.

So it is with Fat Gajah, the roots are clear and where it goes from there is anyone’s guess. Suffice to say, the ingredients will be high quality, the marriage of flavours will be creative yet balanced and each dish will be both original and authentic; authentically Agung and Fernando; his bro, his kitchen conspirator and his sounding board. The evolution of Fat Gajah is one that diners will be excited about. The venue promises great things, the menu will be earthy yet innovative and at the heart of it is a conceptual chef who loves food.

It’s time to throw all you think you know about noodles and dumplings out the proverbial window, the grown up Fat Gajah will put paid to all preconceptions while combining classic French techniques, new world cool and Asian flavours to create iconic dishes that will undoubtedly evolve as we now have not one but two culinary visionaries at the stoves.

Most significant is the depth of character that imbues each element of this latest restaurant, a coherence that is expressed in the materials, the food and the design, building on an established reputation and yet exposing a talented kitchen team to something new and vibrant, fresh and original. All in full view of the diners, a challenging task at best.

Cocktails have always played a role in the restaurants owned by Agung and Fat Gajah will also look to classic local ingredients for fresh inspiration. Ginger, lemon grass, lotus root and kaffir lime dance with earthy flavours like cinnamon, nutmeg and even chili to create cocktails with personality.

Fat Gajah opens its doors for both dedicated fans and new friends to experience something that is at heart Indonesian though welltravelled and ultimately world class. S.D. www.fatgajah.com

chop chop.

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big six

Sarah Douglas goes all english in search of fish and chips.

Being island bound means thoughts of sand and swimmers, waves and sunny days and seafood, lots of it. The traditional seaside food of fish and chips shows up in both high-end restaurants, resorts, pubs and beach bars and yet, the search for the best fish and chips on the island turned out to be an exhaustive one for Sarah Douglas. Here are her picks.

Man Frydays The location upstairs in Seminyak Square doesn’t exactly inspire confidence however Man Frydays goes all out to do English food right and their fish and chips were among the best I tried. Even the location started to grow on me a bit. Eat in or take away (and don’t get blown over by the Union Jack flags, there are a lot of them), when push comes to shove the fish is delicious. Crispy batter surrounding succulent white fish, it was cooked so that it still retained a little texture and was juicy and fresh. The chips are proper too, thick hand cut chips with great colour but not too crunchy, which means they would work perfectly between two slices of white bread. The menu offers lots of variety, Bali cod, mahi-mahi or snapper for the fish alongside battered prawns and potato scallops. Sauces and sides include classic favourites like mushy peas, tartar sauce, curry sauce, gravy, aioli and even vinegar. If fish doesn’t take your fancy, they have curries, even battered saveloy. You could get real fat eating here but here’s a tip, I chose the child’s portion and it was plenty. Big appetites can trade up and seafood platters are also on offer. Man Frydays is also open in Sanur.

Tel. 081238313338 www.manfrydays.com Yak Map P.7 Azul Beach Bar Azul is an eye opener for Legian regulars, it is a meandering bamboo structure, which is the fashion currently, that is beautifully highlighted with azure walls, coloured floors, tiles and a large open kitchen manned by one of Bali’s leading chefs. The fish and chips here, like much of the menu, is traded up with a chefy touch but ultimately is worthy of the calories. Fresh-from-the-sea barramundi holds up well to the fryer, with white flesh that stays firm and delicious. The batter is a perfect execution of the classic beer batter, although you can have it grilled to order. The gentle heap of hand cut chips is flawless, while a charred half lemon sits aside to pretty it up on the wooden board. There’s plenty of seafood on this menu, from Asian-flavoured sashimi dishes to grilled lobster and seafood pastas. Azul is a step up for Legian with views over the beach, a great sound track, drop-dead bathrooms and a lively open kitchen where a worldly chef has tweaked some creative dishes to create a menu worth dressing up for. Cocktails are a treat here as well.

Cocktails on the mezzanine level offers a bird’s eye view of one of Bali’s iconic beachfronts and the offerings are filled with classic and intoxicating creations. Azul gets the heads up for Legian, and it even offers parking.

Tel. 765759 www.azulbali.com Yak Map Q.15 Conrad Five star hotels have to cater for an international clientele and usually do the simple things very well. Conrad is no exception. The fish and chips here are beautiful, fresh and crispy with a great texture. The addition of a side salad, which I needed, was happily provided and our view over the beach from the poolside restaurant made it the perfect location to enjoy a meal of fish and chips. The portions are hearty but still delicate enough to earn a five-star tag. Conrad is open to outside guests and for a small fee you can even use the extensive pool or linger on the white sand beach in front. Five star fish and chips hit the spot and the established resort sits so gracefully among flashier new neighbours 120

that it feels very elegant, no matter what you order, and the list is quite extensive at their numerous restaurants. This one ticks the boxes on all counts. www.conradbali.com Sea Circus The hip café on the way to La Lucciola, tucked away at the top of Oberoi Road, is a magnet for hipsters who come for extended breakfasts, good coffee and a sunny, laid-back environment. Fish and chips is a standard on their menu and has been since opening.

Once again, the diner can choose to have them battered and wicked or grilled for a more saintly version of the famous dish. The fries here are shoestring and plentiful. Hangover anyone? Pair this with a Bloody Mary and things will look right again. The fish and chips sit prettily in a woven basket, lemon, salt and aioli add a touch of trendy café to the mix. We mixed ours with zesty flavoured kombucha to assuage the guilt of fried food and yet, this one was light, fluffy and not too large. Sea Circus is a happening place, the menu is full of vibrant café classics and yet, when you get the itch for fish and chips, this one will fix it.

Tel. 738667 www.seacircus-bali.com Yak Map N.7 Beachbreak - On the Beach Where better to chow down on seafood inspired snacks than right on the sand at Legian Beach? It might not be the trendiest, nor the most salubrious, but put on a sunny day, glass-like surf conditions and a wet bathing suit and nothing hits the spot like the less than flashy Beachbreak, located in front of Jayakarta Resort. Offering a surprising range of seafood and Aussie-inspired sandwiches, platters and grills, grabbing a plastic chair at Jerry’s esky bar on the sand, ordering an ice cold beer and chowing down on prawn cutlets, calamari and fish bites made with the catch of the day is a very pleasant way to enjoy lunch or an afternoon snack. The fish will vary depending on what appears fresh at the market, the day we visited the stall was advertising red emperor as the fish of the day. Breaded rather than battered, the fish bites are succulent and seasoned, as only an Indonesian cook will do, in other words plenty of salt, a biting chili mayo on the side and plenty of fish. Fish burgers are also a treat here, piled high with fresh salad. Quite how this little stall managed to set up both a barbecue and a fryer on the beach is astounding, but the Indonesians are certainly creative. At around Rp50,000 a plate, the tide is high and the price is low. It’s a favourite beach day meal, and the view is free.

Karma Karma Beach adds a twinkle of Ibiza, a sprinkling of Mykonos and a lot of Bali magic to compete with some of the world’s best beach clubs. What better way to enjoy on the sands overlooking the calm, clear, turquoise sea than seafood as close to source as is possible. With big news on the horizon about a talented new chef who has some lofty experience in seafood, the team at Karma continue to deliver the perfect by-the-sea dining experience that naturally includes fish and chips, buckets of fresh prawns, sashimi and sushi and grilled seafood that has the tang of the Mediterranean or the spice of Asia, depending on how you like it. Jugs of ice-cold beers, martinis and frozen cocktails, an impressive wine list and sparkling by the glass go down a treat at the ultimate destination for lovers of the sea. Expect a little magic that begins with the decline down the craggy cliff to reveal the loft bamboo beach club that features international Djs. If you have the time, squeeze in a trip to Karma Reef at Gili Meno where the sea laps your toes and the seafood shines. www.karmagroup.com/karma-beach

oral pleasures

life’s a breeze style never ages and classic dishes never go out of fashion. As Sarah douglas discovers at Breezes Seminyak.

If the test of a chef is how well he can cook an omelette, the test of a five star resort kitchen should be their burgers, or so we decided when lunching at the five-star Breezes at Samaya Resort in Seminyak.

classic dish that was perfectly executed. The pastry was worthy of high praise, buttery and flaky and well up to the task of encasing the gravy laden filling. I almost asked for the recipe, I still may.

Food reviewers sometimes crave the sanity of comfort foods and this was one such occasion.

It is quickly apparent that doing things well has established a strong following for Samaya, with a great many guests returning and the resort was buzzing. With so many new resorts opening in Bali it is easy to forget some of our finer, older properties yet this one exhibits timeless style, beautifully maintained, in a great location with a dedication to getting it right. Its all in the details and this is a stand out with seamless service and a dash of formality.

Breezes is aptly named for its location overlooking Seminyak beach allowing the natural sea breeze to float through the open restaurant, a series of simple terraces surrounding a central bar with spectacular uninterrupted views of the ocean.

The resort itself has stood the test of time, almost Bauhaus in its simplicity, with a wide flat lawn punctuated by a pool and a wooden deck that reaches towards the ocean. Breezes has been visited by a number of high profile chefs but for the last four years, local Chef Surya has been at the helm.

The extremely personable General Manager, Ray, is a former chef and his stamp can be found on many of the dishes including what was an absolute stand out, lamb pie.

There is something that is just plain indulgent about ordering a fivestar burger. This one is a tasty blend of minced wagyu with onion jam, a sharp cheddar melted over it and a fresh brioche bun that was perfectly complimented by twice cooked hand-cut chips. It was a perfect rendition of a great burger and we couldn’t fault it.

Looking over the menu, which traverses a myriad of styles to suit the mixed clientele, home-made Australian pies caught our eye. Offered with lamb, beef or chicken, we decided to try the lamb pie, not really knowing what to expect.

Honestly, I would crawl back to have this again, it was that good. A melting pastry surrounded succulent pieces of slow cooked lamb, served with a green salad with pecans (although the menu stated walnuts, we weren’t complaining), and an onion and red wine jus. Like the burger, it was a 122

The lunch menu at Breezes is filled with dishes that play perfectly in this location: classic salads, big sandwiches, Japanese, Chinese and Indo dishes, grills and seafood. The dinner menu is a slightly grander affair but tailored for a resort clientele who literally have a world of great restaurants within walking distance. Sometimes you need a night in and something delicious to eat that doesn’t overextend itself, or the diner, rather that it’s well executed, looks good and tastes just the way it should.

No review would be complete without a glance at the dessert menu and here we found something that sounded a little weird, so naturally we had to order it. Molten lava cakes are not new, this one however came with the addition of coconut and a decadent sauce of curried caramel. Intriguing and strangely delicious, the deep, rich flavor combined perfectly with a tangy wild berry ice cream and the slow eruption of molten chocolate. It was lovely.

Breezes is a popular hang out at sunset with its position directly overlooking the beach, a time when cocktails are king and the sofas spread out over the lawn are filled with both guests and visitors.

Revisiting Breezes was a delightful reminder that style never ages and classic dishes never go out of fashion. www.thesamayabali.com

FANS of the legendary Naughty Nuri’s Warung in Ubud, can now get their rib fix in Seminyak with a brand new branch of the iconic restaurant opening on August 1, 2016.

Inspired by Nuri’s simple beginnings as a roadside warung in Ubud, the new restaurant brings a taste of Bali, Nuri’s iconic combination of delicious ribs and martinis to a whole new locale.

The Nuri’s bartenders have perfected their signature Martini which food critic Anthony Bourdain called ‘the best martini outside of Manhattan’ as well as icy cold margaritas.

So even if pork fiends just want a quick fix at the bar, they’ll leave as happy little pigs.

Customers who can handle three cocktails will be inducted into “The Nuri’s Wall of Fame” and have their name carved into one of the restaurants walls for posterity.

The new restaurant draws on the original, with a smoking outdoor grill and a rustic vibe but with seats for 100, even more carnivores can devour Nuri’s generous rib slabs marinated in the top secret sauce.

Keeping with Nuri’s motto, “It’s 5 O’Clock somewhere” the restaurant will be open to serve cocktails from 11am till late, 7 days a week.

JL. MERTANADI NO. 62 KEROBOKAN, KUTA UTARA, BADUNG, BALI

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+62 361 8476783

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single fin sunshine.

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jane’s addiction.

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Hi Saskia. From the sound of your voice you’re from South Africa . . . were you born and bred there?

Yes I was born and raised in the city bowl of Cape Town. My father lives in Hamburg so I’ve spent quite a few years in the northern hemisphere too.

What was it like growing up in South Africa?

Being able to compare it to Germany in the early ’80s, South Africa was very sheltered from the world under apartheid, so childhood was more innocent there I thnk. It was all ‘Kiss Catch’ and ‘Cops & Robbers’ . . . not Kim Wilde and Nina Hagen at age eight.

Is it really as dangerous as people say, or has it changed for the better?

Dangerous, yes, unfortunately, but the country is going through its process after the regime suppression and even if it will take a while thankfully that era is over and progress and unity stands a chance. I prefer to look at the positive effects since Mandela’s release and the end of apartheid. I love seeing the youth all mixed up and together. It was so different when I grew up – I could never get my head around why we were separated at school. I also love seeing all the creativity and talent emerging out of South Africa.

It’s a vibrant country with many complex layers. I love the homeland.

We understand you got into photography through fashion . . . how did that work?

I started with shooting at age 17, doing model tests in Cape Town and assisting Bruce Granville Matthews in his cool Long Street Studio back in the day when he let the street kids all sleep in his big old Bentley car. I was also making custom clothes out of old army vests and quickly started enjoying the creative lifestyle of a designer-traveller living between London’s Portobello Market and Green Market

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Square in Cape Town. So I gave up on shooting and just made clothes. Only when I moved back to Bali in 2008 did I rediscover my love for photography. I decided to fulfill my original dream and went for a BA in Fine Arts in Photography at Brooks Institute in California.

After graduation I went on a five-day trip to NYC and fell in love with the creative buzz of the city and decided after three days there to stay and make it happen. I applied for internships with all the big favorites from Annie Leibovitz to Craig McDean and Marc Seliger. I ended up having a few choices and decided on a part-time internship with the legendary Mary Ellen Mark. It was a dream-cometrue. Just being able to hear her stories every day and experience her approach to her research for assignments as well as working in her beautiful archive was a treasured time; I was in awe every moment. RIP MEM. I also worked at the big studio Pier 59 which showed me the commercial high-end world of photography. I moved to Kenneth Willardt’s studio as studio assistant and manager, working on his shows while also producing shows for Picture Farm Gallery in Williamsburg. I worked at Nan Goldin’s Studio for a month too, which gave me an awesome insight into the fine art world of photography. NYC was an incredible experience, the best of the best.

I love the directness and professional level one deals with there. It’s a magical city . . . but the waves were calling me and I came back to Bali.

When did you first experience the island?

I first came here in the late ’90s but it wasn’t until 2008 that I moved and started clothing production here. I disappeared to the States for a few years in between and recently just moved back and am loving it. I surfed the first five months.

Just surfed. All day. And just shot palm trees. Now I’m shooting and surfing.

sasha.

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When did you realise there was such an interesting group of women surfers here?

I’ve been surfing Batu Bolong since 2008 and love the friends I’ve made there and the waves we’ve shared. Especially the women. There are so many amazing women that live, work and surf here. They are all doing incredible things but one of their main focuses is to meet up at sunrise to surf some waves every day. I wanted to document all the women dedicated to their single fin surfing.

Long boarding is such a special culture. What makes these shots special for you?

I love that single fin surfing has got such a big momentum again and I think it suits the female style of long boarding so well. The gliding and dancing on the board is so elegant. Single fin surfing really helps you find your own style. You have to move around a lot on the board and it results in a mesmerizing dance on the water.

The women in these shots are literally of all shapes and sizes, with different races and different cultures all thrown into the mix.

Yes, I love that about Batu Bolong. I meet amazing people from all over the world here every morning. It’s a great crew.

Do you think a guy could have shot these images?

Yes of course, but we all enjoy sharing the feminine spirit, celebrating our love for the waves. And I do think there is a different energy that comes across in the portraits with just women involved in the project. I see it when I am shooting fashion, beauty or nudes. Some girls are more comfortable with showing their bodies . . . or they just exude a different sense of sensuality and femininity.

There’s something about just having these women staring into the lens … it’s empowering.

Yes. It’s nice to be a part of.

You chose to shoot the portraits on film and digital, why was that?

It started out as a fun project with my expired film collection so I was doing digital back ups just in case there was nothing on the film. I collected boxes of old film in NYC and lugged it over to Bali. I love the digitals too. I want to continue shooting various formats on this project. Large format, polaroid . . . it’s a journey.

Selamat jalan then! And thanks so much for your time. We’ll see you on the beach.

Thank you for your encouragement and support. www.saskiakoerner.com

ROCK PORT LOAFER.

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CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: GENERATIONs; KATE; SUITED UP;OCEAN.

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TOP: LIBBY. aBOVE: BALI STYLE.

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pent up in a penthouse

top floor please, Prada sophie digby luxes out at the alila seminyak penthouse.

So it’s on! The Yakkers have been lent a penthouse for a night (the Alila Penthouse at Alila Seminyak, to be exact) … and we have promised to behave!

tub, mind. This one comes with jets and bubbles and a lot of buttons. Might need a brainstorm to work out which ones to push and when.

Up the lift, as you do, and we get to #307? Isn’t it supposed to say “Penthouse”? Not sure we like things that understated (typical Alila chic) …thankfully the amazing butler is called Prada, things are looking up.

The outer wall is not wall, but all-curtained, sliding glass doors, with a wrap-around terrace that passes from the bathroom, past the bedroom, and leads to the split level decking and pool. The terrace proper, that edges part of the infinity pool, sports sun beds, lounge and dining areas and cocktail tables. We, of course, in true Yak style need to move the furniture around. The sofas move to the front of the terrace with the view and the dining table moves middle and centre… More time is spent sitting, chatting and relaxing, drinking in the view than actually ‘dining’, so we all now have a cocktail in hand, with a front-seat view of the Indian Ocean drinking in both as sea breezes and canapés waft passed. It’s a great entertaining space, so we invite some friends over. Suffice to say whilst we did not misbehave, we did thoroughly enjoy the bubbles, the cocktails, the wine, the canapés, the meals both in-room and at The Restaurant, and of course the pool, the view and the privilege. Alila – it really is the only way to stay. On top.

With eight hundred and eleven metres squared of living space, three bedrooms sleeping up to six adults or six adults and three children, with an 18-metres squared infinity plus rooftop lap pool that stretches into the expanse of the Indian Ocean, we are here for a Yak brainstorming (we do storm occasionally). But how to storm with this view? So distracting!

In fact we have decided that the term brainstorming has a negative vibration to it – sounds long, drawn out and relentless – so we’ve decided on a ‘mind meeting’ to chat about Social Media and where we want to be positioning ourselves (right at the exclusive top of course, just like this penthouse).

www.alilahotels.com/seminyak #AlilaSeminyak Butlers, canapés and Champagne at the ready, MacBooks on charge and we’re set.

We delve into a couple of pre-filed Social Media marketing tools, glance at what LinkedIn is up to, discuss Instagram, download an app or six and it’s back to the view, the pool and enjoying this split-level living room with decked terrace, pool and undistracted view.

I’ve parked my gear in the master bedroom. Although another two generous-sized bedrooms are on offer, I have a penchant for spaces where the bathrooms are as big as the bedrooms. Something about that amount of space that oozes luxury, decadence, opulence. Filling this expanse are the side-by-side closets (with all the buffing, robing and hanging accoutrements necessary for a week or more’s stay), the obvious ‘his’ and ‘her’ sinks, or should we be saying ‘his’ and ‘his’ sinks? Or two trans-sinks? (I am quite confused as to what is gender appropriate these days and don’t have a lawyer on speed dial). On the inner wall side, glassed-in cubicles for the porcelain (loo/toilet call it what you will) and the shower. Then taking up a good quarter of the room, a rather large, round, gleaming white bath tub. No ordinary

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lapping it up at alila seminyak’s penthouse. right: top floor terrace.

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taken venting notinstirred a villa

Stephanie Mee greets the sun at Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali. Photos: Lucky 8.

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As I sip coffee in the pale pre-dawn light looking out at the ocean, the beach is already coming to life. Fishermen are wading into the water towards their traditional jukung boats, a priest is making his way down the sand to offer blessings, and the odd early riser jogs along the beachside path. Above the horizon a billowy purple cloud starts to fade into shades of lavender, then pastel pink, and finally the sun bursts out in bright beams of orange and egg yolk yellow. The day has officially begun at Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali and the area many call the ‘Morning of the World’.

Located at the southern end of Jalan Danau Tamblingan in the seaside village of Sanur, Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali sits on four hectares of meticulously manicured tropical gardens that spill down to a 200-metre stretch of golden sand overlooking the Badung Strait between Bali and Nusa Penida. Between the beach and the resort there is a pedestrian and bicycle-only promenade that runs for five kilometres along the coast and ties the resort to its vibrant beachside neighbourhood.

The Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali is deeply connected to the rich culture and landscape of the area, which is apparent from the minute you step inside the impressive lobby. The first things I notice are the massive wall behind the reception area made from carved wood in the traditional Indonesian kawung motif, the melodic rhythms coming from the gamelan players, and the intricate details of the high-arched ceilings covered in dark and light coconut wood tiles. Looking out into the grounds I can see what looks like a royal Balinese water palace feature with a bale in the centre.

As my butler shows me to my suite, he points out the open-air Lobby Lounge where they offer elegant afternoon teas and happy hour cocktail specials, the grassy lawn in the garden where they offer complimentary yoga classes every morning, and the Layang Layang restaurant on the ground floor, which serves decadent breakfast spreads in the morning and traditional Indonesian dishes like beef rendang, soto ayam and pepes ikan the evening.

At my Deluxe Suite I am pleasantly surprised to find that I have a vast amount of space to spread out in with a huge bedroom with a king sized bed, writing desk, and TV, and an almost equally sized attached terrace with big windows looking out over the gardens, long daybed running the length of the space, and a coffee and tea station with a fully stocked mini-bar. The bathroom is just as impressive with a gorgeous stone tub, separate shower and toilet areas, and luxurious bath products by Le Labo.

For those looking for even more space and privacy, Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali also offers spacious spa suites with special spa therapy rooms, as well as stunning two-storey villas in one, two or three-bedroom configurations. Each villa comes with handcrafted furniture, a private pool, and a fully equipped kitchen.

I’m tempted to just luxuriate in my suite, but curiosity calls, so I head out into the gardens to explore. It turns out that the ‘water palace’ in the middle of the resort actually houses a state-of-the-art fitness centre, a colourful Kid’s Club with a mini-cinema, and a spa with tranquil treatments rooms and a hair salon. Follow the steps up either the side of the building and there are shallow and shaded children’s pools before you reach the main pool area.

The pool is definitely tempting with its cushioned sun loungers, long expanse of blue water overlooking the ocean, and unique Pink Orchid sculpture by renowned artist Marc Quinn, but I’m on a mission to hit up the beach and get caught up on all the Sanur action. The nice thing about the resort is that instead of being walled off and separated from your surroundings, you are in the midst of laid-back beachside restaurants, quirky live music bars, and family-run shops.

On my sojourn I pass couples and families both young and old strolling along the promenade, processions of locals dressed in traditional finery on their way to a ceremony, and more than a few spirited dogs racing up and down the sand. As the sun starts to set, I make my way back to the resort just in time to grab a happy indoor-outdoor life at fairmont. hour cocktail at the Cabana Lounge. Then it’s up to Nyala Beach Club & Grill for an exquisite dinner of roast duck and pan-seared barramundi before retiring to the suite for an early night.

I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not exactly the get-up-at-dawn type, but if there is one experience you should not miss at Fairmont Sanur Beach Bali it is their Sunrise Breakfast.

Sure you have to get up before the sun does, but once you reach the beach you will find an intimate table set up directly on the sand, smiling staff to serve you coffee and delicious breakfast dishes, and of course front row seats to some of the best sunrise views you will find anywhere on the island. Definitely not a shabby way to start the day. www.fairmont.com/sanur-bali

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brands

karma’sdestiny stephanie mee meets the five-star hippy behind the karma group name.

Many moons ago when the Bukit was little more than a hangout for intrepid surfers and far from what many now call the ‘billionaire’s row’, one trailblazing entrepreneur had a vision of building a cliff-side resort that would cater to sophisticated leisure travellers looking for what he called a ‘five-star hippy’ experience.

He envisioned a collection of boutique villas with private pools and access to world-class amenities like a fine dining restaurant, spectacular spa and exclusive beach club. Yet at the same time, he wanted to create a space where people could slip off their shoes, dip their toes in the sand and restore their souls.

That visionary was John Spence and the resort was Karma Kandara; two names that have since become synonymous with luxury living here in Bali and abroad.

John Spence got his start as a music agent in London in the early ’80s representing bands that at that time were up-and-coming stars like Bananarama, the Eurythmics, and Culture Club. He later found his true calling in property sales and marketing, which set him on a path that would take him around the world.

A business conference in 1993 landed John in Goa, where he would go on to open his first resort. He says, “At the time I was thinking about developing a resort in the French Caribbean, so it was kind of an accident that I ended up in Goa. But I fell in love with it right away, and I saw a real opportunity there because Goa was just starting to take off.”

Never one to follow the masses, John decided to create a resort where people could buy or rent their own vacation property, a concept that was still relatively new in India and Southeast Asia. Using his life savings, he founded Royal Resorts and built The Royal Goan Beach Club, which was a huge success and a pioneering property in vacation ownership in the region.

In the years that followed, John opened more resorts in Bali and Lombok in Indonesia, Chiang Mai and Phuket in Thailand, and the Gold Coast in Australia.

He had a real knack for recognising opportunities in spots that were somewhat undiscovered at the time, but that would go on to become thriving global hotspots.

In the early 2000s John decided to diversify and so he founded Karma Resorts, which introduced the concept of boutique villa resorts in Asia. Karma Kandara became the flagship property of Karma Resorts and would set the trend of the private pool villa experience that so many would follow.

John says, “A feng shui expert actually found the land that Karma Kandara now sits on, and he determined that it was perfectly aligned for healing and good fortune. At first I thought I would build a house here because I had this vision of retiring and working less (stupidly), but then I thought that you really can’t beat this location for a resort. If you’ve got the right land, everything falls into place.”

John’s vision for Karma Kandara was not just to provide clients with a luxurious villa in a spectacular setting, but also to offer them unique experiences that they wouldn’t find anywhere else. He says, “The Karma experience is more of a lifestyle than anything else. I’m much more interested in engaging people and giving them something new and memorable.”

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Experiences at Karma Kandara include holistic healing rituals at the Karma Spa Kandara, which won the Luxury Spa Awards 2015; hedonistic wine tastings high atop the cliff in the amply stocked cellar at VERITAS Wine Bar; and fun family activities and excursions with the Three Monkeys Kids Club. In every aspect of the resort, John aims to set the bar high so guests walk away with an unforgettable experience.

He says, “Take for example the Karma Beach Club. We’re not trying to be a trendy beach club that can pack in the crowds. Instead we want to offer more quality and less density. We only allow a certain amount of people in each day, so our guests know they’re going to get a sun lounger and great service, great food, and great events with DJs who offer more than just banging house music.”

After achieving his dream of bringing Karma Kandara to life and the huge success of the resort, plus the others that came before it, one might think that John would sit back and actually get down to working less. However, that just wouldn’t be John.

Over the past few years John has been significantly expanding the global network of the Karma Group, which is comprised of Royal Resorts, Karma Resorts, Karma Estates, Beach Clubs International, Karma Spa, and the upcoming Karma Ski. Properties now include Karma Bavaria in Germany, Le Preverger in France, Karma Rottnest in Western Australia, and Karma Reef in Gili Meno to name just a few.

He says, “We strive as a company to embody the celebration of life, inspired by beauty and style, fitness and health, in the world’s most beautiful locations. This, in turn, inspires our loyal, alpha lifestyle-driven guests from all over the world who, much like our team at Karma Royal Group, relish challenging themselves by working hard and playing even harder.”

The Karma Group also recently introduced the Karma Club, an exclusive member’s club that offers enticing perks like generous discounts on accommodation, food, drinks and spa treatments, automatic upgrades, and VIP access to parties and events around the globe like skiing trips, music festivals, and grand prix motor racing weekends.

And John has no plans to stop any time soon. He is currently planning projects in Hakuba, Japan, Little Harbour Island in the Bahamas, Margaret River, Australia, Karangasem, Bali, Palawan in the Philippines, and on one of the world’s most remote islands – Saint Helena in the South Atlantic.

So how does he do it all? John says, “Your work has got to be taken seriously and earn you money, but it’s also got to be like sport — fun, challenging and something you do for enjoyment. If it becomes just about feeding the family then you’re not going to enjoy it. And if it’s not enough of a job, then really it’s not going to be fulfilling. It’s a balance. I genuinely feel that my work is an adventure, every day.” www.karmagroup.com

karma magic in bali. above: john spence.

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travel

Looking for a small, independently-owned resort that’s truly Asian? the yak checks in to Secret Retreats.

Mrauk Oo Princess, Myanmar.

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Marcel Proust once said, “The voyage of discovery is not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” This spirit of broadening the mind through experiential travel is at the core of Secret Retreats, a carefully curated collection of boutique hotels, lodges, cruises and restaurants in Asia that offer much more than just a generic holiday getaway.

The founders of Secret Retreats, Bruno Ferret and Stéphane Junca, have years of experience between them managing, developing and marketing luxury hotels and tour operations in Asia. Through doing so they came to realise that although large luxury hotel chains dominate the market, many of them lack the authenticity and individuality that so many modern travellers now seek.

Fuelled by their love of Asia and passion to preserve local cultures, Bruno and Stéphane wanted to create a platform that would showcase small independently-owned ventures that are truly Asian in essence and committed to offering guests authentic interactions with local people, natural environments and warm hospitality. At the same time, they wanted to ensure that their offerings were truly five-star.

To become part of the Secret Retreats community, member properties must meet certain criteria. They must be intimate and discreet with no more than 50 bedrooms. They must offer exceptional environments, attention to detail in architecture, design and furnishings, and bespoke service worthy of a luxury hotel. They must also be in touch with the local people, traditions and culture in their area, and have a commitment to sustainable practices.

Today the Secret Retreats community consists of a wide range of passionate individuals who are art and antique aficionados, adventure junkies and lovers of authentic food who offer everything from floating lodges to intimate inns, bohemian boutique villas, exotic cruises on magnificent vessels, and elegant restaurants highlighting exquisite Asian cuisine.

Whether you’re wanting to get off the beaten path at a riverside hideaway in Laos, experience a traditional ryokan in Japan, or explore the Malabar Coast in a private houseboat, Secret Retreats has over 70 unique properties and customised travel experiences in 15 countries across Asia. For those looking to see another side of Indonesia, the following are just a few of Secret Retreats’ unique getaways here in the archipelago.

Arumdalu Resort Located on the little-known island of Belitung just off Sumatra’s eastern coast, Arumdalu is the kind of place where you can play Robinson Crusoe on the 800-metre private white sand beach or in the secluded rainforest that surrounds the resort. Yet unlike Robinson Crusoe, you’ll have your own luxurious villa to retire to replete with contemporary Indonesian art and luxurious amenities.

Even better, the resort is the first ‘state-of-the-earth’ eco luxury resort on the island.

Guests can choose from three different types of villas, each made with local timber and stone, and sporting big verandas that allow for natural cooling. The villas also have gorgeous ensuite bathrooms with deep bathtubs and an array of L’Occitane bath and body products. If you really want to sleep in style, book yourself into the Imabari Wellness Villa where you get luxe extras like a private

pool, butler service and access to special wellness activities and workshops.

At the Sahang Beachfront Restaurant you can indulge in local delicacies and international classics made with fresh produce from the organic gardens on site, edible herbs, fruits and vegetables from the forest, and seafood caught that day.

They also offer afternoon tea picnics in the forest and romantic candlelit dinners in the beachfront cabana or in the privacy of your villa. There are also fishing trips to catch your own dinner and organic cooking classes on offer.

Although the luxurious facilities may not give it away, Arumdalu is also a champion of eco-friendly policies and sustainable practices. Energy efficient LED lights are utilised throughout the resort, water is heated using recycled energy from the air conditioners, and wastewater is filtered into the resort’s organic gardens. In addition, they support and empower the local community by hiring locally and teaching villagers sustainable fishing, hospitality and culinary skills, and proper water treatment methods.

Sanak Retreat Far from the bustling tourist centres of south Bali, Sanak Retreat is a small familyrun resort hidden away in the cooler mountain climes of the traditional farming village of Kayuputih near Munduk. Featuring just 11 wooden bungalows overlooking a sea of rice paddies and mountains as far as the eye can see, the resort was designed to compliment and conserve the natural landscape and culture, and to provide warm and welcoming hospitality that goes above and beyond the typical hotel experience.

The bungalows here are simple, yet chic with teak flooring and walls, natural stone bathrooms and vintage hand-painted batik wall hangings. Modern touches include crisp linens, fluffy towels and handmade natural bath products.

Each bungalow also has a spacious terrace or balcony, which allows you to soak up the panoramic views and the sounds of nature. Accommodation options include a cosy one-bedroom bungalow, a two-storey, two-bedroom bungalow, or the spacious three-bedroom bungalow with its own private plunge pool.

It would be easy to while away the days here reclining next to the pool, hanging out at the communal kitchen table in the restaurant grazing on Balinese bites made with fresh produce from the surrounding farms and fields, or soothing your body, mind and soul at Heal Spa. But given that you’re surrounded by stunning natural beauty on all sides, it would be a shame not to get out there and explore the rice paddies, waterfalls, sacred springs, and coffee, clove and cacao plantations nearby.

What really sets Sanak Retreat apart from your typical mountain resort is their concept of being ‘handpicked with humanity in mind’. From the beginning the French owners set up the resort so that one day the Balinese family who own the land could take it over and operate it themselves. In addition, they set up initiatives to help give back to the local community like the Pack for a Purpose programme, which encourages guests to donate clothes, books and educational items to local children and families.

Salila Expeditions Imagine waking up in a lavish room outfitted with all the comforts of home,

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clockwise from left: salila expeditions; arumdalu; misool eco resort.

then stepping outside and finding yourself on a vast wooden deck surrounded by ocean with views to lush tropical islands untouched by development. Welcome to Salila Expeditions, a seafaring adventure that takes you to Indonesia’s final frontier, the little-explored islands of the eastern archipelago aboard a luxurious 56-metre private-charter yacht.

The Expedition Yacht MV Salila is like a five-star floating resort with gorgeous sun decks featuring sun beds, a Jacuzzi, wet bar and a swimming platform that can be lowered to sea level. Below deck the modern interiors reflect the owner’s close connection to the sea with marine hues like cream and cobalt blue, plus warm oak the colour of driftwood in the lounge, dining room and library. And for bunking down there are 10 elegant state rooms decked out with all the mod-cons you could ask for like flat screen TVs, air-conditioners and room-to-room telecom systems.

Adventures with Salila Expeditions include everything from day trips around Bali to multi-day cruises to exotic locales like Komodo, Ambon and West Papua. Along the way you can anchor in protected bays and swim, snorkel or dive in the clear waters. Beachcombers can stroll along silvery stretches of sand, and trekkers can traverse jungle trails and visit traditional villages to get a taste of the local cultures.

The experienced crew are also happy to create custom excursions like fishing expeditions, sea kayaking trips and surfing tours.

And of course in true Secret Retreats fashion, the service you get with Salila Expeditions is simply impeccable. The highly trained staff know these waters like the back of their hand, so they can take you to some of the region’s most stunning locations, all while providing you with gourmet meals made with nutritious ingredients, sunset cocktails on the Sky Open Deck, and lively beach BBQs with grilled delicacies like lobster, prawns, tuna and squid bought directly from local fishermen.

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Misool Eco Resort It would be hard to get more remote than Misool Eco Resort, a gorgeous dive resort and conservation centre located in southern Raja Ampat, 20 kilometres from the nearest village by boat and 165 kilometres from the nearest port. This truly is a tropical island paradise with wooden villas perched on stilts over a lagoon that is surrounded by uninhabited islands fringed by white sand beaches, and a Marine Protected Area boasting some of the richest reefs in the world.

The entire resort was built with reclaimed hardwoods milled on site, and each villa and shared living space was designed to let ocean breezes waft in and afford views out to sea. Scattered around the property are various villas, some with steps leading directly down into the lagoon, verandas overlooking the beach, or private locales that are only accessed by water taxi or a steep but scenic path. All villas have air-con, mini-bars and Balinese-style open bathrooms.

You will probably find that the majority of guests here are avid divers, as this is one of the best places on earth to see a huge range of marine biodiversity. In fact, the resort has direct access to their House Reef just steps from the shore where you can see schools of horse-eyed jacks, anchovies and groupers, as well as the occasional black tip reef shark and pygmy seahorse. The resort can also arrange trips further out into their Protected Area and other amazing sites around Raja Ampat.

Misool Eco Resort is also a world leader in marine conservation, and your stay helps to support their environmental initiatives and the local community. Their Indonesian charity Misool Baseftin translates to ‘Misool we own it together’ in the local language, and their main goals are to protect this incredible ecosystem and empower locals to reclaim environmental stewardship of the waters and land.

Their projects include the Raja Ampat Shark and Manta Sanctuary, Reef Restoration Project, and Ranger Patrol Programme to name just a few. www.secret-retreats.com

venting oral pleasures in a villa

at home with suarga. above, dugong goodness by lucky 8.

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socially responsible and set in a gorgeous locale at padang padang, this is ......

AN extraordinary one-off, Suarga – set on cliff-tops overlooking Padang Padang’s world-class surf breaks – is arguably, one of the most committed environmentallyconscious resorts on the island, if not Indonesia. A labour of love, sweat and tears for a Belgian couple, with their inspired project stretching to near-on a decade – finally launching in 2015 – this boutique resort of 36 rooms, pavilions and villas was created to promote responsible tourism through social-environmental awareness whilst offering contemporary luxury.

Designed following sustainability principles, Suarga is constructed almost entirely from regenerated woods, bamboo and other sustainable materials.

Suarga, a certified FSC-applicant and awaiting certification, has been constructed in a variety of repurposed hard woods personally sourced across Indonesia’s archipelago, especially Kalimantan, Borneo – with quite a history.

Teak wood dismantled from Borneo’s Bank of Indonesia or an East Java’s colonial Dutch hospital, ends-up as shutters and details across the resort. Structural beams originate from 40-meter-long disused bridges and pontoons in Borneo’s jungles, while plank roads, groove-ridden from decades of vehicles, elegantly line the bathroom walls creating an understated chic effect.

Merbau bridge rafters were scooped out to give shape to double-lined with copper- vanity sinks and the villa floorings display a rare collection of hardwoods recuperated from colonial-built Javanese houses. Sumba stone, hand-picked by Sumba natives, finish-up in resort walls. All shipped over and assembled by local craftsmen.

These durable, downright costly materials are selected to endure as a living legacy, preserving the archipelago’s cultural heritage, “while still evolving with the modern.” The 1.5-hectare grounds have been kept as natural as they found them, with the resort partially built on stilts accommodating the sloping terrain while preserving the eco-system.

Constructed wetlands minimize water usage and no pesticides are used in these drought-hardy gardens. The resort applies renewable energy, in combination with low energy consumption technology: solar panels produce more than enough energy during daytime and many rooms feature a low energy, air-conditioned bed system whilst the wide teak shutters promote natural air circulation.

Diverse accommodations blend contemporary tropical architecture and

Balinese craftsmanship with modern comforts, starting with Muso Pentrooms, affordable, comfortable rooms for families and friends with an expansive semiopen bathroom and mezzanine level with extra bed, while rustic-inclined, stilted Ulin Pavilions, showcasing Ulin black wood in new guises, make the perfect couple’s hideaway.

Suarga’s fabulous private villas, standing on the cliff-edge front, provide masses of space. The two ironwood Wantilan Villas – connected via a wooden bridge with communal pool out front – exude Dutch colonial charm. Each house offers three individual suites, of which two Deluxe Ocean Suites with kitchenette on the upperfloor and four, ground-floor Ocean Suites. These can be booked together as an entire unit, or individually.

Three massive Jurang Villas comprise of a main pavilion with an upper and lower en-suite bedroom, plus a spacious open-air gazebo in gardens with sunken outdoor dining area and lounge beside the private pool. A whopping 750-square metres carved into the cliff’s natural contours, Bajau Villa is the Mother of family mansions, with a duo of two-storey buildings with three ensuite bedrooms, formal open-air gazebo for living-dining and sprawling terraces surrounding a vast private pool – similar to Jurang, a sublime spot for intimate weddings and celebrations.

Reinforcing “less is more,” accommodations are minimalist (no phones, TVs or sound systems), decorated with hand-picked objects showcasing indigenous craftsmanship like ornamental shell necklaces from Papua and Balinese batiks.

Much of the furniture is made in-house by local artisans.

All the action takes place at Suarga’s signature restaurant and lounge bar.

Dugong, a magnificent, semi-open bamboo structure topped with a vaulted roof constructed with a million-plus bamboo shingles and a centre stage, circular bar crafted from petrified woods. Dugong overlooks the infinity pool (a kid’s pool lies below) and beyond, a jaw-dropping vista stretching up to Canggu, best enjoyed from comfy wall seats edging the pool deck or rattan sofas in the lounge bar. The low carbon footprint mindset extends to Nordic-inspired cuisine infused with Balinese flavours, with most produce sourced within a 50- kilometre radius. The name Dugong is derived from “Sea Cow,” which you may spot in the waters below – along with the surfers. S.M www.suargapadangpadang.com

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Discover the secret soul of Bali Overlooking lush green rice paddies and the serene blue waters of Klungkung Beach, Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Bali is a true hidden gem - the perfect setting for a relaxing break, romantic escape or family holidays. Our spectacular beachfront resort features locally inspired rooms, suites and private pool villas with a modern design of Indonesian inspiration.

STAY 3 PAY 2 Included in this package: • Stay 3 nights in our Deluxe Room and pay for only 2 nights at IDR 4,999,999 nett per room.

• Free breakfast and daily cocktail for 2 persons.

• Free access to the fitness centre, sauna and swimming pools.

• Complimentary wi-fi.

Terms & Conditions: • All prices are inclusive of 21% service charge and government tax.

• Package valid for stays starting from 1st September 2016 to 30th November 2016.

• Package cannot be combined with any other promotion.

• Package offer is based on room availability.

• Package is subject to hotel cancellation policy.

BOOK NOW! Call us at +62 366 543 7988 or email to reservations@wyndhamjivvabali.com for your reservation.

Jl. Subak Lepang No. 16, Pantai Lepang, Klungkung - Bali, Indonesia 80752 t: +62 366 543 7988 f: +62 366 543 7977 e: info@wyndhamjivvabali.com wyndhamjivvabali.com | wyndhamhotelgroup.com

venting in a villa Own an exclusive golf villa on the edge of the Bali National Golf Resort in Nusa Dua – and join the A-list.

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Playing golf is wonderful enough to those who love the game. Owning a villa on a prestige golf course is a dream only a lucky few will ever achieve.

Bali National Golf Resort offers the chance to do just that, with a selection of incredible villas backed by excellent butler service waiting to be purchased by a lucky few.

But first the golf course – redesigned two years ago by golf architect Nelson & Haworth, the sleek fairways and greens have already been awarded Best Renovated Course Asia 2014 and the 3rd Best Renovated Course Worldwide 2015. These are no empty plaudits: the experience of teeing off on the superb grass over a 100-hectare private estate is sublime in the extreme.

The greens – as with the villas – sit in Bali’s prestigious Nusa Dua community, fast becoming the haven of serenity for which it was originally designed.

As Bali’s grows, and with it the development of more hotels, roads and businesses in the surrounding areas, so Nusa Dua has come into its own, offering a pristine retreat away from the hustle and bustle of the island’s traffic.

In all, there will be 40 Villas for sale including 7 two & three bedroom Villas already built from Phase 1.

Airy and elegant in natural wood, stone and marble, each Villa offers exquisite blend of Balinese influence and luxurious modern comfort. Residents enjoy fully equipped kitchens, spacious rooms with

soaring ceilings, a private pool, tropical garden and terrace. The perfect environment for entertaining or unwinding after a great day of golf.

With ownership comes privilege, of course. There’s membership to the Bali National and its facilities, including a great clubhouse with gourmet food and premium service. Ownership deals are structured in a way to offer flexibility too. Use the villa privately for your family’s enjoyment, or lease it out through the professional villa management team for a return on your investment.

Phase II will offer a more modest option in the form of one bedroom villas (there’s no compromise on services and facilities of course). Inspired by Balinese traditional design with a sense of royalty and culture, they will combine richer artistry and fine natural materials. All villas at BNGR come with a spectacular aspect onto the course and are surrounded by beautiful trees in a parkland setting, lush green grass, tranquil lakes and flowering natural trails.

There’s a two-bedroom option in Phase II as well, a sanctuary for those who seek the beautiful scenery and spectacular surroundings of Nusa Dua. Whichever you choose, you’re also allowed to feel charmed – and one of the extremely privileged few.

For pricing and further details please contact villasales@ balinational.com

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www.dhatrijewellery.com

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www.farahkhan.com

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www.religionclothing.com

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www.paulropp.com

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www.melium.com

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www.biasagroup.com & www.johnhardy.com

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www.bambooblonde.com

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www.shan-shan.info

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www.bythesea.co.id

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www.deuscustoms.com

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advertiser's directory 160

EVENT ORGANISER Pro Motion Events Tel: +62 361 287250 www.pro-motion-events.com Page 161

HEALTH, SPAS & SALONS Cocoon Medical Spa Tel: +62 8113882240/41 www.cocoonmedicalspa.com Page 89 Yak Map E.7 Kaiana Spa Tel: +62 361 730562/737067 www.kaianaspa.com Page 67 Yak Map V.11 Kayu Manis Tel: +62 361 705 777 www.kayumanis.com Page 67 Prana Spa Tel: +62 361 734757 www.pranaspabali.com Page 21 Yak Map.W.10 Soham Tel: +62 361 739090 www.sohamwellnesscenter.com Page 73 Yak Map R.5 Spoiled Tel: +62 361 8475141/+62 81999288555 www.spoiledhairdressers.com Page 8 Yak Directory Yak Map G.1

www.karmarclub.com Page 141 Menjangan Dynasty Resort Tel: +62 362 3355000/+62 82144022937 www.menjangandynasty.com Page 65 Sandat Glamping Tel: +62 361 8946388 www.glampingsandat.com Page 43 Samaya Ubud Tel: +62 361 973606 www.thesamayabali.com Page 29 Sofitel Hotel & Resort Tel: +62 361 8492888 www.sofitel.com Page 75 The Gangsa www.thegangsa.com Page 67 The One Legian Tel: +62 361 3001101 www.theonelegian.com Page 121 Yak Map.V.16 The Sanctoo Villa Tel: +62 361 4711222 www.thesanctoovilla.com Page 106 The Trans Hotel Tel: +62 361 8981234 www.transresortbali.com Page 115 Yak Map. V.7 HOTELS & VILLAS Villa Palma Alila Manggis Tel: +62 81236301330/+62 817347389 www.alilahotels.com www.villapalmacanggu.com Page 10-11 Page 159 Yak Map K.1 Alila Seminyak W Hotel www.alilahotels.com/seminyak Page 10-11 Yak Map. N.5 Tel: +62 361 4738106 www.wretreatbali.com Alila Ubud Page 48 Yak Map O.4 www.alilahotels.com Wyndham Tamansari Jivva Resort Page 10-11 Tel: +62 366 2889445437988 Alila Villas Uluwatu www.wyndhamjivvabali.com www.alilahotels.com www.wyndhamhotelgroup.com Page 10-11 Page 144 Yak Map G.11 Alila Villa Soori www.alilahotels.com MISCELLANEOUS Page 10-11 Alila Purnama Awarta Luxury Resort www.alilamoments.com/purnama www.awartaresorts.com Page 10-11 Page 6-7 Babayaga Tattoo Bali Handara Golf FB: babayagabali Tel: +62 361 288944 Instagram: babayaga_tattoo www.handaragolfresort.com Page 31

Yak Map N.1 Page 145 Bali Landscape Bali National Golf Resort Tel: +62 81805661227 Tel: +62 361 771791 www.balilandscapecompany.com www.balinational.com Page 6 Yak Directory Yak Map P.1 Page 54-55 IAA Fairmont www.iamanangel.org Tel: +62 361 3011888 Page 20

Yak Map N.8 www.fairmont.com/sanur-bali Page 57 Yak Map. G.11 Third Millennia Health Tel +62 361 737317 Karma Beach Gili Meno www.thirdmillenniahealth.com Tel: +62 370 630982

Page 4 Yak Directory Yak Map Z.1 Waterbom www.waterbom-bali.com Page 16 Yak Map C.12 Exotic Rides Bali Tel +62 81338555888/87773232276 www.exoticridesbali.com Page 111 Nusa Cana Tropical Island Rum www.nusacana.com Page 49

PROPERTY Elite Havens www.elitehavens.com Page 1 Yak Map P.8 Xp Properties www.xpbali.com.com Page BIC Yak Map W.7 RESTAURANTS & BARS Akua Bali Tel: +62 361 709071 www.akuabali.com Page 107 Yak Map.F.16 Balique Tel: +62 361 704945 www.balique-restaurant.com Page 25 El Kabron Tel: +62 85100803416 www.elkabron.com Page 41 Fat Gajah Tel: +62 85101688212 www.fatgajah.com Page 33 Yak Map.T.8 IlLido Tel: +62 361 731175 www.illidobali.com Page 42 Yak Map U.4 Jenja Tel: +62 8113988088/+62 81808770088 www.clubjenja.com Page 37 Yak Map W.14 Kaum www.kaum.com Page 59

Yak Map L.5 Ku De Ta Tel: +62 361 736969 www.kudeta.com Page 3

Yak Map N.8 Motel Mexicola Tel: +62 361 736688 www.motelmexicola.com Page 19

Yak Map N.6 Naughty Nuri’s Tel: +62 361 8476783 Page 123

Yak Map W.5 Queen’s Tandoor Tel: +62 361 732770/765988 www.bali.queenstandoor.com Page 161 Yak Map B.13/T.10 Republik45 Tel: +62 87888661945

www.republik45.com Page 77 Yak Map U.5 Shanghai Baby Tel: +62 361 4731262 www.shanghaibaby.asia Page 35 Yak Map O.5 The Bistrot Tel: +62 361 738308/7162325 www.bistrot-bali.com Page 23 Yak Map S.8 The Orchard Tel: +62 361 3003502 FB: theorchardbali Instagram: the_orchard_bali Page 27 Yak Map .13

SHOPS Bamboo Blonde www.bambooblonde.com Page 69 Yak Map S.8, U.11 Biasa www.biasagroup.com Page 4-5 Yak Map V.12

By The Sea www.bythesea.co.id Page 15 Yak Map T.8, V.9, V.12 Deus Ex Machina www.deuscustoms.com Page 8-9 Yak Map O.8 Dhatri Jewellery www.dhatrijewellery.com Page 13 Yak Map.G.11 Farah Khan www.farahkhan.com Page 2 Yak Map O.8 Kapal Laut www.kapal-laut.com Page 159 Yak Map T.14 Malamadre www.malamadremotorcyles.com Page 3 Yak Directory Yak Map O.1 M Resort Tel: +62 361 4741819 Page FIC Yak Map O.8 Paul Ropp Tel: +62 361 701202/735613/730212/730023 /974369 www.paulropp.com Page BC Yak Map T.8 Religion www.religionclothing.com Page 71 Yak Map S.8/T.7 Shan Shan Tel: +62 361 737160/704945/5512857 www.shan-shan.info Page 25 Yak Map U.9 Sunbrella www.sunbrella.com/yak Page 17 Warisan Furniture Tel: +62 361 730048/701081 www.warisan.com Page 39 Yak Map U.4

astroyak

moodofthemoment

By Dr Deepak | astro-deepak@usa.net | www.astronlp.com | Skype: drdeepakvidmar

When you see the news, do you sometimes think the world is full of violence, senseless conflict and war? There is a reason. The Cross of Incarnation is two degrees from a perfect 90, causing imbalance which causes friction. Out of this friction comes life. If everything was perfect and in balance, nothing would move and the definition of life is that it moves. Out of friction comes life. If you want peace and harmony, you will have to live in an empty void.

aries

The Uranus transit continues. Good fortune to Reinvent Yourself. Break your bonds, break your habits, break the rules and break free. The closer you are born to the middle of April, the stronger this energy is for you. This is when people quit their jobs, quit their relationships, dye their hair green, and say piss off. There is a sort of electric energy about you now that others with an adventurous streak find attractive. There is nothing shy about you now and you may have an exciting love story. More than one.

leo

Time to look at what you value most in life, to be aware of what is most important to you. If you are honest, the answer should be Yourself. You value yourself most in life and that is absolutely correct. Modern man has been degraded and emasculated in cunning ways to be a cog in the wheel, an automaton in a machine world acting like a machine to operate the machines. People get a false sense of power with these machines. Your power comes from the soul. Your power comes from letting your light shine.

sagittarius

taurus

It is a paradox in human endeavor that we go through such extraordinary efforts to find love and relationship and then finally finally when we do, we feel so threatened by the demands of intimacy that we put up all kinds of blocks and barriers to defend ourselves from it. The duality for Taurus now is that love comes, but Saturn transit 8th House does not open up to it. It is perfectly understandable. To open to Love is to die an Ego Death. You are not You anymore. You become a We.

virgo

This is not only a Happy Birthday, it is an Abundant Birthday also. So many energies in Virgo connected in both easy and not so easy ways with all the other planets pulsating together to make this a powerful moment for you. A beautiful dream you have is first blocked and then set free. A desire to travel to greener grass is blocked by a fence and then you find the way to open the gate. If beginnings are difficult at first, the greater the promise of success. Success is found in the difficulty, not the reward.

capricorn

gemini

libra

If there is any kind of problem in relationship now, it is because the other is holding back, sitting on their truth, and not being honest with themselves. And therefore they cannot be honest with you. They may be honorable, committed, true, dedicated, loyal, but not open or vulnerable. Intimacy and melting cannot happen. It is too easy to take each other for granted this way. You become like each other’s favorite pair of shoes. The challenge for you is to find a way to relate in which the Other knows without a doubt that they can Trust you forever.

cancer

Home is where the heart is, yes. Home is where you belong. Home is where the ones you love are. Home is where you are recognized and appreciated for who you are. Home is where you are protected from the storms around you and above your head. Home is eternal and forever. Finding Home and Being Home is where the juice is for you now. Not good to take it for granted. Look around and then bring your brothers and sisters and UK too to make it bigger and brighter and a place to Be.

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Every 12 years Mr. Good Guy of Abundance and Good Fortune goes around the wheel. Congratulations and Happy Birthday, you have just won the Cosmic Lottery.

When you are having a Jupiter transit, Lady Luck shines your way and you smile back. It comes in October and it last for a year. What happens then depends upon how much ego you can lose now. Isolation is a method. Kindness to others will help. Everyone around you is missing something that you have and when you share it with them, the ego goes with it.

scorpio At the beginning of this time period, money matters seem to predominate until you learn to put your spending on a schedule and a budget and to drop with this impulse buying. Your treatment of money is similar to how you treat yourself. If you cannot control your impulsive spending, then how you can control the other impulses in your life. Just the fact that you desire something, want something, lust for something is an issue you are born with to be worked out to achieve your life’s purpose and goal.

Sagittarius is a footloose and fancy free lighthearted energy with wanderlust and the desire to see how green the grass is on the other side of the fence. But not now. Not from January 2015 until January 2018. Saturn transit for 3 years. Saturn the heavy, slow-moving, do-your-duty, do-your-job, clean your room, stand in line serious looking taskmaster. Well, now you are having a Mars transit and you don’t want to stand in line or follow the speed limit. Prepare to get some tickets my friend.

Through isolation at certain times, you can learn self-reliance and spiritual discipline.

With Pluto transiting Capricorn and knocking out the foundation of any personal achievement you have made, you might be feeling a sense of pointlessness about it all. With Saturn transiting your 12th House of Retreat, it becomes difficult to define exactly what your ambitions are, what you are trying to achieve. It is in the nature of Capricorn to have ambitions, but now you learn they do not have to be attached to status or prestige. The more your unselfishness the better.

aquarius Stay in touch and answering your emails is a good idea for you now. You tend to do your own thing without letting others know where you go or why. They can feel abandoned by you or that you don’t care about them personally. This is only partly true. You are a self-centered personality, but this doesn’t mean you are selfish. You naturally use yourself as point-of-reference in this world. Others typically are more concerned about what others think and then mold themselves according to the thoughts of others. pisces Beloved Precious One, I am going to share a little secret with you. Come closer as I whisper it in your right ear. The secret is ……… the world is not perfect.

And this is how you learn to love everything around you without limit. You may be staring hopelessness in the face now and this is the time, the perfect time, to find Hope. Growing awareness now that no personal achievement gives any lasting meaning, but meaning is always there. In your true form, my love, you are like the shape shifting cloud clinging to the tallest peak of the tallest mountain.

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