36 tlm ! the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Winter 2010/11

Paradiseregained

Indonesia’s serene “Island of the Gods” has always evoked images of paradise.Its innocence brutally shattered by terrorist bombs, Bali has put thosetraumas behind it and is once again on a high, albeit more commercially, asJonathan Hart reports. We also focus on neighbouring Lombok island

off the beaten track ! bali

Winter 2010/11 tlm ! the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk 37

off the beaten track ! bali

If the soul has changed, pure magic remains inBali. Surrounded by whispering palms, a gentlebreeze carrying the faintest scent of frangipani,I’m sitting cross-legged on my own little patch ofearthly paradise, reflecting on the after effects ofterrorism in the fabled Island of the Gods.

As ever on cue, the clinking of bamboo chimes min-gling with the swish of a rushing river below are theonly sounds as I stare dreamily across an uninterruptedpanorama of sweeping rice terraces; my thoughts drift-ing randomly in the soporific heat.

Five years on from the last of two outrages, suchmusings are common among frequent visitors and expa-triate lotus eaters in or around the artists’ colony ofUbud where I’m fortunate to retain, still untouched andundeveloped, a rare and idyllic sliver of unused land.

Leased to me many years ago by a kindly villageelder, it is a place where, unlike the average visitor, Ican regularly retreat without noise or interruption to pri-vately ponder the deeper inner complexities and under-lying moods of an island traditionally driven by the spir-itual and metaphysical.

Once again a major tourist magnet, Bali’s remarkablerecovery is evident in no vacancy signs and anadmirable new selection of elaborate rural resort andvilla complexes, for which the island originally set theglobal benchmark in stylish, spacious and much-copiedtropical luxury.

Yet it’s hard not to argue that Bali might also be los-ing its soul to commercial necessity. The inevitable

heightened security apart, you’ll now also find here arash of could-be-anywhere tourist compounds, indiffer-ent service, permanent traffic jams and, in some parts, avisual and aesthetic mess compounded by woefullyuncontrolled, get-rich-quick construction.

This is particularly true in the already concrete heavysouth of the island where, for example, the once cheapand cheerful Kuta – Australia’s back yard equivalent toMagaluf – has spread its shoulder to shoulder tentaclesto create an amorphous and unsightly breeze blockmorass. Excellent for knockabout bars, shopping andsurfing but far removed from any cerebral notion of afar distant paradise.

traditional spiritMost Europeans paying a premium to travel from theother side of the world have anyway come to expectmore than the sun, sea and sand offerings that can befound nearer to home.

Like the lead character in the recent Julia Roberts’movie Eat, Pray, Love which was filmed here, manygravitate instead towards the central Ubud area on ajourney of soul searching and self-discovery; to balanceearthly delights with a spirituality that can be as illusoryas it is intoxicating in conjunction with transcendentallocal devotions to satisfying the good omens of the riceterrace-carved mountains while appeasing the demonsof the sea.

Formerly just a jumble of market stalls, cafes and artand craft shops mixing the eastern philosophical with

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! Beach at St Regis Bali Resort

! Tanah Lot temple

! Market stall

! Paddy fields near Ubud

the western esoteric, Ubud these days boasts sleek artgalleries, exotic spas, fancy restaurants and a growingshare of suffocating traffic.

Yet it remains the centre from which the, albeit fad-ing, traditional spirit and still amazing rural scenery ofBali are best absorbed or discovered.

Besides, as the late and eclectic local artistAntonio Blanco once told me: “Just close your eyesto the ugly or irritating, dear boy. The true essence

of Bali is found in the heart rather than the eye.”

exploringWherever you stay, you won’t have to travel far

to experience the powerful off-shoot Hinduism at theheart of Balinese life. Oblivious to tourists, ritual offer-

ings of flowers or fruit are made daily at up to 20,000temples across the island, from the smallest of familycompounds to largest places of worship.

Almost as frequent are the vividly-colourful proces-sions and cymbal-crashing dances accompanying festi-vals that can last for a week or more. Similar proces-sions accompany funerals, to which an invitation shouldbe prized.

Chances are that your car, van or tour bus will beheld up by one of these processions on the predominant-ly narrow roads that snake through the island in a spi-der-web of often-unfathomable directions.

This means that excursions can often take longerthan expected and, together with the humid climate, candemand patience and stamina. The choice of tours is

38 tlm ! the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Winter 2010/11

off the beaten track ! bali

lombok – bali’stranquil neighbourFor those who want a real escape, Lombokoffers tranquillity even neighbouring Balicannot match.

Its tourism industry is years behind thatof Bali and there are far fewer hotels. Mostare concentrated in Senggigi on the westerncoast and Kuta in the south. Beachbungalows offer budget accommodationalternatives.

Unlike Bali with its majority Hinduculture, Lombok’s population of 2.5 millionis 80% Muslim. And while hordes of mopeds,cars and commercial vehicles fill Bali's roads,Lombok’s are relatively empty away fromthe main towns.

The horse and buggy, or cidomo, is acommon form of transport which is used asa taxi as well as to transport produce. Forlonger journeys, motorised taxis – bemos –can be chartered for a day for just a fewpounds.

Tours take visitors to see traditionalvillages and buy local hand-crafted itemsincluding bamboo and pottery. Amongpopular tour destinations are the waterfallat Sindang Gila above the terraced paddy-field foothills of towering Mount Rinjani – apopular area for trekking, and involving anarduous walk down and back up steep steps– and the monkey forest in the hills behindSenggigi.

Outrigger canoes and sailing boats takevisitors for trips off the coast. Hotelsoperate day trips to the Gili islands ofTrawangan, Meno and Air off Lombok’snorth-west coast. There, cidomos are theonly form of transport and local hawkerssell souvenirs such as exquisite necklaces of

tiny farmed pearls. The islands boast

white sand beaches, while clear waters andcolourful reefs teeming with tropical fishmake them one of the best snorkelling anddiving sites in the region.

During my visit, I dived with a localoperator and was treated to an underwaternatural show which included five turtles,seven white-tipped reef sharks, huge shoalsof trevally and snappers, and a herd of

bumphead parrotfish which barged throughthe reef like rampaging football hooligans.

Above the water, Lombok has anuntouched natural beauty where you canstill find empty beaches. It does not have theculture Bali has, and its people have a moresimple way of life. But that is Lombok’scharm.

Peter Ellegard

Starwood Hotel & Resorts

! Gili Islands off Lombok

! Local transport

! ABalinesedancer

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formidable, the operators professional and the majorityof official guides informative and helpful.

Chief among tours are major temples, such as TanahLot and Uluwatu, and volcanoes, such as Mount Agungand Mount Batur, with a variety of options includinglocal market shopping and visits to artisan villages inbetween. From the south, day trips to Ubud frequentlyinclude visits to the silverwork centre of Celuk andwoodcarving centre of Mas.

hidden gemsHire a car – or motorbike – and travel east and northfor the ancient relief at Bedulu; the regency city ofGianyar, the peaceful east coast and exquisite,unspoiled scenery of Sidemen. See the fabric marketsof Klungkung or the tile factory at Sadus.

Go white-water rafting on the Sunda River or discov-er the vineyards on the north coast.

40 tlm ! the travel & leisure magazine www.tlm-magazine.co.uk Winter 2010/11

off the beaten track ! bali

Veteran travel journalistJonathan Hart first visit-ed the Far East in the earlySeventies and reckons hehas since spent more timein the region on assign-ment or holiday than hehas at home in London.

bali facts

10 things to do in bali" Play golf among the clouds – in cooler climes – at

Bali Handara Kosaido in the northern mountains." Canoe on the lake and cycle around the villages in

the shadows of Mount Batur." Go shopping for hand-crafted clothes, jewellery

and decor in the boutiques of Seminyak, Legianand Ubud.

" Splash out on a helicopter or private aircraft flightover majestic mountains and temples.

" Dine on freshly-caught fish, under the stars onJimbaran Beach.

" Combine jungle trekking with biking and rafting onthe Ayung River near Ubud.

" Stroll through the Butterfly Park at Tabanan andBotanical Gardens at Bedugul.

" Relax at a superb choice of spas offeringtraditional and cutting edge therapies.

" Ride the giant breakers at Uluwatu, forexperienced surfers only.

" Go yachting, diving or cruising from Benoa port –or go fly a kite from any beach.

when to goMay-September is usually dry with a breeze coolingaverage temperatures of 30° C.

getting thereFlights from the UK are indirect viaAmsterdam with Garuda Indonesia(www.garuda.com) and KLM(www.klm.com) or via Far East pointswith Singapore Airlines(www.singaporeair.com); MalaysiaAirlines (www.malaysiaairlines.com) andThai Airways International (www.thaiairways.com).Visitor visas, valid for 30 days, cost US$25 on entry at Ngurah RaiInternational Airport.

getting aroundCheapest, but inadvisable for all but experienced riders, are motorscooters. Cars or vans, with or without a driver, are available for hire atthe airport and in key centres. Inter-island buses link main areas and areinexpensive. Taxis, with optional sharing, are inexpensive for shortjourneys and offer fixed rates for inter-island links.

accommodationLuxury resorts, including Amanresorts (www.amanresorts.com),Four Seasons (www.fourseasons.com), Oberoi(www.oberoihotels.com), Ritz-Carlton (www.ritzcarlton.com),Bulgari (www.bulgarihotels.com) and the Westin Resort & Spa, WRetreat & Spa, Westin Resort Nusa Dua and St Regis Bali Resort – all

members of Starwood Hotels’ Luxury Collection(www.starwoodhotels.com/luxury) – are

among the finest in the world and priced tomatch.A good selection of boutique hotels andprivate villas supplements exceptionallyhigh standards. In contrast, mid and lower-category hotel accommodation is

unremarkable. Traditional guest houses, or“home stays”, are now few and far between.

tour operatorsCompanies tailor-making Bali holidays include Silverbird(www.silverbird.co.uk), Kuoni (www.kuoni.co.uk) and Hayes & Jarvis (www.hayesandjarvis.com).

tourist informationIndonesian Embassy: 38 Grosvenor Square, London W1K 2HW. Tel: 0207499 7661, www.indonesianembassy.org.uk.

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! Kite flying atNusa Dua beach

! Outrigger

! Pimms o'clock

! Sunset reflections, Lombok