Indulging in a bygone era in an Ubud<\/p>\n
Dewi Anggraeni, Contributor, Melbourne<\/p>\n
It is not an exaggeration to say that for such a small island,
\nBali has an amazing capacity to cater to all kinds of holiday-
\nmakers, from backpackers to those seeking a more exclusive kind
\nof accommodation, who do not mind paying for what they really
\nwant.<\/p>\n
Generally speaking, when thinking of a more expensive
\naccommodation, we tend to think of a five-star hotel with an
\nexcellent international rating and some local flavor and
\nfriendliness thrown in.<\/p>\n
It is time, however, we modified this mind set. The era of
\nboutique hotels has dawned for some time in Bali. The attraction
\nof these hotels lies in their individual styles, in terms of
\nphysical appearance as well as more subtle ambience.<\/p>\n
And a boutique hotel, to do it justice, has to be experienced
\nand savored, not merely treated as a place to sleep, have a quick
\nbreakfast and shower, and leave your wet towels behind.<\/p>\n
Now imagine you are visiting Bali, and you have made an
\nimpromptu booking for Tugu Hotel, on the southwest coast of
\nCanggu.<\/p>\n
At the airport you will be met by a driver holding an ornate
\nplaque bearing the logo of the hotel and your name beneath it in
\ngold lettering. So far it is not much above your expectations. In
\nthe car you are served with a basket of fruit and drinking water,
\nand fragrant towels to wipe your hands on after the snack. The
\nhalf-hour drive from the airport is pleasant as you see open
\nspace as well as houses and human activities before you reach the
\nvillage of Canggu.<\/p>\n
When you arrive you may be struck by the understated
\nappearance of the establishment from outside, as there are no
\nsigns indicating that you are entering the driveway of an hotel.
\nThe only immediate tell-tale is the warm welcome you receive as
\nsoon as you step out of the vehicle.<\/p>\n
Then as you are ushered into the house -- for it looks, for
\nall intents and purposes, like a grand house -- along a dark and
\npolished wooden bridge, you are flanked by glass-fronted rooms
\nthrough which you can see furniture and artifacts from past
\ncenturies, not only attributable to various parts of Indonesia,
\nbut also representing the country's different cultures.<\/p>\n
At the end of that long entrance bridge, you come face to face
\nwith a vast ceremonial platform adorned with wooden carvings of
\nmythological giant guardians mounted on crossbeams, and you
\ncannot help looking up at the high peaked roof supported by
\nornate columns.<\/p>\n
You are actually in the Wantilan Agung, a replica of a grand
\nceremonial house which, when used in a real ceremony, would
\ncommand awe in everyone present. It has no rear walls, and if you
\nlook out, you will see a beautiful garden, and behind a discreet
\nbrick fence, the blue ocean.<\/p>\n
And if you then turn around, you will see in locked display
\ncabinets, a stunning collection of antique artifacts from all
\nover Indonesia. When you have taken in all the surrounding nooks
\nand coves, furnished with period furniture and pastel colored
\nscatter cushions on the floor, you will notice that the large
\nteak table on the left of the entrance is actually the reception
\ndesk.<\/p>\n
If you do not feel like sitting at the table facing the
\nreceptionist, because by this time you may actually feel you are
\nnot in a conventional hotel and do not want to behave like you
\nare in one, you can choose to sit at one of the settees
\nsurrounding the ceremonial platform, and your hosts will ask you
\nto choose your welcome drink, and bring all the paperwork to you
\nwith a smile. And only when you are ready will you be led to your
\nsuite, which is another realm of experience.<\/p>\n
You are immediately addressed by your name by the staff. Apart
\nfrom the fact that they are mostly young and alert, and have all
\ntheir faculties working to full capacity, they seem to have been
\nconditioned to regard all the guests as house guests. And with
\nonly 22 suites this may be more achievable than in say, a 150-
\nroom hotel.<\/p>\n
In fact, on the way to your suite, if you ask the staff member
\naccompanying you, the current occupancy rate of the hotel, you
\nwill be given the exact number with the breakdown in their
\ncountries of origin.<\/p>\n
Try the gardener the following morning; ask him how many
\nguests are expected that day or how many are leaving, you will
\nsimilarly receive a definite answer, presumably correct.<\/p>\n
Even if you have booked one of the least expensive suites,
\nRejang (upstairs with a private spa and massage area, and ocean
\nviews) or Dedari (downstairs with a private plunge pool), it is
\nstill a complete indulgence which makes you wonder what you have
\ndone to deserve it. Of course the trick is to suppress any sense
\nof guilt and release the deep, hidden suspicion that you are
\nactually a prince or a princess in the previous life, and are now
\nrelocating into your natural station, albeit only briefly.<\/p>\n
All the suites are self-contained living quarters, with
\nvarying degrees of sumptuousness and indulgence, surrounded by
\nclear and limpid lotus ponds inhabited by real fish. You could
\nsit on the veranda of your own suite just enjoying these
\nsurroundings all day if you are an immobile type, because you
\ncould ask for your breakfast, lunch, high tea, and dinner brought
\nto you.<\/p>\n
If you are a restless type who has to move around to feel
\nalive, you are free to flutter around the establishment, enjoying
\na massage and a spa at the \"Bale Nglamun dan Leha-leha\" (Hut for
\nDaydreaming and Relaxation), sitting in one of the banquet rooms,
\nhaving your breakfast at the seaside, your lunch sitting in lotus
\nposition or reclining like a Roman royal on one of the scatter
\ncushions, your dinner in one of the secluded rooms around the
\nedges of the Wantilan Agung, visiting the various rooms which
\nhouse priceless artifacts from throughout the region, or going
\nfor a jaunt to Kuta and Seminyak.<\/p>\n
By the time you have spent three days here, you will have your
\nsense of guilt massaged away. I have a suspicion that all the
\nstaff have been trained in psychology, because irrespective of
\ntime and the type of requests you may have, there is never a
\ntrace of obsequiousness in their reactions, as if what you want
\nthen is very normal; people often disguise their resentment with
\nobsequiousness.<\/p>\n
The good news in terms of costs is that the suites are
\nspacious enough to accommodate up to three people without them
\nhaving to bump into one another every hour, unless intended.
\nSplit two or three ways, you can afford to have an extended
\nindulgence, time permitting, without an early rude awakening of a
\ndepleted bank account.<\/p>\n
And where else to do this but in beautiful Bali?<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/indulging-in-a-bygone-era-in-an-ubud-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }