Bali, Oct 07: As more and more couples choose luxury getaways for their nuptials, Bali is still a big favourite. The aura is different the moment you touch down, it envelops you completely. It`s the balmy air, spiced and sweetened with clove, frangipani and incense. It`s the softness of the Balinese people and their playful zest for life. It`s the romance of clinking glasses by candlelight while dining under the stars.
Hotels and villas have for years competed fiercely to entice couples to entwine in their king-sized beds and infinity pools. A new player in town threatens to eclipse them all and take out the "most romantic resort" trophy.
The Chedi Club, hidden in the lush central hills around Ubud, is a holistic retreat, a dreamy place surrounded by rice fields and prayer flags. There is a yoga and meditation studio, private butler service and a superb spa.
Privacy is guaranteed – the whole complex lies within a private garden estate. There are intimate suites, pool villas (each with 10m pool and sundeck), and spa villas (each with treatment room, sauna and a cold plunge).
Spa fanatics can choose the Club`s special three, five or seven-day "rituals" that offer a wide range of daily treatments; anything from organic facials to chlorophyll wraps or warm-stone therapy. The grounds of the Chedi Club are the result of 20 years of meticulous design and care by the local owner, one of Indonesia`s prominent architects and interior designers.
The Australian couples who were among the first guests after it opened in July say it is simply awesome. After total relaxation at the Chedi Club, you and your partner might be in need of some energetic ways of expending all that accumulated liveliness. It`s time to check in to a private villa in Seminyak, which retains its serenity despite being in the thick of the action.
It is tucked down an alleyway off Jalan Legian, Bali`s shopping mecca, and a short walk from the bars and clubs of Jalan Dianapura. Villa Santai is one of the island`s smaller villas and sleeps one or two couples comfortably. Like many Balinese villas, Santai is within a walled compound with lush, grassy gardens. It comes complete with chef, housemaid and 24-hour security guards (outside). The pool is cool and deep – perfect for an evening plunge.
A taxi will get you to Bali`s most romantic restaurant – The Living Room, just north of Seminyak. The French owner-manager is a die-hard romantic and has worked to ensure the place is where marriage is proposed and rings passed over tables by candlelight. White drapes flow in the breeze, music fills the air, and the food – especially the seafood – is superb.
From there you can stroll to the ultra-groovy nightspot of Hu`u (pronounced "who") where things get saucy on Saturday nights with guests drinking lychee martinis and dancing in the terrace pool.
Romance can come at any cost in Bali. One of the most romantic day itineraries on the Island of the Gods is also one of the cheapest.
Rent a moped and cruise off to the sandy beaches of Nusa Dua. After lunch in one of the cafes near Benoa, retrace your ride through Jimbaran and north to Tanah Lot, the temple built on a rock. Tanah Lot is one of Bali`s famous sea temples that were built within sight of one another to act as a kind of religious defence chain. There are few sights as wondrous as watching the sun set into the ocean behind the temple`s parasol spires.
Bureau Report
