Elite Traveler Fall 2024

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Umana Bali’s striking wedding chapel

Late last year, Umana Bali Resort — the fi rstLXR hotel in Southeast Asia — opened its doors. Or, more speci fi cally, it banged its welcome gong, as there are no actual doors in the serene yet slick welcome lobby, where a trickling water feature sits beneath a chandelier that mimics the movement of Balinese dancers. And the gong, which is struck when guests arrive, pays homage to the philosophy of the coconut in Bali (no building is to be taller than the coconut tree, as the ‘upper level’ is considered a sacred place). Guests are presented with a bracelet of three intertwining colors — red for creativity, black for reservation and white for afterlife — representing the circle of life that is woven into the Balinese culture. It’s this concentration of little details that make up the fabric of this resort — a sense of place is established immediately and is felt at every step. The resort’s location is pretty spectacular; it’s at the southernmost point on the island, on a cli ff top some 230 ft above Melasti Beach in Ungasan, and the sunsets here are hypnotic. (Note: Be sure to book either villa 218, 219 or 221, as they have the best views over the beach and out to sea.) The resort only has villas — starting at 4,340 sq ft, each one has an in fi nity pool and hot tub (the bedroom has fl oor-to ceiling windows and sliding doors so you can step directly into the pool from your bedroom), a spacious deck with lounge chairs, a daybed, alfresco dining space, an outdoor shower, plus a blossoming frangipani tree — the fl ower is used in Balinese o ff erings and is a cherished symbol of the island. Inside, there’s a large living area and dining space, guest bathroom, enormous master bathroom with a Island of the gods

deep soaking tub, his-and-hers vanities and a dressing area. But be warned, reader: If you leave any of the sliding doors open, you might be sharing your space with a monkey or

two. I learned this the hard way as a particularly cheeky monkey tried tomakeo ff with my bikini top, which resulted in a stando ff (Iwon). The largest villa is the Three-bedroom Umana Ocean View, set within its own 12,915-sq-ft estate. There’s an indoor dining room with space for eight, a marble-clad bar with an adjacent pool table, a huge tub, outdoor and indoor rain shower, and a living room with a piano. Outside, there’s an 82-ft in fi nity pool and two spaces for alfresco dining. Organize an in-villa BBQ with juicy chicken satay and succulent lamb as you watch a traditional Legong performance; the ancient dance tradition is seriously impressive as the dancers’ dynamic fi nger-bending moves and intense facial expressions leave audiences in a trance. It is all too easy to spend days lying in the hot sun, especially as villa service is a mere WhatsApp away; you can be chowing down on nasi goreng (Indonesian fried rice) within half an hour. But do pay a visit to Lohma Spa — there’s a sauna, steam room, hot-and cold plunge tubs and eight treatment rooms including a couple’s room. It would be almost criminal to not have a Balinese massage here; any knots will be undone and tense shoulders melted away. An in-villa massage can also be arranged; I had mine set up next

Below, from left Assembling canang sari (o ff ering to the gods); one of the villa’s in fi nitypools Opposite page, clockwise Umana Bali Resort is perched onacli ff overlooking Melasti Beach; the resort’s wine collection and tasting room; Tropical Garden Pool Villa

Photos Sutanto