The Balinese are practicing Hindus that believe in karma and accept their lives and situation as is. Hence, there is no animosity towards outsiders who may have more than they do. This leads to a harmony and co-existence between the resort and the village that is a wonderful reflection of Bali and its people – in fact, a situation that cannot be found in many other parts of the world.
from Amandari’s Welcome Folder

Bali is a hot destination. Has been for years, and that reputation was once more reinforced by Elizabeth George’s book and movie,” Eat, Pray, Love.” It is home to several five-star hotels and resorts – three Amans, two Four Seasons, a W hotel soon to open; the names go on. Bali is the destination of choice for sybaritic travelers as well as backpackers, and tops the must-visit islands list.

We came to Bali not for its beaches. Coming from Cebu where we have sugar-fine white sand, the black coastlines of Kuta and Seminyak are not much of a comparison. We were there instead to discover what makes it different. Despite decades of being in the limelight, its claim of “not being ruined” still runs true and this was clear the moment we rounded the city center. Even with foreign influences, the spirit of Bali is strong, its culture and Hindu religion too imbued for it to lose its identity.

To fully appreciate its customs and traditions, we chose the town of Ubud, located in the center of Bali. Perhaps because of its royal history, which in contemporary times is more religious in role than political, there are several palaces around. The royal houses were the catalyst to local arts and crafts, producing carvers, musicians and dancers; even the massage parlors proliferate on the island. And temples. Each family worth their salt has a shrine in the front courtyard, in addition to the abundance of the bigger village temples. This rich visual display of intricate stone and wood edifices, carved Garuda statues, ornamental effigies wrapped in checkered black and white cloth (for balance) laid with small banana leaf baskets filled with frangipani petals as prayer offerings, is perhaps the single defining image of Bali, earning it the name, “Island of the Gods.”

Ubud is a bohemian community – filled with artists, free spirits and those looking for enlightenment. In this community are hilltop villas and luxury hotels all discreetly tucked away. Amandari is one of them. Its entrance is inconspicuous, blending easily with its surroundings so that it was easy to imagine David and Victoria Beckham just popping out and crossing the narrow village street for a stroll, which is exactly what they did in one of their recent visits.

Amandari opened its doors in 1989 and immediately set the luxe bar higher in this remote area. Its horizontal layout was quite a novelty at an era of tall vertical structures. Noted Australian architect Peter Muller designed it as a Balinese village, with highly defined spaces for public and private use. He elaborates, “Each family retains its own privacy with a wall to defend the house. This is not so much a fortress idea as a simple method of retaining individuality in a community which demands many communal rituals.”

An Aman-stay is designed to be seamless – you are whisked off to the VIP line in the airport immigration and there are cold towels and Indonesian beers during the drive to the resort. A welcome delegation of ever-smiling guest relations staff is always on hand, greeting arrivals with a respectful Ibu for madam, and Bapak for the gentlemen.  But most welcome of all was the availability of a car service to drop off and pick up guests to the town center and its vicinity; it was like having a personal chauffeur at your beck and call.

Amandari offers a whole page of cultural activities. There are cooking lessons, river rafting, even a visit to the local medicine man for those who want to channel Julia Roberts. We signed up for a guided trek along the Ayung Valley. The two-hour walk starts early in the day, past rice paddies and the roar of the Ayung River. What a lot of people tend to forget is that Indonesia was once part of the Dutch East India Company’s vast Asian network during the last century. In Ubud, there remains a semblance of their influence and this can be seen in the dikes that meander thru the narrow gorges on their way to vegetating the plantations. Just outside Amandari’s complex, we passed John Hardy’s original house. The Canadian-born Mr. Hardy is one of the island’s most famous residents, setting his jewelry design shop here long before anybody else. He has since moved on to another location and to other projects.

Our guide, Dharma, has been taking guests through these walks. He pointed out to us the locales’ deep respect for nature. In the same breath, he mentioned the American President who walked the same path. “He told me to call him Mr. Peanut,” said Dharma, referring to Jimmy Carter, the peanut farmer from Georgia who visited Bali during the Indonesian elections of 2008. In true Aman way, the trek ended in a specially constructed Bale at the other side of the valley overlooking a spectacular view of the river and the mountains around it. There, a butler waited with starched napkins and carafes of fresh coffee and orange juice. After that, a car waited to drive us back to the resort, but not before stopping by Bongkasa village where we saw the oldest banyan tree on the island, spanning several man-widths.

Food is a major feature as well in this part of the world, harking back to its monarchical society and festival feasts. The more traditional dishes are nasi goreng, gado-gado and satay. They also have their own version of lechon or roasted pig called babi guling. We went to a local favorite, Bu Oka, upon the recommendation of the concierge, and found ourselves sitting on the floor with a serving of crispy skin and a slab of roasted meat and rice that was deliciously full of spices.

Ubud’s main artery is lined with swanky restaurants sitting side by side with tiny cafes and art galleries full of local charms. Peeking in between this is normal village life – sari-sari stores, rice paddies, vegetable patches and the ubiquitous family shrines. Ubud has obviously grown in the last years, but not once has it lost its beat of authenticity.