Zee Lifestyle’s March 2015 Travel Issue: Mandy Pepito at the Fort San Pedro (Photography by Dan Douglas Ong/Makeup by Eunice Enrera/Hair by Suzainne Smith/Dress by Jun Escario)
On the cover is Mandy Pepito. Having lived in San Francisco for years, the Filipina beauty talks about the pang of nostalgia she felt after coming home and revisiting one of the cultural destinations of her hometown–the iconic Fort San Pedro, which is slowly being restored to its former glory after the damages it sustained from the earthquake in October 2013.
With the summer season just around the corner, March is the perfect time for sweet escapes from the city life—and to plan them. Sam Benitez, Paolo Berdin, Paulina Ortega, Mia Arcenas, Kristina Monsanto and Michael Sanchez show us what’s in their travel bag.
When you’re all packed, revel in the adventures of newlywed Maan Ting in Japan, interior designer Erika Ong in Bali, makeup artist Divine Tayrus in Australia, Zee Lifestyle editor Shari Quimbo in California, and entrepreneur Michael Sanchez in Istanbul; and follow their footsteps—literally—with our guide on these destinations.
Of course, our very own Philippines also has a lot to offer. This month, Zee Lifestyle discovers the best of laid-back island living in the country. Cruise away on Tao Expedition’s beautiful paraw, the Balatik, or take refuge on the luxurious Huma Island, both in Palawan; catch the waves at the surfing capital of the Philippines, Siargao; or relax at the newest resort experience in Cebu, Kandaya.
Read more in Zee Lifestyle’s Travel issue, out this month. Grab your copies at National Bookstore and Fully Booked. For subscriptions, click here, or download the Magzter app on your device and search for ‘Zee Lifestyle.’
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A romantic dinner under the stars by a secluded pristine beach? Room scattered with rose petals? A traditional Balinese dance lesson? A breathtaking helicopter escape for an bird’s eye view of Bali? Your wish truly is their command with their Whatever/Whenever service. They’ll make your special moment magical, and transform your dreams into reality. Anything you need, you just ask.
The beach beckons beyond W’s signature sleek designs. 237 retreats, suites and villas – including 62 Wonderful Garden View Retreats, 14 Spectacular Ocean Glimpse Retreat, 76 Spectacular Ocean Facing Retreats, and for a serious wow-factor there are 4 Marvelous Suites, 1 WOW Suite and 1 Extreme WOW Suite. For more privacy, we have 65 Marvelous One Bedroom Pool Villa, 10 WOW Two Bedroom Pool Villa and 4 Extreme WOW Three Bedroom Pool Villa.
W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak’s list of accolades continues to grow. On September 28th The exclusive club of Business Traveller Asia-Pacific’s magazine announced at a dinner ceremony at Conrad Hotel Hong Kong, the reward of W Bali as Best Resort Hotel in Asia-Pacific.
The function, which also marked the publication’s 30th Anniversary, has become the premier annual event for the past 21 years that the travel and hospitality industry looks forward to. The top places reflect the highest praise bestowed by Business Traveller readers on service providers, who have maintained impeccable standards that help make their journeys seamless and productive. The Readers Poll, conducted and interpreted by Ipsos, forms the ultimate basis for the results.
W Retreat & Spa Bali-Seminyak opened on the 1st of March 2011, marking the debut of W Hotels Worldwide in Bali, Indonesia . Located in the pulse of the trendy enclave of Bali, the entry of W Retreat & Spa sets the tone of exuberance in Seminyak where designer boutiques, eclectic galleries, concept restaurants, chic cocktail bars and clubs predominate here. Owned by PT. Dua Cahaya Anugrah, W Retreat & Spa Bali-Seminyak will feature a total of 152 Wonderful and Spectacular Retreats, 4 Marvelous Suites, 1 WOW Suite, 1 Extreme WOW (E-WOW) Suite and 79 Villa Retreats (65 Fantastic One Bedroom Villa Retreat, 10 Marvelous Two Bedrooms Villa Retreat and WOW Three Bedrooms Villa Retreat), distinct concept restaurants such as Starfish Bloo and Fire, destination bars – WooBar and Ice, W Lounge, WET outdoor pool, a signature Away Spa that is open 24/7, SWEAT state-of-the-art fitness center, W The Store, and Wired and Words business center and library.
Designed by Poole Associates Private Limited and AB Concept, W Retreat & Spa Bali-Seminyak reflects inspirations of rich natural beauty, historical and cultural heritage of Bali, in synergy with playful twist of bold designs and textures that stimulate guests’ senses from every angle of the retreat. With the unique take of Balinese designs, each space is identifiable with playful touches and surprises.
Craig Seaward, the General Manager of W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak stated, “I am very proud and excited to see the property evolve and receive these recognitions at such an early stage of our inception. Our team works hard to create something unseen in Bali and the acknowledgement proves that all our efforts and hard work has and will continue to make W Bali a success.”
In addition to the many exclusive indulgences at W Retreat & Spa Bali-Seminyak, the retreat will offer a full-service WIRED business center available 24-hours, 350 square meters Great Room with unique Sensory® Set Up, and the brand’s signature Whatever/Whenever® concierge service, providing guests whatever they want – from discovery of Balinese customary ceremonies to VIP access to celebrated fashion showcases and parties – whenever they want it, as long as its legal! Retreats and suites, including one WOW suites and an Extreme WOW suite, will feature the W Hotels signature bed with feather-top mattress, 350 thread-count Egyptian cotton sheets and goose down comforter, creating the ultimate escape.
From the stylish architectural design, by Indonesia’s A.W. Lake, to the indulgent menu of signature services; AWAY Spa captures the playful, unique W experience, infusing it with Balinese elements to create an ‘escape within an escape’ for guests and visitors alike.
Since opening in March 2011, W Bali has also been awarded the following:
- Conde Nast Traveler – Hot List 2012
- #1 Trendiest Hotels In Indonesia & Top 25 Luxury Hotels In Indonesia, Tripadvisor Travelers’ Choice 2012
- Asia Spa Magazine – AWAY Spa – Best New Spa 2011,
- Top 25 Leisure Resorts & Top 25 Spa Resorts 2011 + 2012, Smart Travel Asia
- Best Guest Room – 31st Annual Gold Key Awards – Hong Kong 2011
- Best Design Trophy – Hotels Over 200 Rooms, Design-et-al International Hotel and Property Awards , June 2011
Craig Seaward, the General Manager of W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak stated, “I am very proud and excited to see the property evolve and receive these recognitions at such an early stage of our inception. Our team works hard to create something unseen in Bali and the acknowledgement proves that all our efforts and hard work has and will continue to make W Bali a success.”
- W Retreat & Spa Bali – Seminyak
- Jl Petitenget, Seminyak, Kerobokan Denpasar,
- Bali 80361, Indonesia
- T (62) (361) 4738 106
- whotels.bali@whotels.com
- reservations.wbali@whotels.com
- WHOTELS.COM/BALISEMINYAK
- FACEBOOK.COM/WRETREATBALI
- @WBALI
- text and photos by W RETREAT & SPA BALI – SEMINYAK
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.
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