Bali: Our Honeymoon: Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa
The Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and Spa was our home away from home for the first chapter of our Indonesian honeymoon.
After we landed, we were just so tried, we welcomed the relaxing mantra that this resort just oozed.
It took us a few days to recover and find our feet again, but it was perfect because it allowed us to chill and explore the hotel.
I am half Indonesian, half Korean, but very much Australian born. I look Asian, and I look like a local with my olive skin, so you could imagine the surprise when we meet Balinese people on our travels and they hear such a thick Aussie accent. I chuckle a little each time :P
Though, I surprised myself with how much of the Indonesian language I recalled while there. Apparently, when I was young, I was fluent in both Indonesian and Korean. I kick myself that I lost it. Surprised and happy, I was amazed at how intrinsically the words just flowed.
I never lived in Indonesia but as the daughter of two immigrants, elements of the culture get weaved in to your childhood. Food, clothing, homewares - they kind of pop up and you don’t realise the heritage until you recognise them in a different setting. Like the batik towels when we visited the spa, the bamboo placemats at the breakfast buffet, this round, cylindrical pillow (pictured below) which we called a “guleng” growing up as kids: memories emerged so quickly out of the dusty archives just by being present amongst such a rich setting.
This is how I knew the hotel was infused with authentic Balinese and Indonesian culture and not just something to lure tourists - I was able to recognise elements from my childhood in the details.
My recollection of the culture expanded as we explored the 9 hectares of the grounds.
It was clear that a conscious decision was made to make the culture the centre of this resort. The elaborate statues and carvings spotlight the heritage front and centre, where other resorts tend to modernise first and sprinkle elements of culture as an afterthought.
Getting lost in the nature as we explored the grounds, it was clear that the resort valued nature almost as much as the culture.
The serene koi pond during breakfast time, the birds comfortably perched on the arm chair beside us and the squirrels climbing the outdoor shower heads all showed us the intelligence of the design. It valued the nature. It was almost like the resort was borrowing space from the natural environment that was there before them, and not the other way around. It wasn't invading or taking over the space that the nature called the home. Whether or not this was the intention I'm not sure, but we welcomed the opportunity to dine with the neighbourly birds, squirrels and koi all the same.
As an inclusive space, we didn't feel that resort was exclusively for honeymooners either- as families were just as welcome. It was still very much private but we were so engrossed in the infused culture and in the nature, we didn't mind sharing this experience with other holidayers.
I was impressed with how culture was built to intrinsically into the resort. So, with this in mind, and the ways that families were welcomed, I have no hesitation in bringing my future family here sometime in the not-so-distant future to continue the cultural education :)
