Indonesia and Thailand's most comprehensive resort property magazine showcasing the largest range of luxury homes land for sale along with features on all things lifestyle and property related in the unsurpassed tropical climes of Southeast Asia.
Edition : April - June 2012
A small development of quality apartments in the south of Phuket island at an affordable price.
A prosperous and historic resort village on the southeast coast, Sanur was Bali’s original tourist enclave. The island’s first simple guest rooms were constructed here in the 1940s, heralding the age of modern tourism. Today Sanur remains a family destination both for expat residents and visitors, with many elegant properties and private estates available either for sale or for longterm / holiday rental. The village is characterised by shady lanes, vine-draped coral walls, sedate leafy compounds, majestic trees and a five-kilometre shoreline within a gentle reef-sheltered lagoon.
The ambience is mellow, restful and cosmopolitan. Here, foreign visitors rub shoulders with the locals, chic fashion shops are bordered by traditional markets, and a plethora of hidden temples can be found squeezed in between art galleries and highly touted restaurants. Sailing boats dot the horizon, and old men in conical hats linger on the stone jetties with their fishing rods while contemplating the aquatic aerobatics of the kitesurfers. A paved esplanade runs the length of the golden sand beach, recently saved from erosion by an impressive landscaping and conservation project that has also safeguarded the coral reef.
A few kilometres east of Sanur, Jl By Pass Ngurah Rai comes to an end. Until a few years ago, the only route to the east coast was via a congested, winding highway that passed directed through the centre of large towns such as Gianyar and Klungkung. The construction of the Sunrise Road, however, meant that the rugged black sand beaches and traditional fishing villages within the Gianyar Regency suddenly became accessible to the rest of the island. The bypass – financed by the World Bank to alleviate traffic problems – has opened up virgin beachfront land, which in turn has become a significant new area for the development of luxurious private villas. Land along this stretch was quick to triple in price, but it is still cheaper than other prime localities.
Bounded by the River Wos, terraced rice fields, tobacco plantations, papaya and banana groves, the area around Ketewel is blessed with spectacular views extending across the ocean towards the beaches of Sanur and Nusa Dua, the islands of Lembongan, Ceningan and Penida, and the mountains of East Bali. Ketewel village is the origin of the celebrated Legong Bededari Dance, and the neighbouring village of Sawa produced the finest Legong dancers on the island. The nearby beach of Pabean was once a small port through which oriental traders brought their products; at low tide you can still see the structure of the old harbour, and a Chinese cemetery is located close by. Balinese Hindu purification ceremonies are held beside the ocean at the sacred Pura Segara sea temple, and the offshore reef is renowned for its surf breaks.
From Ketewel it doesn’t take long to reach Padang Bai Harbour, the stepping off point for Lombok, and from here it is only 10 kilometres to Candidasa, which is a great base from which to explore the region. This beautiful, undeveloped area is set well away from the excesses of mainstream tourism within the Island’s eastern regency of Karangasem, where Mt Agung, Bali’s most sacred and mystical volcano, provides a dramatic backdrop to the scene. Candidasa is a quiet seaside village, which boasts a rich heritage close to many of Bali’s most important historical landmarks, ancient kingdoms and palaces. Stunning beachside villas include Villa Jukung, while two of the island’s most prestigious resorts, Alila Manggis and the world famous Amankila, are situated in the nearby village of Manggis.
