Bali’s latest hotspots for hip and happening travelers. By Evelyn Chen

Up until recently, Southern Bali was known mostly for its resort property enclaves of Nusa Dua and Jimbaran, its superb surf breaks and the holy cliff top temple of Uluwatu. But as the Southern coastline (also known as the Bukit Peninsula) heats up with numerous million-dollar super luxury resort developments—including Banyan Tree Ungasan, Raffles Amartha and Alila Uluwatu—the quiet, dusty and relatively less-travelled Bukit is emerging as the playground cum luxury vacation homes of the rich and famous.

Trendy Dining
Bumbu
Swiss chef Heinz von Holzen can be considered Bali’s adopted son, and a trip to the island is not complete without experiencing an authentic Balinese cuisine at his highly revered Bumbu Bali restaurant at Tanjung Benoa. For your virgin trip to this open-air eatery with thatched roofs, try the sate lilit (minced seafood sate) and the be celeng base manis (pork in sweet soy sauce). Alternatively, pick the nasi campur (rice served with assorted meats and vegetables) or the rijsttafel (an elaborate meal consisting of many side dishes) meal.
Jl. Pratama, Tanjung Benoa; +62-361-774-502; www.balifoods.com/bumbu

Di Mare
Di Mare is arguably Bali’s most desirable dining destination of the moment. Situated 150 meters above Ungasan’s rocky out drop, it is a semi-circular dining room built to resemble a yacht with a view that defies belief and top-notch Mediterranean cuisine to match. Standouts from Chef Raymond Saja’s well-crafted menu include the trio of Jimbaran bay prawns
(grilled, tempura and chilled) and pan-seared Alaskan scallops with strips of prosciutto resting on a bed of truffle and herb risotto. Do not miss the well-made tarragon panna cotta lounging in a pool of passion fruit perfumed jus; absolutely sublime.
Banjar Wijaya Kusuma, Ungasan; +62-361/848-2200; www.karmakandara.com

Il Ristorante
For refined Italian fare minus the stuffiness at the extreme south of Bali, there is Il Ristorante at the amazing Bulgari Resort. Situated on a U-shaped raised black teak platform overlooking frangipani trees and a reflection pond, the sultry Il Ristorante continues to draw in the affluent crowd long after the Bulgari hype simmered down. Disappointment is near impossible with Chef Diego Martinelli’s creations; try the flavour-packed cappuccino of pumpkin served in a teacup or the achingly tender pan seared tuna with grilled zucchini. Under the supervision of Martinelli, Il Ristorante appears to have come into its own and adopted an endearing personality in Bali’s food circuit.
Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kangin, Uluwatu; +62-361/847-1000;
www.bulgarihotels.com

Kafe Warisan
You pass a gallery retailing local artefacts before you step into the old world alfresco dining room of Kafe Warisan that overlooks an expansive rice paddy field near Seminyak. The moniker Kafe may seem a little displaced considering the restaurant serves up flawlessly executed classic French fare that far surpasses the churns of a bistro. But by September, all this many not matter when owner, Dou Dou, relocates his restaurant to a neighbouring unit and renames it Metis. Keep our fingers crossed that Dou Dou will keep his signature “must haves” on the new menu, including the grilled scallops with hot foie gras and roasted Alaskan black cod with white truffle mashed potatoes in a crab bisque emulsion. We assure you that it is worth the 45 minutes drive from the Bukit.
Jalan Raya Kerobokan 38; +62-361/731-175; www.kafewarisan.com

Kayuputi
Meaning white wood in Bahasa Indonesia, Kayuputi is a double-storey, all white, fine dining destination in the stunning St. Regis of Bali. For the perfect meal, check out Chef Oscar Perez’s contemporary cuisine that showcases his refined European cooking techniques and preference for fresh and Asian-based ingredients. We recommend the tuna tartar and lava stone grilled Australian Black Angus sirloin steak.
Kawasan Pariwisata, Nusa Dua; +62-361/847-8111; www.stregis.com/bali

Sarong Bali
When you are in Bali’s chic Seminyak district, you will have to check out Will Meyrick, a hunky chef who is rousing a buzz. If not for the sensuous and gothic dining room with sheer drapes and beaded lampshade chandeliers, come for the utterly authentic high Asian cuisine inspired by the street foods of India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Make no mistake, the cuisine is not fusion; think fork-tender tandoori lamb shank topped with chopped shallots, onions and chillies or crispy roti canai with butter chicken gravy. Even the Asian tapas menu hits a high with the expatriate community—we love the oysters with coriander, deep fried shallots and chilly lime dressing.
Jl. Petitenget 19 Kerobokan; +62-361/737-809; www.sarongbali.com

Hip Hotels
Bulgari Resort
The hype over Bulgari’s deliriously beautiful coastal resort at Uluwatu might have settled, but this medieval fortress-like 59 ocean-view villa with dark grey boulders continues to be a frequently talked-about resort in all of Bali. Designed by architects Antonio Citterio & Partners, each of the resort’s guestrooms feature an outdoor cabana with plunge pool,
a glass-encased bedroom and an equally spacious black Terazzo-clad bathroom with a sunken tub. The eight-treatment room spa stands out in the indigenous stone-clad resort as the only structure in the resort housed within an antique Joglo house from Java. Bulgari is the type of resort where you can spend the entire day flitting from plunge pool to outdoor shower to the sunken bath without leaving your villa.
Jalan Goa Lempeh, Banjar Dinas Kangin, Uluwatu; +62-361/847-1000; www.bulgarihotels.com

St. Regis Bali
Probably the slickest and most starry arrival in Nusa Dua in recent years, St. Regis Bali tips the luxury scale with 79 suites, 42 private villas and two residences in a setting that boasts well-manicured lawns and lush landscape by Bensley Studio. Pick from the selection of spacious villas; we love the 580-square meter one-bedroom Strand Villa for its colonial and dark wood interior, aromatic Laboratoire Remede toiletries and its direct access to the Nusa Dua beach. Foodies will not want to miss Asia’s most decadent breakfast experience at Boneka (note: Breakfast included in room rate); there are oysters, foie gras with egg cooked à la minute, sashimi and even tapas style creations served throughout the morning.
Kawasan Pariwisata, Nusa Dua; +62-361/847-8111;
www.stregis.com/bali

Shopping Spots
While the cobblestone laneways of Seminyak bristle with up market boutiques (checkout G&V Bali for unique antiques and St. Isidor for custom-made bed linens), the shopping options at the Southern tip of Bali is considerably limited to commercial offerings at the neighbouring Bali Collection in Nusa Dua. But why join the crowd at Seminyak or Nusa Dua if you can be one of those in-the-know pursuing niche shopping? Peruse and purchase refined stoneware, porcelain ceramics and tabletop accessories directly from Jenggala Ceramics (Jln Uluwatu II, Jimbaran; +62-361/703-3111; www.jenggala.com) at Jimbaran; they supply to most five-star hotels and resorts in Asia, including Banyan Tree. Alternatively, check out one of eight varieties of wines made in Bali using Balinese grapes by Hattan Wines (Komplex Dewa Ruci #3, Jl. By-pass Ngurah Rai; +62-361/768-418; www.hattanwines.com) at their 14.5-hectare vineyard at Singaraja. The good news is that wine tasting is available at their Kuta retail shop called Cellardoor.

How to get there: Singapore Airlines flies direct to Bali thrice daily for $510. As a cheaper alternative, Air Asia flies daily, direct to Bali for $296 return. Fares quoted here include tax and surcharges.
Currency: S$1 = Rp. 7,083