Bali

A while back I mentioned that jeweler John Hardy had opened a eco-friendly hotel in Bali. But John and Cynthia Hardy are doing more for the area they love so much. They have created the Green School in Bali, Indonesia, a visionary new international school. The school, which is set to open in September, will have 80-100 students in the first year, teaching preschool and kindergarten through Year 8. The small classes will have a western-trained teacher, an Indonesian teacher and a teacher who is a recent college graduate participating in their New Teacher training program. The idea behind the school is to create a new model for 21st century learning with low student to teacher ratios, collaborative education, and a focus, not just on the fundamental basics but on the environment in Bali. The goal of the school is to empower children with information on all aspects of the world and how to make it a better place including information on everything from organic gardening to website design. The school is also being built of eco-friendly bamboo.

The school, which has a 20-acre campus, will also include the Learning Village, which is where handicrafts and various small enterprises, including an organic chocolate factory will provide entrepreneurial earning components for the students. The Learning Village is scheduled to be up and running next year.

The school is looking for help with scholarships,as well as help with the development of exchange programs with schools around the world. The school is also offering three-month internships to anyone who wants to help develop this unique place.

[via Fair Jewelry]

Photo courtesy of teNeues; cover image courtesy Tugu Hotels & Exotic Spas

We've written before about German publisher teNeues's amazing Luxury series; you should know that their Cool series is equally impressive. The latest title in the line, Cool Restaurants: Top of the World, features over 100 incredible eateries scattered around the globe. teNeues selects only the best of the best for their "Top of the World" titles, such as Bale Sutra, the restaurant located in a majestic 300-year-old Kang Xi period temple at the exotic Hotel Tugu in Bali, pictured here on the cover. While New York City has the highest concentration of cool restaurants in any urban locale, and the U.S.A. the most for a single country, Europe has many more continent-wise. Dubai is putting itself on the culinary design map as well, with an admirable showing of four restaurants included in the book - as many as the UK. See the gallery for a tour of some standouts.

The latest exotic Anantara resort has opened. The Anantara Resort Seminyak is located on the beautiful island of Bali in the Indian Ocean. The resort has 59 large suites with Balinese-inspired decor, floor-to-ceiling glass doors and windows. Enjoy the ocean views from terrazzo hydro tubs from your own private balcony. Other features include dark Indonesian wooden floors, oversized built-in beds covered with 300 thread-count linen, a double-sized Hansgrohe 'rainmaker' shower, BOSE DVD player, a surround-sound system, 42 inch LCD TV, 80GB iPod with docking station, Wi-Fi internet and espresso machine.

The Anantara Penthouse suite has two bedrooms, a lounge, library, kitchen, bar and dining area in an open-plan style. Outdoors, it features a concept pool with glass roof, spacious sundeck with Weber BBQ area, loungers, daybeds and a Jacuzzi. This lavish suite comes with the service of a butler who can arrange spa treatments, private yoga and meditation sessions and prepare sunset cocktails prior to a
lobster BBQ on the private deck.

The resort includes several entertainment and dining destinations: Sunset On Six (SOS) is the rooftop bar and the resort's bistro-style café next to the infinity-edge pool, PAON, is where to head for afternoon tea or a light lunch. The signature Thai restaurant, Wild Orchid, also showcases a line of customized tableware that was specially created, inspired by materials like local Balinese stoneware and Japanese bone china. In the rooftop Wine Room, wine tastings are hosted by a resident Wine Guru. There are three pools overlooking the Indian ocean and the resort has its own Surf school and a spa.

The resort just opened last month and is offering an open special through June 30 of this year with rates starting at $270.

Bali-based jeweler John Hardy may have recently sold his popular jewelry line but that doesn't mean he's just going to give up the cause of showing people the wonders of Bali. He has opened a small hotel Bambu Indah ("beautiful bamboo") which has just four guest cottages: Afrika, Padi, Kuning and Kuno. Each one is different and is made of teak timbers. The cottages also have air-conditioning and are furnished with antiques and luxury accessories designed and collected by John Hardy. The houses are located in fields of heritage Bali rice and are shaded by fruit trees and coconut palms. The rustic retreat also has a swimming pool lined with stones. There is a small restaurant that serves home-cooked meals that feature the organic food raised on the property. Other houses on the property offer a place to do yoga or get a massage. The resort's intimate setting and lack of big-hotel amenities takes a special type of guest. According to W Magazine's September issue, the hotel which opened this month, will have a screening process in place to help make sure that the guests who come to the hotel are ready for this particular experience.

Master silversmith John Hardy must be inspired by the beautiful surroundings of his design studio in Bali. There, his jewelry designs are made reality by expert craftsmen, many of them descendants of the artisans who made jewelry for the royal courts of Bali. This striking bracelet is made from 22k yellow gold, hammered and curved into an elegant cuff. Using ancient Balinese techniques, sterling silver is hand-carved into a chain pattern, trimming the edges of the cuff. It's a beautiful take on a classic design that goes with everything and never goes out of style. $1995.

June's House and Garden magazine profiles the lifestyle of Andrianna Shamaris, a peripatetic furniture designer who creates innovative and freewheeling designs that she sources from Bali and brings to her stores in New York and Malibu. Her stores feature furniture, gifts, accessories and cotton resort wear. Her beautiful teak and resin peaces are made by crushing solid resin tin pieces, fitting them into the crevices in the wood and then covering it in epoxy. The teak and resin bench shown here sells for $3,600.

Luxe City Guides are not your ordinary travel books. In fact, they aren't books at all. They are are beautiful, sleek, accordion-style guides that are small enough to fit in your pocket. These travel and style guides point the discerning traveler to only the best of the best in Asian, European and Australian cities.

From Bali to Tokyo, the guides are packed with personally researched information from city-insiders who know their way around the fashion, food and entertainment scenes. Luxe takes things a step further by including information on services, shops and secrets that you might never find on your own. With Luxe, you are a visitor, not a tourist.

Whether you are looking for the best martini in Istanbul, want to design your own handbags in Hanoi or desire a quiet moment in a secret garden in the heart of Bangkok, Luxe will take you there in style.

The guides are written in an opinionated and irreverent style and are beautiful to look at. With no paid advertising, the Luxe City Guides are updated twice each year with regular online updates.

Buy the guides individually for $9 each, or get a customized boxed set of twelve for $108.

Bulgari Hotels have opened their second boutique hotel, a 59-villa property in Bali. This resort is located near the village of Pecatu a full 40 minutes from Kuta, the more touristy part of Bali. The resort sits on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean and has a long beach is accessible only through the resort's inclined elevator. The resort is designed to reflect a luxury interpretation of the traditional Balinese design. The most luxury place to stay is the 1,300-sq.meter (nearly 14,000 square foot) Bulgari Villa. All rooms offer a plunge pool and patio with secluded tropical garden.

The resort also includes two restaurants, an all-day dining option with Balinese food and an Italian restaurant that is open for dinner only. There is also a bar located at the cliff's edge and an oceanfront spa with a swimming pool, yoga pavilion, hot and cold plunge pools and two private spa suites.

Another luxury getaway has opened in Bali. The Elysian is a member of the design hotel group and is a 26 villa hotel. Each vill has its own pool and an open floorplan. Each villa also has broadband internet connection, 40 channel cable television, DVD/VCD/CD player and a preloaded ipod Nano on request & Bose sound dock. The main pool has a Balinese temple and cabanas draped with traditional cloth. There is a clubhouse that includes the Rush-Bamboo poolside cafe and bar, a gym, a library and a spa. The hotel is located in Seminyak and there is a drop-off service that takes you to the beach which is a few minutes away. The villas are each privately owned and there are resale units available. Rates start at $195 per night.