Home to one of Indonesia’s six presidential palaces, the Balinese town of Tampaksiring now boasts another set of palatial lodgings at Hoshinoya Bali, the first property outside Japan by Hoshino Resorts. Here, the overall aesthetic is decidedly traditional, from the alang-alang roofs atop the private pavilions to the exuberantly carved furnishings and natural scenes on the walls of its 30 villas. All are arranged around three canal-like swimming pools—a nod to the island’s subak irrigation system and the sacred waters of the nearby Pakerisan River. But the most exciting development is found in the kitchen, where fresh Balinese ingredients are given the Japanese treatment, putting an unexpected spin on multi-course kaiseki meals.
This article originally appeared in the February/March 2017 print issue of DestinAsian magazine (“Going with the Flow”).