CLIFF-TOP CHARMS
The first Radisson Blu hotel in Indonesia continues to impress a year after its opening.
Perched dramatically on a cliff top on Bali’s scenic Bukit Peninsula, between two idyllic beaches, Radisson Blu Bali Uluwatu makes the most of its spectacular setting. It is also tantalizingly close to some of the biggest attractions on the island, as well as its best social hubs and most revered surf spots.
Contemporary guest quarters at this low-rise resort embrace Balinese style through the locally inspired artwork and architecture. Its 111 spacious, 58-squaremeter deluxe rooms all feature a private balcony, while 14 upstairs suites are each crowned with a rooftop terrace overlooking the pool or ocean.
Beyond their rooms, guests can luxuriate in a myriad of communal spaces: an outdoor pool surrounded by sun loungers and cabanas, the tranquil Spa ESC with seven private treatment rooms, along with a state-of-the-art fitness center, yoga room, and beauty salon.
The food here is also a highlight. All-day dining venue Artichoke doesn’t just offer Radisson Blu’s signature Super Breakfast spread packed with international favorites; the casual brasserie also hosts weekly themed buffets, on top of serving up an array of Indonesian and global dishes from its à la carte menu. Authentic Italian cuisine beckons at Filini, where patrons can opt for a table on the garden terrace adorned with a distinctive water-and-fire fountain.
Elsewhere on the grounds, the pool bar, Choka, provides a relaxed venue for tropical tipples and pizzas, sandwiches, or a light meal. And there’s no better place to watch Uluwatu’s famous sunsets than the Lookout, the sophisticated lounge just off the hotel lobby. Order a creative cocktail from its extensive drinks menu and take in the endless Indian Ocean views while nibbling on Asian-inspired tapas.
You can discover all this and spoil your significant other by booking a Romance package. Valid until December 10 for stays of at least two nights, the offer includes an upgrade to the next room category, a special in-room set-up with complimentary sparkling wine and strawberries, daily breakfast, plus one afternoon tea experience and a 60-minute Blu Massage, both for two.
Her name is Karia. Under billowing sails, she glides across the deep blue of the Aegean while the October sun bounces off her gleaming teak deck. Sitting on ecru cushions near the bow, our party of three tucks into a huge spread of grilled vegetables and seafood. Everything is so astoundingly fresh that the only seasoning required is a touch of sea salt. Midway through our meal, I begin to understand why chartering a gulet, or wooden sailing yacht, is such a popular pastime around Turkey’s southwest Aegean coast.
From the sea, the Bodrum Peninsula makes a fine sight: a rocky swath of sandy beaches and cypress trees punctuated by whitewashed villages and ancient olive groves. I’m not surprised to learn that it provided the setting for one of the original Seven Wonders of the World—the Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, a fourth-century B.C. tomb built for the Persian governor who ruled this corner of Asia Minor. Few traces remain today, though some of its stones and elaborate marble sculptures were reused in the 15th-century Castle of St. Peter (a.k.a. Bodrum Castle), which towers over the harbor.
Bodrum—the name refers to both the largest town and the peninsula as a whole—has been drawing the Istanbul elite ever since the writer Cevat Şakir Kabaağaçlı began publishing his stories in the mid20th century under the pen name “the Fisherman of Halicarnassus.” He wove together tales of the land and its people—of sponge divers and fishermen, their close relationship with nature, the remnants of civilizations that rose and fell on these shores.
As we pass the Greek island of Kos, Nezvat Kemer, the Karia’s cheerful chef, gestures wildly toward the horizon. “If you sail with us for a few days, we could visit Samos and Patmos and so many other beautiful islands.” Like our captain, Dursun Demir, he hails from the fishing village of Mazi, some 30 kilometers down the coast. Prospects of a better future in tourism beckoned them to Bodrum when they were young men, and now, in their fifties, both are clearly in good spirits. Bodrum, it seems, is back in the spotlight.
Things looked very different in 2016, when tourism dried up in the wake of political unrest. British Airways canceled direct flights between London and Bodrum, and Turkey-bound holidaymakers from around the world scrapped their summer plans. But that might as well be ancient history. Bodrum’s longstanding appeal is such that travelers cannot stay away for long.
Hüseyin Aydin, who owns the Karia and a local travel agency, says that luxury gulets are back in demand; international jet-setters see no problem dropping US$73,000 to charter a six-cabin vessel for a week. And the flurry of boat-building will only add to the throng of superyachts moored at the 620-berth Yalikavak Marina on the peninsula’s northwest. Meanwhile, five-star hotels have responded to the tourism boom with upgrades of their own.
One such example is Lux* Resorts & Residences Bodrum, which opened in 2017. Its general manager Hakan Oral tells me the resort has overhauled its wellness offerings after just one season. “We discovered a