Hotel Tugu Bali, Indonesia

Place: Hotel Tugu Bali, Indonesia

Vibe: A dreamy escape.

Snooze: Rooms on stilts, outdoor tubs, daily floral turndown. 

Eat: Overindulge with traditional Balinese cuisine served by a very friendly staff.

Must Have: The best Nasi Goreng on the island

Must See: The Propreitor's Amazing Art Collection

A friend of mine from New York, Tammy Peters, introduced me to Hotel Tugu Bali after returning from one of her PR trips to Indonesia. She was befriended by the proprietors, Anhar Setjadibrata and his lovely wive, Wedya Julianti. Tammy couldn't stop talking about this place. I finally had the opportunity to visit Hotel Tugu Bali after I convinced my sister, Haj, to celebrate her wedding here. 

Hotel Tugu Bali has all the amenities you can expect from a luxury boutique hotel. But what separates Hotel Tugu Bali is Anhar's incredible collection of Balinese and Javanese art which serenades her guests at every turn. Hotel Tugu Bali is a museum first, a hotel second.

Photographs cannot do justice to this place. Wood columns, twenty feet high, support the alang-alang roof. The mythical Balinese Boma creature scares away evil spirits inside the main hut. Twenty six suites are nestled above the lotus ponds that grace the lush surroundings of the hotel. This is as close to heaven as you can get.