text by Sara Prewitt & Ari Mustikawati
images by James Carys & Jan Dekker

Today, while much has changed, Sanur retains the charm that drew Donald Friend, and other great ex-pat artists to the area from the 1920s onwards. It is neither brash nor homegrown, it is genteel with the odd splash of eccentricity. Its founding families are expanding into the tourism business and keeping up with the trends in water sports and cuisine. It is a village in the true sense with sons and daughters from generations past watching their offspring prosper in the new markets yet keeping their feet firmly planted in the Balinese world of family and tradition.Sanur retains elements of magic: and its inhabitants have a reputation of being powerful people ruled by their Brahmana caste leaders. It has long been a centre of power on the island, and not just in terms of high caste landowners, it has its own reputation for mysticism and sorcery. Even in a place like Bali where magic is a daily occurrence, this genteel, peaceful village has a great deal going on.

Slipping away from the mad rush of traffic and into the quiet back streets of Sanur the first thing that is noticeably different from other tourist suburbs is the pavements and the leafy avenue style streets. There is much to stroll in Sanur, from the long stretch of boardwalk along the pleasant beachfront to the tree lined streets of Jalan Danau Poso and Jalan Danau Tamblingan. And with the extensive menus that prop up the doorways of a hundred little taverna style cafes offering everything from 'real pies' to 'roti segar' (fresh oven baked bread), the lively street scene of Sanur demands that walking, not motorbikes, is the preferred means of transport for day visitors and holidaymakers. Unlike almost everywhere else in Bali (Nusa Dua forgiven), Sanur has decent sidewalks that can be traversed without fear of snapping one's ankles. Even the hawker problems of other beach towns isn't too bad in Sanur, although be warned the sellers on the beach boardwalk can be persistent, but not aggressively so like their Legian counterparts.

I checked into the Puri Santrian (Puri Santrian Jalan Cemara 35, T: 0361 288 009) for an all too brief stay. My pleasant room overlooked one of the three swimming pools, the reception and lounge area shaded by tall palms and a strange tree whose fruit look like green plastic balls. Made, the Puri Santrian's assistant director of sales informed me they were a fruit called majah, bitter and unpleasant tasting but highly decorative. People in Sanur tell you all manner of things, they are friendly and like to live life moment to moment. There's no rush or whispered urgency, and while some may mistake this for inefficiency, or worse laziness, new arrivals are simply mistaken and have yet to succumb to the strolling rhythm of Sanur.

When it comes to water sports Sanur has it all. At mid to high tide the lagoon hosts all manner of sea faring escapades from diving, zooming over the surface on a banana boat, surfing a (sometimes) world class right hander reef to parasailing - a great way to get a bird's eye view of the Sanur world unfurling far below.
Most hotels will use local operators (often families from Sanur previously involved in fishing before the onset of tourism in the 1970s) because they have qualified staff, are insured and are of the belief that it's better to spread the benefits of tourism throughout the villages than keep it solely in the hotels. The Blue Oasis Beach Club (Sanur Beach Hotel Jalan Danau Tamblingan , T: 0361 288 011) is located within the Sanur Beach Hotel and offers all the high-speed on-water fun.

For diving visit Bali International Diving (Jalan Danau Poso, 26, T: 0361 270 759) who cater to everyone, including children, and even couples seeking an underwater wedding. Pygmy Bali Diving (Jl By Pass Ngurah Rai, T: 0361 778 320) can arrange unique dive trip packages around Sanur and the east coast whilst Crystal Dive (Jl Duyung #25, Semawang, T: 0361 286 737) have just launched their new dive boat patrolling some of Bali's more unchartered dive sites and specialist locations.

Sanur, undeniably, has a village atmosphere, and I wonder after a while if it isn't because everyone seems to be related to one another. It does appear that there are two or three very big families in Sanur. Take the owner of the Puri Santiran, he has four sons, each of whom has a significant stake in the family business from running the two hotels, the Griya Santrian being the second, and the restaurants, The Village and Mezzanine, as well as heading up the Sanur Village Foundation, and the Sanur Village Festival which takes place each year in August.
The recently opened Slavyanka Russian restaurant and bar (Jl By Pass Ngurah Rai, T: 0361 283 835) is a place of style, comfort and generosity. The warm welcome and helpful service is matched by the wonders of the menu and the intriguing touches of design that offer glimpses into old Moscow life. I took friends, one of whom had been to Russia, and he was delighted to find ingredients on offer that evoked his trip. We rhapsodised over the Kvas, a brew of bread and honey strained into a beer like drink, salivated over the salty herring and got greedy over the dish we least expected, a venison, cooked to perfection and served with cranberries. Sharp moments of dill and the subtle flavours of tartness created lightness in the substantial feast that would have prepared us for a walk home in the snow. Sour cherry blinis were served with a punchy aperitif of the chef's own creation, a mix of vodka and arak with fruit extracts. Slavyanka showcases much more of Russian cuisine that caviar and vodka, although there is plenty of both available on the menu.

The following morning I opted for cultural pursuits, and visited Museum Le Mayeur, located behind the Grand Bali Beach Hotel (T: 0361 286 201) In 1932, Le Mayeur arrived in Bali by sea, originally from Belgium, and an engineer by trade he gave up his work to become a painter and travelled all over the world until he met Ni Polok, a famous Balinese dancer, and used her as his life studies model.

Soon they became lovers and she was his only model. He built his house and studio that then became an extra tourist attraction for those discovering the island. During the thirties up until the fifties visitors would wander through the private home and studio observing the artist and his household engaged in their daily routines. In 1957, a year before his death it was declared a museum. Le Mayeur Museum stores 88 paintings on canvas, hardboard, plywood, paper, and 'bagor' cloth, usually seen as an agriculture bag for grains such as rice. His post-impressionist collection was made between the periods of 1920's to 1950's. During the 1920's to 1930's, most of his collection was made in Europe and Asia, when he started travelling to the South of France, Morocco, Tunisia, and other parts of the world.

On this day of dappled light, I jumped on one of Sanur's bemo buses and took a walk in the truly abundant Bali Hyatt Gardens before strolling back along the shopping street of Jalan Tamblingan. Past the Jenggala Ceramik warehouse, temptingly full of inexpensive homewares that can be shipped back home for you, past the neon froth of the Toya Shop, and the floaty styles of the Animale store into the freshest boutique on the strip: Ibisa. Ibisa has crisp stylish designs, high quality fabrics, sensible sizes and a staff who really know how to treat a customer. 'Ibisa' puts together a smart-casual range with matching bags, shoes and jewellery in different looks that suit women of all ages.

Jaunty with my purchases, a linen skirt, and matching sandals, I extend my stroll into some wide lanes of family compounds and pretty flowering gardens. After a light lunch, with the sun setting, it is time to head to the beach and a leisurely amble on the boardwalk from the Sanur Beach Hotel up towards the Bonsai Café for a cooling drink among the bonsais and happy staff. It's a great place from which to gaze at the horizon and the shadow of the Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel. The Inna Grand Bali Beach Hotel is Bali's only high-rise hotel, and will remain so, unless you count the Nikko Hotel that clings to the cliffside on the Nusa Dua side of Uluwatu. The Grand Bali Beach is infamous for its height. All of ten storeys, it was a gift of restitution from the Japanese to the Indonesian Government, as a mark of compensation, though personally I prefer their beach project that has reclaimed and stabilised the Sanur beachfront with new sand and piers since 2002.

The Grand Bali Beach Hotel has amassed a slew of rumours from the haunted room on the third floor. It was the room in which Soeharto had stayed and it remained completely untouched in the mysterious torching that almost destroyed it in 1993. Although the walls had buckled there was no other sign of damage.

Then there's the story about the gambling den, and the weird rituals. Delve into the 'history' of Sanur and you will find fragments of truth amidst the inflammatory and ludicrous that accompanies good gossip about the place.

As anyone will tell you the Balinese love a good yarn, and combine that with Sanur's reputation as a centre of magic of both persuasions, plenty of spine tinglers can be told in Sanur. Made Wijaya, esteemed contributor to this magazine, has told of the Black Barong of Sanur and his fabled spirit consort Ratu Ayu of Singgi. Her temple is tucked away in the grounds of the resort that curiously lies at the point on the beach where the black sand meets the white. Draw from this what you will…

Bali is full of secrets and nowhere more so than Sanur which faces the future with a modern attitude and yet behind the scenes pays pious homage to the sacred rituals and ancient rites that have bound Bali into a land that exists on more than the physical plane. The culture of the island believes in, and co-exists with the power of the spirits. It's part of Bali's mystique, and while we may never understand it, but we can accept it, respect, enjoy or dispute it and how our reaction is received by our hosts will only be known by them.

The shock of the Grand Bali Beach Hotel inspired the 'no higher than a palm tree rule' and the local priests and scholars took steps to establish village co-operatives to ensure that, but is this all about to change in the near future?

Talking to Sanur elders the answer is, "NO, Bali must retain its uniqueness, otherwise why come here?". But look around the recent developments creeping upward, and wonder aloud if greed and outside interests are not impacting on the interpretation of just how high a palm tree can grow.

At dusk I headed on back to Jalan Danau Tamblingan to The Village to meet my companion who had spent the afternoon at the Puri Belanjong viewing the stone that holds inscriptions in Sanskrit, dated AD 913, which record the story of King Sri Kasari Warmadewa who arrived in Bali to teach Buddhism around the time of the building of Borobodur in East Java.

Awarded hello bali's "Best Italian Award" in 2006, The Village does not disappoint. Creamy polenta, soft pillows of ravioli, shining in sage butter and the delicate meaty flavours of the Involtini were superb, and in addition the house wine is very palatable. With a creamy brulée for dessert we were more than satisfied. We promised the restaurants engaging manager that we would return on a Friday for the Jazz night very soon. Once again we were strolling the streets of Sanur as the evening closed about us, with bars shutting their doors around ten. Indoor entertainment venues, and the more up market restaurants, like The Village and Café Wayang on Jalan Huang Tuah open until later but Sanur is careful not to attract a 'fast' crowd and likes the benefits it gets from being seen as a family destination.

Sundays in Sanur get going at the Café Batujimbar, (Jalan Danau Tamblingan, T: 0361 287 374) with an open market on the forecourt selling 'All Things Nice Spice' company condiments, huge fresh slabs of bread, fresh vegetables and golden rice for breakfast. The café itself serves a fantastic breakfast menu with choices from the traditional Indonesian rice porridge to eggs with rye toast and smoked salmon. Tucking into our huge plates of scrambled eggs with spinach we thumbed through the Sunday papers to discover an exhibition of another great Sanur ex-pat, the departed Theo Meier. His displayed works from 1929 to 1982 are oils of his travels in Europe, Tahiti, Bali and Thailand, and although the exhibition is in Nusa Dua it was in Sanur that Theo had found his home, a place he described as simplicity, purity and nature.

Today, while much has changed, Sanur retains the charm that drew him, and other artists to the area. It is neither brash nor home-grown, it is genteel with the odd splash of eccentricity, it is families expanding into business and keeping up with the trends, it is a village in the true sense with sons and daughters from generations past watching their off spring prosper in the new markets yet keeping their feet firmly planted in the Balinese world of family and tradition.

Sanur retains its elements of magic; ruled by Brahmana caste leaders it has long been a centre of power in Bali, and not just in terms of high caste landowners. Sanur has a reputation for sorcery and even in a place like Bali where magic is a daily occurrence, this genteel, peaceful village has a great deal going on.