Bali is getting harder to love. The island strains under traffic jams, unchecked construction, and beaches that once sparkled but now too often glitter with plastic. And yet, beneath the chaos, there are still enclaves where the soul of Bali can be felt as powerfully as ever.
In Seminyak, I revisited The Legian and The Club by The Legian to see whether their once-celebrated style still resonates. From there I went west to Soori Bali, rising from black volcanic sands with an uncompromising architectural vision. Inland, the contrasts sharpened: Capella Ubud delivers the full Bensley spectacle — theatrical, eccentric, designed to provoke — while Hoshinoya Bali offers a quieter experiment blending Japanese discipline with Balinese tradition.
Bali is getting harder to love. The island strains under traffic jams, unchecked construction, and beaches that once sparkled but now too often glitter with plastic. And yet, beneath the chaos, there are still enclaves where the soul of Bali can be felt as powerfully as ever . . .
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