What It’s Like to Stay at The Apurva Kempinski Bali, Where Majesty Meets the Divine

Resisting the temptation to rewrite Eat, Pray, Love—all of which you can do entirely within the confines of the property—we wholeheartedly approve of this Nusa Dua resort.

The Apurva Kempinski Bali officially opened early February 2019 in the Nusa Dua area of Bali, Indonesia, after about five years of construction and a rumoured price tag of many, many zeroes, but then… a global bug in the air thwarted even the best-laid plans. 

Incredibly, the resort remained open during the pandemic pause to life, and brought about a borne-of-necessity restructure in unprecedented times. All international tourism and flights were on hiatus, and the hotel encouraged native tourists (once a contradiction of terms) who were also bereft of travel to find the joy of within. Through staycations, world-class facilities, and dining options from around the globe with the finest motley crew of international chefs creating authentic meals, an esoteric oasis was carved out in the cliffside area.

Retaining staff and working with local communities and artisans, the polish and patina of the hotel—its name, Apurva, derived from sacred Sanskrit for “unique and magnificent”—is like no other, and that’s high praise, considering the innumerable properties studded around the archipelago and the neighbouring area. As the sleeping giant of global tourism was gently nudged awake, a steady trickle of international visitors came in, with the top five overseas markets stemming from China, Australia, South Korea, the US, and the Middle East. 

And then came the stop-the-press media blitzkrieg: the G20. Last year, as the selected venue for G20, The Apurva Kempinski Bali was closed for all other guests again as stringent security measures were followed to meet international presidential protocols and regulations. The G20 summit went off without egregious incident, the hotel maintained its pristine authority, and word of the majestic property was spread to the world—well-deservedly. It’s just… divine. 

Read the full feature and review at Robb Report Hong Kong. 

Words and images by me: P.Ramakrishnan 

Mazu Resortwear: Hong Kong menswear brand

Mazu Resortwear 

Let’s hear it for a home-grown menswear brand. Eurasian designer Adam Raby’s Mazu is a local favourite, incorporating Hong Kong iconography, prints, and city- and sea-inspired features from our humble shores. The Lei Yue Mun at Sunset swim shorts are great for a dip, but to strut around with a glass of Dom Pérignon, the Hapa Shorts in midnight navy with red piping can transport you from the seas to the city with equal ease. The little Hong Kong junk logo on the button is a cute signature touch.

More at Robb Report Hong Kong.

Photography: Ruby Law 

Model: David Oshry at Model International

Jing talk

Supporting my luv Jing Zhang at one of her talks at Upper House. We've been friends for so long, I can't remember a time when... she wasn't yelling at me for taking bad pics. 

Through Kee magazine, WestEast, SCMP and now Jing Daily } if ever she was meant to take over a gig as Editor in Chief. For the record Jing Daily was launched long before she joined the site and elevated it with her erudite observations and emprical analysis. 

TBT: Outtakes from a shoot: Jewellery designer Payal Shah from the brand L' Dezen

 Outtakes from a shoot: Jewellery designer Payal Shah from the brand L' Dezen 

 From a feature shoot for a jewellery magazine. 

TBT: Behind the Scenes of a Magazine Cover Shoot

 

TBT: Behind the Scenes of a Magazine Cover Shoot. 

Working with Feiping is always a pleasure; she's on time, she's very good to the team, she's involved and creative, puts her own stamp in all her shoots - and she gives a shout out to the crew when they do a great job. 

Follow her on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xoxofei/

As incredible as her images are, her gorgeous twin girls-the best dressed kids in the world-are taking over. 

Outtakes from a photo shoot: Kayla Lau: Hong Kong's Top Fitness Influencer: Mother! Wife! Babe! with Baby!

 Photographer: Natalie Dunn @natdunn_photography

 Hair and makeup: Karen Yiu @karenpaint

 Wardrobe: Metanoia @metanoia.thelabel

 Accessories: AS29 Jewellery @as29finejewellery

 Model: Kayla Lau-Wong @kayla.lau

One of my favourite shoots  - with my dream team all listed above. Kayla is possibly fitter now than she was then. 

Feadship makes only Four Super Yachts a Year For Billionaires. Billionaires like Jack Ma

A super yacht swanned into the hands of Chinese Billionaire Jack Ma earlier this year, as he sailed the seven seas on the lap of luxury.  

Dutch manufacturer Feadship is a renowned brand known to… well, mostly billionaires. Their exquisite and exclusive designs are snatched up by the 1 percent who set forth on opulent vacations like no other, on azure seas, in rarefied air. They put the ‘super’ in superyachts, an acronym for First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders, Feadship’s original mission was to market superyachts to buyers of extreme discerning taste. 

Buyers such as Apple founder Steve Jobs, publisher Malcom Forbes, and IndyCar team owner Roger Penske who went on to commission two Feadships, a 46m named Excellence, and then in 2020, a 73m giant called Podium.  

However, no matter what their reach, power and level of influence, even they have to patiently wait for the designer yacht-makers to deliver one of the only four super yachts Feadship makes each year.  

Even notable names, such as Chinese billionaire Jack Ma (co-founder and former executive chairman of Alibaba Group) had to wait four years after commissioning his HK$1.6 billion super yacht before he set foot on it. 

With a handful of close associates, friends, business partners and tycoons, Ma has been known to mix business and pleasure, work and vacation on board the boat he named Zen. The few VIPs who have ventured on board the new yacht have been seen coasting along the isles of Ibiza, as the billionaire set sail on sea-bound holidays across the European coastline. 

Here’s what we know of the superyacht; the 290-foot-long Zen can carry up to 16 passengers. Built in the Netherlands, Zen has five decks with a vertical bow and operates with an able crew of 25. Over 2,500 tonnes, with a maximum sailing speed of 17 nautical miles per hour, the exterior design and naval architecture was created by De Voogt Naval Architects and the plush interior was the work of Nauta Yachts and FM Architettura. She is built with a Teak deck, a Steel hull, and Aluminum superstructure. 

For something of this magnitude, it comes as no surprise that the boat is equipped with mega features such as lavish dining rooms, entertainment rooms, leisure pads, expansive kitchens, and seven decked-to-the-hilt guest rooms, or as it's known on board, “state rooms.”  

Each year, maintaining the billionaire’s asset alone costs roughly HK$150 million. 

Though commissioned years before and ready to set sail since 2021, the mega yacht was docked for weeks on end at Rhode Island in the United States or at Massachusetts' Martin's Vineyard, the world’s most famous billionaire hot spot, as Ma was too busy to take a break on one of his prized possessions.  

Soon after he boarded the luxurious vessel however, the international media has been stalking its every move as reports from around the globe have spotted the magnificent vessel in Ibiza, in Mallorca and finally seen dropping anchor just outside the resort city of Palma in recent times.