Take it slow

Popular since the 1980s, Bali’s white-sand beaches and quiet island life have given way to a noisier and more cosmopolitan crowd. A steady stream of Aussie weekenders, backpackers and bon viveurs has turned the isolated idyll into a well-trodden resort.

Despite its popularity, Bali has the power to surprise and charm and still feels a world away from the rest of Indonesia. For one, its history as the country’s Hindu stronghold can be seen in the carved wooden temples and street-side shrines.

A recent land grab by international hotel chains has pushed the cooler kids up the west coast from chaotic Kuta, past suave Seminyak to the leafy village of Canggu (pronounced Chang-Goo). Here the quiet Balinese culture of yesteryear, dense greenery and coconut-leaf thatched houses are complemented by inexpensive restaurants, welcoming shops that celebrate the island’s crafts and a quieter breed of beach-goer.

We explore an aptly named new hotel, The Slow, and offer a few recommendations to help you discover Canggu’s considerable charms.

Time out
The Slow hotel

From the age of 16, Australian designer George Gorrow longed to live the simple life in Bali. But when the time came to build a home on a small plot of land in Canggu, the neighbourhood’s popularity as a more peaceful alternative to Seminyak and Kuta made Gorrow think bigger.

His plans for what became a 12-room hotel, The Slow, were the result of multiple interests cultivated during two decades working in fashion at the helm of denim label Ksubi and surf brand Insight. The space was designed by Gorrow with help from architect Rieky Sunur of Bali-based gfab Architects and Jakarta-based Raphael Miranti; it houses more than 90 pieces from a personal art collection he has amassed with his wife Cisco. A light bangkirai latticed screen (made from Balinese timber) rolls from wall to ceiling and shields The Slow’s small reception-cum-restaurant and bar from Canggu’s scooter-thronged streets. Although it’s a short walk from the popular beach, the feeling here is as the name suggests: slow-moving and secluded.

Inside the wooden shell, the hotel’s white walls and concrete finishes give it the feel of a gallery. The edgy paintings and photographs on the walls come from a posse of Gorrow’s film-maker, photographer, model and artist friends. Seated by a seven-metre-long communal teak table made from a fallen tree, Gorrow points proudly to the green lounge chairs he made from Indonesian military tents, the hand-woven water hyacinth-fibre rugs and staff uniforms. “All locally made,” he says. “Everything.”

The same goes for the bright sizeable suites with their clean lines, floor-to-ceiling windows and private plunge pools (for those on ground level at least). Back in Room 13, the name for the gallery, The Slow’s mix of art and Indonesian craftsmanship is best admired with a dish of chef Shannon “Sid” Moran’s wood-grilled meats, seafood dishes and farm greens from the island. As we talk over pre-batched cocktails made with Balinese palm flowers it’s clear that Gorrow’s dream of a life of leisure in Bali has become a promising first step to a career in it.