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South China Morning Post
6 days ago
- Health
- South China Morning Post
A trip to the Bone Healer – and a different side of Bali
'The Bone Healer can fix anything but a broken heart.' Advertisement I whisper this to myself over and over as I crawl through the narrow, traffic-choked carriageways that fan out from downtown Denpasar. It takes an hour's drive to clear Bali 's capital and reach an east-coast highway, where I pick up speed before detouring up a winding road to Besakih. Set in the western foothills of the Mount Agung volcano , the village is home to the Besakih Great Temple, the largest religious site on the Indonesian island. But I have not come to explore the tiered shrines and labyrinthine alleys of the 10th century complex. I have come to see Mangku Sudarsana, aka the Bone Healer, a balian, or holy man, who practises medicine in the courtyard of his ancestral home (Klinik Mangku Sudarsana), about 1km down the road from the temple. Mangku Sudarsana, aka the Bone Healer, giving writer Ian Lloyd Neubauer 'a whopping back crack'. Photo: Ian Neubauer Balians are said to harness energy from the universe and are called upon to cure everything from the common cold to cancer. Most are quacks and there is no empirical evidence to show their methods deliver results. But the Bone Healer's patients swear by him, claiming he provides better long-term outcomes than modern medicine. I know this because I'm one of them. Five years ago, I herniated two discs in my lower back and consulted a conga line of healers for the chronic pain : masseuses, physiotherapists, chiropractors, acupuncturists and, finally, an orthopaedic specialist. The only solution was surgery, or so I was led to believe, until the day I overheard a conversation at a beach club in Bali about a miracle man who lived in the mountains and had helped people walk again. The very next day, I went to see him. The treatment took less than a minute and the effect was immediate: a 70 to 80 per cent reduction in pain. It was also permanent, or it had been until a few weeks ago, when I hurt my back again. When the pain returned with a vengeance, I knew what I had to do. Advertisement Now 72, Sudarsana doesn't appear to have aged a single day since I last saw him. Dressed in a sarong with a decorative sash and sporting a mane of long white hair collected loosely into a bun, he looks the archetype of an Asian healer but does not act the part, asking to see any scans or diagnoses from a hospital or Western practitioner. After glancing at my X-rays, he tells me to sit on the floor with my back towards him. Pressing his knee into my lower spine, he grabs my shoulders and, in one quick move, gives me a whopping back crack, the same thing he did last time I visited. I yelp with fright and then sigh as the pain melts away. And with that, my treatment is complete. I thank him profusely, stuff a few notes into a donation box and leave.
Scottish Sun
03-05-2025
- Scottish Sun
Inside the Bali resort with ‘White Lotus-style' luxury boasting stunning views, aquarium restaurant and a private beach
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) I'VE always had a soft spot for restaurants with a fish tank. It takes me back to my childhood and warm memories of my mum and dad treating my sisters and I to a slap-up meal. Sign up for Scottish Sun newsletter Sign up 16 James and Rachel eat among the fishes at the Koral Restaurant 16 Sharks, fish and diver's swim overhead as you dine It has also become a running joke with my wife Rachel over the years — so she knew I'd be in for a treat at Apurva Kempinski Bali's incredible Koral Restaurant. It turns out there is a restaurant with a fish tank and aquarium dining. And fine dining at that. Dinner surrounded by thousands of fish including sharks . . . I was going to need a bigger plate. The Koral experience blows you away from the minute you walk in. Working your way through a seven-course gourmet menu, with matching wine — all put together by Michelin-starred chef Jean Baptiste Natali — was every bit as mesmerising as it was delicious. And it perfectly captures the breath-taking brilliance of The Apurva. Just a 25-minute drive from Bali Airport, it claims to be a majestic open air theatre, and one thing's for sure, it's a hotel like no other we've stayed in. Standing atop the cliff of Nusa Dua, it offers incredible views of the Indian Ocean, has its own tropical gardens and it feels like an open invitation to connect to authentic Balinese culture. The lobby is as grand as anything I've seen, huge in stature with its architectural design inspired by the island's mother temple Besakih. I ditched my retail job in the UK for island paradise…rent is just £225, dinner costs £2 & our poolside office has a spa The Grand Staircase is a signature detail of a flight of 250 stairs taking you from reception to pools and restaurants and finally onto the hotel's private beach. Apurva has nine bars and restaurants in addition to Koral, five spacious pools, its own private beach and an award-winning spa. Over three days of luxury, we managed to get round them all. 16 The Apurva Kempinski Bali lobby 16 Stunning Apurva Kempinski Bali's grand staircase cascading down to the beach 16 Lush gardens and pools lead down to the beautiful beach 16 Rooms are huge 16 Many rooms, like James and Rachel's, come with their own pools We were lucky enough to stay in a Cliff Private Pool Ocean Junior suite — huge at 100sqm and with its own private plunge pool and patio. This was White Lotus-style luxury — and yes, we even got up close to a wild monkey or two. Our first full day kicked off with a coffee and 6am sunrise with stunning views from our 8th floor suite. We had breakfast at Pala Restaurant, coolly set within one of the pools and featuring live cooking stations with a vast array of local and international cuisines. 16 the Pala Restaurant is one of many fabulous places for food at the luxury Apurva Kempinski Bali 16 The gorgeous Pala Restaurant and rooftop bar Now, I'm more used to eating Indian and Chinese food for dinner rather than breakfast so I kept it simple with a truffle omelette with mushrooms and hash browns. The food here is incredible and we had plenty of it during our stay. Each restaurant has established itself amongst the finest in Bali and every meal was a delight. Reef Rest BBQ Beach Club keeps it fun and relaxed while complimentary cocktails on Pala Rooftop as the sun went down in front of us — creating an astonishing view of The Apurva behind us — was magical 16 The Reef Rest BBQ Beach Club right on the golden sands bordering the Indian Ocean 16 Beachfront at the Apurva Kempinski Bali 16 H3JN7D Bali Indonesia Ubud City Life of local people at sunset 08.09.2015 Credit: Alamy While it was tempting to spend our entire stay at the hotel we felt obliged to check out a bit of Bali. The next morning, we set off for the trendy arty city of Ubud. It's only 25 miles from the hotel but be warned, the traffic here is proper Wacky Races, the sight of a family of four on a motorbike zooming in and out of cars was a sight to behold. Our Lonely Planet book summed it up perfectly, 'the best way to cope with Bali traffic is to accept it'. So yeah, the 25-mile journey took us two hours each way but luckily our knowledgeable driver Wayan kept us entertained and informed as he happily told us all about his beautiful island. First stop was Tirta Empul, a Hindu temple famous for its cleansing fountains. Translating to 'holy water spring, it is considered sacred by the Balinese people and we joined the hour-long queue made up of locals and tourists to participate in traditional cleansing rituals by using the holy water fountains. Moving from one fountain to another you rinse your head under the flowing water while saying a prayer. I prayed we could stay in Bali for another week but it didn't seem to work as, sadly, we were on a flight home a couple of days later! 16 The Tirta Empul Hindu temple Credit: Getty - Contributor 16 James and Rachel at the egenungan Waterfall 16 Rachel takes a shot on the Insta-fav Aloha Ubud Swing Still, with mind, soul, and spirit suitably cleansed at the Purification Pools we headed off to the Tegenungan Waterfall. The lush greenery and picturesque falls make it a popular photo spot — naturally Rachel took hundreds for her Insta — and with us visiting on a sunny day we were able to take a dip in the inviting pool at the base. Talking of social media pics, our next stop was one of the 'hottest Instagram spots in the world' and going by the pic of Rachel on the famous Aloha Ubud Swing on these pages it is hard to argue with that. There is a single swing, tandem swing, libra swing and a romantic swing — this place really is the king of the swingers. It all overlooks a huge working rice field and is quite the sight. Dinner that night back at base was at L'Atelier Tapas restaurant — a cool avante-garde joint on the top floor of the Apurva. We got stuck into tuna, bruschetta and luscious lamb before a night cap of G&Ts accompanied by live pianist. On our final full day we were able to chill in cabanas by the infinity pool before a couples massage at the Apurva Spa. 16 Even the treatment rooms at the spa have incredible views Treatments here are based on the ancient proverb 'rupasampat wahyabiantara': 'true beauty is achieved when outer beauty and inner beauty are in harmony'. You little beauty! Our final meals were lunch at Bai Yun — 'white cloud' in Chinese-Mandarin summing up the steam floating out of our hot pot dishes — and Izakaya by Oku inspired by the award-winning Japanese Restaurant OKU in Jakarta While the food at Apurva is sensational and the suite better than anything we've ever stayed in, I'd have to say the best thing about the hotel is its staff. BALI GO: BALI GETTING THERE: Emirates fly from Glasgow to Bali, via Dubai with fares from £899pp. See STAYING THERE: Rooms at the 5H Apurva Kempinski Bali start from £240. See They are super friendly, super helpful and super attentive, nothing is ever too much trouble. Leaving for the long journey home was a chore but we did so with memories to last a lifetime. In every way, Apurva Kempinski Bali is a must-sea destination.
