Latest news with #SakaMuseum
NZ Herald
09-08-2025
- NZ Herald
Relax in luxury at Ayana Bali, the island's unrivalled 5-star tropical resort
Ocean Beach Pool. Photo / AYANA Resort Bali Dine at dozens of eateries With more than 30 eateries, you can find delicious cuisine suited to every palate. There's casual dining at many of the pool bars, and finer dining at Italian, Japanese and, of course, Indonesian spots. If you want something special, book the Pesta Lobster dinner at Kisik Pier. It's a prime private spot for spectacular sunset views. Have a drink with a view If your idea of a holiday isn't complete without a drink in hand, then you've come to the right place. There are multiple pool bars, with some also ticking the highly sought-after box of being on a rooftop. Kubu Beach Club (the resort's private beach) is particularly divine to while away a few hours watching the waves crash below. The Forest Bar tucked into the trees at the Rimba Wana lobby creates the illusion of being deep in the jungle. You can't miss the famous Rock Bar, a sprawling open-air complex built into the bottom of the limestone cliffs where DJs spin tunes. Reservations are a must if you want a seat at a premier sunset venue (resort guests get priority). Rock Bar. Photo / Supplied Dive into 14 different swimming pools I was keen to see them all, so I asked the resort app's AI chat for an itinerary to ensure I didn't miss any. All were stunning, and many adults-only, but the Ocean Beach Pool was breathtaking. The resort also has its own golden beach, Kubu, accessed by a funicular (or a lot of steps, if you prefer). Relax at the spa The spa offers 47 private therapy rooms and a full menu of services. Its decor, however, is enough reason to visit. Walking into the courtyard, a wave of calm welcomes you, while you take in the koi-filled waterways and utter tranquillity. One of the spa's unique features is the thalassotherapy pool. Imagine being immersed in warm seawater while being energetically pummeled all over by jet streams as you gaze out to sea. It is scenic as it is satisfyingly painful. Thalassotherapy. Photo / AYANA Spa Keep fit, however you prefer There are multiple, spacious, well-equipped gyms, a variety of extra activities like SUP and Aerial Yoga, and for those who want to pick up the golf clubs, an 18-hole putting course. For something a bit different, we tried Sound Healing, a meditative experience where you are 'bathed' in sound waves. I definitely felt relaxed as a result, but unfortunately not enlightened. Immerse yourself in culture While there's plenty on offer at the resort, including Kampoeng Bali (a traditional show and Balinese buffet), the showcase is Saka Museum. Yes, this resort has a museum, and it was named one of the World's Greatest Places 2024 by Time magazine. Saka Museum takes visitors on a journey to learn about Nyepi, a Balinese celebration where people spend a day in prayer and meditation. People don't leave their homes, and the whole island, including the airport, shuts down. Saka Museum, Bali. Photo / Saka If you have kids... I didn't travel with children, but the resort app details nearly 20 activities for kids, including impressive playgrounds, Kids Club activities, a Green Camp (nature-based day camp that runs from February to August) and a Montessori classroom. Ayana Bali has a sustainable, organic farm where daily walks take place, for adults as well as kids. While the kids play, adults can try a Farm-to-Bar Workshop, where you handpick fresh botanicals to craft your cocktail or mocktail. Worth embracing your inner mixologist and giving it a try! Checklist BALI, INDONESIA GETTING THERE Fly from Auckland to Bali direct with Air New Zealand. DETAILS New Zealand Herald Travel visited courtesy of Ayana Hospitality.
Time Out
15-05-2025
- Time Out
Seven museums have been named the most beautiful in the world
Museums are designed to house intricate artefacts, fascinating objects from throughout history, and beautiful works of art, but the buildings themselves are often worth an ogle, too. Prix Versailles, a prestigious architecture and design award, has just recognised seven of the most beautiful new openings or freshly renovated spaces from all over the world. The selection jury said each inclusion is 'the product of meticulous, long-term work based on a rigorous, artistic design that was developed at the initiative and in service of an authentic approach focused on heritage and scenery.' One of these is the Grand Palais in Paris, the dazzling capital that recently topped Time Out's list of the best cities in the world for culture. The building has an ornate glass dome ceiling and was originally constructed for the 1900 Universal Exhibition. It reopened in 2021 after four years of renovation. 'Inside, the upper gallery running around the entire interior has been preserved and enhanced,' reads Prix Versailles's report. 'That walkway serves as a real promenade that establishes a striking link between the building's past, present and future, simply by means of its architecture which can be admired there down to the last detail, giving visitors an educational vision of the history of Paris.' The Saka Museum, a spiritual space that guides visitors through various Balinese cultural practices and expressions, is also included. We named it one of the best new museums last year, so it's safe to say we agree. Elsewhere on the list is Kunstsilo, an art museum perched on the quayside in Kristiansand, Norway, which was formerly a grains mill. These are the world's most beautiful museums Grand Palais, Paris Saka Museum, Bali Audeum, Seoul Kunstsilo, Kristiansand Diriyah Art Futures, Riyadh Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Cleveland Joslyn Art Museum, Omaha
Time Out
14-05-2025
- Time Out
These Midwestern museums were just named among the most beautiful museums in the world
The prestigious Prix Versailles recognizes beautiful architecture and design all over the world at an annual awards program held at UNESCO for the last 10 years—and two U.S. museums show up on its list of the World's Most Beautiful Museums, released earlier this month. The list each year focuses on new or recently renovated structures. Museums showcase beauty, so it's always wonderful when the building itself is a piece of art. It enhances the visit and makes you feel like you are entered a hallowed space. The list is short, with only seven museums on it this year. While we admire the architecture of the Saka Museum in Bali with steel and glass providing a beautiful counterpoint to the ancient artifacts inside and are thrilled to see the Grand Palais in Paris finally emerge from four years of work, it's really the two U.S. museums that catch our attention. In Ohio, the Cleveland Museum of Natural History has won a spot on the list. As recently renovated by the DLR Group, its architecture showcases Northeast Ohio's geological history and especially its historic glaciers, which formed the Great Lakes. The glaciers' flow is interpreted at the museum with 'flowing white alluvial forms in a single, continuous concept to unify the various parts of the facility,' says the Prix Versailles statement. The original museum is a century old, and its collections tell the story of the life of Earth, back to the time of dinosaurs. Likewise, the Joslyn Art Museum in Omaha, Nebraska, has emerged from a two-year renovation of two of its three unique structures and the addition of a third, all connected to each other. These include the original Art Deco Joslyn building from 1931 designed by John and Alan McDonald; the 1994 pavilion by Norman Foster as his first American commission (he's behind the incredible transformation at San Francisco's iconic Transamerica Pyramid), and 2024's new pavilion designed by Snøhetta (the group behind San Francisco's Museum of Modern Art 2016 addition). The museum offers free entry and collections that vary widely: from Amy Sherald 's 'The Beauty of Change' (2023) to medieval Old Masters. Here is the full list of the seven Most Beautiful Museums in the World. It appears not to be a ranked list, but rather organized alphabetically by country:
Time Out
08-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
Two Asian museums have been named among the most beautiful in the world for 2025
Talk about being beautiful inside and out – some museums are worth visiting as much for their stunning exteriors as for the fascinating objects they house. Prix Versailles, a prestigious architectural award that recognises gorgeous airports, campuses, hotels, and other buildings worldwide, has released its 2025 list of the world's most beautiful museums. In this case, beauty is not just skin deep – these museums also demonstrate exceptional harmony with their environment and artefacts. It's a short and sweet list of just seven museums, and two are from Asia. The first is Bali's Saka Museum, a cultural gem in Ayana Bali that opened in 2023. Prix Versailles highlights how its architectural design "embodies the Balinese philosophy of Giri Segara, the sacred balance between mountain and sea" with a sloping roof that visually connects sky and ocean. The beautiful reflecting pool invites visitors to pause for introspection, creating a fitting atmosphere for the museum's showcase of Balinese traditions in the past and present. There's lots to check out here, including sensory installations fashioned around Bali's sacred Day of Silence, and a showcase that dives into subak, the island's UNESCO-listed irrigation and water temple systems. Seoul's Audeum Audio Museum, the world's first dedicated audio museum, also made the list. For a spot dedicated to audio equipment, it's fitting that the museum itself is something of an instrument playing on all senses. Prix Versailles spotlights these sensory experiences: an array of vertical aluminium pipes forms a glittering, waterfall-like facade; the lobby is covered in cool, textured stone, bringing to mind a deep valley; while interior spaces are fitted with wood and filled with the fragrance of Alaskan cypress trees. The Prix Versailles named five other museums, including Paris's Grand Palais and Riyadh's Diriyah Art Futures. Check out the full list below. These are the most beautiful museums in the world for 2025, according to Prix Versailles:
