On My List Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan – Bali High

Usually, a business lunch with our Four Seasons Hotel peeps involves champagne and a scrumptious lunch; it’s been awhile since this lunch with one of my VV Favorite Four Seasons GM’s, Randy Shimabuku, but I’m obsessed with the arrival at Four Seasons Resort, Bali, where he is now the General Manager. He has hosted me in the Maldives, filled my daily schedule with activities from dawn to dusk and a dinner date with an activity director or he & his lovely wife every night. Although my days of resort activities were exhausting, I became an expert on the resort, smart guy, Randy! Stand by for personal photos!

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan

Many travelers balk at beach travel that includes a flight over eight hours. My first vast flight time beach holiday was to The Brando and to the Four Seasons in Bora Bora. Both are worth the journey; Hawaii is not Tahiti! Mexico is not Tahiti!

In Bora Bora, a beautiful beach with an endless horizon, nothing but palm trees or a massive Mountain. Imagine gazing at Mount Otemanu from a bubbling jacuzzi at the Four Seasons Bora Bora, a vista is a thousand times more beautiful than a beach amid humanity. The long flights are truly worth the destination. Bora Bora is in the middle of the Southern Pacific Ocean. And then there are the brilliantly black skies dripping with stars, the Souther Cross comes to mind!

Four Seasons Spa Bora Bora

Maldives invitation seemed so far…longer flight time, initially I was skeptical. Nothing prepared me for the beauty of the Maldives – I stayed two weeks and could have stayed longer. So many activities, endless beauty.

Bali is closer than the Maldives, will you now consider it?! Combine a tropical island getaway with ancient rainforests, enchanting temples and rice fields  With three unique river rafting experiences, there’s something for everyone to do on Bali’s longest river.

Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan offers the world’s first arrival by River Raft. I’ve been offered a resort landing with a kite surfer, luckily the wind was up and when the GM took me to the cliff side restaurant where I would have jumped – I said I could never have jumped from there! A river raft arrival, how cool is this? Just say Yes, or Suksema.

For a unique check-in experience, arrive at the Resort by river raft – exclusively available to guests transferring from sister property, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Jimbaran Bay. Duration: 2.5-3 hours.

Famed for its dramatic treetop arrival via a suspension bridge, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan  offers guests a 180-degree change of perspective, with Bali’s first hotel arrival by river raft.

Submerged in a river valley close to the artistic center of Ubud, Four Seasons Resort Bali at Sayan has launched the innovative rafting check-in as an option for guests transferring from its sister Resort, the beach front Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay on Bali’s south-west coast.

Avoid the usual 90-minute road transfer, travelers combining a stay at both Resorts can instead be taken by private car (60 minutes’ drive) to the departure point for a two-hour rafting adventure down Bali’s longest river, the Ayung.

While you enjoy a leisurely guided adventure through Class III rapids with views of lush jungle, rice terraces and majestic gorges, your luggage continues by car and precedes your arrival at Four Seasons Resort Sayan.

After discovering secluded sites – including a natural holy spring and an historic dam belonging to Bali’s UNESCO World Heritage-listed subak irrigation system – rafters land directly at the Resort’s Riverside Restaurant.

Waiting staff ensure a seamless check-in and within minutes guests are relaxing in their room, delivering a hotel arrival unlike any other.

This new arrival by river offers the opposite view with a slow reveal from under the canopy of trees, making it perfect for repeat guests who have experienced the bridge arrival before.

My mantra – the arrival sets the stage for the Journey, certainly applies to this magical adventure! It does not feel like a check-in experience, but rather a transition to another world, welcomed by the friendliest people on Earth, what could be better?!

Located amid two acres of rice fields and groves of fruit trees, vegetable, and herb gardens, 42 private pool villas and 18 suites enable guests to retreat from the world and embrace the valley’s healing energy. Float above treetops on a dramatic suspension bridge and cross into a different world. With locally inspired experiences and rice bowl-shaped architecture set against the lush Ayung River Valley, the Resort takes you closer to the heart and soul of Bali.

Unpacking List: It’s not the things you take with you that define your journey; it’s the experiences you have and the memories you bring home.

Looking Forward Private Islands & Villas

Private Islands — a sea full of enchanting locations: The Brando Resort, Fiji, Necker Island…we have a black book brimming with private island Villas. Ponder Isola D’Ibiza, Amalfi Coast, the Maldives, Moskito Island, Necker Island to name a few… Private Yacht Charter—With more than 8,000 miles of coastline and over 2,000 islands to discover, the best way to experience Greece and her many destinations is by boat. A Greek sailing vacation allows you to explore the ruins of Ancient Greece, nosh on traditional mezé at waterside tavernas, sailing in Greece is a near-mythical blend of line-of-sight cruising with enchanting anchor outs. There are gorgeous summer yachting locations in the South of France: St Tropez, Nice, Cannes, Ville Franche, Cap Ferrat, Antibes and Monaco. Discover the beauty and splendor of the South of France from the idyllic perspective of a yacht – from the beautiful coast, employ the tender to pop in at famed locations for lunch and avoid the crowded avenues and hotels. The South of France beaches and coves provide excellent sunbathing spots which can only be accessed by luxury yacht. Diving in many locations can be included in your coastal sojourn. Villas — In Italy, France and Spain, clients are clamoring, as many Villas reserved in 2020 will be utilized in 2021, the collection will be limited. Imagine a month long summer sojourn in Tuscany or Umbria or Puglia. A private villa allows leisurely day trips, base near a cosmopolitan city or wander through the countryside. The coast of Spain also offers Villa options. Oh, Mallorca would be an astonishing late summer location!Villa outside Avignon Amalfi Coast Private Island. Formerly owned by an iconic super star ballet principal this luxurious, private island paradise has been entirely renovated to pristine condition. It is the ultimate getaway for those wishing to have paradise all to themselves while able to enjoy the mainland when desired. A 27 foot launch is included for trips to the mainland or to Capri or to Positano, Amalfi, or Nerano; anywhere on the coast one wishes to go. A full staff is on hand to provide all services. All the best, activities and water access of boating, diving and lazy beach days. A 120 ft yacht is available for charter as well. This yacht can be chartered by guest on a daily or  basis for overnight trips to other parts of the Mediterranean – Sardinia, Sicily, Portofino.

Loire Valley Chateau with your own lake & private golf course

France, oh so many chic choices for mountain villages, small islands for a rural lifestyle or lavender scented countryside.  A historic Château sitting quietly within the picturesque Loire Valley landscape, generations of discerning guests have retreated to this elegant Château since it was first built in 1775 during the reign of Louis XVI, the last King of France. in 2013 a private family undertook a full renovation of the Château with a world-class golf course meticulously crafted, intertwining through the vast woods. Imagine a luxurious escape, steeped in the rich culture of French joie de vivre. Le Mas Chateau is an 18th century farmhouse in Provence, located near the Medieval city of Avignon. The property’s 65 acres offer true privacy and seclusion. The home and gardens sit amidst working pear orchards and sunflower fields on an island in the Rhone River. Within easy reach of Avignon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Gordes, St Remy and Aix-en-Provence, Le Mas Chateau is ideally situated to access all that the region has to offer, should you decide to spend a day away from the peaceful property.
The World Is Your Oyster!