Page 16 - Explore Magazine Summer 2017

workstations. Teams of local chefs glided among
14 us, teaching us how to chop, press, mix and season
our way through three delicious courses. Icy-cold
Bintang beer quenched our thirst as we cooked.

The opportunity to learn
to cook with the beautiful

flavours of the Balinese

culture inspired a new
appreciation of its cuisine.

When we finished it felt as though we were sitting
down to a banquet and I pondered how much more
we love something when we’ve carefully tended it
ourselves. This very ethos is part of Balinese culture
and people spend much of their day preparing and
cooking meals together as a family.
DAY THREE
The heavenly experiences we were enjoying – the
rice fields, the roosters, the sunshine, the hat-
topped ladies, the playing children, the pounding
ocean and the aromas of fresh cooking everywhere
we went – made it feel as though we had been in
Bali for a week. They added so many dimensions to
our holiday that time seemed to expand, unlike the
frenetic pace of life at home where the opposite
seems to happen.
This morning was dedicated to the poolside and
everything we needed was either right inside our
pool bags or written on a poolside menu. Slowing
down must be a state of mind because soon it felt
like a day had passed and it was only lunchtime.
Speaking of which, a lunchtime glass of punch and a
salad prepared us perfectly for the shops.
Bali is a wonderland of inspiration for your home.
We decided to explore real life in Bali by bike and it It doesn’t have just stores or markets but entire
felt as though we were cycling through postcards: streets dedicated to most things you can imagine.
kites flying high in the blue skies, rice fields lined Streets lined with outdoor furniture. Streets lined
with fresh crops, strings of Balinese straw hats worn
by the hard-working ladies who tend the fields, and
my favourite of all, families of children playing and
bathing in the babbling streams outside their homes
– so much joy. Once again I had a sense that when
we’re tired it’s not always rest we need, it’s to be
awakened. I was enthralled.
DAY TWO
Will Meyrick has set the standard for beautiful
cuisine in Bali. A Scotsman who fell in love with the
island 15 years ago, Will has not only created some
the best dining experiences in Bali but also teaches
his culinary passion in cooking schools. We weren’t
in Bali for the food but Will’s stunning restaurants
and the opportunity to learn to cook with the
beautiful flavours of the Balinese culture inspired a
new appreciation of its cuisine.
The evening before we had indulged at Will’s
Mama San restaurant and today his Hujan Cooking
School was our adventure. It was like arriving at a
gorgeous wedding: long tables, white linens and
loads and loads of fresh flowers lured us toward our

HELLOWORLD : EXPLORE : SUMMER EDITION