B
ali: The New Destination for Luxury Living

    Bali, a tropical paradise known for its pristine beaches and vibrant culture, has become a hotspot for luxury living. The island has seen a surge in the construction of high-end villas and beach clubs, attracting wealthy foreigners and digital nomads alike.

    The rise of 'Insta-grammable' villas

    One of the key players in this new Bali is Arthur Richard, a French real estate agent who has been living on the island for six years. He believes that Bali offers a unique sensation of freedom that cannot be found anywhere else in the world.

    Arthur works for Alex Villas, a company owned by a Ukrainian businessman that has eight villa and apartment complexes either finished or underway in Bali. The newest complex spans 4,000 square meters next to rice fields and will feature 89 units with private pools and a rooftop sauna.

    The construction of these luxury villas has led to concerns about the loss of farmland. Chakra Widia, a permaculturalist from Ubud, laments the changes brought about by the building boom in Bali's inland areas. He believes that social activists seeking to slow down the pace of development struggle to be heard.

    The changing face of Bali

    Bali has been embracing large-scale tourism since the 1980s, with a special zone for resorts established south of the airport at Nusa Dua. Kuta Beach, just to the north, became a focal point for Australians, before development spread further north along the coast to Seminyak.

    The spread of villas and beach clubs then continued to Canggu, with increasing traffic congestion following. Now, with Canggu increasingly built up, the next hotspots are emerging further along the coast.

    Since 2021, a Russian tech and education investor Sergey Solonin has been transforming close to 50 hectares of beachfront land at Nyanyi into what's dubbed a "creative city". The $US350-400 million project includes a beach club, hotel, school, lama farm, creative spaces and villas.

    The quest to build Bali's next hotspot

    Mr Solonin says it was difficult for others to grasp the vision when he first started working on it during the COVID pandemic years. He chose Bali as the best place to live in the world and wanted to build something special here, a city for creative communities.

    The new project is acting like a lure, and already signs on the way advertise new villa developments near Nuanu, in a sign Nyanyi could become Bali's next hotspot.

    Local governments are generally encouraging. It's not like the rules aren't enforced, there are actions we take, like demolishing buildings or directing developers to adjust their construction in line with the permit.

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