A sanctuary for the senses in Nuanu

TABANAN, Bali — Somewhere along the quieter southwestern coast of Bali, I found myself face-to-face with four alpacas named Goose, Pumpkin, Will, and Bob. They were gentle, curious, and eager to be fed, their soft hums a strange but soothing soundtrack to the day.

- By KEISHA TA-ASAN

Earlier, I had been surrounded by butterflies in a lush garden teeming with orchids, stick insects, and mantises. Hours before that, I was weaving rattan with local artisans.

This was Nuanu, a place that calls itself a "creative city," but feels more like an open-air love letter to culture, ecology, and the possibilities of intentional living.

Spanning 44 hectares of tropical land in Tabanan, Nuanu offers more than just beautifully designed villas or sleek real estate investments. It's a living canvas of spaces dedicated to art, education, wellness and nature. Here, there are no hard lines between work and play, commerce and creativity. And as I discovered during my two-day visit, it's a place that invites you to slow down, breathe deeply, and look closer.

Rattan roots, illuminated towersMy immersion began at a hands-on rattan workshop, where I joined locals in shaping organic materials into sculptural forms. It was an uncanny crossover — rattan weaving being a tradition deeply rooted in both Filipino and Indonesian culture. While waiting for the artist-in-residence to arrive, I noticed the quiet sense of pride in the room. This wasn't a performance for tourists, it was a space for transmission, for the gentle passing of craft from hand to hand.