Oshom Bali: a gem in the heart of Nuanu City, Indonesia’s new ultra-hip, super-sustainable hub
If you’ve been researching fresh vacation ideas in Indonesia, but are looking outside of the usual destinations (Seminyak, Ubud, Canggu), you may have come across information about a new area called Nuanu City. If not, Cream has got you covered. Our first stop in Nuanu: boutique hotel, Oshom Bali.
Relatively new in its development, Nuanu City is a large-scale creative and sustainability hub situated on Bali’s southwest coast – in the Tabanan Regency, 40kms northwest of Denpasar airport. The region canvases about 44 hectares of land, and it’s land that has been specifically reserved for the purpose of blending community with tourism, along with art, culture, wellness, nature, education and technology – all in the one place.
Think: immersive art installations, spa and wellness zones, interactive media parks, beach clubs, open green spaces, cultural workshops, and so on. If Dubai is to be considered the big insta-city in the short time that it grew out of the sands of the UAE, you could call Nuanu it’s smaller, more organically developed, eco-friendly sister. Indeed, the name ‘Nuanu’ translates to ‘in the process of’, reflecting the dynamic and continuously evolving nature of the Nuanu creative city project.
The main purpose of this spectactular place is to foster collaboration, creativity and eco-conscious living – and you sense all of these coming together as you enter the city, greeted by two giant sculptures called the ‘Earth Sentinels’. Modern landmarks in the making, these are grand steel and concrete busts that act as a gateway to a new and enlightened, well-developed corner on the world map.
The ‘Earth Sentinels’ were designed by South African artist Daniel Popper, to represent the guarding of nature.
More about the amazing things to do in Nuanu later in this article, but for now I’d like to talk about the accommodation we checked into for our debut experience in this awe-inspiring place, and it’s a property that is as majestic and marvellous as Nuanu itself: a hotel/resort that goes by the name of Oshom Bali.
Oshom Bali: exterior at dusk.
Already an icon of sorts on the hospitality scene, Oshom Bali is a boutique hotel in every sense of the adjective. With an emphasis on innovative design, care and practicality, the hotel has been built primarily out of natural materials, with local craftsmanship added to almost every facet – from the garden-scaping to the doors of each suite, impressively hand-carved in traditional Indonesian motif.
Many of the finishes have made the most of locally sourced materials, such as reclaimed teakwood for the furniture, and volcanic sand which has been used as a textured finish to walls. The smaller details, like sculptures and wall art, have been created by local artisans – Balinese artists, both emerging and established – rather than having been imported from overseas. And why not? Bali is an island whose thriving nature and constant tourism combine to create interesting inspiration to artists of all persuasions. Why not inject all of that into its newly developed areas?
Oshom Bali is built with a strong biophilic design ethos: elevated walkways have been created so as to minimally disturb delicate ecosystems, native flora has been rewilded, and design across the board lets nature act very much a part of the full guest experience.
A large proportion of the Oshom Bali property has been built around existing trees, rather than have them cleared wholesale-like. Some of the accommodations here have even been built treehouse-style!
But not all is purely Bali-influenced. Oshom also borrows from the Japanese philosophy of wabi-sabi, an aesthetic and design principle that hones in on the idea that beauty is found in imperfection, impermanence, and incompleteness. It’s this principle that gives many of the ‘finishing’ touches around the hotel an often ‘unfinished’ and rustic look about them. While there are luxurious touches and polished features throughout the property, these are nicely balanced with more natural, textured surfaces and some asymmetrical design.
Luxurious sleeping at Oshom Bali, where even the bedhead is backed by an obscure but inviting graphic shape. Rest assured the bed is super-comfortable and has a magnificent view of Pantai Nyanyi Beach (below).
In the bathroom, which is about the size of an average apartment in inner-city Sydney, the open shower comes complete with a generous-sized Saint James showerhead that sees the water escaping between reclaimed teakwood slats – a nicely textured flooring that ensures you don’t slip – down through pipes to nourish the property’s surrounding greenery.
The expansive ensuite also includes a bathtub, and even a comfy chair if you care to sit and do a bit of reading with a view. Seriously, I haven’t seen a bathroom this opulent since staying in a presidential suite somewhere high in the sky in Singapore or Dubai.
There’s a spacious writing desk in each suite where I didn’t mind buckling down and doing a bit of emailing, and even creative tools like pencils and drawing paper should the artistic influence overcome you to suddenly start creating art yourself.
Art and creativity are important parts of the Oshom ethos. Put simply, this ain’t no cookie-cutter establishment, and careful consideration has been applied to every detail. But while elegance is key at Oshom, there’s also a certain sense of playfulness.
On the night we arrived, the hotel was hosting a barefoot luxury party, helmed by local and international DJs, with dancing allowed by the pool and cocktails created in special commemoration of the hotel’s recent opening.
Aussie DJ, Miia, plays at Oshom Bali on occasion – this occasion happened to be the night we arrived, for the grand opening of Nuanu City itself.
I sat for a chat with Oshom’s creative founder, Daisy Angus, a woman whom you realise within three minutes is well-travelled with a pretty colourful past, and I asked her what she feels Nuanu and Oshom provide that other parts of Bali don’t. “Oshom is quiet but it has this strong seeker community; people seeking something deeper within themselves while still being themselves,” says Angus.
In comparison to other Bali hubs, Angus says, “Where Uluwatu is ‘eat, surf, nature, repeat’, and Changgu is for the more conscious entrepreneur or ‘digital nomads’, Nuanu is a kind of happy medium of these places. In the morning you want to wake up and do yoga and in the evening you want to order a bottle of wine and enjoy the sunset.” Angus also highlights the fact that there is popular beach club, Luna, right next door, should guests wish to do some more serious partying – an active venue that you wouldn’t realise was so pumping since the soundproofing at Oshom is so solid. Oshom’s ethos is so playful, heck, there’s a disco mirrorball in your walk-in wardrobe!
The hotel sits on the black sand beach of Pantai Nyanyi and overlooks the Indian Ocean, and while it is not recommended to swim or surf in the water, due to choppy waves and regular rip tides, I must say the view of the beach each morning is something to behold. Put simply, if you want Insta-worthy photos of a cool coastal stay, this is a must-do. The black lava sands of Pantai Nyanyi make for a stark contrast to crystal water and an azure sky. Who needs to swim in the sea, anyway, when there is long saltwater pool, lined with local Sukabumi stone, for guests to splash about in or enjoy a cocktail or two by.
Breakfast at Oshom deserves a review space all of its own – the options are that good – with a fusion menu that includes dishes from Morocco (shakshuka with harissa), traditional Indonesian (nasi goreng, mie goreng), and healthy dishes for the less indulgent (the fruit smoothie bowl is as nourishing as it is vivid).
Dinner is just as multicultural an experience, with my eyes looking again toward Middle Eastern fare. I’ve got to say the Moroccan chicken tagine served with couscous and pomegranate could be the best I’ve tried. Even better than in Casablanca.
With Oshom’s suites being so expansive in size, you could be forgiven for just wanting to stay in each night, enjoying cocktails or quality teas and chilling with Netflix while marvelling at the stunning coastal view, but there is so much more to do out there in Nuana City, that we’ve provided a full rundown for you, below.
Because Oshom is tucked in the heart of Nuanu, you get access to Bali’s major new multimedia parks, art avenues and green open spaces all via one of the hotel’s electric buggies. Better still, stroll from place to place if you’re really up for that wellness building.
For more information about Oshom Bali, including rates, visit oshombali.com.
FIVE FAB THINGS TO DO IN NUANU
Rather than being purely luxury or ardently nature-focused, Nuana aims to blend these qualities. Here are just a handful of adventures to enjoy that meld glitz with eco-goodness.
Dine and be revived at Luna Beach Club
Luna Beach Club is an Ibiza-slash-Cancun inspired experience perched on the cliffs of Nyanyi Beach, and a stone’s throw from Oshom Bali. The venue combines dramatic architecture, immersive entertainment and sustainable design to deliver something beyond the typical Bali beach club. On a gastronomical note, the cuisine at Luna – whether snacking poolside or dining a la carte at Table 369 restaurant – is high‑end cuisine, and as impressive in presentation as it is glorious in taste. Highlights on the menu include the Salt Cod Tortellini served with Pork Belly, Cauliflower Puree and a Brandied Foam, and ‘Grandma’s Slow-cooked Organic Chicken’ paired with Smoked Bacon, Mushrooms and Lemon Thyme. Be sure to check in to this place, even if it’s for just a dip in the lagoon-style pool.
Get closer to nature in the Butterfly and Orchid Gardens
One of the standout features in Nuanu is the ‘Magic Gardens’ space which houses a butterfly garden, orchid garden, and botanical gallery. The gardens opened in late 2024 and are one of the core attractions as they allow you to get up close to gorgeous aspects of nature, such as the big-winged creature, above, and glorious flora, right. On a hot, hot day it may feel like you’re under something of a greenhouse but even then it’s well worth visiting these bright, colourful gardens which provide endless vivid snapshots for your Instagram page.
Make some canine friends at Alpha Wolf Lodge
Owned and operated by ex-NYC club king Mark Baker, Alpha Wolf Lodge is a distinctive eco‑sanctuary that doubles up as a lodge for wolves now tamed. Quite possibly the only wolf sanctuary‑lodge in the Southern Hemisphere, it’s probably your only chance to get up close to these astonishing creatures, who’ll howl for you right about lunchtime, but won’t bit your hand off if you want to pat them for a bit. Set amid Bali’s lush forest, rice fields, mountains and coastlines — the lodge is part of the larger Nuanu Creative City project, and works by a philosophy of coexistence and connection with nature. Guests are encouraged to “walk with the wolves” while observing them in their habitat, even feeding them under professional supervision, ie: watched over by Baker himself. If you’re an animal lover, you won’t be put off by the fencing you’ll see – there are acres for these creatures to roam about in and play.
Enjoy a Balinese massage on the beach
Everybody who has been to Bali has experienced a traditional Balinese massage but there truly is something magical about being treated to a blissful massage by the beach with the sound of the ocean’s waves softly crashing at the shore. Oshom Bali boasts a rustically designed ‘nest house’ perched at the edge of Nyanyi Beach where guests can enjoy a one-hour treatment of physical therapy, after which you might like to spend the rest of the day in lay-down relaxing bliss, or feel energised to go out and see more of Nuanu.
Trip out under the (video-d) stars in Labrynth Dome
The western world’s IMAX theatres have nothing on this massive dome, a popular venue in Nuanu Creative City. The dome-come-theatre space spans over 20 metres in length and is shaped somewhat like a lotus, in true biophilic style. Patrons get to lay back on comfy beanbags to view 360‑degree projected films, including space and David Attenborough-style documentaries. The occasionally trippy clip, like the one above, also gets shown, especially when there’s a music festival of sorts in town.
For more information about Nuanu Creative City, visit nuanu.com.
Forget counting calories at Kilo Kitchen in Bali, you’ll want to sample the full menu
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