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WOODCARVING with Kadek at Bali Eco Stay’s permaculture farm.

When Kadek asked us what we wanted to put on the wood, we asked him to draw a hybrid creature. He immediately said ‘ ok let’s do Gajah Mina!’

The Gajah Mina (The Elephant-Fish)
In Balinese and broader Indonesian folklore, there is a legendary sea creature called the Gajah Mina (sometimes spelled Gadjamina). The name comes from Sanskrit, combining Gajah (elephant) and Mina (fish).

It is depicted as a mythical marine creature with the head of an elephant and the body or tail of a fish (somewhat like a Hindu counterpart to a mermaid or a sea-monster variant of Ganesha).

Because he combines the immense strength of a land animal (the elephant) with the domain of the sea (the fish), he represents the raw, overwhelming power of the ocean and rules over deep waters.

Kadek, who comes from a family of wood carvers, created this amazing piece under 2 hours (including our help). This was one of my favorite memorabilia from Bali, reminding me of my days when I used to make art on wood panels.

I was always drawn to traditional art making and traveling just made me fall in love with the art made with hands and soul passed down through generations of visionary artists. Bali is one of those places keeping human imagination & craftsmanship alive - no AI can replace this.

Ask for the activities when you’re staying at Bali Eco Stay’s! This is an unforgettable experience✨

📍 Bali EcoStay Woodcarving Class
| Blimbing, Tabanan, Bali
@mybaliecostay

📸 @lichiban @studiolxr #BaliEcoStay #woodcarving #balinesewoodcarving #BaliMythology #BalineseHinduism #PermacultureBali #TabananBali #BlimbingBali #Baliart #craftsmanship #handmadeart #Baliart #Balitravels

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#Virgoszn ♍️Another year around the 🌞. This past 12 months have been deeply life changing.
Met & spent time with some amazing people, some I didn’t share a common tongue with but understood on the heart level. Seen some of the most breathtakingly beautiful places on this planet. Got more clarity about my purpose (shoutout to my fav book on the topic ‘What is My Why’ by my King @bijanmachen & also for his constant support in getting me more refined about my mission)

I’m grateful for everyone in my life - near & far. Being away made me appreciate more of the relationships I built around the world.

It’s a never ending story.💓✨

📍 Bali EcoStay · Harvest Villas | Blimbing, Tabanan, Bali
@mybaliecostay
I highly recommend Bali Eco Stay for anyone who wants to be “nurtured by nature”, to immerse themselves in the wilderness of Central Bali, one of the most beautiful places on Earth… you can eat pure, organic, farm-to-table food grown on their land (permaculture), walk 2 mins to a waterfall and learn Balinese cuisine & crafts from the amazing staff that’s like a big family.

#BaliEcoStay #HarvestBungalow #BaliEcoStay #HarvestBungalow #EcoLuxuryBali #BlackBamboo #TabananBali #NatureLoversBali #SustainableLuxury #LXRBali #BambooArchitecture #RiceFieldBali #BlimbingBali #HiddenGemBali #PermacultureBali

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No audio in the world prepares you for hearing Gamelan live — for the first time, in the middle of a Balinese rice field, at sunset.

We had the extraordinary privilege of a private performance by the Amertha Budaya Shanti Gamelan Ensemble at Bali EcoStay in Blimbing — an eco-luxury permaculture resort tucked deep in the Tabanan regency, where the jungle and the rice fields hold the sound in a way no concert hall ever could. Deep in the jungle, it was a truly unforgettable experience surrounded by the coconut-covered slopes of Mt. Batukaru

Each gamelan ensemble is considered sacred — with players offering incense and flowers before every performance to honor the divine presence within the music. The instruments are built in pairs and tuned slightly apart, producing a shimmering, undulating sound the Balinese call “wave” — a cyclical vibration that creates something between music and frequency, between art and prayer.

In 2021, UNESCO recognised Indonesian Gamelan as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity — one of the world’s most important living musical traditions. And here we were, hearing it privately, surrounded by permaculture gardens and volcanic earth, as the sun dropped behind the rice terraces.

This is an experience you can arrange at Bali EcoStay. Some of the most unforgettable experiences aren’t the one that costs the most.

@mybaliecostay
📍 Bali EcoStay · Blimbing, Tabanan, Bali
🎶 Amertha Budaya Shanti Gamelan Ensemble

#balimusic #bali

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MAKING CAPIL🌿
One of my favourite things about staying in Bali’s best hotels is the variety of cultural experiences that they each offer.

Canang Sari making at dawn. Woodcarving with a master craftsman. Learning to carve a bamboo flute. A Balinese cooking class that changes how you think about spice. These aren’t activities on a clipboard — they are invitations into a way of life that has been refined over centuries, offered generously to anyone willing to slow down enough to receive them.

At The Sun of Grannary in Tegallalang, we made capil — the traditional Balinese sun hat, woven by hand from palm leaves into a wide, conical shape that has shaded farmers and rice field workers across this island for generations.

This brought me back to my childhood when my dad would teach me how to make things out of wood or wheat stalks. And I do believe that handmade arts & crafts will survive ai just like they survived the rise of the machines. Turning a palm leaf into a hat is a result of human creativity & play in action first, the usability comes second.

@thesunofgranaryubud #CapilHat #BaliCulture #SunOfGrannary #CulturalExperience #TegallalangBali #LXRBali #BaliTraditional #HandmadeBali #SlowTravel #ConsciousTravel #BaliCraft #UbudBali #BalineseLife

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Some places you visit. Others stay with you long after you’ve left. The Sun of Granary in Tegallalang (Ubud, Bali) was one of those. I came to scout, to photograph…what I didn’t expect was to leave feeling the way you feel after spending time with people who genuinely care.

The staff here have a quality I’ve encountered in very few places in the world — a warmth that isn’t a policy, isn’t a script, isn’t something a training manual created. It was just there, in every interaction, at every hour, without performance. I noticed it the first morning. By the third day it had quietly become one of the things I was most grateful for.

The rice fields. The food. The massage. The latticed wood details carried throughout the resort. The Legong dance at sunset at Kunang Kunang restaurant. The pool. The giant firefly sculpture watching over all of it.

All of that was beautiful. But the people made it a place I actually didn’t want to leave. That’s the thing about hospitality done right — the building gives you something to look at. The people give you something to carry home.

📍 The Sun of Granary Resort & Villas | Tegallalang, Ubud, Bali
@thesunofgranaryubud
@kunangkunangrestaurant #Sunofgranary #TegallalangBali #UbudBali #TravelBali #HiddenGemBali #ConsciousTravel #BaliLove #SlowTravel #LXRBali #BestOfBali #BaliStay #Baliresort #UbudResort

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I couldn’t be happier to finally get a copy of the new CLAM issue themed “TIME”. This issue has a special place in my heart, as it is not only my favorite magazine but it’s also a dear friend of mine, Andy Amadi Okoroafor’s very personal art magazine series that he’s been running since the late 90s. It always showcased the most beautiful & diverse collection of creatives from all over the world - it’s the only magazine that will have artists from Nigeria, Japan, South Africa, Thailand, Columbia, France, Hungary, Brazil, United States, to name only a few, in one place. No ads, just pure authentic creative content.
It is not the first time that I had the privilege to be featured in the magazine, but this time I had a chance to not only recommend artists to be featured, but also help with designing the layout as a guest layout editor. Andy made sure that everyone that meant to be in the issue made it in there, no matter how much time it took. It reads almost like an art catalogue, and it has so many amazing visionaries reflecting on their relationship with TIME.

In this one I was able to showcase many of my photos featuring my Inner Alchemy & Qigong teacher, Grandmaster @mantak_chia and some of my artist family @bijanmachen @onetheduo @tekitha @pranasupreme @jenvbenitez @tylerfaye Super happy about that ❤️‍🔥

Thank you Andy for trusting me to be a part of your vision! It’s a huge honor. Let’s keep on making LOCAL EVERYWHERE ✨💯🫶

Cover photo of @mslaurynhill by @marcbaptistephoto
Back cover by Serge Mouangue

#clammag #artmagazine #photographer #editorialphotography #localeverywhere Clam magazine is Andy Amadi Okoroafor’s very personal art magazine series that he’s been running since the late 90s. It’s always showcased the most beautiful & diverse collection of creatives from all over the world - it’s the only magazine that will have artists from Nigeria, Japan, South Africa, Thailand, Columbia, France, Hungary, Brazil, United States

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Have you tried Balinese massage?

When you design wellness retreats & experiences for a living, the universe has a way of making sure you never skip the practice.✨

An afternoon at Lila Ulangun Spa — open air, river sounds, pure essential oils, hands that know exactly where you’ve been carrying it.

This was one of our favorite experiences at Puri Wulandari Resort & Spa.

📍 Lila Ulangun Spa · Puri Wulandari | Ubud, Bali
@lilaulangun_spa
🎥@studiolxr

#LilaUlangunSpa #PuriWulandari #WellnessDesign #LXRBali #BalineseMassage UbudSpa StudiolLXR

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A door to paradise. 🏞️🛖
Would you stay here?

When we came to Bali searching for the perfect retreat locations, we knew that it will be beautiful, but we didn’t expect it to be THIS extraordinary. One of our favorite places in Bali @puriwulandariubud

#PuriWulandari BaliResort #travellersmonde #theluxuryasia #luxurytraveladvisor

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I often wonder how New Earth feels like. This may be it✨

📸 @bijanmachen
@studiolxr
📍 Puri Wulandari, Ubud, Bali
@puriwulandariubud New earth puri Wulandari ubud bali magical landscape jungle vibe consciousness

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The moment they set down the appetizers and we looked up — that view…

Jungle as far as the eye can see, the valley dropping away below us, the Ayung River somewhere deep in all that green. We hadn’t even tasted our food yet and Janger had already won. Needless to say, the appetizers were amazing!

@jangerrestaurant at @puriwulandariubud

📍 Janger · Puri Wulandari | Ubud, Bali

Save it for your next date night✨

#JangerRestaurant #PuriWulandari #UbudEats #BaliDining #bestofbali #JangerRestaurant #PuriWulandari #UbudDining #DateNightBali #JungleDining #UbudRestaurant #LXRBali #BaliFineDining #AyungValley #RomanticBali #sushiinbali #bestofbali #bestrestaurantinubud

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@labiennale 🛶🎨
61st Venice Biennale
📍Venice, Italy

#mediaagency #venicebiennale #mediapass #inminorkeys #koyokouohlegacy #VeniceBiennale #BiennaleArte2026 #InMinorKeys #KoyoKouoh #Arsenale #Venice #ContemporaryArt #Arte

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DAY 2 @labiennale visiting In Minor Keys curated by Koyo Kouoh @madamekoyo , the American, Hungarian, Japanese, and UK Pavilions at the Giardini.
📍Venice Biennale
Venice, Italy #VeniceBiennale #BiennaleArte2026 #InMinorKeys #KoyoKouoh #Arsenale #Venice #ContemporaryArt #Arte

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