The nearness of Nirwana Bali

MANILA, Philippines - Bali, Indonesia is a couple of plane rides away if only to experience one of the world’s top 10 destinations because of its exotic blend of ancient culture, majestic scenery, lush tropical rain forests and sandy white beaches lapped by warm ocean currents. Idyllic, isn’t it?

But South Forbes Golf City, the country’s largest fully-integrated and all-themed golf resort city at the forefront of the Metro Sta. Rosa–Tagaytay corridor, and recipient of the Best Golf Community Development by the 2007 CNBC International Property Awards, the world’s most prestigious property awards program, and, recently, the Highly Commended Award for Best Development by the 2010 Bloomberg Asia-Pacific Residential Award, has the essence of Bali right at its front door -- Nirwana Bali. Undoubtedly, there is no need to fly home; a short drive or walk would do.

Dynamic Drive. Along the Sta. Rosa Tagaytay Road is the wide entrance drive into the development, called Orchard Drive, where the Village Center, catering to every resident’s need from restaurants to retail stores, and the business center -- a cluster of built-to-specification BPOs -- are all a few meters walk from home.

The clubhouse is perched along the ridge of an enormous gorge.

Stunning Sanur. One of Nirwana Bali’s newest model homes is Sanur, designed with a young family in mind. Sanur originates from two words, “saha” and “nuhur”, which literally means the passion to visit a certain place. The Sanur unit ingeniously merges the modern and traditional to produce a home that is open, pleasant, and airy. The warm wood tones and Balinese decorative elements contrast beautifully with the clean, spare walls and sharp lines of the whole house.

The immaculate, almost monastic, living room is striking in its calm simplicity. The whole space pays particular attention to surfaces and textures with the ivory sandstone wall where an oil painting hangs, a soft and cozy sectional sofa with Balinese accent throw pillows for a very relaxed ambience, and an abaca rug that breaks up the space and lends warmth to the stone flooring. Full-length sliding doors invite the outside landscaping in -- part of the Balinese tropical living experience.

The master’s bedroom features contemporary pieces of furniture and accessories with traditional Indonesian wooden panels. The platform bed is framed by an upholstered wall panel in vibrant lemon yellow and chic, soft floral patterns. A floor-to-ceiling wooden-framed picture window is lined with built-in wooden shelving to add life and art to the scenery beyond. Luxurious drapery filters the glare of the bright sun.

Enjoy the perfection of golf at the South Forbes Golf and Leisure Club.

Chic Jimbaran. The Jimbaran, on the other hand, is ideal for couples with adolescents, having spacious private and common areas to suit everybody’s activity. The exterior is finished in monochromatic earth tones of whites, beige and browns, beautifully accented with natural materials like wood and stone -- so picture-perfect amidst a garden of lush, tropical foliage.Move in right here, right now.

 Call 635-7777 or 631-8855 for a free city tour or log on to www.southforbes.com for more information.