The Pan Pacific Bali Nirwana Resort (BNR), owned by the family of millionaire Golkar chairman Aburizal Bakrie, and which recently merged with international hotel chain Pan Pacific, was basking in a heavenly sunset near the Tanah Lot Temple, 25 kilometers from Kuta.

Mixed beauty: The Pan Pacific's Bali Nirwana Resort, located close to the famous Tanah Lot Temple, sports an international-standard golf course designed by the legendary Greg Norman. JP/Wasti Atmodjo

Hundreds of foreign and local visitors had patiently waited for the sun to go down behind the temple.
Some had spent a leisurely afternoon at the newly opened Cendana restaurant, one of the many attractions of this five-star resort.

"This is one of the best places to watch the beauty of the sunset. The sun usually goes down at the back of the temple creating a perfect scenery. Just now, the sky is very clear," said Dwi Lismiarni, marketing communication manager for the Pan Pacific Bali Nirwana Resort recently.

Nirwana means heaven in Sanskrit. The site is indeed a blissful place, with a fantastic view of the Bali Strait in the southern part of Bali and located near one of the holiest Hindu temples, Tanah Lot. The Cendana restaurant is part of the 103-hectare Bali BNR currently managed by the Pan Pacific Group.

PT Bali Nirwana Resort, a unit under PT Bakrieland Development Tbk, developed the resort twelve years ago.

"If you need a break from your busy schedule and the hustle and bustle of the glittering but noisy tourist destinations in Bali, Nirwana Resort is your best choice," Lismiarni said.

The resort has 278 rooms including 245 deluxe rooms, 20 executive suites, 12 villas and one presidential suite.

"We will gradually be renovating the interior of the rooms to adjust to Pan Pacific International Hotel standards and improving our services for our guests," said Hans G. Winsnes, the general manager of Pan Pacific BNR.

The Pan Pacific Group, he said, has been in Indonesia for many years, however, the group only manages one hotel, the Sari Pan Pacific Hotel in Jakarta.

"After long consideration, we decided to spread our wings to Bali by collaborating with PT BNR to manage this resort," Winsnes said.

He is sure that faithful guests of the Pan Pacific Group across the world will jump at the opportunity of spending their holidays here at its Bali resort.

"We have many guests from Australia, Japan and Korea, who keep coming back," added Lisminiarni.

Under the new management of the Pan Pacific Group, the resort feels confident it will draw many more visitors from different geographical zones.

Yudi Rizard Hakim, chief corporate affairs officer of PT Bakrieland, added that 85 percent of the 103-hectare resort area was "green and open" space, and included an 18-hole golf course as well as lush gardens.

"We have an international-standard golf course designed by the legendary Greg Norman. It was the recipient of the Best Golf Course in Indonesia and Asia award," Hakim said.

Hakim went on to say the company was proud to employ local residents and therefore contribute to the local economy.

"Around 60 percent of our 900 employees come from neighboring areas," Hakim said. The company's close relationship with the local community will remain the same, despite the change in the hotel's management. "Currently, we provide 15 hectares of land for local farmers," he added.

Bakrieland is currently focusing on developing hotels and resorts in Bali, Lampung and Bogor. The company plans to build a resort in Balikpapan in East Kalimantan too.

"We have other projects in Bali in addition to the Bali Nirwana Resort," he said.

Next June, the company will open the Pullman Bali Legian Nirwana, a four-star hotel and 300 apartment units in Legian, Kuta.

For those wanting a peaceful, relaxing holiday, the Bali Nirwana Resort could be considered an ideal choice. But people who prefer to be in the middle of the action are more likely to enjoy the planned Legian Nirwana in Kuta. Just one more month to wait. Have a nice holiday in Bali.

Wasti Atmodjo, The Jakarta Post, Tabanan