The Legian Seminyak is a historical grande dame on Bali’s world famous Seminyak shoreline. For nearly three decades, this excellent legendary resort has defined a particular brand of sophisticated beachfront elegance that makes loyal guests return time and time again for the million dollar ocean views, top notch service, and unsurpassed hospitality.

Due to its unmatched service excellence and refined luxurious environs, The Legian has consistently made its mark and earned numerous international awards and prestigious accolades over the years. As an example, The Legian happens to be one of the handful of elite luxury resorts in Bali that were recently awarded with Michelin Keys in recognition of being one of the finest hotels in all of Bali. And that is no mean feat as there are over 18,000 hotels on the Island of the Gods.

To comprehend the long illustrious history of The Legian is to read a tale of Indonesian’s top design icons. The resort’s elegant interiors were designed by accomplished and prolific names such as the late Jaya Ibrahim and architect Hendra Hadiprana. I can best describe the aesthetics of The Legian as 3 Cs: Classic Continental Charm.

There are over-the-top stylish and opulent hotels that are Instagrammable, and consistent hotels that are filled with understated luxury and character that make you instantly feel safe and at ease. The Legian definitely leans toward the latter. The common areas and suites are all tastefully decorated with touches of iridescent mother-of-pearl mosaic inlays, handcrafted Balinese teak wood antiques, smooth sepia-toned parquet floors, hints of polished marble, monochromatic portraits, and a subdued neutral colour palette that is easy on both the eyes and senses.

I am generally not a huge fan of old heritage hotels, but somehow The Legian absolutely does it for me. First off, the resort premises are neat, pristine, and exceptionally well maintained. In spite of being a heritage hotel, the decor of the premises look timeless and ageless. Everything around the lauded resort seems regularly refurbished, and the overall appearance is a contemporary and modern style. Most importantly, there is no old stench, but instead sweet aromatic whiffs of tuberoses mixed with sea salt permeates the surrounding air.

While sipping refreshingly sparkling kombuchas as we laid out on the day beds of our spacious private balcony that overlooks the stunningly gorgeous beachfront views in front of us, I had a thought that I wanted time to stand still so that I could relish this very moment for an eternity.

During our lunch at The Restaurant, I caught sight of a Singapore-based expat acquaintance smiling broadly as he frolicked in the main pool with his beautiful wife and three kids. The five of them splashing wildly with glee at The Legian’s stupendous triple tiered infinity pools that blends into the epic oceanic horizon below. The scene looked and felt like something out of a TV commercial and the professional photographer in me wished that I was able to take a snapshot of that picture perfect moment.

After lunch, I walked up to have a brief chat with them and it turns out that they were on a one week family vacation and chose to also stay at The Legian for the entire week based on fond memories garnered from their previous stay. I understood this notion as coming back again to stay at The Legian felt akin to re-reading an old favourite classic book that is both satisfyingly familiar and deeply comforting. Even though you already know the fairytale’s happy ending, but going through the story once again still feels just as delightful.

To have the golden opportunity to experience our first baby sea turtle release while we were staying at The Legian was one of those precious once-in-a-lifetime moments that stay imprinted in our memory banks.

Seasonally, Olive Ridley sea turtles lay their eggs on the stretch of beach right in front of the hotel and the staff will scoop them up and incubate them in a protected area until they hatch before releasing the hatchlings into the sea.

On the day that we checked in, a prosperous bale of 88 baby sea turtles were hatched and were eagerly waiting to be set free. The hotel’s turtle conservation team explained the significance of protecting these fragile and endangered sea creatures before starting to empty the basin of fragile turtles onto the sand. There was a palpable sense of excitement mixed with reverence in the air. The baby turtles looked so delicate yet full of instinctive determination as they begun their brave and clumsy sojourns toward the strong ocean currents with their cute little flippers leaving tiny trail prints across the glistening sand.

The crowd that had gathered clapped and cheered the baby turtles on as they disappeared into the surf. It was utterly surreal to witness such a rare moment of joy. The reality is that statistically, only 1 in 1,000 sea turtles will make it to adulthood in the wild. We hope that as many of those palm-sized baby sea turtles will eventually make it.

Another highlight of our stay at The Legian was the opportunity to partake in a full-fledged traditional Balinese temple blessing. Hidden and tucked way in a quiet and contemplative corner of the resort sits the most beautiful on-property Balinese temple complex that I have witnessed at any hotel in Bali.

The intricately carved lava stone shrines are adorned with mandalas of colourful fresh blooms and ornate canang sari basket offerings. The ceremony began in earnest immediately as we stepped foot in front of the sacred temple. A male gamelan musician played hypnotic tunes in the background, while two female assistants melodiously chanted Hindu mantras alongside the chief priest who was decked in a pure white ensemble.

Prior to the ritual, we were being handsomely dressed up in formal traditional Balinese temple attire consisting of two layers of batik sarongs, a brightly coloured sash, and udeng headbands. We were guided through the entire prayer ceremony ritual as purifying holy water were being sprinkled onto us, before grains of rice were being anointed on our foreheads as abundance blessings. The temple ritual ended with the tying of protective Tridatu bracelets around our wrists which symbolises the harmonious balance of creation, preservation, and destruction. I felt a profound sense of serenity and renewal right after the ceremony that lingered for hours.

Just across the road from The Legian lies the far more intimate sister property “The Club”. Separated by a boundary of volcanic stone enclosures and lush tropical gardens, The Club by The Legian is an adjacent secluded hideaway of ultra spacious private pool villas with attentive butler concierge services. The Club functions like a stand-alone luxury resort with all the benefits of being next door to The Legian’s facilities.

Guests at The Club have their own bonus amenities, and are also most welcomed to make full use of The Legian’s facilities; but not the other way around. For honeymooners as well as those seeking isolation and solitude, The Club is obviously the preferred choice. The staff at The Club anticipates your every wish and need. This is the kind of next level bespoke hospitality whereby the butler knows and remembers your preferences such as choice of morning beverage and food allergies.

The Club by The Legian is not for everyone, and that is precisely a major part of its exclusive appeal. The Club elevates the DNA of The Legian’s already lofty standards into posh Aman-style private villa territory. The discreet layout and high walls give guests the feeling of staying at your own personal villa residential compound complete with extra exquisite touches such as a fully stocked pool bar, afternoon tea, and included laundry services.

Larger families who need more space and couples who crave peaceful respite would likely love it better here. Right at The Club, time slows down to a crawl and dissolves into dreamy naps by your very own lengthy villa pool. The only prying eyes watching you skinny dip in your personal Jacuzzi are the ornamental Japanese koi fish that live and swim in the pond that circumvents the Jacuzzi tub that is so large that it takes up to an hour to fill to the brim.

My stay at The Club ended with yet another first. It was a surreal and startling experience, one that unfolded in the mere blink of an eye and still remains fresh in my mind. I was walking across the small zebra crossing just outside the entrance of The Club to The Legian for our final sunset dinner, when a speeding motorcycle abruptly appeared out of nowhere and rammed into me from the right side.

The drunken expat motorcyclist had ignored the security guard who was furiously waving a red flag and blowing a whistle in order to try to halt the traffic. The impact was not excessively severe, but ample enough to toss my mobile phone a couple of metres away, and leave me dazed, shaken, and momentarily disoriented as to what I needed to do next.

For a few seconds, time itself seemed to come to a standstill and everything became silent. I could barely make out the murmurs of shocked onlookers asking if I was alright and if I needed any medical attention. Almost instantly, worried Legian staff rushed to my aid with genuine care and concern. They brought me ice wrapped in towels to clean the scrapes, as well as to curb the bruising and swelling. Their calm attentiveness turned what could have otherwise been a frightening experience into one of reassurance.

Accidents happen from time to time and such is life. C’est la vie. C’est comme ca. This incident and how it was being handled demonstrates why The Legian is so renowned – not just for its beauty or luxury, but for the warm hospitality and humanity of its staff, who endeavour to make every guest feel truly cared for even in life’s uncertainties and unexpected incidents. The Legian is truly deserving of its legendary status and accolades. We simply cannot wait to return back there on our next trip to Bali.