Sneak Peak : Elegance and style are on the way to Bali, as the St. Regis Bali Resort completes construction in Nusa Dua. Slated for opening in September, the property in the southern tourism enclave of the island will feature 125 luxurious villas, suites and residences and is the first St. Regis resort to open in Asia, Director of Marketing and Communications Geetha Warrier told The Bali Times during a tour of the site this week. The resort is among a string of high-end hotels opening in Bali – the Bulgari is already established while a Raffles hotel is being developed, among others - to take advantage of the thriving upscale tourism market that is fast turning Bali into an elite and glamorous tourism destination.

Not So Far Away in Time: A helicopter flies overhead as tourists arrive at Echo Beach with their surfboards on Thursday afternoon, ready to test out the beguiling waves along this popular enclave in Canggu whose beach huts are giving way to more upmarket eateries in a pastoral area now much-desired among Bali’s expatriate population.

Crypt : At Goa Gajah, or Elephant Cave, in the town of Bedulu near Ubud, visitors can experience a Hindu-Buddhist site dating back seven centuries. The cave – thought to have been carved out around the same time as the Borobodur Temple in Central Java – was discovered in the early part of last century and archaeologists have unearthed important religious material.

Dramatic Art : Against a stunning Rembrandt-like swirling and flaring sunset sky at Bali’s famous Tanah Lot temple, the equally well-known kecak or monkey dance was performed on Sunday night. The event was staged for the Bali Photographers’ Association, to capture striking images of this cultural favorite.