Ngajeng! meaning "Eat!" in Balinese is an exclamation you’ll often hear when passing someone who is eating. Sadly it’s not an invitation to join the meal, but an apology for tucking in when the passerby is not! It’s an expression of Bali’s strong sense of community and the great cultural importance attached to food. This stylish, secluded resort was the first to open a cooking school in Bali – a carefully conceived course that beautifully combines the inseparable – cooking and culture. Set amidst a coconut grove, the resort nestles between the sea and the majestic Mount Agung, Bali’s most sacred mountain in unspoilt East Bali. This area of the island is renowned for its spectacular beauty, where the steep rise from coast to mountain creates breathtaking scenery. The local people follow a traditional lifestyle, whether it is cultivating rice, farming, fishing, weaving the famous double ikat textiles or salt making, all of which you will get to see. Cooking is a wonderful mix – you’ll cook with the locals in Balinese villages, sear seafood beachside in secluded coves, as well as help prepare a sumptuous banquet with the hotels chefs. You will learn about the many different rices and how to cook them as well as the satays, sambals, condiments and sweets that make this cuisine such a treat for the taste buds. There will be a fascinating trip to one of the busiest village markets as well as a host of cultural activities including music and dance. The resort is beautifully designed – a contemporary interpretation of traditional Balinese architecture. All rooms face the ocean with clear views across the straits to Nusa Penida. It also has an excellent spa. If you’d like to extend your stay in the hotel has a sister property in beautiful Ubud, the island’s cultural heart. A perfect combination of coast and culture.