Meetings, conference and incentive guests will get a rare insider view of the InterContinental hotels in Bali, Manila, Saigon and Singapore through the property’s unique product called the ‘Insider Collection’. A once-in-a lifetime opportunity to participate in a turtle release exercise at Jimbaran beach in Bali, private lunch at Saigon’s historic Reunification Palace, dance the night away at a typical Bario fiesta in Philippines or savour early evening cocktails at Singapore’s beautifully renovated Peranakan Museum.

These are just some of the unique experiences offered by the InterContinental Hotel’s new ‘Insider Collection’ launched at the InterContinental Bali Resort, InterContinental Saigon, InterContinental Manila and InterContinental Singapore.

The Insider Collection is part of a global initiative by InterContinental hotels to bring a totally new dimension to corporate meetings, incentives and conference (MICE) guests. It offers a carefully researched selection of activities that reflect the local expertise and knowledge of the people that work at the resort hotel. It comprises of five elements such as Insider Location, Insider Speaker, Insider Community, Insider Interaction and Insider Break.

MICE in Asia and writers from Indonesia and Hong Kong were invited to InterContinental Bali to experience first hand the chain’s latest offering of the ‘Insider Collection’.

Upon arrival at the hotel, we were greeted by the InterContinental Bali specialist MICE team. A full itinerary was planned by the team to visit locations that visitors rarely see using their local knowledge and connections. First on the agenda, was the cleaning of the popular Jimbaran beach. Later a visit to a ceramic factory which was followed by lunch at a small local Balinese restaurant to savour local specialty dishes with recipes handed down through many generations.

Next morning, we woke up at dawn for a session on Balinese Tai-Chi by the beach. We then had “power” breakfast specially prepared to cleanse our body. Later we cycled to the local fish market near the sea front with the chef to buy the day’s produce which were brought back to hotel’s kitchen, and were guided to cook traditional Balinese food with local ingredients. Food we prepared was served at the terrace for lunch for us to eat.

After a hectic schedule, the team arranged for us a soothing Balinese massage at the hotel’s spa. The hotel had invited a well known Master of Balinese meditation to provide us and guests with unique insights on this art. This is part of the “Insider Collection” program, whereby the MICE team of any of the hotels, have a number of speakers lined up which they can call upon to bring events to life.

“The aim of the Insider Collection is to bring the history, culture and flavours of the destinations to life in a unique way,” said David Anderson, Vice President Brand Delivery Asia-Australasia & Global Resorts.“While our network of hotels and resorts is global, our knowledge and expertise is local so we really looked far beyond everyday experiences to bring the best of Bali, Saigon and Singapore to this programme and provide unique, inspiring experiences to every event,” he added.

Volunteering to Clean Jimbaran Beach

Cows which are kept by the InterContinental Bali are used to graze the sands of the beach – an eco-friendly way.

A Visit to Bali’s Largest Ceramics Factory

Exercising the Body and Mind through Balinese Tai-Chi in the Morning followed by “Power” Breakfast

Learn to Cook Balinese Food with Fresh Seafood and Local Ingredients from Chefs of InterContinental Bali

Releasing Baby Turtles into the Sea at Sunset

A turle came on shore to lay its eggs at the beach front of InterContinental Bali. The turtle was adopted by the hotel, and the eggs were later transferred to the local turtle sanctuary to be hatched. During the media visit of the Insider Collection Program, the writers and hotel guests, had the opportunity to release the turtle hatchelings which was truly one of the wonders of life.

Watch Balinese Dance and Participate in Kecak

MICE in Asia would like to thank the InterContinental Bali MICE team for a wonderful time. Our special thanks go to Dewi Anggraini, Saraswati Subadia, Nyoman Winata, Adam McDonald and Suzy Kooy of T/PR Singapore.

Farewell dinner on our last night at InterContinental Bali.