Two towering 13.7-meter sculptures dominate the landscape at Nuanu, a groundbreaking new city in Bali specifically designed for digital nomads. Created by South African multidisciplinary artist Daniel Popper, these "Earth Sentinels" sculptures blend fairy tale aesthetics with Mad Max-inspired elements, serving as watchful guardians over this ambitious urban experiment that represents a blueprint for future living.

The concept for Nuanu Creative City emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic when Russian entrepreneur Sergey Solonin found himself stranded in Bali at the beginning of 2020. Contemplating what a self-sustaining city could look like, Solonin launched Nuanu Creative City by March 2020, complete with co-working spaces, educational facilities, and designer residences available for purchase. The name "Nuanu" derives from the Balinese word meaning "in the process," reflecting the city's ongoing development and evolution.

Spanning 44 hectares of land on the coast of Tabanan in Bali, Nuanu transforms former cattle-grazing grounds into a striking mini metropolis. The development features architectural bamboo domes, shimmering mirror-clad buildings, and villas designed in the style of hobbit homes reminiscent of "The Lord of the Rings" film series. Located just 30 minutes from the popular digital nomad destination of Canggu and near the historic 16th-century Tanah Lot temple, the city occupies a strategic position for attracting remote workers.

If Nevada's counterculture Burning Man festival had established a real estate division, the result might closely resemble Nuanu. This innovative community has been specifically designed to attract individuals who prefer spending their time on a tropical island from sunrise to sunset rather than confined within traditional office cubicles. The development represents a radical departure from conventional urban planning, prioritizing sustainability and community living over traditional commercial structures.

The Nuanu development team has committed to preserving two-thirds of the landscape in its natural state. "We try to build around trees or relocate them," explains Nuanu Chief Executive Lev Kroll, a Russian entrepreneur who has made Bali his home. This 15-minute city concept ensures residents can reach most destinations within a 15-minute walk or bicycle ride, with automobiles completely banned from the community to maintain environmental integrity and promote sustainable transportation.

While currently serving holidaymakers and visitors, Nuanu will transition into a residential community when it begins opening its permanent residences in the fourth quarter of 2025. Early property purchasers include digital nomads and investors from Indonesia, Singapore, Australia, and Malaysia, demonstrating the project's international appeal. The development already features visible infrastructure including city buildings, schools, and restaurants, with a museum planned to join the community in 2026.

The educational and business facilities at Nuanu break conventional molds entirely. The ProEd Global School, one of the first properties to open, resembles an oversized safari camp and accommodates children from nursery age through Year 10 (equivalent to Secondary 4 in Singapore's education system). Students attend classes in unique spaces including a performance amphitheater, science laboratory, and music room, while parents can wait in the on-site Jungle Toppings cafe.

Near the school stands the Lumeira social-wellness complex, featuring distinctive ochre-colored domes that appear transplanted from a Star Wars film set. A short distance away lies Magic Garden, where butterflies are specifically bred to pollinate plants and replenish the community grounds. These facilities demonstrate Nuanu's commitment to creating an ecosystem that supports both human activity and natural processes.

While traditional supermarkets are absent from Nuanu, new hospitality options continue to emerge. The boutique Oshom hotel wraps around trees in the mangrove areas, creating an immersive natural experience for guests. However, the real estate projects, starting at $150,000, represent the true foundation for transforming Nuanu into a sustainable community rather than merely a tourist destination.

The Ecoverse development exemplifies Nuanu's environmental commitment, featuring 34 apartments and 16 townhouses constructed using EcoCrete bricks made from coal waste and powered by photovoltaic energy systems. The complex includes a co-working space, gourmet restaurant, and 25-meter swimming pool. The most recent project, The Pavilions, bills itself as Bali's first wellness residence, with villas including private wellness centers called The Core, complete with meditation areas, yoga studios, and hydrotherapy pools.

German architect Alexis Dornier designed The Residences, priced from $500,000, which sold out completely in a single day in June 2024. These villas incorporate solar power systems, osmosis water filters, and passive cooling technologies. "Working with volcanic stone and handmade bricks gave us the opportunity to anchor the project in Bali without falling into cliches," Dornier explained, emphasizing the development's commitment to authentic local materials and sustainable construction methods.

According to Kroll, creating a genuine community atmosphere for residents depends heavily on thoughtful planning and design. The homes are strategically positioned on Nuanu's periphery and will offer the appeal of any upscale residential enclave. When residents are not occupying their homes, Nuanu will assist them in renting these properties to other digital nomads, creating a sustainable tourism model that benefits both property owners and visitors.

The community expects to accommodate several thousand residents across its array of apartments, townhouses, and villas. Daily life will be enhanced by Aurora, Nuanu's proprietary AI concierge system similar to Siri, which will seamlessly integrate with residents' schedules. When residents need transportation, electric buggies will automatically arrive at their doors, eliminating the need for private vehicle ownership and maintaining the community's car-free environment.

Nuanu maintains a distinctly entrepreneurial atmosphere with diverse businesses scattered throughout the grounds, ranging from hydroponic farms to design studios that create office furniture from recycled plastic materials. With numerous businesses operating within the city, the potential for design chaos exists, but Nuanu maintains investment stakes in each enterprise to ensure aesthetic consistency. Additionally, every business contributes 5 percent of its revenue to a social fund that provides free education and healthcare to local Tabanan residents.

Given Nuanu's focus on attracting digital nomads, business owners represent a global community. While the majority of the city's 700 staff members are Indonesian, this international business ownership has prompted questions about why more Indonesians aren't directly involved in ownership roles. Online discussions have also addressed concerns about the significant level of Russian investment in the project.

Many commissioned artists also represent international talent. The sculptural bamboo THK Tower results from collaboration between French architect Arthur Mamou-Mani and Balinese bamboo artisan I Made Wirahadi Purnawan, while the museum focuses on works by Japanese artist Eugene Kangawa. Kroll acknowledges this international approach, stating, "We are not Indonesians, so that's not something we can bring to the table. What we can do is amplify what Bali has." His team's strategy involves bringing international artists and Indonesian creators together at Nuanu, creating opportunities for cultural exchange and collaboration.

While many residents will likely spend their time in swimwear and dining at beach clubs, essential services like supermarkets and clothing stores require trips outside the city boundaries. This limitation represents one of the practical challenges facing residents who choose to make Nuanu their primary residence rather than a temporary retreat.

Similar expatriate-focused projects have failed in the past, but Kroll believes Nuanu's deliberate, measured development pace will be crucial to its long-term success. "There was a culture for developers to do things quickly, but that's not right for us, coming from a more corporate background," he explains, emphasizing the importance of sustainable growth over rapid expansion.

Australian journalist and YouTuber Chris Stead, who frequently travels and visited Nuanu with his family, offers a mixed assessment of the community's current state. "As beautiful as it is, I wouldn't live there in its current form," he observes. "It's quite remote and isolated from much of the infrastructure and affordable necessities I'd need for my young family." Stead, who created a YouTube video documenting Nuanu, believes the development requires additional work to truly function as a city rather than a collection of businesses.

"There's no overarching authority that binds Nuanu into feeling like a singular place. It feels like a collection of third-party businesses each trying to lure customer dollars," Stead adds, highlighting the challenge of creating genuine community cohesion in a commercially-driven development.

Luxury lifestyle influencer Angelina Shashkina, who relocated from Bangkok to Bali in February 2023, appreciates Nuanu's unique walkable environment. "Nuanu is one of the rare places in Bali where you can actually walk everywhere," she notes, praising the development's pedestrian-friendly design that contrasts sharply with Bali's typically congested roads. However, she agrees that additional infrastructure would be necessary for long-term residence, suggesting that "adding more everyday conveniences and services would make it even more comfortable and practical for long-term living."

Kroll maintains that creating a successful community requires people, and early indicators suggest this won't be problematic. The inaugural Art • Bali art fair, held in September, attracted 10,000 visitors, demonstrating significant interest in Nuanu's cultural offerings and suggesting strong potential for building a vibrant, sustainable community that can serve as a model for future urban development in tropical destinations.