“Village Retreat” in Bali

I always love the Holiday in exotic Bali. My trip about 2 years ago was exciting, and my family loved it to. So when I see the article in the Star about the “village retreat” in bali , I quote it below. I also include the advertisement links as in the paper. It think the paper deserve it for the hard work writing the article.

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In a remote mountain village in Bali, Indonesia, an eco-lodge is offering a swell vacation that is guilt-free.

My idea of a perfect vacation? Some physical exertion with a bit of adventure thrown in, say a 10-day hiking trip in the Himalayas or a round-island cycling trip in Taiwan.

However, when hubby and I were planning our “babymoon” before baby arrived, I was 30 weeks pregnant, so my priorities changed.

Opting for something that promised total repose, healthy, scrumptious food (baby needs nourishment!) and a stunning location, we found ourselves kicking back at Sarinbuana Eco Lodge in Bali, Indonesia.

Tucked away in the remote, hilly slopes of Mt Batukaru in central Bali, the lodge is a family-run business with four handcrafted cottages smack in the middle of Sarinbuana village.

A typical view from the bungalows of Sarinbuana Eco Lodge and (below) Rumah Orchid is popular with honeymooners.

From Ngurah Rai airport, the journey there took almost two hours as we trundled up steep hills, past idyllic villages, terraced rice fields and breathtaking mountains. We arrived just as dusk fell and were ushered to the Tree House bungalow, a rustic two-level wooden cottage with bamboo walls and large glass-panelled windows.

The upper level comes with a queen-sized bed and daybed, with a massive window covering half a wall. A cosy living room, kitchenette, bedroom with queen beds and daybed, shower with bathtub and a spacious veranda made up the lower floor. Large mosquito nets were draped over the queen-sized beds.

In place of air-conditioning, ceiling fans and large open windows allow the cool, mountain air in. At night, it gets a tad chilly, and I had to pull on a thin cardigan. Filtered, fresh drinking water from mountain springs and biodegradable soaps are provided free for guests. The lodge recycles its grey water so guests are encouraged to bring natural soaps and shampoos if they prefer to use their own.

Natural food utopia

Stomachs growling, we hurried to the dining area, a stand-alone building with large glass windows overlooking the valley. Friends who had visited Sarinbuana rave about the scrumptious, mostly organic food. Balinese and Western dishes are whipped up using the freshest ingredients plucked from the lodge’s organic garden or bought from within 20km of the lodge.

Hurrah for locavores!

We devoured the sate lilit ikan (fish satay) — fish meat marinated with Balinese spices and grilled over hot coconut shell charcoal. The satay had a subtle blend of turmeric, galangal, ginger, lemongrass and coconut cream. It was drizzled with creamy, homemade peanut sauce.

A must-try is the Sarinbuana Jungle Special. You get spice-rich chunks of chicken, tempeh and tofu with sweet tamarind sauce, flavourful banana stem curry and the crunchy keropok melinjo with sambal dip. This delicious Balinese sambal is made with bunga bongkot (torch ginger flower), chilli, garlic and dried shrimp paste.

Luscious, homemade vanilla ice-cream, made from vanilla pods grown in the lodge’s garden, capped off a gratifying meal.

The lodge owner, Linda vant Hoff is Bali’s answer to Alice Waters of Chez Panisse, the American chef who advocates cooking with the freshest seasonal ingredients sustainably and locally produced. Guests place their orders for the day every morning, so local produce can be harvested before the dishes are prepared.

The garden shower and bathroom of Rumah Manis and (below) Sarinbuana’s menu emphasises fresh, organic and local. — SARINBUANA ECO LODGE

My personal favourites are some of vant Hoff’s own recipes. Smeared with a glob of butter, her freshly baked rice bread (made with red and black rice) is dense and chewy. Absolutely heavenly! On a cool, rainy night, vant Hoff’s hearty and flavourful brown lentil and tomato stew is the ideal comfort food.

Hot pancakes with generous lashings of subtly sweet palm sugar syrup make a tasty, wholesome breakfast. Who needs imported maple syrup? Local, seasonal favourites like fiddlehead ferntips, banana stem or cassava leaves also grace the menu.

Suffice to say, we put on a few kilos during our stay.

Plenty to do

Gardening or food enthusiasts shouldn’t miss out on the lodge’s “edible garden tour”. Designed using permaculture principles, the garden is aptly called the “food forest.”

Guests who join the tour pick up tips on the medicinal and culinary uses of over 100 varieties of plants. Producing edibles aside, the garden is a habitat for pollinating insects and songbirds. The vant Hoff’s (her husband is Norm), also run half-day permaculture workshops for the aspiring farmer.

Gourmands may join the kitchen staff and learn to whip up sambal bongkot or ikan pepis during a Balinese cooking class session.

For the restless soul, there are a variety of activities to keep you occupied.

Culture aficionados can sign up for Balinese wood or stone carving classes, calligraphy or a traditional Balinese massage workshop.

Learn how to concoct jamu (traditional medicine) at home to treat various ailments. Or why not join in the local Hindu celebrations and ceremonies like weddings and arrivals of newborns.

Nature buffs will surely enjoy birdwatching or a guided trek to the rainforest at Mt Batukaru, home to civet cats (famous for the Kopi Luwak), forest deer, pangolin, the Oriental whip snake and the largest moth in the world, the Atlas moth. For a dose of adventure, you could climb Mt Batukaru, the second highest mountain in Bali (2,200m).

Halcyon days

The Tree House.

We were content to just laze around with a good read. In spite of my aversion to chick lit, I picked up a copy of Eat Pray Love, Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling memoir of post-divorce globe-trotting, from the lodge’s well-stocked library. Lauded by Oprah Winfrey, published in more than 30 languages and now made into a movie starring Julia Roberts, the book’s prodigious success piqued my curiosity.

I wouldn’t be surprised if the movie re-ignites interest and draws tourists to Bali in droves.

Our veranda overlooked the garden, framed by rolling hills. Each morning, the lively orchestra of bird and insect calls stirred us from deep slumber. When we felt like some exercise, we grabbed a hand-drawn map from the lodge and explored the nearby villages or the natural swimming holes in the lodge. The local masseur worked her magic fingers to untie my knots, letting the pregnancy stress melt away.

It takes about 90 minutes by car to get to Ubud or Kuta, so if you’re into pub crawling or shopping, Sarinbuana is not the place for you. Other than a day visit to Bali’s Green School, we were happy to enjoy Sarinbuana’s sweet languor.

And the whipped cream topping to our vacation? Knowing our stay helped support local communities and protect the environment.

On the shortlist

Now in its fifth year, Wild Asia’s annual Responsible Tourism Awards (RTA) showcase exemplary resorts, tour operators and small community-based ventures that are committed to sustainable practices.

This year’s award attracted a larger and more diverse group of tourism operators from Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Laos, Cambodia, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and India.

Sarinbuana Eco Lodge aside, this year’s finalists are for:

Accommodation

1) Frangipani Langkawi Resort, Malaysia (http://frangipanilangkawi.com/)

2) Heritance Kandalama, Sri Lanka (www.heritancehotels.net/kandalama)

3) Soneva Gili, Maldives (www.sixsenses. com/Soneva-Gili)

Tour operators

1) Andaman Discoveries, Thailand (www.andamandiscoveries.com)

2) Pepy Tours, Cambodia (pepytours.com)

Winners will be announced on Oct 21, 2010 at the RTA ceremony held in conjunction with ITB ASIA (travel trade show and convention) in Singapore. For more information, check www.wildasia.org

source:
Saturday October 2, 2010
An idyllic retreat in Bali
Stories by LEONG SIOK HUI

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