Going Green in Bali

Location:
Indonesia

resort, art, nature, history

By Patricea Chow-Capodieci

S/f: The charming and quaint Desa Seni village resort lets you appreciate Indonesian architecture and art, set in the midst of rice fields.

My husband had promised me a pre-wedding holiday within Bali, the island that we visit often. It was not the first time that he would organize similar romantic retreats at one of the local resorts, but he promised that the experience this time would be unforgettable.

As I stood looking at the wooden huts dotting the field, I knew that my husband had kept his promise. We were at Desa Seni village resort in Canggu. With its antique Indonesian wooden huts and artefacts, it could pass as a modern equivalent to the Shire of Middle Earth.

Though instantly charmed by the first look of Desa Seni, literally meaning art village, there were other surprises awaiting us in its premises. Our ‘treasure hunt’ began at the wooden hut where our check-in was processed speedily.

We were welcomed by a staff striking a large Indonesian gong, the same kind used in gamelan orchestras, standing in the reception hut which, just like the other 22 huts making up the village, is an original antique wooden hut sourced from different parts of Indonesia. All the huts were named after a well-known Indonesian poet, artist, writer, dancer or painter, and they all contained some traditional Indonesian accessories or work by these Indonesian artistes.

Our curiosity was piqued further when we were handed the key to our hut: a piece of wood with grooves and an accompanying wooden tag that read ‘Toer’. Our hut was named after the late Pramoedya Ananta Toer, known for his novel Rumah Kaca (House of Glass).

Would our hut have a glass roof looking up at the blue afternoon sky and sparkling stars of the night? Or would it feature walls that allowed us to wave from within, out to fellow guests passing outside?

Eager to find out what Rumah Toer held, we stepped off the reception hut and on to mill stones lying on the grass, leading to a path lined from the recycled planks of an old railway tracks. It seemed as if each step was taking us away from the cold steel of modern times to a time where tools made from natural materials worked wonders.

As we continued along the path toward our hut, a vast expanse of green rice fields spread out on the left of the path while its right side was a gallery of various colors from tiny flourishing gardens of lavender, tomato, cucumber, eggplant, corn, pineapple, and papaya trees.

Arriving at Rumah Toer, we realized that it was a traditional rumah tinggal or dwelling house from Java, complete with a wooden walled terrace with hanging wooden cowbells doubling up as lamps. Besides the glass windows, there were no glass walls or roof. Pushing away our slight disappointment, we stepped up to the hut’s door. Putting the key in to the keyhole with an upward push, I felt the blocks of wood locking the door release.

Our eyes fell on the Madurese panel on the headboard the king-size mattress as we entered the room, which was furnished with wooden items sourced from various parts of Indonesia. Hanging on the walls were framed black and white photographs by Indonesian photographer Rama Surya.

Opening the large wooden storage cupboard to place our overnight carriers, we found a flat screen television with cable channel decoder and an electronic safe residing within. Overcoming our surprise, we spotted other modern amenities in the hut: the air conditioner high on one wall and wired electric lamps.

Opting for a natural breeze and light, we drew back the curtains sewn from traditional Yogyakarta batik fabric and opened the windows to hear repetitive ‘tok tok’ sounds from a wooden windmill in the neighboring rice field float in.

Such a beautiful afternoon should be spent outdoors, so we headed to the salt water lap pool. We jumped in and were enveloped by warm water; heat from the early afternoon sun had been absorbed by the stone foundations of the pool and was slowly released in to the water.

When we emerged from the pool, we found on a poolside day-bed two glasses of chilled drinking water, a refreshing lavender face spray, pool towels and Desa Seni custom-made sarongs for our use.

As we enjoyed these comforts, a staff named Widi stopped to converse with us. Like most Balinese, he was curious about our personal life but he was not overly intrusive and even allowed us a glimpse of his personal life.

The afternoon turned in to evening, and we decided to have a shower before dinner. We re-entered Rumah Toer and discovered that it had been turned down for the night. The windows were shut and the bed was cocooned within a fine cotton net, thus staving off mosquitoes. The air conditioner purred softly and the lights bathed the room with a warm glow.

We opened the small wooden door on the wall next to the bed, and walked down three concrete steps in to the bathroom. As my husband stood under the rain shower, I washed my face at the sink fashioned from a slab of wood. Reaching out for the towel, my husband realized that the towel rack had been transformed from the wooden back strap of a traditional weaving loom. Looking around, we saw that the toilet roll was held by a wooden trough and there was an original Mudarese toilet air vent high one wall.

Darkness had already arrived and colorful traditional Balinese cloth parasols fitted with bulbs lit the way as we proceeded from our hut. Lured by the gentle flicker of candles from within colorful fabric shades, we gravitated toward the pool and decided on having dinner in the bale, this one being the lower half a traditional Lombok rice bin from Lombok.

Reclining on triangular cushions, we shared a refreshing salad and delectable Antipasto prepared in the kitchen - known as Rumah Brahma - with fresh vegetables harvested from Desa Seni’s very own kitchen garden. As our generous main courses of Mushroom Rigatoni and Pasta Carbonara arrived, we hear cheery farewells from a French family of five who had dined at Rumah Uma; they must have savored a delightful meal.

Returning to Rumah Toer for the night, we met security personnel patrolling the grounds, providing tacit assurance of safety within a fenceless resort, which was also ‘guarded’ by laser beams. We turned off the air conditioner, allowing the cool night air into the room as we tucked ourselves into our bed and are lulled into dreamland by cricket calls.

The warm morning sun and melodious chirping of birds roused us from our slumber. The cheeriness of the day matched the wonderful encounter Desa Seni had given us. It would remain one of my favorite Bali resort experiences for a long time.

Further Information

Other helpful information: About Desa Seni:

The village resort is located at Jl. Kayu Putih No. 13 on Pantai Berawa (Berawa Beach) in Canggu of Bali, featuring 10 village accommodation houses. These include a one-bedroom village house for a couple, up to a deluxe private residence consisting of three bedrooms, two bathrooms and pool access for a family of six to eight. Prices range from US$150 to US$450 per night. All rates include breakfast and airport transfers.

Desa Seni has special packages available for weddings, gatherings and retreats. Please get in touch with them via email info@desaseni.com or call +62-361-844-6392.

The following are located in Desa Seni and open to non-resort guests:

- Rumah Uma restaurant serves Indonesian-inspired European cuisine for lunch and dinner, using organic produce that are harvested fresh daily from the vegetable gardens of Desa Seni.

- Merapu Spa offers pampering traditional Balinese massage and rejuvenating Javanese body treatments.

- Tri Murti Yoga Studio has daily yoga sessions conducted by Kate Rourke, a certified and experienced yoga instructor.

- The Desa Seni village houses each showcase artefacts that reflect the cultural history of the Indonesian peoples. Tours of unoccupied village houses are conducted by the resident-owner present only by request.

Getting to Desa Seni from Ngurah Rai Airport:

As you exit the parking payment gantries at the airport, head straight and arrive at the junction with Bypass Ngurah Rai. Turn left and continue along Bypass Ngurah Rai to the big roundabout. Get on to Sunset Road and continue in the direction of Seminyak. Continue on to Jl. Petitenget in the direction of Batubelig, and get on a slightly the bumpy road. Desa Seni village resort is located just before the Canggu Club.

Must see/do at this place: Swim in the pool, walk in the rice paddy, indulge in a spa or yoga session, dine on their fresh organic produce, plant your own plant