#indonesia Archives - Page 3 of 4 - Elite Havens MAGAZINE

The One and Only Lombok

Published on March 4, 2019 in Destinations/Families/Recreation by Alison Bone

Lombok is often overshadowed by its sassier neighbour Bali, but those in search of an exotic getaway will be thrilled to discover the magic of this pristine tropical island. Picture mountains blanketed in lush rainforest, thundering waterfalls, vibrant traditional villages and stunning, often-deserted beaches.

The Anandita - Mountain views

With an increasing number of direct international flights, and the recent announcement by Air Asia of two soon-to-be launched international flight routes – from Singapore and Perth, the island is more accessible than ever before.

Blissful Beaches

If you are dreaming of an uncrowded, sun-drenched tropical beach escape look no further than the glorious Sira Peninsula – an idyllic stretch of dazzling white sand lapped by crystal clear waters and fringed by coconut palms.

The Anandita - Pristine private beach

The three famed isles known collectively as the Gillis, are just a short boat trip away, and the sea here is dotted with vibrant coral reefs perfect for snorkelling and scuba diving. Take a fishing trip, explore the coast by sea kayak, or play a round of golf at the wonderfully scenic 18-hole Sire Beach Golf Club. If you’re looking for a bit of ‘Bali-style’ action, Senggigi – the island’s main tourist town is just 40 minutes away via a fabulous coastal road and offers reggae bars, good restaurants and boutiques.

coral_reef_gili_meno

Sira Beach is best enjoyed from the comfort of a luxury beachfront villa and Elite has an inspired selection.

Tropical perfection awaits at 4-bedroomed The Anandita.

Families will find plenty of space to spread out at 6-bedroomed Villa Sepoi Sepoi.

Stunning contemporary design awaits at 5-bedroomed Villa Sapi.

While 6-bedroomed Sira Beach House nestles into a coconut grove and makes an atmospheric new addition to the Elite portfolio.

Sira Beach is the perfect base for exploring the charms of this ‘undiscovered’ island paradise, and your villa manager will be happy to organise a driver and customize an itinerary for an exhilarating day trip.

Hinterland Highlights

If you can bare to drag yourself away from the coast, head to the hinterland to discover picture-perfect tropical scenery,

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The Best Alcohol Buys in Bali

Published on February 25, 2019 in Culture/Destinations/Dining by Elite Havens

It’s probably fair to say that most people enjoy a drink when they’re on holiday. Whatever your favourite tipple – an iced beer on the beach; an exotic cocktail at sunset, or a glass of chilled wine by the pool, read on to gain some insider’s info on the best places in town to buy beer, wine and spirits. And even better – how to have it delivered.

First, we’d recommend that you skip the duty-free shop at Bali Airport. While the store may be called ‘Duty Free’, it’s not. All alcohol that comes into Indonesia is slapped with a heavy import tax. The only ways around paying the tax are by purchasing a bottle of duty free at a foreign airport en route to Indonesia, or buying domestic products once you’re here.

FOLLOW THE STAR

Bintang Beer

In Bali, Bintang (meaning ‘star’) is synonymous with beer. This popular lager has 4.7% alcohol content and a mild flavour that’s well suited for beach holidays. Brewed in Indonesia, Bintang is a Heineken brand, and both beers display red stars prominently on their labels.

Second to Bintang, the most widely available beer in Bali is San Miguel (and San Miguel Light, served with lime). You’ll see Bali Hai, Anker and Stark, too. Foreign beers are harder to find, but they are out there if you know where to look. Beer & Co have outlets in Canggu and Legian, and propose a satisfying range of imported big name and craft beers.

For good prices on local beers, head to the (rather confusingly named) Bintang supermarket in the centre of Seminyak, Bali. The store’s logo is, you guessed it, a red star. They also sell wine and spirits here and, conveniently, you can pick up a bottle opener or corkscrew while you are there.

_{Bintang Supermarket}_{Jl. Raya Seminyak No.17, Kuta Bali

+62 361 730 552}

PEPITO

Back to the business of stocking the bar. Pepito is an established supermarket brand with stores all over South Bali and Ubud carrying a decent selection of booze including a wide choice of whiskey, bourbon and scotch.

For mixers, you’ll find Bali has the standard set from Schweppes – imported and domestic; soda water,

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Heaven in a Muntigunung Hammock, Handmade in Bali

Published on November 22, 2018 in Destinations/Shops by Jenny Bigio

Nothing says tropical holiday quite like a hand-woven hammock which evokes thoughts of bleached white beaches, dream-filled siestas, sea-breeze cocktails and star-gazing nights.

There’s something magical about being suspended in mid-air; the hammock’s gentle swaying calms your thoughts, settles your heartbeat, and lulls you into reverie or slumber. That’s true whether you’re beachside in Koh Samui or nested in a goose down comforter someplace cold, daydreaming about a good hammock swing.

And yet, unlike Central and South America, Asia has no hammock-making tradition. That is set to change now, thanks to the persistence of Daniel Elber, whose non-profit Future for Children has been changing the lives of the poorest communities in the drought-prone mountain slopes of eastern Bali.

BALI HAMMOCKS

Daniel was looking for new ways to provide a sustainable livelihood for the women of Muntigunung, whose sole source of income was begging in Bali’s more prosperous tourist areas. Could their basket-weaving skills be re-imagined for making hammocks, he wondered?

Handmade Hammocks

That’s how one master hammock-maker Walter Cruz from El Salvador —the ‘Land of the Hammocks’ (and considered to produce the best in the world) spent three months in the remote village of Kulkul, teaching his ancestral craft to 35 mountain women. And while they had no common language — he spoke Spanish and they a Balinese dialect — what they now share is an uncommon ability to craft absolutely stunning hammocks.

BALI HAMMOCKS

Lighter and less expensive is the chongos-tassle-decorated Muntigunung, which is as stylish but, without the spreaders, will even go into your hand luggage. If you prefer a more upright seating position to lying supine, the chair hammock will appeal — it looks as good in a living room as by the pool.

BALI HAMMOCKS

There are also custom hammocks and chair hammocks, and anyone with a tiny tot in the family will find the baby hammock irresistible. These incredibly comfortable artisan hammocks are so much more than an alternative seating choice or lifestyle accessory. Each is an individual work of art, and each requires not hours but weeks to make… patiently and painstakingly by hand, with pride. If that is not enough incentive to acquire one, then think of this: with every purchase, you are providing an income for the women of Muntigunung and a means for them to raise their self-esteem,

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The Muntigunung Trek: A Walk on the Wild Side of Bali

Published on October 19, 2018 in Destinations/Recreation by Jenny Bigio

If you’ve visited Bali before, you might have taken a day trip to Kintamani to take in the stunning views across Lake Batur towards the mountains. And the experience will have stopped there. But beyond the lake and the steep mountains is a side of Bali so far off the tourism trail that few have had the chance to visit — unless they have joined the exclusive and award-winning Muntigunung Trek. Seduced by the promise of breath-taking vistas and heart-warming encounters in the once-forgotten villages of Muntigunung, we eagerly signed up and set our alarm clock for the pre-dawn start.

Muntigunung Bali charity hike with Elite Havens – Sunrise on Muntigunung

After driving northwards for two hours in the company of Pica, our principle guide, we stopped on the crest of the caldera to marvel at the sun rising behind the mountains beyond the lake — an early Instagram-worthy moment. “That’s where you will be trekking”, he pointed. The drive itself was part of the experience; we drove past amazing rice terraces and rural vistas, then dropped down into the caldera weaving across lava fields from Gunung Batur’s 1968 eruption and along the lake to Songan.

Ready for jaw-dropping vistas?

Time to lace up your boots, lavish on the sunscreen, have selfie-stick at the ready, select a sturdy bamboo walking stick, and then take to the trail with Pica and the local guides as they lead their way up the steep mountainside. The views are spectacular — at one stage the trail follows the top of a ridge and the expanse of ocean shimmers towards the horizon on one side while, down a vertiginous drop far below, Lake Batur sparkles towards Kintamani perched on the far rim of the caldera.

Muntigunung Bali charity hike with Elite Havens – Views of Lake Batur

It is unimaginable to think that this mountain trail was once the only route the women and children of the Munti villages could take to secure water for their families – a perilous five-hour round trip every day. It was also the start of their journey to go begging with their children in Ubud and on Bali’s main beach resort streets — then their only source of income.

Making a difference, step by step

But that’s one of the joys of completing the trek; with every step, you’re making a positive contribution to the livelihood and wellbeing of the island’s poorest, most neglected communities.

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Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey

Published on July 19, 2018 in Destinations/Tips by Stephanie Anais

See Bali Island in the 1970s’

Travel back in time and catch a glimpse of daily life on the island of Bali in the 1970s. Ring of Fire: An Indonesian Odyssey is a must-see material for anyone who loves Bali and Indonesia. I for one got hooked from the very first minute I started watching this series of five documentaries. It was back in 1972 when the English brothers Lorne and Lawrence Blair set off from Great Britain to the Indonesian Archipelago to explore mystical lands and indigenous tribes, not knowing if they would ever return. Their journey led them from the deep jungle of Kalimantan to pirate territory in Sulawesi, to primitive tribes in New Guinea and Sumba, to giant lizards on Komodo Island and finally to the sacred island of Bali with all of its temples, shrines, Gods, demons and mysticism. I found it inspiring and intriguing to watch these two brothers going off-the-grid like true explorers without any modern-day luxuries such as Google Maps, Google Translate or whatsoever. They went on a crazy insane adventure and they were lucky to survive…

How it all began

Following in the footsteps of naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace, Lorne and Lawrence Blair initially traveled to the Spice Islands of Indonesia to capture footage of the legendary Greater Bird of Paradise. The things they discovered on the way were more compelling than they ever could’ve imagined. Before they knew it, a decade had passed, exploring places, islands and indigenous tribes off the map.
When they started out, Lorne was an ethnographic filmmaker who had been working for BBC and Lawrence had just earned his Ph.D. writing a doctoral thesis on psycho-anthropology. The brothers left their familiar civilization behind on a Phinisi boat with Bugis Pirates on the island of Sulawesi and they jumped into a world unknown to them.

A decade of exploring lands unknown

The brothers Blair made nine expeditions between 1972 and 1985. In total, Lorne shot over 80 hours of video footage on a 16mm film. The footage is authentic, raw, intimate, wild, utterly cool and interesting. You get a real glimpse into the cultures, traditions and rituals of indigenous Indonesian tribes. Lorne and Lawrence may have been the last true ‘explorers’ like we had them in the old days, long before the digital age kicked in.

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