Many who venture to Bali never leave the main touristy hubs to explore what the real Bali has to offer. Take the trek over to the West side of Bali to bask in the tranquility at the Puri Dajuma eco-friendly hotel.
Puri Dajuma is the ideal secluded getaway with exotic black sand beaches and luxury at your fingertips, whilst still offering the options to explore the spoils of West Bali.
We were welcomed to Puri Dajuma with a refreshing coconut lime drink (with no straw of course) and a cool towel. Well deserved after our two hour motorbike ride to escape the hustle and bustle of Kuta and Seminyak.
Lead through a maze of tropical gardens we were introduced to our villa, a modernized Balinese yurt covered with a blanket of living flowers. Minimalistic yet providing all the creature comforts you didn't even know you needed. The highlight however, was the stunning outdoor bathroom. Which captured the essence of nature whilst providing privacy and modern comforts.
Eco-friendly
A true beachfront eco resort, Puri Dajuma ensures that every measure is made to protect it’s beautiful Bali environment. This is made possible by aiming to be as self-sufficient as possible, through adopting energy and water conservation methods along with recycling and composting of all their waste.
A zero marine pollution policy is in place to educate staff about the detrimental effects of littering on the beaches to reinforce their eco-friendly ethos. You too can do your part by taking a handwoven trash bag with you along the beach to pick up any litter you may find.
Puri Dajuma is a proud member of BGreener, a non-profit organisation which promotes sustainable businesses and tourism throughout Indonesia.
Supporting the Local Community
Puri Dajuma places an emphasis on supporting the local Balinese community, with all staff employed from the surrounding local villages, each with their own social policy. Furthermore, the Bali tours organised by Puri Dajuma are based around supporting local villages and projects.
Activities
There is plenty of activity options available at Puri Dajuma, if relaxing by one of the two pools and massages by the beach aren’t cutting it for you. An array of activities are waiting for you on site with badminton, bodyboards, surfing lessons, stand up paddle boards, sea kayaks, ping pong, skittles and a home cinema, just to name a few. Not to mention the spa and wellness center offering daily yoga classes alongside beauty treatments and a steaming hot jacuzzi.
Immerse yourself into the Balinese way of life and learn about the Balinese culture. Classes are available on how to make bamboo decorations, Balinese cooking or dancing and partake in traditional Balinese ceremonies in the local village.
Highlight of our Stay: West Bali Tour
The highlight of staying at Puri Dajuma are the numerous tour options available to explore everything Bali has to offer and even a famous volcano of East Java if you dare to venture that far.
Whether you are interested in learning about the traditional rice farming methods, village life or exploring hidden waterfalls, hot springs and the best underwater paradise in Bali, Puri Dajuma has the tour for you.
Plantation and West Bali villages
We wanted to explore a bit of everything in West Bali and decided to go on a full day tour of the area. To start the day we were introduced to the ecotourism at Pekutatan, a Pulukan Ecotourism State Plantation of Pekutatan village. We were able to observe the entire natural rubber production process, from the collection of sap from the rubber trees to the processing and packaging stages. It was fascinating to see the in depth process of a material we use in daily life.
Leaving behind the rubber workshop, we trekked through the rubber tree plantation which also housed banana, cacoa and other various exotic fruit trees. As we wandered through, our guide pointed out local vegetation and educated us on their traditional uses.
To end our trek we were treated to fresh coconuts, retrieved by a man climbing barefoot up a coconut tree. While we sipped our coconut juice in the shade (of a coconut tree), we watched in awe at the various crafts the men were creating from coconut leafs.
Re-energised from our coconuts, we jumped onto the top of jeeps to head out of the jungle bush bashing style. Dodging trees and potholes, we bounced through the terrain to continue onward and upward through local mountain villages. No one missed the opportunity to smile and wave at us as we drove through their village, children run down the street to greet us yelling hello at the top of their lungs.
Making seemingly random stops by the side of the road, we were introduced to more fruit and spice trees. It was fantastic to experience the local fruits and see the origins of spices we only see packaged in supermarkets.
We also drove through the famous Holy Banian Tree. Yes, you read that right we went through a sacred tree. This tree was forbidden to be cut down, so the villagers carefully cut a passage through the tree to make way for the road.
After driving through mountainous winding roads, we stopped for a traditional Balinese lunch prepared by a women from the local village. A delicious array of veggies, meat and rice served on banana leaf plates.
Kurma Asih Turtle Conservation
In the afternoon we returned from the mountains back to the West Bali beaches. We visited the Kurma Asih Turtle Conservation founded in 1997 by a group of Balinese fishermen, who had traditionally been turtle hunters. They turned their way of living around when they learned of the endangered status of these beautiful creatures and instead invested in protecting the turtles from this harmful trade.
Kurma Asih is an effort led by the Perancak community, which assists the local sea turtle population by locating nests, rehabilitating injured turtles, conducting research and educating the wider community.
We were shown how they rescued turtle eggs and relocated them to their facility to save them from poachers and other wildlife, but were disappointed to learn that a nest had already hatched that morning. Pak Amon was digging up the nest to reveal old egg shells and my heart deflated at the sight. Watching on as he dug deeper, he suddenly pulled out not one, but two baby turtles!
I couldn't believe my eyes. From the nest that hatched today these were two stragglers who had decided to take their time. We held them as gently as we could to take them over to the holding tank and were greeted to the sight of a mass of tiny wriggling baby turtles.
“Ok we release them now,” Pak Amon interrupted our childhood awe in watching the countless little creatures swim around in their tank. Gathering up a bucket filled with baby turtles we followed him down to the beach, along with a group of local girls who wanted in on the action.
One by one we lowered the baby turtles gently onto the sand and watched as they made their way toward the sea. As each little turtle was swept away by the waves, my heart soared as they began their life journey in the big open ocean. It was all over too soon and I had wanted the moment to last for a lifetime. This was definitely a moment I will remember for the rest of my life.
Staying at the Puri Dajuma eco-friendly resort and going on their West Bali Tour was one of the highlights of our stay in Bali. Whilst I was invited to review Puri Dajuma, I was thoroughly impressed by the support they provided to the local community and would recommend the resort to friends, family and the Litterless Living Tribe.