Ecotourism: The Green Way

Tourism often has a negative effect on the environment, and Bali is no exception. Several hotels are leading the way in adopting an eco-friendly approach to keeping their guests happy. Anita Surewicz reports.

Boasting vibrant culture, breathtaking mountains and hundreds of kilometers of pristine beaches and tropical forests, Bali remains one of Asia’s premiere tourist hot-spots. However, like many locations that have borne the brunt of fast-paced development of tourism and industrial infrastructure, the sheer number of visitors to Bali is increasingly placing the island’s environment and culture under pressure. Bali is currently facing numerous environmental issues such as pollution, loss of important natural systems, lack of water and electricity and inappropriate development that impacts on local communities.

Agung Wardene, the executive director of the Bali chapter of the environmental group WALHI, points to tourism as the main cause of the island’s environmental degradation.

“With more hotels being built every day the demand for water is growing. Water shortage is a huge problem. Most water in Bali is used up by hotels, creating problems between the tourism industry and farmers,” he says.

Bali’s economy relies on tourism, and the tourism industry in turn relies on the island’s natural assets as a draw card for visitors. How environmental and cultural degradation posed by tourism is managed or mismanaged is crucial to the future viability of Bali as a tourist destination.

Agung says that the current level of expansion within the tourism sector is not sustainable.

“Tourists come to Bali to enjoy the beaches and nature, building more luxury hotels and infrastructure will not help tourism in the long run because it will damage the environment,” he says. “The current tourism policy needs to be re-evaluated.”

Despite inadequate regulation enforcement and lack of incentives, many players in Bali’s tourism industry have been proactive in establishing sustainable tourism practices.

Linda vant Hoff, the co-proprietor of the Sarinbuana Eco Lodge and an avid environmentalist, says that the international market wants more responsible environmental management.

“If the government won't enforce [environmental management regulations], the industry just has to get on with it anyway... To see the future, look at the high occupancy, international standards and efficient operations in the hotels in Bali that have worked through an involved process to achieve Certification via Green Globe.”

Heeding the call, some hotel owners on the island have instituted ambitious environmental projects, from water treatment and conservation to organic farming of produce for their restaurants.

And many are optimistic about ecotourism being the way of the future.

“In terms of the environment and tourism - the news is all good, if you see the environment as an opportunity to grow and strengthen your business... I predict those tourism businesses that embrace a win-win paradigm of ethical and sustainable management will definitely prosper in the future,” said vant Hoff.

Numerous eco-lodges and eco-village stays have been mushrooming across the island, not only raising environmental awareness among visitors, but also incorporating the three major pillars of economy, community involvement and ecological conservation.

Taking aside the usual eco management policies – water conservation, recycling, energy saving, focus on organic produce and employing people from local areas – here is the rundown on what makes Bali’s so-called eco-accommodation unique.

Sarinbuana Eco Lodge

Tel: +(62) 361 743 5198
Awards: Wild Asia’s “Best Eco Lodge in South East Asia” 2007-2008
Rates: Bungalows from Rp 1 million ++; budget rooms from Rp 100,000

Sarinbuana Eco Lodge, situated on the slopes of Mount Batukaru, is described by its owners Norm and Linda vant Hoff as a place to be inspired by the simple (yet complex) subsistence farming community.

While the project has humble beginnings dating back to 1989, when Norm contracted a piece of land with a local family and built a simple bungalow from coconut wood and bamboo, over the years  the vant Hoffs have gradually added accommodation for guests to stay on the property.

Today, Sarinbuana offers a choice of accommodation from luxurious private bungalows made from local timber and bamboo to simple room lodgings above a local warung.

Guests can join a variety of classes run by members of the local community in activities such as Balinese/Indonesian cooking, Balinese calligraphy or Balinese massage. In fact, many guests come to the lodge to learn about sustainability issues at the regular Permaculture and Sustainability workshops.

The lodge also offers informative walks and tours such as a three hour walk through the largest protected rainforest in Bali, or a day trek to the summit of Mt. Batukaru, a 2,200- meter extinct volcano.

“We have trained five local people to be trekking guides, some in the beginning were not able to speak any English or had no understanding of preserving the environment, now they are guiding guests every day in the rainforest sharing their knowledge ... of sustainability,” says Linda vant Hoff.

Bali Mountain Retreat

Tel: 0828 360 2645
Rates: From Rp 150,000 – Rp 910,000

The recently opened Bali Mountain Retreat (BMR), located at 700 meters on the slopes of Mt. Batukaru, commands panoramic views of Bali, where the air is clean and the water is directly fed from a spring on the mountain.

“The water is stored in a large concrete tank for drier times, then UV filtered and 1micron filtered for drinking ... This water supply can not be turned off so the overflow becomes part of the catchments again,” says Rebecca Kaal, BMR’s co-proprietor.

The accommodation encompasses a blend of traditional Balinese & contemporary Asian styles, ranging from well-appointed rooms in a handcrafted teak house to comfortable bungalows.  

Available activities include guided walks through the rice fields and gardens, guided treks up the mountain or through the protected mountain forest as well as cycling tours.

“Along with neighboring businesses and local villagers, BMR is actively involved in the preservation of the local Montane forest by promoting eco friendly trekking around this mountain to raise awareness and as an alternative industry for locals,” says Kaal.


Uyah Amed Hotel

Tel: +62 363 23462
Rates: From US$36

The idea for Uyah Amed Hotel originated when its operators noticed that an increasing number of salt production fields in Amed, East Bali, were either left unused or sold to make way for tourist accommodation. The hotel aims to preserve this tradition by promoting production of salt from seawater as a point of interest to tourists.

“The salt produced on our premises is panned by the people from Amed with a guarantee for them that we purchase their share (50 percent) of the harvest if they want to sell it,” says I Nyoman Sudiana, the hotel’s Balinese co-owner.

Supporting and working with the local community of Amed plays a big role in the hotel’s operation.

“All out staff come from the area ... Since we also train our staff on environmental matters they will eventually distribute this knowledge in the village,” says I Nyoman Sudiana.

Bali EcoAdventure & Resort

Tel: +62 361 901 874
Rate:  From Rp 420,000

Established in close cooperation and with the active involvement of the local community, Bali EcoAdventure & Resort offers its visitors numerous activities and a number of eco-friendly villas.

Located alongside the densely forested Tegalalang area in the village of Bayad just north of Ubud, this environmentally sustainable community project offers numerous activities, including 6 kilometers of nature paths along the banks of the Petanu River, and a visit to the 750-year-old Goa Maya Cave located within a unique 1.5-kilometer underground labyrinth of tunnels.

“We want to establish a local example of how tourism and economy and how tourism and local circumstances can work hand in hand and in harmony and respect for each other,” says Peter Studer, the initiator and adviser of Bali EcoAdventure & Resort.
 
The project is managed by Balinese locals, with free advice from international ecotourism professionals. Currently, 34 local farmers have an equity stake in the project, and monetary return on this is used to improve healthcare, housing, educational opportunities and social empowerment.

Bali Udayana Kingfisher Eco Lodge  

Tel: +62 (0) 361 7474204
Rate: From US$60
Awards: Green Globe Eco Certificate since 2005

Set in the Jimbaran hills in a conservation area for birds and butterflies, Udayana Eco Lodge is located on 30 hectares of bush overlooking Mt. Agung, and Jimbaran and Benoa bays. What makes this lodge unique is its garden sanctuary, which offers habitat to more than 50 species of birds and 80 species of butterflies.

Alan Wilson, the proprietor of Udayana Eco Lodge and founder of INIRADEF (Indonesian International Rural and Agricultural Development Foundation), says that the lodge follows all the tenets of Green Globe.

“Both my wife and myself ... thought the best way we could serve Indonesia was to set up a company based on eco-management and develop small lodges on the edges of national parks and use ecotourism as a conservation measure to create sustainable jobs dependent on the environment,” says Wilson.  

Puri Lumbung Cottages  

Tel: +62 362 92810
Price: From US$72
Awards: Green Hotelier certified; Tri Hita Karana award

Puri Lumbung Cottages are located between 500 and 1,200 meters above sea level in the cool mountain air of the small village of Munduk in Buleleng regency, North Bali.

The hotel grounds are designed in the traditional Balinese manner modeled on the sacred human form with shrines at the head, guest accommodation at the heart and other facilities at the foot. The accommodation is unique in that it has been fashioned from disused 80-year-old lumbung (traditional rice granaries).

More than just a hotel, the cottages are an ecotourism project, which aims to conserve and enhance the unspoiled area around Munduk.

“The people of Munduk are involved as much as possible in caring for the guests and all staff employed at the hotel are from the local area. We not only provide employment, but engage them in activities that maintain the tropical rainforest and preserve water,” says the hotel’s operator, Nyoman Bagiarta.

Agung Bali Nirwana

Tel: 081 2394 7308
Rate: From US$145

The eco-friendly luxury resort of Agung Bali Nirwana, located in Sambirenteng, North Bali, prides itself on using modern technology to deliver quality and comfort without detriment to the environment.

The resort claims to sport Indonesia’s first ever pure water swimming pool. Not just aesthetically pleasing, no chlorine, bromide or salt is ever used in the pool.   

“Water is recirculated over the negative edge onto small rocks, then through sand-box filters to remove smaller particles. Bacteria and algae are killed by the specially designed UV sterilization system. Then finally the water is fed back into the pool through specialist magnets, imported from the US, which help achieve a satisfactory pH,” says Vida Shen, reservations and marketing manager of Agung Bali Nirwana.

The resort’s owners, in conjunction with the Indonesian ministry of fisheries, are currently working on a coral reef project in the area. Using the Biorock method, the project involves building and submerging a large steel cage-like structure through which a low electric current is passed causing a fast calcium buildup creating the ideal pH for coral growth.

Alila Resorts

www.alilahotels.com
Price: Alila Ubud from US$224++; Alila Manggis from US$155++; Alila Uluwatu from US$580++
Awards: Alila Ubud and Alila Manggis have been certified by the Green Globe since 2007 and have won the Tri Hita Karena and the Wild Asia Responsible Tourism 2008 award.

Alila provides high-end luxury accommodation at three eco-resorts in Bali: Alila Ubud (just north of Ubud), Alila Manggis (in Manggis on the east coast) and Alila Uluwatu, which opened in June 2009 on the south coast of Bali. A fourth resort, Alila Villas Soori, is set to open in the Tabanan Regency in West Bali in December.

All Alila properties are surrounded by abundant nature and local villages and offer contemporary interpretation of traditional Balinese architecture combined with modern world-class amenities.

Danielle Chow, consultant for Alila PR Agency, says Alila properties not only offer environmentally friendly luxury but also have unique activities for guests, aimed at deepening their understanding of the Balinese culture and way of life.

“One of the activities offered in Uluwatu is ... where guests meet the environmental team who hand out a  plan  of  the  site’s systems – heat pump, rain harvest system – and explain in detail how they work as well as enlighten the guests on the Environmental Policy and Green Globe certification for design, build and operations,” she says.

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What to look out for

In recent years “ecotourism” and “eco lodges” have become buzzwords used by organizations and people dedicated to environmental conservation and supporting local communities, as well as those who market their establishments as environmentally friendly for economic reasons with little regard for the actual destination. Some properties follow the practice of “green wash”, or in other words claim to be in the business of sustainable tourism but in reality are not. While ascertaining which establishments are truly “green” can be a hefty task, here are some questions you can ask the hotel owner when deciding where to stay on your next holiday.

- Does the hotel use renewable energy and take power consumption measures?

- Does the hotel recycle its waste and waste water?

- Does the hotel practice water conservation if it is in an area where this is an issue?

- Does the hotel use biodegradable cleaning products?

- Does the hotel supply fresh towels and sheets daily? This is both a waste of water and energy.

- Does the hotel have or support an environmental program aimed at protecting the surrounding area?

- Does the hotel hire local employees, train and pay them a fair wage?

- Does the hotel purchase food and products locally, where possible?

- Does the hotel provide information on local culture and conservation to educate its guests about the surrounding area?

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