Buleleng Northern Lights
Sunshine on Matahari Beach

Editor’s Note:
Bali Travel News will publish a series of articles on the receivers of Tri Hita Karana (THK Awards) 2002. In this issue, we begin with the winner of the Emerald Medal, Matahari Beach Resort & Spa. This hotel has received the Gold Medal three times (2000, 2001 and 2002) and Bali Travel News has give special recognition for this hotel, in the form of the Emerald Medal.

Leaf through the glossy pages of the Matahari Beach Resort & Spa (MBR) brochure, and picture-perfect images abound. From a breath-taking panorama of the surrounding area, you are guided through the dragon-guarded lobby to secluded garden-view villas. A large swimming pool is pictured complete with mountainous backdrop, and the final pages reveal land and water sports and the ultimate in relaxation at the Parwathi Spa.
You will not be disappointed: take for example the garden. Landscaped to provide maximum privacy to individual bungalows, themselves a charming blend of Balinese materials, architecture and design, the plants and trees are overwhelmingly from the northwest region. Friendly and knowledgeable gardeners are more than happy to take you on a guided tour, providing information on the vegetation and the significance of Balinese carvings, statues and temples to be found throughout. These superb gardens are environmentally correct and kept lush by using recycled wastewater from the rooms and hotel utilities, filtered through an STP system.
Such cleverly crafted surroundings make it impossible not to relax. The harmony one feels is a combination of the environmental setting and the resorts culture. From management to staff member to guest, the balance is perfectly in tune with needs and comfort without being intrusive.
The special focus that the management feels towards the local community is evident from the founding and support of a local kindergarten in Pemuteran, sponsoring an orphanage in Singaraja, to encouraging and selling local handicrafts in the resort’s gift shop. MBR is actively involved in supporting and empowering local society. This working together motto generates that special atmosphere that you will encounter within and outside the hotel grounds.
Located in Pemuteran in the northwest of Bali, MBR is the perfect resort for those who want to see and feel the real Bali, enjoy luxury and top class service, and help put something back into the local community. MBR has won the Tri Hita Karana (THK) gold award three times in 2000, 2001 and 2002. THK is an annual event, which is aimed at encouraging and awarding those establishments which embody the local Balinese Hindu philosophy. Essentially, THK is the harmony or disharmony which is created by humans in their relationships with each other, God and the environment.
Things to do
· David’s Dive Shop is located in MBR and provides a warm and professional service. Try out the house reef or take a trip to nearby Menjangan Island for an outer-reef experience.
. Those wishing to do some golfing on their holiday can warm up on the mini- pitch and putt course.
. Gymnasium, health spa and beauty treatments are top class with professional therapists and sports staff.
 Entertainment
MBR provides various entertainment programs such as beach barbecues and live music and exhibitions. Details are readily available and satisfaction is guaranteed.
Cuisine
Gourmets to guests on special diets will be amazed with the wonderful menus and superb attention to detail. Dining areas are available from ocean-view tables to secluded pavilions and a main restaurant.
How to get there
You can get to MBR by helicopter to Wisnu airstrip or by road. A recommended route is via Pupuan and Serririt. This takes about three hours from Denpasar, and offers wonderful rice terrace views around the Belimbing area.(Jackie)