Balinese Life

Abracadabra
Coconut Trees Appear at Hotel!

When your heart sincerely drives you to see other things than cultural performances or charming historical sites during your visit in Bali, simply choose to make a village excursion. Then, discover the experience of watching the people’s activities and the unique Balinese way of life.

Besides inhaling fresh air and tranquil ambience you can also closely watch the activity of farmers at rice fields or tropical gardens. At gardens, they grow cloves, vanillas, coffee or cacaos with chili or banana in the midst of them as tumpang sari or intercropping. Leading commodities harvested from this garden are predominantly intended to supply the demand of export markets.
Most of the plants cultivated at the estate can grow well at higher lands as they need a cooler climate. That’s why you can also feel the same coolness to release the tension and reach the calm of mind by indulging to be back to nature. Bali that is also known as agrarian region retains some tempting places to visit for this purpose. Highlands like Kintamani, Wanagiri, Pupuan and some others are the right place for coffee plantations. At Kintamani an organic coffee with distinctive flavour and fine quality has been developed. It is said that foreign markets are in favor for this commodity.
On traveling to Singaraja from Denpasar via Bedugul for instance, you can drop in somewhere at convenient points between Wanagiri and Gitgit where you can see on the right and left side the clove or coffee plantations growing flourishingly. The cool climate and beautiful scenery will make this an unforgettable journey. More than that, when the fruit season falls, fresh fruits like durian, mango, mangosteen, rambutan and passion fruit are on sale at the street side stalls between the Kapal and Padang Bulia Village.
In the meantime, a fruit that plays an important role within the daily life of local people is coconut. It is mainly cultivated at lower lands and moreover on coastal land. Apart from being intended for supplying the demand of coconut oil factories on Java Island, this tropical palm is also used for self-consumption. The Hindus in Bali require its leaves, young fruit and mature fruit for making regular oblations along with its paraphernalia all the year round. In essence, it really comes in a versatile plant for the inhabitant of this island.
Today, the coconut trunk has become an alternative material for building construction, home interior furniture and a variety of fine kitchen utensils like bowl, dish, spoon and many more. Unique utensils as these are widely used to present natural ambience at hotel, restaurant or spa. This is assuredly enabled by the new touch of artisan and modern supporting mechanical tools.
In keeping with the rapid growth of tourism development on the island there are unique phenomena. Views of beach fringe at major tourist destinations seem to have become incomplete without the presence of coconut trees. Similarly, they have become an integrated icon of the tropical region. The tourist accommodations that does not have coconut trees, will import them from other regions for landscaping elements. For this purpose, some mature plants at other places are removed to these new established resorts. As if the coconut, frangipani and other mature plants were conjured up to instantly appear at the new places. Abracadabra! Though it is a barren land or verdant rice field, in relatively short time it will be ‘overgrown’ by high coconut trees. Afterwards, at this new place such coconut is not allowed to bear any single fruit for the reason of safety and esthetical value. (BTN/029)