Central Mountains - Bali and Lombok - page 114

SLEEPING & EATING
Prana Dewi Mountain Resort ( % 732032; www
.balipranaresort.com; bungalows from US$40) Just past
the village of Wangayagede and signposted
to the left off the main Pura Luhur Batukau
road, this resort is set among rice paddies and
coursing waterways. The eight rustic, beauti-
fully furnished bungalows have thick slab
timber floors and hot water. The restaurant
(dishes 15,000Rp to 35,000Rp), surrounded
by low, terraced red-rice fields and a bamboo

forest, has a lush vista. Most of the vegetables
used in the creative dishes are grown organi-
cally in the surrounding fields.
There are a couple of simple cafés around
Jatiluweh.
GET TING THERE & AWAY
The only realistic way to explore the Gunung
Batukau area is with a car. Either rent one
for a day or get a driver; see p359 for details
on costs.

GROWING MONEY
The rich volcanic soil, regular rain mixed with sun and temperate nights mean that large swathes
of the slopes leading up the central mountains of Bali are extremely fertile. Driving any of the
roads, you'll certainly see this.
The produce and goods grown can be found in all of Bali's markets - from diet staples such aa
tomatoes and carrots to cash crops including coffee and vanilla. But until recently, there's been
no added value, as a marketer would say. Enter a bunch of American hippies, old- and post-.
John Hardy came to Bali in 1975 and in three decades has created an international jewellery
empire (www.johnhardy.com). But still remembering his hippy roots even as the millions rolled
in and his pony tail got cut off, Hardy wanted an organic farm to supply wholesome food to his
workers at his jewellery factory north of Denpasar.
Enter Ben and Blair Ripple. Fleeing a rainy and muddy organic farm near Seattle, these post-
hippy hippies found themselves warming up and warming to Bali. One thing led to another, they
met Hardy, he hired them for his dream farm, and the rest is, well, history.
The Ripples proved to have a talent for more than just growing pesticide-free foods, it turns
out they are genius marketers who don't just sell food, but rather an entire cuisine concept. From
their farm near Jatiluweh (see below) they have cornered the market for the kinds of unusual,
boutique produce craved by Bali's best chefs. French Chantenay carrots, Italian Chiogga beets
and more flow forth. And now it's not just produce, but products. Under the brand Big Tree
Farms Bali (www.bigtreebali.com) , the Ripples are selling Balinese sea salt (see the boxed text, p237),
Balinese long peppers and other boutique flavourings in gourmet markets in the USA with plans
to extend to Britain and Australia.
And who benefits? Well the Ripples obviously, but also the many farmers who grow crops for
them at much more than commodity prices, the families making salt in the east and the dozens
of people working behind the scenes. 'We called it Big Tree because we like the idea of it drop-
ping seeds in a big sustainable forest,' says Ben.
Meanwhile, the Ripples are trying to stay close to what bought them to Bali. On several nights
during the dry season (April to September), they host dinners at the torch-lit tables of Big Tree
Farm ( % 0361-461978; [e-mail]). If you can elbow aside a celebrity or two, you might be
able to join them. The cost is about US$70 for a multicourse tasting of their amazing cooking -
which takes lots of inspiration from Balinese foods.

Dewa, the mountain's guardian spirit, as well
as shrines for Bratan, Buyan and Tamblingan
lakes. Surrounded by forest, it's often damp
and misty. Sarongs can be rented and a dona-
tion to the temple is requested.
This is certainly the most spiritual temple
you can easily visit on Bali. The main pagoda-
like structures have little doors shielding small
ceremonial items. There's a general lack of
touts and other characters - including hordes
of tourists. The atmosphere is cool and misty.
Facing the temple, take a short walk around to
the left to see a small white-water stream. The
air vibrates with the tumbling water.
Gunung Batukau
At Pura Luhur Batukau you are fairly well up

pay at least 800,000Rp for a muddy and ardu-
ous journey that will take at least seven hours
in one direction. The rewards are amazing
views alternating with thick, dripping jungle
and the knowledge that you've taken the trail
that is much less travelled compared with the
peaks in the east.
Rice Fields
At Jatiluwih you will be rewarded with vistas of
centuries-old rice terraces that exhaust your
ability to describe green. The locals will also be
rewarded with your 'green', as there's a road
toll (per person 3300Rp, plus 1500Rp per car).
This is a good place for a rice field walk . After
all, Jatiluwih means 'Truly Marvellous', and
the view truly is - it takes in a huge chunk of

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