Southeast Asia - Clean Breaks: 500 New Ways to See the World - page 304

412 BalinEsE villagE lifE,
indonEsia

411 Join an ElEphant patrol
in indonEsia

A world away from the frenetic hustle of Bali's
tourist centres, life moves slowly in the village
of Munduk. Framed by the volcanic mountains,
a peaceful, bucolic scene unfolds: lumbering
cows pull wooden ploughs through terraced
fields, while women, encumbered with baskets of
pickled cloves on their heads, stand chatting to
each other.
High on a ridge in the centre of Munduk are
the Puri Lumbung Cottages - sixteen converted
rice granaries (lumbungs) restored by villagers
using local bamboo, wood and grass. Meals,
sourced from the surrounding fields, are served
in the open-plan thatched restaurant whose
magnificent views stretch far over the verdant
rice paddies and out towards the coast.
In such relaxing surroundings, anyone
needing to truly unwind could sit here for days
and soak up the rhythms of rural life. But
for those keen to immerse themselves in the
Balinese way of life, owner Nyoman Bagiarta
offers a variety of classes. These include cooking
lessons, or, for the more nimble-fingered,
courses in traditional weaving and woodcarving.
Those with energy but less dexterity will find
plenty of willing accomplices in the village's
children, eager to fly their kites with you or
involve you in their games. Villagers play
gamelan music in the evenings and as with
all else going on in this inspiring place, you're
welcome to get involved. For anyone thinking
there must be more to Bali than the beach, Puri
Lumbung is the place to go.

Wildlife lovers have plenty of reasons to head up
to Gunung Leuser, one of Asia's biggest national
parks. Located three hours north of Medan in
northern Sumatra, it covers almost 9500 square
kilometres, stretching from the shoreline to the
top of Indonesia's tallest mountain (3381m),
after which the park is named. Some wildlife
is relatively easy to find, such as the rafflesia,
the world's biggest flower, which also has a vile
rotting smell - earning it the nickname “corpse
flower”. You're less likely to see the Sumatran
rhinoceros or Sumatran tiger, although you
might come across their tracks. Birds, however,
will be your constant companions, with over
three hundred species found here. But for many
the big draw is the chance to see one of the
world's rarest animals, the orang-utan, whose
existence is threatened by the continued felling
of its habitat.
There are, however, signs of hope that some
habitat can be saved - epitomized by Tangkahan,
a village of former loggers now making their
living from ecotourism. There are only three
places to stay (all simple riverside lodges) and
you're free to explore the jungle by boat, foot or
on the back of one of the seven elephants, who
are used to patrol the area and deter loggers.
Afterwards, you might like to get stuck in and
wash your elephant, or rest on the beach, or even
drift down the clear waters towards bat-filled
caves, lazing in a rubber ring amid the chatter of
toucans and leaf monkeys. Whether you're lucky
enough to encounter an orang-utan or not, it's a
world few get the chance to experience.

Need to know Munduk is 85km from Ngurah
Rai international airport. There are several other
homestays in and around the village, all of
which can be booked through Puri Lumbung's
website. For rates, reservations, activities and
accommodation details see W www.purilumbung.
com; T [phone].

Need to know Tangkahan is five hours by car or
daily bus from Medan. Accommodation can be
booked through W www.sumatraecotourism.com,
which also has transport information. It's always
humid, though the wet season proper occurs from
October to March. Entrance to the park costs
Rp20,000 (around $2).