One specific feature of Dajuma is the special relationship between our staff and young kids. In all parts of the resort, a special attention is given to them in terms of equipment such as swings, slide, balls, buoys, wading pools, etc. But the most important is definitively the communication between our staff and these young guests. Like on the picture where Juliarta, our restaurant supervisor, is greeting a young 2 years boy called Lyam. Welcome kids and enjoy!
Last Wednesday, Sept 7th, the Balinese started the celebration of Galungan which commemorates every 210 days, the triumph of Dharma (good) against Adharma (evil). It marks the time when the ancestral spirits visit the Earth. The last day of the celebration is Kuningan, 10 days later on Sept 17th, when they return.
All over Bali, bamboo poles called « penjor », finely decorated with young coconut leaves decorations, adorn streets and houses. This is a unique welcome to Bali if you happen to be on the island during this period. If you miss this one, don’t forget to put in your diary the next one which will take place from April 5 to 15th 2017.
Happy Galungan & Kuningan !
This is good news for our guests: the optical fiber has been installed up to our resort and works very well, complementing an already existing 4g telecommunications system!
Who could imagine a few years ago that these 2 latest technologies would be available so quickly in this part of Bali? It is done now making our guests very happy. With a ping around 5 ms and download / upload speeds in the range of respectively 20 and 5 Mbps, all Internet resources are available, including video streaming and demanding file transfers. Another good reason to stay with us!
Fishing off-shore is one of our in-house activity much appreciated by our guests. Jupry, our beach supervisor, himself son of a local fisherman, is always happy to organise a fishing party on one of these beautiful prahos. Starting from the West beach close by the resort, they sail a few miles between Bali and Java in a place where the fish is abundant. On the picture our guest Christopher is proud to show his catch, a beautiful Indian Threadfin also called Mirror fish which has been especially grilled and served to Christopher’s family for the dinner.
Should you be an experimented rider wishing to not only ride all day long, every day of your holiday but also to discover the authentic Bali and provide your half with both a relaxing and exhilarating holiday, you would surely appreciate to stay at Puri Dajuma Cottages & Villas, the lovely eco boutique hotel located on the South-Western coast of Bali, on the beachfront of the Pekutatan village. This is surely the nicest place where to have a perfect blend of authentic Bali culture in an outstanding location right on the beach, next to the old fashioned fishermen Balinese boats. The hotel offers 3 restaurants with a large selection of dishes, 2 large pools which one consists in a 50m long swimming river, a reknown SPA and many tours in the immediate surroundings to get acquainted with the beautiful assets of the Balinese culture. As for kitesurfing: the hotel is located on a large piece of volcanic rock which is partially recovered at high tide. At low tide, the ocean unveils a large piece of emerged rock which breaks the waves and offers a flat area to rig and launch the kites. Downwind, the rock line is perpendicular to the wind direction which is almost straight and gives the floor to a sandy beach. The place is famous in Indonesia since hero Ngura Rai landed right on the spot in 1946 to fight for the independence of the archipelago. A Monument was erected on the spot to remember his contribution to free the country. The spot is dedicated to yet confirmed riders due to sea hazards specific to that area. There might be some strong currents as well as high, irregular and highly paced waves. You should have a good kitesurfing level to ride in this area. In case of trouble, the wind pushes you to the beach opposite the starting point anyway which provides a kind of inherent natural safety to the area but still, currents and waves can be tedious. Wind is steady and comes from South West, off the rock line but cross on shore the opposite beach. You can expect steady winds in the 10-20 knots range between June & September. The wind usually starts blowing at 10am up to late at night. Out of 3 weeks spent on site in summer 2016, we had over 10 days of steady wind to rig either a 15 m2 or a 12m2 canopy. Pay attention to ride at low tide when there are not too many waves and low off-shore current: this allows to start right in front of the hotel so as to step over the rock line and reach the sandy water safely. You can rig your kite in front of the hotel and request some assistance for launching. From that point, the wind is almost perpendicular to the rock line. In case of trouble, you have then about 700-1000m before reaching the beach on the opposite side of the bay (stony). A pair of booties is mandatory since the volcanic stones the cape is made of are pretty sharp. As currents and waves are not regular, you should take time and observe carefully the area before launching your kite and check that the size of the waves is OK for you. If so, and provided some friends are available to take pictures from the rock line located perpendicular to the wind, you can take exceptional pictures of your riding friend. Finally, after your riding session, your can take advantage of the protection from the cape to safely land your kite on the sandy beach at the tip of the rockline, provided that you have enough speed to reach the beach before the wind dies. This is actually very safe since the wind almost disappears immediately once you have reached the wake of the cape, well protected by the hotel facilities and the trees of the garden. Enjoy your riding sessions at Puri Dajuma Cottages!
In a very joyful ambiance, Audrey and Matthieu from France got married at Dajuma last week, with all their family and friends around them. After the Hindu blessing in the garden performed by our priest Kadek, the exchange of rings followed by a “vin d’honneur” took place on the beach at sunset. A delicious dinner was served on the new Bendega pool deck with some breaks devoted to Balinese traditional dances, the launch on Chinese lanterns on the sea and a beautiful fireworks. Finally a talentuous modern orchestra from Negara took over for the rest of the party.
We wish Audrey and Matthieu to make a dream of their life and to make of their dream a daily reality. All the best!
Not far from Dajuma is the famous Menjangan diving spot, one of the richest in terms of underwater flora and fauna. After one and a half hour drive on the scenic road around the West Bali National Park and 20 mn by boat you reach the island of Menjanagan (the « island of deers » in Bahasa Indonesia) which is surrounded by a coral reef where thousands of fishes and seashells live. Many of our guests did their first dive here, under the attentive supervision of Joss, our diving partner. For those who prefer snorkeling, the pleasure is also guaranteed.
On the picture, our young guest Calypso, who is only 6 years old, enjoys snorkeling in a beautiful mermaid costume. A mythic character nevertheless quite real!
With our partner FoolMoon and under the guidance of our beach supervisor Jupry (left on the picture), many guests choose Dajuma for their initiation to Stand-Up Paddle. Why is it so? Just because the waves on our beach are ideal to begin this demanding sport. And when you feel your practice OK, you can surf a step further, on the famous Medewi surfing spot that can be seen in the background of the picture. Ready for a trial?
The jack fruit is one of these mythic tropical fruit almost unknown from westerners. It has not really a good appearance neither a good smell outside and, however, it is absolutely delicious after being well prepared. With a long history behind him – it was already cultivated in India 3000 years ago – the jackfruit is today much appreciated in various culinary uses either as a main course or as a dessert.
On the picture, Udi one of our cook is receiving a ripe jackfruit which he will use in one of his delicious recipes. Selamat makan!
Where is the best place to unwind during summertime after a long and hectic professional year? The answer is definitively here at Dajuma, far from the hustle and bustle of big cities, where our staff will have thousands of attentions to make your stay unforgettable.
Let’s take an example of a perfect day in paradise: wake-up in the morning not too late to see the dawn while strolling on the beach for one hour. Around eight, time for breakfast in the garden just in front of the spectacular cape where hundreds of birds are playing with the tide. After that, it’s time for activities such as yoga, sporting or touring around the nearby authentic West Bali. After the lunch taken in one of our 3 restaurants perhaps would you like to make a break like this nice lady on the picture or join our wellness center for a revigorating massage. The dusk coming around 6:30 p.m. it is time to savor a delicious cocktail before dining in a romantic atmosphere either on the beach or in front of one of our Teppanyaki cook. A day fully occupied, perfectly balanced between physical and cultural activities, where the master word is “relax”!