Being a distant island fanatic and somebody who loves bespoke sustainable luxurious, Indonesia’s Bawah Reserve has all the time been on the highest of my bucket checklist. My husband, Anush, and I just lately traveled to Singapore and knew we needed to go one step additional to make a dream journey to this nature refuge a actuality.
ISLANDS AND BEACHES AND LAGOONS, OH MY
Whereas most luxurious personal island resorts often span one island, Bawah Reserve is a complete nature reserve that spans six islands, three lagoons and 13 seashores in Indonesia’s Anambas Archipelago. The journey to get to this unspoiled paradise is sort of the journey however is made seamless, due to Bawah’s door-to-door concierge service. We’re picked up from our resort in Singapore on the break of daybreak in a luxurious switch and dropped off on the Singapore ferry terminal. From right here, a Bawah consultant accompanies us to make sure a easy border crossing from Singapore to Batam in Indonesia. As soon as in Batam, one other luxurious switch whisks us away to the close by airport the place Bawah’s personal seaplane awaits us. The journey from Batam to Bawah is a fast 75-minute seaplane journey. Because the airplane glides over the Bawah archipelago and lands immediately on essentially the most pristine lagoon, our pleasure intensifies.
As we make our approach down the lengthy pier and the nice and cozy workers welcomes us, we have now a second to admire the idyllic panorama throughout. The blue lagoon teeming with corals in opposition to the plush forested hills is actually breathtaking. We meet our visitor expertise supervisor Rian who guides us to our room. He mentions alongside the best way that your entire resort is hand made utilizing eco-friendly bamboo and different regionally sourced pure supplies.
We’re in an elegant overwater bungalow with panoramic views of the lagoon. At first look, I discover how the design of the villa blends seamlessly with the pure environment—adorned with items from native artisans, comparable to woven hand followers, beaded storage bins and a copper bathtub. I beloved the open ethereal format and the massive outside deck. One in every of our favourite little particulars of the villa is the personalised identify boards on the outside, which we are able to hold as souvenirs.
After settling in, we make our method to the jetty for a whimsical sundown cruise alongside the lagoon. It’s the proper introduction to the reserve because the cruise takes us alongside the shores of the six islands. For dinner, we head to the clifftop restaurant Tree Tops. The very first thing that catches my consideration, as we stroll into this beautiful hideaway nestled within the timber, are the panoramic views of the jetty and lagoon. The handcrafted jellyfish chandeliers are the crowning design element of the restaurant. We love when a resort not solely pays consideration to design particulars but in addition celebrates the work of native artisans at each flip. A dish that stands out from our feast is the Indonesian flatbread served with hen curry and wrapped in banana leaves.
GLASS KAYAKING TO CATCH-OF-THE-DAY
Waking as much as the sound of the waves, whereas sipping on some scrumptious native Indonesian espresso on our personal deck is one thing we may certain get used to! We determine to discover the primary island for the day. We all the time search out locations that make us reconnect with nature and Bawah Reserve is true up that alley. We begin with a hike to Bawah’s most pristine seaside, Coconut Seaside. This seems to be our private favourite of your entire reserve, with its surreal Robinson Crusoe vibes. Whereas there are not any services on this seaside, it was completely my model of seaside—uncooked and unspoiled. Making our approach again to the resort’s fundamental seaside, we discover the home reef on glass kayaks. The clear, heat waters present wonderful visibility and we spot a turtle, black tipped sharks and stingrays gliding alongside the colourful coral gardens.
As nightfall falls, we head to the beachside restaurant Boathouse for a barbeque dinner. Each Anush and I really like seafood, so we’d eagerly anticipated this meal. Right here, we get to select from an array of the contemporary catch and what we wish grilled for us. The prawn and calamari stand out as favorites. The entire ambiance of the dinner is so romantic, with a sorbet-colored sky, mild ocean breeze and our toes within the sand.
PRIVATE DINING, SUNUP AND SUNDOWN
We kick off our remaining full day with a bucket checklist expertise: breakfast on a standup paddleboard on a sandbar. It was a dream to sit down on the sandbar’s edge and revel in our scrumptious breakfast whereas the occasional stingray or reef shark glided alongside the shore. As soon as once more, we went with our go-to, Bawah’s well being bowls—dragonfruit smoothie, matcha chia and tropical granola are all scrumptious choices.
With a day tropical downpour, we head to their spa for some much-needed leisure and rejuvenation. As a part of our all-inclusive reservation, we’re pleasantly stunned to be taught that we get to have a spa therapy per individual, per day. Bawah has two spas on property, Aura Spa and Hill Spa. On the latter, we each go for the “Barely There” therapeutic massage which is the proper mixture of Balinese- and Swedish-style therapeutic massage.
As night units in, we take pleasure in a non-public sundowner and seaside dinner organized on Elang, Bawah’s personal personal island. A non-public dinner on a non-public island in a non-public reserve? This actually should be a dream! On the deck of Elang’s most prized villa, the Lychee, we sip on our spritz and pattern hors d’oeuvres whereas watching the sky soften into pastel shades. Simply after we thought that vibe couldn’t be beat, we’re awestruck by the dinner setup alongside Elang’s lagoon. The menu is fully personalised to our preferences—all coastal Indonesian favorites in small parts in order that we are able to pattern quite a lot of delicacies. Our favorites are the Sate Lilit Ikan (coral trout satay), Otak Otak Udang (banana leaf wrapped tiger prawns) and Ayam Rendang (hen in roasted coconut and rendang spices). Every thing in regards to the dinner—the enchanting ambiance, the beautiful menu, the corporate—made it a culinary expertise we’ll cherish for years to return.
NOT GOODBYE BUT SEE YOU LATER, BAWAH
Our keep at Bawah Reserve is most memorable due to the sense of peace and seclusion. With a restricted variety of company, there’s by no means a crowded feeling, which permits us to completely immerse ourselves within the magnificence and tranquility of the atmosphere. The workers’s real hospitality and a spotlight to element makes us really feel proper at dwelling. Leaving Bawah Reserve is so bittersweet, however we depart with a deep appreciation for the pure fantastic thing about the islands and their dedication to sustainability. It’s a spot that captures the guts and leaves a long-lasting impression—we hope to return sometime to expertise its magic as soon as once more.
Concerning the creator: Jyotsna Shankar is a San Francisco-based content material creator, all the time looking for her subsequent tropical island journey. Observe @jyo_shankar for bucket checklist locations, luxurious inns and journey suggestions. To see Jyo’s excellent seaside trip packing checklist, learn her tropical necessities information.
