Posted by Karen Ferguson on Tuesday, 27. October 1998 at 10:48 Bali Time:
I have just returned from my first trip to Bali (won't be my last). Every part of the trip was fun but the very best was the time I spent at Sacred River Retreat up on the west coast.
I left Sydney with a piece of paper with their phone number on it & managed to track them down. The phone there is sometimes out of order but don't let that put you off.
In the end I stayed for almost two weeks and could have stayed longer. The retreat is situated on a river, by the sea and is as magical a place as you could ever hope to visit. The staff are mostly from local villages and are warm, friendly & always helpful. The manager is Australian and all staff speak some english so it makes your stay easy. You could get by here without a word of Indonesian tho' it seems lazy to do so. This is the kind of genuine hospitality rarely found. The restaurant serves delicious food that includes local dishes as well as pasta and other western staples.
Sacred River is the kind of place you can use as a base to do other day trips....we went to Ubud one day and also to Kuta to shop. You can also do snorkelling trips or see a mystic healer or do silk painting.
Being on the main road through to Java makes it accessible though not noisy. If you can handle falling asleep at night listening to frogs and other sounds of nature, this is the place for you! The bamboo huts are spread out through the forest so each is relatively private and comfortable. The enormous beds are draped with mosquito nets and you sleep cocooned in the middle of nature
. The retreat is surrounded by local farm plots growing melons, corn and rice. Being closely connected to the local village allows you access to lots of local activities. We managed to see a wedding, a tooth filing ceremony, and a traditional village 'flirting dance'.
Arrangements can be made to be collected from the airport or the general Kuta area.
Sacred River for me was a place of rest & recuperation, fun and adventure. There is the opportunity to take part in many activities but many people prefer to be left to themselves. Here either is possible. It's the kind of place you can drop in for a day or two to recharge your batteries or relax into for a longer stay.
This is the flipside of the 'Kuta' experience! Personally I can't wait to go back.
You can contact the retreat by email: shankari@ibm.com
Get there if you can.