TIFFANY DULIEGE

What first caught our attention about Ibludan was the array of plants in their photographs. Their page channeled tranquility and invigoration.

They allowed us to have an earlier check-in. Upon arrival, Ibludan proved to be even more beautiful than their photos portrayed. Honestly, their photos do not do the place justice, and the owners Sophie & Hella were very welcoming.

There were flowering vines, birds of paradises, frangipanies, palm trees, bouganvillas, citronelle and even dill weeds reaching human height. You will be guided by these plants on your way to your villa.

Our villa was spacious, clean and white walled. Decorations were minimal and earthy, not a hint of plastic materials around. But the real icing on cake is their open roof, mini garden showers. One can literally shower under the stars, underneath a rainfall showerhead. During the dry season, water from the showers are fed back to the plants.

The front of every villa is hedged with lemongrass bushes, known to be natural repellents against mosquitos, and bamboo bushes, allowing privacy between each villa. Roofs are insulated by soil which host mini gardens as well. The insulation keeps the villas cool during the daytime, lowering the need for a full blasted A.C.

Wi-Fi is accessable in our villas and complementary tea or coffee can be delivered to your doorstep at any reasonable time, upon request. The little jug of milk that comes with the coffees carried on woven trays adds a very warm touch; a beautiful presentation.

For leisure, one can find themselves at the reading hut, an adorable, little open shelter on stilts, with Indonesian inspired carvings, furnished with soft mattresses and batik pillows, and a full bookshelf. Readerss and Book -swappers will be delighted with the array of books available in various languages.

Or one can find themselves strolling in the garden. The area is small, but very lush and green with neatly trimmed grass & raked sandy pathways. There’s an array of plants to see in this little garden.

Or one can find themselves lounging by their gorgeous, turqouise pool.

Everything about Ibludan gently empowers a sense of tranquility. The turquoise, sand-blasted textured pool invites you to take a dip, perfect after some sunbathing in the ample sunshine. There is even a wading pool for children. Another thing I adored about this pool is the scent of frangipanis that descends upon you as you lose yourself in the water.

Breakfast is really something to look forward to every morning. Their small but well-curated menu is a delight to sample. From homemade granola to homemade bread and jam, to their delicious scrambled eggs (I seasoned mine with fresh dill from the garden). They’re all worth a try! Each breakfast dish is accompanied with a plate of colourful seasonal fruit, cold fruit smoothie and coffee or tea.

In terms of sustainability, Hella and Sophie have came up with innovative methods,that are incorporated into their everyday hospitality. Each room is given a glass bottle and refillable water is available from their kitcen. They also use re-purposed glass bottles for their drinking glasses and they don’t sell plastic bottles. They also do not provide plastic straws but there are bamboo straws available for purchase. They avoid plastic packaging by making their own bread, granola and jams. Can you imagine the amount of daily plastic that they’re able to reduce by these little changes alone?!

“Having children and considering the state of the planet we are bequeathing them, we planned for Ibludan to be as sustainable, yet as comfortable, as we could manage,” says Sophie.