Designing with Nature – When Siddhartha first laid out plans for the resort, minimizing their impact on the surrounding land was a core intention. Many of the original trees are still standing on the site. Some accommodation options even incorporate the native growth into the design of their outdoor bathrooms.
Stefan and Barbara have cumulatively spent over three decades in the diving industry, managing operations throughout Asia and the Maldives, before making the switch to hotel management. Since then the diligent duo have built the property and overall guest experience in a truly hands-on manner, being deeply involved in all facets of operations and approaching every obstacle with a can-do attitude.
Their pioneering spirit guided them to develop a marine life sanctuary and coveted dive site directly in front of the resort, to implement sound sustainable practices from waste management to an impressive vegetable garden project, and to create a truly tranquil resort in an underdeveloped area of Bali that still holds the island’s historic charm.
Siddhartha has always strived to go beyond eco-friendly gestures that are commonplace at hotels. While limiting the amount of linen and towel changes (at the guests’ request) is important, there’s a lot more that can be done to lessen our impact on the land and sea or, in the case of our house reef project, to take an active stance in improving it. Through our vegetable garden initiative, the development of a waste management and recycling program, and working together with the community to raise environmental awareness, we are prioritizing sustainability.
The most enduring element of the project is the immense house reef, spanning 100 meters just off the shore of the resort. The diving hotspot has thrived since the first elements were laid back in 2011 and an array of marine life, from turtles and leaf fish to schooling trevally fusiliers and sweetlips, and the occasional reef tip shark or eagle ray, have proliferated the protected area (read more about the dive/snorkel sites here).
Siddhartha’s artificial reef is a passion project created by the couple behind the resort. Bringing their wealth of diving experience and an attitude that anything is possible, Barbara and Stefan tended to the underwater garden with meticulous attention. With the motto, we will not break anything to create something new, the duo collected broken stone corals and soft corals that had separated naturally from other reefs – from strong current, for example – and used discarded man-made materials as a foundation for growth.