Bali’s Karangasem Regency can be found in the east of the island. The area is breathtakingly beautiful and often overlooked by holidaymakers who naturally gravitate towards resort areas like Kuta, Sanur, and Nusa Dua.
Cross Hotels & Resorts have launched a new hotel brand called Kaura, with their first hotel Kaura Bali nestled into the hills of east Bali. Cross Hotels & Resorts have collaborated with Discova to launch the new getaway, touted as a ‘first-of-its-kind immersive village experience in Bali.’
Kaura Bali has been designed with sustainability in mind and has admirable eco-credentials. The whole project started out as a community initiative to repair a broken irrigation pipe that was depended upon by the whole community. It is not widely known to many tourists who visit Bali, but there are vast parts of the island that live with serious and near-constant water scarcity. This causes damage to community health, local economies, and the land.
The new hotel is working with the community to create tourism experiences that leave little trace. Guests at Kaura Bali can sign up to take part in a huge range of activities that are not only enjoyable but enlightening, helping travelers learn more about ways of life in rural Bali. Community members offer Kaura Bali guests activities like guided trekking, cycling tours, and the chance to get their hands dirty on the newly established organic farm and rice paddies. Of course, there are traditional Balinese cooking classes, a mainstay of the cultural tourism offered across the island.
The CEO of Cross Hotels & Resorts, Harry Thaliwal, told reporters “Our goal of self-sustaining retreats, created in partnership with local communities, is at the core of Cross’s vision for an evolving industry. Through education and sustainable development with the villagers, Kaura will deliver life-changing experiences for travelers.”
In a supporting statement, the managing director of Discova, Suyin Lee, said that the new hospitality venture is supporting local communities. Lee said, “the villagers wanted to adopt organic farming, to improve farming practices, and to bring prosperity back to their village. Now they are welcoming everyone to experience the real Bali and in doing so, creating an alternate source of livelihood.”
While the immersive cultural experiences offered by Kaura Bali are more than reason enough to get a little off the beaten path on the island, the hotel’s accommodation could well be the icing on the cake. Kaura Bali is described as “an Eco-Experience that combines comfort with sustainability, located in the hills of Manggis. Created with mindful touches and offerings, Kaura Bali provides a range of community-based activities that gives a unique window into local Balinese life and culture”.
The hotel offers luxurious glamping-style tented accommodation that overlooks the rice paddies and organic garden.
Cross Hotels & Resorts are seasoned hospitality specialists in Bali, and their latest venture will surely garner as much positive attention as their hotels and villas elsewhere on the island. Away Bali Legian Camakila has hundreds of enthusiastic reviews online and is ranked as one of the best hotels in the resort hotspot. The company also had properties in Nusa Dua, Uluwatu, and Ubud.
The launch of Kaura Bali is well times. Travel trends show that in 2023 travelers to Bali want to do more than just relax. Adventure and sustainable tourism are both key themes that the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economies wishes to hone in on this year. Village tourism is another key theme that local tourism stakeholders are investing heavily in this year.
Speaking in January, the Chairman of the Bali Tourism Village Communication Forum, I Made Mendra Astawa, said that he and his teams will be helping tourism villages in all regencies in Bali throughout the next 12 months. His teams will focus on capacity building, improving marketing and communications, and upskilling the local teams to ensure that village tourism creates viable business opportunities for communities.
Source : https://thebalisun.com/balis-karangasem-regency-welcomes-new-immersive-village-hotel-experience/
