Changing your lifestyle to make it more environmentally friendly is easier said than done, but eco-resorts such as one on Pulau Macan in the Thousand Islands make such changes pleasant and rewarding.
While environmental issues are finally getting the media and government attention they deserve, the urgency of the steadily deteriorating state of our planet has yet to permeate political and social realms.
And people (especially in urban areas), bombarded constantly with warnings and reprimands about their impacts on the environment, are often reluctant to adjust their lifestyles, are ill-informed about how they can do so, or are just discouraged by the blatant negligence of relevant authorities.
With COP15 - the biggest, most crucial climate change summit since Kyoto in 1997 - having wrapped up in Copenhagen in December, skepticism is rife about the global community's dedication to slowing climate change. As leaders are left to follow up on Copenhagen to hash out a consensus, Jakartans can take guilt-free pleasure in knowing that, should they go for it, their vacations could be a decidedly more effective measure than the inevitable bureaucracy that is a United Nations summit.
Located an hour-and-something boat ride from Jakarta's Ancol Marina, the Tiger Islands Village & Eco Resort (Pulau Macan) is a little dot on the map of the Indonesian archipelago - and by "little" I mean you can circle it on foot in 10 minutes at a leisurely pace - that aptly encapsulates the immense diversity that the archipelago boasts.
"I discovered in the course of my research with the ASEAN Business Advisory Council, that Indonesia's tourism revenue and industry is far too small.but it has immense potential," says Drigo (as he is otherwise known) of the path toward the inception of the resort. "I came *to this island* with a friend whose parents own the place; fell in love with it and kept coming back *to develop it*."
As the boat slows to dock at Pulau Macan, one can feel Jakarta melt away - the unending traffic congestion; the growing rudeness and disorder; the deadlines, projects, malls; the suffocation - all of it. The idyllic resort island and its deserted twin, known together as the Tiger Islands, promise everything that visitors undoubtedly expect - peace, quiet, solitude and a place to get away from it all.
Startlingly blue waters, speckled with the other islands of the Thousand Islands chain, surround Pulau Macan. The kinds of fish one only sees on Discovery Channel swim by the edge of the island with a lazy, sometimes unabashed, curiosity. White sands that are warmed just enough by sunlight seeping in through the high canopy pave a leisurely walk towards one's cabin or hut, as the case may be.
The island's accommodation ranges from red brick cabins and wooden bungalows on the interior, to driftwood huts and, for the extra-adventurous souls, spacious tents at the waterfront. The buildings have been designed to blend in perfectly with the immediate environment, and have thus been fitted with driftwood furniture and a minimum of electrical appliances, all of which are energy-efficient. For those wary of the tropical heat, the breeze off the Java Sea is complemented by the architecture of the cabins and ensures pleasant temperatures throughout the day.
The driftwood hut, for instance, which stands directly at the edge of the water, is, as the name suggests, made entirely of discarded wood found adrift at sea. Its two walls and low ceiling ensure for the occupant a constant passage of sea breeze. While the minimalist furnishings consist of one mattress, a mosquito net and a cheeky Absolut Vodka bottle reused for drinking water, nothing beats the feeling of being woken up by the gentle sound of the sea and the first rays of sun kissing your toes.
One of the fundamentals of environmental preservation is awareness and education about it. Pulau Macan provides just this, and does so with adventurous fun - with collective snorkeling sessions; meals free from processed meat; yoga at sunset; and a distinct feeling of community - so visitors to the tiny island willingly and sometimes involuntarily learn about reducing their impact on the environment.
Along with the relaxation expected of a typical weekend getaway, Pulau Macan offers ample opportunities for activity for those who seek it. Largely ignored on land, it is wise to heed the customary warning that greets all visitors - to keep one's feet clad - while in the water during a snorkeling session for instance.
A particular favorite with visiting school children (for whom the resort offers special deals on field trips that combine outdoor adventure with environmental education), snorkeling around Pulau Macan and surrounding islands gives a clear-eyed glimpse at the immense biodiversity that thrives in Indonesia.
It is, moreover, an educational experience: first-time snorkelers are taught, for instance, that standing on a coral is akin to damaging it and must be avoided unless necessary (as when there is water in your mask or you are too tired to tread water); vibrant coral and its inhabitants stand in stark viewing contrast to those devastated by irresponsible tourism developers in the Thousand Islands. As a part of its conservation efforts, the Pulau Macan management plants a new piece of coral for each guest they receive, and also employs a transplanting method using cement and biorock to help the coral grow faster and stronger.
A handy local remedy for the thrilling inevitability of getting stung during a swim across to the deserted twin island by bulu babi or sea urchin (it's quite mild, really) is to tap the affected area with the base of a bottle to get the stings out. The local population of Pulau Macan (total: 9), who staff the resort, are gracious in providing such tips and others to visitors whose environmental education thus happens of its own accord.
Though eco-friendly water and waste management is a work in progress at the resort, fulfilling these tenets of eco-tourism - providing employment to the local community, powering 70 percent of the island with solar panels, growing as much food locally and organically as possible, eliminating the consumption of processed meat (especially beef), supporting turtle hatcheries - brings Pulau Macan closer than many of the most popular beach destinations in Indonesia to achieving the harmony with nature for which we all strive.
Drigo, who comes, refreshingly, without the usual dreadlocks and flower-power associated with hardcore eco-awareness, has created at Pulau Macan a sustainable, replicable model, and hopes to expand the eco-tourism industry with the cooperation of both the government and private sector. His company, United Adventures, is looking to repeat the success of Pulau Macan with 10 more similar resorts across Indonesia.
"Indonesia has the most biodiversity in the world and it deserves to be the number-one tourist destination in the world," says Drigo. "I have a firm belief that ecotourism should be a part of the national strategy."
With Jakarta fast making its way up the ladder of world's most polluted cities, concerned residents will, upon their visit to Pulau Macan, be pleasantly surprised to learn that their one less cab a week or one reused plastic bag are not efforts made in vain, that they are not alone in the fight for the environment.
For reservations for weekend packages, corporate retreats or school field trips, visit www.pulaumacan.com. Rates vary from Rp 1.4 million (US$150) to Rp. 1.8 million per person (including costs of boat ride and four surprisingly delicious vegetarian and fish meals) with discounts for Indonesian citizens.
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