My second stay in two months - I first stayed in March over the Nyepi holiday (including Pengrupukan or eve of Nyepi) and was absolutely blown away by the beautiful and soulful sense of place, as well as the most delightful Balinese culinary experience at the on-site Rama restaurant at Puri Dajuma. After checking out on Ngembak Geni day (the day after Nyepi), I immediately made a return booking and have been dreaming of my return to Dajuma in the ensuing two months - dreaming of hearing the sound of the waves (as an island soul, I feel great solace in hearing the roar of ocean waves rushing on to the shore), the absolutely gorgeous pathways lined with the most beautiful trees and blossoms, the personalities working at the resort, the Balinese culinary offerings which completely won over my tastebuds, and the sense of Balinese history and spirituality on these enigmatic shores of Pekutatan, Jembrana, West Bali The day finally came for me to board the last flight on my multi-segment itinerary to the Isle of the Gods. I received a WhatsApp from the amazing Ibu Mira at the Dajuma front desk with information about Pak Kadek who was picking me up at Denpasar airport. She mentioned that all my room set up requests have been fulfilled which definitely started the trip on the right foot. I absolutely enjoyed the three hour drive (my third time on this route) from the airport to Pekutatan in West Bali - there is always a lot to see along the way - since I arrived on the Balinese Hindu holiday of Pagerwesi, I enjoyed seeing local communities out and about on their way to/from temples. Pak Kadek, who is actually a retired former full-time staff member at Dajuma, but still helps out with airport pick-ups, was a brilliant conversationalist and I enjoyed our chat about Balinese culture and indigenous culinary traditions Arriving at Dajuma, I was greeted with a welcome drink and cold towel by Ibu Mira and she and the entire team at the Dajuma front of house, including Pak Agus and Ibu Astari, are truly a delight to engage with every single time. I also received great service from Ibu Dina and her husband, Pak Djordi, who dropped me off at the airport last March. Ibu Mira invited me to watch the blessing ceremony at the property garage where they had built a new roof and it was there that I saw Pak Alit, one of the property's two co-general managers, along with Pak Rondy. During my last stay in March, Pak Alit was most gracious in taking me on a walking tour of Dajuma's herb garden where they grow two varieties of Torch Ginger (Latin: Etlingera Elatior, Thai: ดาหลา), the young stem/shoot of which is used to make Balinese Sambal Bongkot and the flower buds go into making Sambal Kachichang. It would be an understatement to say how much in love I am with these two Balinese sambals - reason enough for me to fly back to the Isle of the Gods! After leaving my bags in my cottage, I couldn't wait to walk over to the Rama Restaurant and meet the Amazing Team there - Pak Hendra, Erik, the amazing Esther, Edi, Padmi, Lely, Septi (whom I met in March and will return in June), the effervescent Chef Deddy who has been an absolute godsend in curating indigenous Balinese dishes per my request - Lawar Klungah (lawar of the inner shell meat of young coconuts), Jukut Ares (heart of banana shoots), Jukut Undis (Balinese black bean soup from Buleleng), Jukut Paku (pohole fern or hō'i'o in Hawaiian) Sambal Bongkot, Sambal Gerang, Kolek Ayam (chicken with the intense flavors of Balinese base genep spice paste) Pak Hendra, the restaurant supervisor, is not only an outstanding hotelier and team leader, often taking care of two restaurant outlets such as on Thursday night when he juggled his time between the Japanese Teppanyaki dinner night at Shinta Lounge (brilliant curated by Executive Chef Rudi who has been with Dajuma since its opening 21 years ago) and Rama Restaurant, but also a brilliant educator who teaches the food and beverage course at famed hospitality college, OTC Jembrana. In fact, I had run into some of his students doing their international internships in Bangkok and you can tell from their professionalism, knowledge, and work ethic how much Balinese educators such as Pak Hendra have imparted to the future generation of hospitality leaders. It was also one of his students whom I met in Bangkok that first told me about the culinary treasures of the Negara/Jembrana region of West Bali, including the famous Lawar Klungah. On this most recent visit to Dajuma, I also met one of his current students, a culinary trainee in the Dajuma kitchen, Yuda (I Komang Yuda Sartika) who, under the supervision of Chef Dedy, curated a fantastic lunch plate of Jukut Paku (stir-fried fern shoots) and Ayam Kolek (tender chicken cooked in quintessentially Balinese spices known as base gede/genep). It is heartening to, not only be able to enjoy a most delightful lunch, but also witness uniquely Balinese culinary traditions and heritage passed down from one generation to the next. Generations of Balinese cooks and chefs have put their heart and soul into their profession both at home in Indonesia and overseas, and indigenous Balinese cuisine above all is soul food on a global level, for behind the exquisite tastes and flavors, lie a rich and profound history of a people whose relationship with the earth and her bounty in terms of herbs and produce has traversed millennia Another unique feature of Dajuma is the existence of the shrine (Balinese: pelinggih) dedicated to Ida Bhatari Ratu Niang Sakti, a Hindu Balinese goddess and daughter of 16th century Hindu saint Danghyang Nirartha . The Pelinggih of Dewa Ayu Ratu Niang Sakti predates the construction of the hotel and constitutes the main Hindu shrine at Dajuma. It also houses a Rangda or Ceremonial Sacred Mask. I was most touched by the presence of this beautiful shrine and the meaning and history behind it - tales of human valor and compassion, and otherworldly love echoing through the ages that lie at the heart of the Balinese spirit. Walking along the beautiful beachfront of Puri Dajuma, one cannot miss this majestic shrine. On this most recent visit, upon my request, Ibu Mira at the front desk enlisted the help of Ibu Kadek Eka, retired former hotel manager, to assist me in performing Balinese Hindu worship at the Pelinggih Dewa Ayu Ratu Niang Sakti. As a seeker, I have to say it was definitely a highlight of my stay Puri Dajuma truly has a lot to offer - a gorgeous black sand beachfront setting that will give you an appreciation for the beauty of West Bali, immaculately-landscaped gardens, outstanding genuine people - all from the local area - who constitute the hotel associates and staff under the leadership of Pak Alit and Pak Rondy, amazing culinary offerings from the brilliant team led by Chef Rudi and Chef Deddy, not one, but two swimming pools to enjoy one's tropical holiday, a solid sense of Balinese place, heart, and soul. It is definitely a resort to which I plan to return time and again. Super highly recommended…
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