There is a lot going on in Utopia Rote Lodge. Part of the
lesser Sunda Islands, the island of Rote is a paradise for surfers.
Recently though, it is also becoming a mecca for eco-tourism and
travelers looking for a different way of spending their holidays.

For Kim and Aimone, it all started 6 years ago. The
motivation behind the project? Their kids. As the saying goes, “we
do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors—we borrow it from our
children”. In this line of though, they created their own Utopia in
Rote Island. Here, they found a paradise not yet destructed by mass
tourism or plastic pollution.

When it comes to sustainability, big attention is given to
different areas: food sovereignty, energy, waste, water, education
and integration.

We wanted to be in line with the values we carry
for bringing up the next generation.

Getting started.

Raised in Sulawesi, Kim sailed across Indonesia on board of
her mother’s ship, hence her love for the ocean and sustainability.
With Aimone, an Italian surfer, chef and permaculturer, they set off
to Rote island to pursue their love of permaculture, yoga and
sustainability.

Their first priority was to build a home and a living, then a
school for their kids followed, built together with other hotel
owners on the island. As trash was generated, it was reused to fill
the foundations of the future bungalows. Power was needed, so
solar panels were brought. At this stage, Kim and Aimone are trying
to wrap everything up and reach food sovereignty with a
permaculture garden.

The hosts aim for self-sufficiency for their guests. The
permaculture garden provides for organic fruits and vegetables, and
fish is sourced from the nearby ocean. The remaining ingredients
are bought from local farmers or villages. Special products like olive
oil or grains are shipped by boat from Bali then trucked in to the
island. Plane transportation is avoided as much as possible.

When it comes to the garden, there was no initial design,
it was a natural expansion process.

They have been testing and rearranging the garden until
they found the suitable design.

A good lesson to remember, as the only way to walk the talk
is to start while adjusting along the way.

Lodge & Waste 

The bungalows are one of the most interesting things on the
resort. Plastic waste that used to pollute the island is now part of
the foundations. Truth be told, there are not many options on the
island besides landfilling. Therefore, every alternative solution
seems a lucky response to these challenges. Kim and Aimone
therefore brought up another idea that can be put in practice by
everyone: keeping the tetra bricks and filling them with the small
pieces of plastic, in order to make eco-bricks and keep the trash
from entering the oceans.

When it comes to their furniture, they recycled a lot of
wood from old boats.

Why would you chop trees if we can reuse
what is already here.

Finally, compostable dry toilets close this virtuous circle.

If you come here, expect a wild surrounding, not filled with
concrete like – unfortunately – so many resorts in Bali. It is
important to let the land breath and the water go back to the
underground wells.

Speaking of water, there are still working on it in Utopia.
Nonetheless, they already have a grey water system for run-off
water. The water goes through banana trees and the food forest for
filtration.

Energy and transportation

The goal? Being off the grid completely. Therefore, if you
find yourself in Rote Island, don’t be surprised if your bungalow
doesn’t have an electric plug. Hopefully, you can enjoy and use your
phone, thanks to portable batteries charged from the sun energy
that powers the whole complex. Hot water is heated by the sun and
the energy for the bungalow’s fans comes from the charging
stations.

In order to offset the carbon emission due to transportation,
an idea inspired by Piet Van Ziel could soon be happening: planting a
tree for every guest who come. This would be a strong physical
statement to help educating people on both the deforestation issue
as on the carbon emission created by their travel. In addition to
that, it also contributes to the garden and who knows, it might even
bear fruit the next time you will visit.

Education

Passing on inspiration to people is a big thing for them. And
not only to tourists, there is also a strong will to include and
empower the local community. Concretely, how Utopia Lodge
realizes this is by holding activities in the nearby school with the
local kids, organizing environment days and having an eco-library in
Bahasa. English is taught for free to locals and in the future, a
volunteer center should be next to happen. Here, you will only find
employees from Rote island: it is about empowering the local
population and providing work for them.
When asked if their approach with the local government in
terms of sustainability, Kim’s answer is to show the example. For
them, the way is to show how the government could benefit from
this approach in terms of land conservation, waste management,
energy consumption and money generated by this kind of eco-
tourism: “they need to see first then we can reach out to them”.

Next steps

One of the most important steps to come for Utopia is to
share their mindset and connect with the other resorts on Rote
island in order to make a greater impact. The tourism industry is
booming and an excess of new buildings should be avoided at all
costs for the sake of the surrounding environment. This kind of
resorts could help the tourists realize the impact of travelling on the
environment, both on the positive and the negative sides.

We want to create a sanctuary here.

Ideally, the nearby land could be turned into a national park
for maximum protection. There’s been great examples of protected
areas in Indonesia that are now thriving with life and nature.
In the future, Utopia hopes to hold more retreats,
permaculture design classes and continue its work on education.
Taking care of the land and the people is a process of continuous
learning, and the owners of Utopia Rote Lodge share that state of
mind.

If sustainability means the world to you, if you enjoy
meeting dedicated people around bonfires on the beach and want
your holiday to bring a tangible impact, visit their website and book
a visit. If you want to discuss any ideas from this article, feel free to
reach out to Kim on this address!

Kim and Aimone are part of the community of like-minded
entrepreneurs and change-makers of BGreener. 

Guillaume Duckerts is a writer, freelancer and open-minded
traveler. Read more about his work here.