60. Fields of Hydrangea and Coffee in the Mountains of Munduk
where the ingredients of Bali's beautiful canang sari (floral offerings) are grown
Hey everyone, it’s been ages! I hope everyone had a wonderful and safe summer. As some of you know, Nico and I moved into our new home a few months back - the first home that we own together. That coupled with lots of visits from loved ones, a trip to France and unexpected necessary DIY renovations (of which I have zero skill and can only bring panic attacks to the table, sorry Nico I have no fucking clue how to lay down cement) - we have been completely consumed these last few months. I share more about that on my instagram if you are curious about seeing our fails at DIY and recent travels. It’s all still going on but I wanted to check in with you all and continue on with the Bali garden travel series…this time to Munduk, the misty mountainous region of the island.
Bali, and Indonesia in general, is filled with beautiful treasures. Pockets of enchantment, where the power of the natural world can be felt (and not just through natural disasters - although that does happen over there). Munduk is one of those unique places on the island. Tourists venture from all over to visit it’s waterfalls and in more recent years - flower fields.
A ritualistic part of Balinese life is the ceremony of canang sari - a floral offering placed daily by shrines across the island. These offerings contain different flowers that provide specific meanings (I wrote more about this for Broccoli’s next issue coming out this fall if you want to check that out). The flowers are grown in the foggy and cooler climates of the mountains of Munduk.
We drove up one day to escape the heat, enjoy the breakfast views at the Munduk Moding Plantation and take in the flower fields.
I ate a plate of pandan laklak - one of my favourite Bali breakfasts, if you like mochi/sticky rice cake situations then you would enjoy these. They are topped with palm syrup and freshly grated coconut that just melts in your mouth.
Munduk Moding, with it’s instafamous pool and edible gardens on the property, is a hotel/farm that is a great place to visit even if you are not staying overnight. The property prides itself on organic farming methods and has even cultivated it’s own small coffee plantation, with tastings and a small shop available to visit. We stopped by to taste test and stock up on souvenirs.
Strawberry flowers growing on the property:
They are also one of the rare plantations that sells wild Kopi Luwak - a unique form of coffee bean made from the berries that are eaten and digested by the Luwak animal. In most situations these animals are held in small cages and fed only these berries but Munduk Moding strictly harvests wild digested berries (yes, you know what I mean) to make an ethical version of this island specialty.
Thanks to social media, in recent years Munduk’s flower fields have grown in popularity. Although it wasn’t particularly sunny during our visit, I popped by a hydrangea farm to take some photos. As long as you are respectful, most farmers don’t mind tourists stopping by to take photographs - you can always ask permission and/or offer to pay for your time spent there.
These flowers are harvested and sold to farmer’s markets across the island almost daily to florists who make ready-made canang sari. If you don’t want to wait to find a farmer’s market, there are roadside stands selling bouquets of mainly hydrangeas for really affordable prices, if you want to coastal grandma your hotel room.
Munduk is filled with gorgeous scenery and if you end up visiting, I really recommend taking your time to drive through and stopping to enjoy the sights, like this stunning lake view. A lot of viewpoints also have stands were you can buy fresh fruit/drinks/coconuts and some spots to sit and relax.
The cool climate of the rainy region of Munduk, plentiful waterfalls and natural spring water, all makes for fertile soil and excellent growing conditions for agriculture. It’s common to see signs for farms selling their coffee (grown in Bali since Dutch colonial introduction), fruits (specifically strawberries), and more.
You can easily pull over and explore many farms that are open to visitors for a small fee. We stopped by Munduk Farmhouse, which grows it’s own produce for their restaurant, and flowers for the canang sari placed around the shrines on the property. As with a lot of places in Bali - it also functions as a guest house with a few rooms to house curious tourists looking to find solace on the busy island.
Marigolds blooming:
We had some lunch and took in the views before heading back to catch the sunset in Singaraja Buleleng.
Next time I’ll take you to a place I visited this past Spring - the ELTE Füvészkert, a botanical garden in Budapest, Hungary. Have a wonderful week <3
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