JEEVA SANTAI VILLAS : A SUSTAINABLE BOUTIQUE HOTEL IN LOMBOK

Nestled on a cove, on the Western Coast of the Indonesian island of Lombok, lies the 14 abode boutique hotel, Jeeva Santai Villas. They have placed sustainability and conservation of their ocean at the forefront of their priorities as well as offering sublime hospitality, which is at the core of their native people, ‘The Sasak’, which has been reflected in every way through this privately run hideaway.

JEEVA SANTAI VILLAS

Selamat Datang and Welcome to Jeeva Santai Villas…

Jeeva Santai literally translates to ‘Peaceful Spirit’ and is located on Mangsit Beach, with a stunning panorama of a palm-fringed coastline and the site of the great Mount Agung on the more frequently visited Indonesian island of Balikpapan (Bali).

Situated a few moments’ drive from the town of Senggigi, Jeeva Santai Villas looks like a regular resort located on the beautiful coastal road heading to the north of Lombok, however, step through the front door and you’ll be transported into a peaceful, calm oasis synonymous with the temperament of the people of the land.

Neutral, earthy tones, stone walls, lush green foliage and the smell of frangipani trees succumbing your senses. The warm friendly smiles welcome you into this property and allow the humid breeze thoroughfare and the sound of the lapping waves to guide you through to the back of the resort where Mount Agung will greet you over the ocean from Bali.

JEEVA PRIVATE POOL VILLAS

Jeeva Santai boasts accommodation in the form of private pool villas, oceanfront as well as garden view suites. The resort does not allow children below the age of 13 and therefore lends itself to being an adults-only private hideaway with accommodations being built around the gardens and lush foliage, which is typical of Indonesia.

During our stay over Christmas and New Year, we opted for sheer privacy and chose the Pool Villa. Pitu, or number seven was a beautiful 200 m²  totally sequestered villa located in a stone-walled garden.

The outdoor space featured a private sundeck lounge with a large plunge pool, sun loungers and a covered daybed or cabana, perfect for drying off after dipping in and out of the pool on warm balmy days.

The Santai pool villa also has an open-air marble bathtub and outdoor shower should you wish to bathe in the privacy of your own outdoor garden.

The indoor living quarters are housed in a dark wood, thatched roof, glass villa decorated in neutral tones and weaved bamboo wall coverings as well as decorative pieces. Soft furnishings come in the form of local batik soft hues as well as premium quality linens on the four-poster king-size beds. All mod cons are included such as a fridge, flat-screen TV, coffee and tea making facilities and a safe.

Adjacent to the bedroom is a dressing room with drawers and exposed hanging space as well as vanity sinks equipped with in-house toiletries and amenities, which are replenished daily by housekeeping. There is also an additional indoor shower and WC compartment in a tiled wet room style enclosure. Walls are adorned with artwork of the local daily life of the Sasak people by the artist, Budi.

WINING & DINING

The main dining outlet is Pearl’s, which is open all day for guests. It has a stunning location beside the pool overlooking Mangist beach and Mount Agung. It’s housed at one end of the Library, right in front of the sunset terrace.

Pearl’s provides dining in an open-air restaurant and revolves very much around daily life at Jeeva Santai. Breakfast lunch and dinner are served at Pearl’s, for a direct view of the ocean sit in the alfresco downstairs or for a more sheltered view, grab a comfy sofa and bamboo chair upstairs. Additionally, there is a more modern-look to pearls adjoining the library.

Pearl’s sunset terrace is perfect for grabbing one of the bean bags or day beds and watching the sun go down with a cocktail.

Pearl’s bar has an extensive list of wines and cocktails and happy hour is the perfect time to try out the many cocktails, long, short and warm on offer as well as non-alcoholic beverages and drinks. My favourites would have to be one of the Mojitos from the huge range to choose from or the Jamaican coffee!

Pearl’s is very much a relaxed restaurant, which specialises in a fine mix of Indonesian dishes such as Nasi Goreng, spring rolls, soups, rice and noodle dishes, as well as having a fine list of Italian plates such as pizza, pasta and cheeses. Locally grown and sourced fresh ingredients are used in the restaurant.

Dining is also available at the poolside or in the privacy of your own villa including breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks as well as drinks from the bar.

JEEVA POOL

Much of communal life at Jeeva Santa Villas revolves around the beautiful pool overlooking Mangsit beach with an almost infinity pool feel to it.

If you fancy a longer swim try out the pool or simply spend the day here lazing around the pool on the sun loungers surrounded by Frangipani trees and fresh juices bought to you by Pearls Terrace.

LIBRARY

If by any chance hanging beside your pool villa gets too much and you fancy a change of scenery, head down to the Jeeva library. There are a number of power points if you need laptop access, as well as a range of books to get stuck into. If you don’t fancy that then you can always slump into the very cosy, person-hugging sofas, with the occasional warm breeze wafting over your face.

ACTIVITIES

A number of activities can be arranged from Jeeva Santai as they work with their own travel partners. Cultural, adventure and secluded beach tours can be arranged via the front desk concierge so the hardest decision is what you fancy doing. During our stay, we explored the Gili islands by a fishing boat, hiked waterfalls, visited temples and many markets as well as local Sasak villages.

JEEVANIYA SPA

Although Jeeva Santai doesn’t have on-site facilities they can transfer you by private car to their sister 30 room resort, Jeeva Klui, which is five minutes away.

The Jeevaniya Spa offers an incredible selection of treatments from Balinese traditional massages to half-day couples packages with frangipani flower-filled plunge baths. Your every Spa need will be taken care of at Jeevaniya. After a days hiking, I opted for reflexology and deep tissue leg massage and an intensive pedicure to finish.

SUSTAINABILITY

Jeeva Santai’s commitment to the environment and responsibility to its oceans was of paramount interest to me when selecting the boutique hotel and I am happy to share the resort runs an impressive sustainability program, which far exceeded my expectations. Many eco-lodges and sustainable abodes recycle a proportion of their water, however, Jeeva Santai can boast the fact that it recycles 100% of its water. Here are a few of the steps that Jeeva Santai Villas takes to ensure a sustainable hotel…

No. 1

All water at the resort is recycled, from the saltwater system pools in the pool villas and the main pool to the advanced water recycling system, which has been incorporated into the environmentally friendly practices throughout the resort. The lush gardens at Jeeva Santai are kept in great condition via the resorts water recycling efforts.

No. 2

There is a strict no plastic water bottle policy. All drinking water is filtered and available in glass bottles delivered to your room on a daily basis and as requested. This water is replenished as often as required therefore reducing the need for plastic disposal.

No. 3

All toiletries are inhouse blends at Jeeva Santai in your vanity area and are refilled daily in beautiful ceramic bottles, therefore, reducing any wastage or discarding of extra packaging

No. 4

Linens and towels are changed on request or at a set stay length to ensure unnecessary washing loads are not added.

No. 5

It was a complete joy to learn on my first night that Pearl’s restaurant uses paper straws so I could enjoy my cocktails in the peace of mind that I wouldn’t be adding to the plastic waste.

No.6 

The resort grows a number of herbs to be used in the preparation of dishes such as mint leaves and lettuces.

No.7

The majority of ingredients are sourced locally on the island of Lombok to produce the fine quality of dishes offered on the menu. The executive chef can also accommodate dishes to suit a varied diet such as vegan and vegetarian using locally sourced fruit and vegetables.

N0. 8

Staff employed at Jeeva Santai are all local from the island and are encouraged to practice their English with guests. The resort also takes a number of trainees from the local university who are studying Hospitability and Tourism in order to allow progression in their tourist industry and future management training programs.

No. 9

The most striking of efforts by the resort has to be their commitment to the ocean and its part in their daily island life. Staff members from the resort regularly go down to Sengiggi beach and help clear up the plastic left on the beach. Additionally, they even go underwater to snorkel and help the community with the clearing of plastics and other rubbish dumped in the ocean. The plastic is then recycled. Ilham, one of the restaurant team kindly sent me some photographs of the staff helping to clear the plastic.

No. 10

All food and drink are made to order at Pearl’s restaurant and bar and based on guest’s eating and time preferences. There is no buffet-style dining in order to ensure that food wastage is kept to an absolute minimum, with regards to breakfast, lunch, afternoon and dinner. Once ingredients are no longer available they are re-ordered but in the interim guests are offered an alternative.

PURE SHEER UNADULTERATED PERFECTION FOR

Couples, honeymoons, romantic getaways, anniversary

Children under 13 years of age are not allowed in the resort due to the nature of its location and amenities but also as it was aimed to be a couples retreat.

Oh and just one last thing, I can’t end this post without showing you some of the sunsets this fine resort hosts in tandem with Happy Hour of course!

BE-LAVIE’S VERDICT

A tranquil oasis of peace and calm with impeccable service and hospitality located with panoramic views of Mount Agung. There is nothing but perfection about this little hideaway on Mangsit Beach on the island of Lombok. Spend balmy days relaxing in the privacy of your pool villa or partake in one of the fabulous activities arranged by the resort, you’re sure to have an incredible time. The cherry on the cake about this place is that they really care about their environment and have a huge commitment to it and the stunning ocean whose shores it sits on. Visit once and you’ll be smitten, with the food, the drinks, the people, the hospitality, the beauty of the land and those egg-yolk sunsets.

Jeeva Santai Villas

 Jalan Raya, Senggigi

Batu Layar, Kabupaten Lombok Barat

Nusa Tenggara Bar. 83355

Indonesia

Tel. +62 (0370) 6197123

For booking and enquiries please visit Jeeva Santai Villa’s website

So tell me, what did you think of the offerings and tranquillity of the sustainability-conscious Jeeva Santai Villas? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

Now that you have your accommodation sorted, here are some cultural things you can do in the Lombok area…

10 CULTURAL THINGS TO DO IN LOMBOK

Á Bientôt…

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