Kampoeng kepiting wanasari Tuban bali a special tourism destination

Ecotourism , Kampoeng kepiting wanasari Tuban bali a special tourism destination 

Link :  Pemberdayaan Tanaman Bakau Kampoeng Kepiting WanasariTuban Bali

This Wanasari ecotourism, located adjacent to Ngurah Rai International Airport, is on the north side of the Bali Mandara toll road, next to the mangrove forest. Entering the toll road from the airport roundabout we can see Kampoeng Kepiting Kuliner which stays open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m..Being within an ambient mangrove area, it is quite a homey and cozy way for savoring palatable lunch and wholesome dinner with family and friends while indulging the palate with a tasty meal, patrons can enjoy the green panorama of the mangrove forest and watch the activities on the island’s only toll road before we catch our flights at the Ngurah Rai Airport to fly back home

Wanasari mangrove ecotourism is the setting for Kampoeng Kepiting Kuliner, a sustainable culinary venue in the middle of mangrove area of Tuban, right next to the entrance of Bali’s newest toll road. The restaurant consists of five bamboo gazebos standing on Ngurah Rai’s mangrove area. Each gazebo is connected by a wooden bridge and has 180 degrees view of the ocean (and the new bridge that spans it.)

Kampoeng Kepiting Kuliner  is uniquely situated on the north side of the Bali Mandara toll road, next to the mangrove forest. Entering the toll road from the airport roundabout, you can see four thatched roof gazebos that look like they are floating on the sea.

As we reach the location and walk in to their premise, and we  take a seat on a bamboo gazebo above a swamp teeming with small crabs, known as “kepiting” in Indonesia. As a conserved mangrove area of Bali, local fishermen in Wanasari run sustainable programs that include producing their own mangrove juice syrup, mangrove chips, and mangrove cookies, which are all also available here at Kampoeng Kepiting Kuliner restaurant, with the aim of empowering the local community.

We had an exclusive interview with Mr. Made Sumasa, chairman of Wanasari’s Mangrove Ecotourism who is also the head of Tuban’s fishermen association, and he tells us about various community development programs and activities available at Kampoeng Kepiting Kuliner, like jukung boat fishing, canoeing and mangrove tours. Ms/ Kadek Sulasmi, , the wife of Mr Made Sumasa,  who is the owner of the restaurant, also explained about the local production of mangrove chips and cookies made of ‘lindur,’ large-leafed orange mangrove fruit, sold exclusively at Kampoeng Kepiting Kuliner. According to Mr Made Sumasa, the notion  initially emerged in 2009 and due to lack of funds , the idea  could only be realized and opened in December 2013 and in fact, it is just 55 percent completed, as they intend to build a floating stage so that they can stage Balinese dance performances. Until now the Kuliner has been running for 6 months and employing 30 employees, all of them are the fishermen‘s family members, for 6 months and it could book a profit for enhancing the welfare of the 90 fellow fishermen and help 500 villagers at Tuban Village. Their assets are estimated to have reached Rp. 1.5 billion.

One of the four gazebos is the seafood restaurant serving the hot spicy crab dish Kepiting Tol Bergoyang as its signature meal. Sautéed in black pepper sauce and served with rice, this dish is recommended for those who love spicy food.

For those who don’t like spicy dishes, they also serve non-spicy crab dishes, like  Fried Kepiting Soka, Medium sized Kepiting  and  Jumbo Kepiting

Mangrove fruit juice packed in a mineral water bottle is the perfect companion for all these crab dishes. Most of the crabs served here are bred by the local fishermen’s group Mangrove Wanasari Eco Tourism. The breeding site is located just a few meters from the restaurant.

A bridge has been built under the shady mangrove trees, which guests  can walk along to look at the crab breeding site.

The restaurant is able to put up 300 people and has been visited by many domestic and foreign tourists. The serving staff in the restaurant, which opened in December last year, mostly come from the fishermen’s families.
 

If we can sum up the objectives of their activities are as follows 

   To provide knowledge to younger generations and the community at large about the existence and significance of  mangrove forests in Bali

    To provide educational information as well as an understanding of the diversity of flora and fauna that exist in it.

  To  provide an understanding of the importance of the balance of the ecosystem.

    To open up a new perspective, the mangroves and the presence of fauna  in it in relation to the human life.

   To get a better understanding of the meaning of socializing with others, in in this case between humans, fauna and the environment.

To provide a special tourist attraction and  destination for local people as well as tourists

 To  create economic value and added value  to mangrove plants

To enhance the welfare of fellow fishermen  ,their families .

They also do hope that the regional Badung regency, the provincial government and private sectors to provide more kind attention and support for their common effort in terms of licensing, guidance, and funding .So far Pertamina, State Owned Enterprise under its CSR program , Bali forestry agency have provided support for them and they need more support to complete the project. 

As the afternoon sun was waning, we ended our lovely afternoon and thanked Mr. Made and Ms Kadek for serving us with excellence. It’s always good to meet new friends and discover new places.