Pande's Farm, Bali, Indonesia

5Jaffro73 5:00 PM Jun 27, 2016

Experience the inner workings of a small organic Balinese farm
Not far from the well-worn route from Ubud to Mount Natural is the little oasis that is Pande's Farm. Here you don't get the maddening crowds experienced at many of Bali's attractions, you get an hour or two with happy and gentle Made, his family and his farm. Made greeted us with tea and a chat about him and his farm. He then took us on a walking tour to show us the different fruit, herbs, spices and bees that he cultivates. For each he explains the uses/benefits. He is even in the process of building a "glass-house" out of used plastic bottles so he can grow strawberries. At the end of the tour he gave us the opportunity to make some tea and experience some traditional sweets plus a range of amazing fruit. An injury to my foot in the previous days meant I could not complete the full walking tour so Made had kindly combined two of his packaged activities. Visiting Pande's Farm is more expensive than you come to expect for activities in Bali, but we really enjoyed our time with Made. My 7 year old son really loved it too and now thinks farms are just fantastic! Made is a man of principles and though his Master's in horticulture could have him working in a big company producing new plant varieties and encouraging mutant formation - he feels that nature is not there to be manipulated but to be understood and a bountiful harvest can be achieved by applying the principles of nature.

4Cynthia M 5:00 PM Aug 28, 2016

Authentic farm, great visit!
If you want to experience an authentic farm run by a Balinese family (and not one of the many nearby touristic plantations), visit Pande's farm! The friendly guide Made will welcome you with coffee, ginger tea and hot chocolate, all from his own farm, and very nice rice cakes made by his mother. With a lot of patience and enthusiasm he will show you his farm and explain all the local plants and animals, which he treats with great respect (so no animal unfriendly Kopi Luwak here...). You get to taste different kinds of fruits, have a walk in the jungle and get a feel of how Balinese people really live. We had a great time, so much nicer than our visit a few years back at one of the commercial sites. And the kids (ages 8 and 10) loved it! The entrance is hard to find, call the farm and they will wait at the entrance for you. Don't let the driver talk you into visiting one of the others farms nearby.. And wear proper shoes, paths can be slippery.