Moyo Island: A Peaceful Forest by The Sea

This is the start of an adventure that leads along jungle tracks into the heart of the forest, venturing under the sea to swim with turtles and all the strange creatures of the deep. It is a walking, boating, diving and swimming weekend to the unspoiled Amanwana Bay, site of a luxury nature retreat on Moyo Island. Most of all, this journey to Amanwana is a chance to get back to nature and enjoy the simplicity of a peaceful life.

To reach Moyo, the journey begins at Denpasar airport on the Trivana Air Cessna Caravan, otherwise known as a floatplane. The plane flies past the peak of Mount Agung, then passes over Lombok's houses, farms and trees, before we find ourselves staring into the open crater of Mount Rinjani, filled with a mouthful of thick muddy emerald-coloured water. In the middle of this extraordinary lake, not far from the tallest peak of the crater, the small peak of baby Rinjani puffs a constant stream of cloudy smoke through a hole in its side.

It is 11 o'clock in the morning when we land at Amanwana, the intimate Aman retreat at the Moyo Island Nature Reserve, fifteen kilometres northeast of Sumbawa at the western end of Indonesia's secluded Nusa Tenggara Islands. The air is filled with the salty smell of the sea and the sandy heat of Moyo, the water beneath our feet is crystal clear and next to the jetty is a school of fish, including the beautiful purple and blue parrotfish, which are all watching us as we watch them.

From the jetty, I am led along a trail past the ocean and jungle tents, luxurious 58 square metre living spaces with solid wall foundations roofed by a soaring waterproof exterior and an interior covering of canvas, and into number 18, the ocean tent which is to be mine for the next three days.

Inside offers a charming Aman room that is air-conditioned, with hard wood floors, a ceiling fan for those who would prefer to turn the AC off, a king-size bed draped in netting, wheat-coloured divans, a writing desk, large bathroom with twin vanities, traditional Indonesian artwork from neighbouring islands and banks of windows that allow for a premium view of the natural surroundings.
My first adventure begins at the Amanwana beach boy area where I have planned to jump off the end of the jetty for a spot of snorkelling. Flippers and goggles in hand, I jump, carefully avoiding the school of fish, and swim straight into the red and white stripes of a huge lionfish. Splashing to an immediate halt I try desperately to swim backwards before his poisonous fins can touch my skin.

Somewhat in awe, and somewhat stressed, I change direction and swim off in the direction of Turtle Street in the hope of swimming with a green turtle instead.
After snorkelling, I wander along the stretch of sand known as Amanwana Bay, past the Jungle Cove Spa, and onto a small sandy road that promises to lead me toward Crocodile Head. Canvas map in hand, I follow the directions until I find two chairs and what is possibly the most perfect view of the sunset that can be imagined. As I sit, lost in the panoramic view of the Flores Sea as it turns to a light golden glitter next to the pink orange hues that fill the wide blue sky, the realisation dawns on me that I am a long way from camp. On the way back to camp, a set of very strange rustling noises catch my attention, my steps become quicker and I tell myself it is just a macaque monkey, or a bird rustling in the dry leaves, but I soon come to terms with the reality that I am being escorted home by a group of wild boar who have decided to block the path in front of me and grunt, snort and carry on until I decide to exit stage left.

The early morning turns Amanwana bay into a breakfast hunting ground. I rise early and wander toward the beach chairs to catch a glimpse of the spectacle. Before me, not even a metre past the edge of the sand, a dark cloud of fish smack the water, and I notice three black-tipped reef sharks coming towards them.

After a delicious breakfast of my own, a morning adventure into the heart of the island on a jungle excursion starts with a boat ride to the local town of Lapuan Aji, where I am taken on a tour of the local primary school, recently built by Amanwana, who plan to help educate the children on environmental awareness whilst they are learning their day to day education. Waving goodbye to the smiling faces and jumping on a restored Japanese Army Jeep, we venture past the cashew farms and grazing goats, and into a jungle that is dry but thick with palms and wild fig trees, torch-ginger blooms and shooting vines. A trail leads to a series of spring-fed waterfalls and limestone plunge pools, where bullfrogs call out as they jump through the inviting water, and I too, tempted by the chance to refresh in the beautiful watering hole, lower myself slowly into the cool deep waters.

The previous night I was feeling brave, and having met Sayaka, the very friendly and assuring PADI dive instructor based at Amanwana, I was convinced that I was in one of the most beautiful places in the world to try diving. The surrounding reefs teem with colourful fish, giant sponges, staghorn coral and gorgonian fans. Hawksbill and green turtles, moray eels, blue-spotted and eagle rays, lobster and other sea life are abundant, and in the protected waters of Amanwana Bay, there is not nearly as much to worry about as I had thought. So, I signed myself up for the beginners' lesson.

Upon returning to camp, I set off to suit up and jump face first into the land of fish. I have to say that the scariest thing about diving is the air tank. I had a preconceived idea that it would be back-breakingly heavy and that, weak with the weight, I would sink to the bottom of the ocean. It turns out that it is nothing like this at all. Sitting on the edge of the jetty, Sayaka already in the water, it's my turn to fall face first into the water. No time to back out now, so feeling like an alien invader, I fall face forward into the water. Over the next half an hour, I begin to understand the call of the underwater world, why divers think that it is so much nicer to swim with the fish, rather than over the top of them. I swim past the moving reefs next to a single giant tuna, close to adult turtles, find myself surrounded by a school of hundreds of fish, I stare at the tiny luminescent fish that live close to the coral, reluctantly touch a rare sea slug and watch as Sayaka smiles and stares in wonder at the world she loves so much, a world that I have seen from above, but until Amanwana, have never experienced from below.

There are many secret hideaway places to enjoy a meal around the camp, but the main open-air dining room, with its Sumbawa ipil wood floor, soaring bamboo roof and pillars of solid coconut, is the nicest. At night, when you sit on the lawn at the front of the restaurant, the view of the stars is exquisite. The staff are friendly and offer impeccable and attentive service. No matter where you choose to eat, there is a blackboard menu offering a selection of entrée, main and dessert options that changes with each meal time. The Amanwana kitchen likes to offer a combination of fresh Asian and Western dishes and each of the meals are made with organic vegetables and herbs picked fresh from the Chef's garden, combined with locally sourced produce and high quality imported items. If you are feeling adventurous a romantic beach barbeque is also an option, where sitting at a table in the sand you are served a freshly caught selection of lobster, prawns, squid and fish.

On my final day at Amanwana, I decide to start the morning early with a three-hour bat cave trek. Due to the length and difficulty of this trek, it is only available when accompanied by a guide. So, I made an appointment with Mr Samiun, who hails from Moyo Island and is said to have wandered the trails of Moyo since he was a young boy. The track is a continuation of the Brang Sedo Village path and leads to a cavernous hole within the forests of Moyo. The cave is inhabited by seven species of bat, that when disturbed, begin to fly in circles around the cave. Unperturbed, Samiun encourages me to venture further into the cave, until we find ourselves crouched on our knees, torch in hand, bats flapping past our faces, staring into the several caverns that lay beyond reach. As we head for the exit, a python slithers down from a rock opening high above our heads, and flicks his tongue at us in annoyance.

The best thing for the body after a long walk is, of course, a massage, followed by a juice and a relaxing swim in the pool. At Amanwana there are two spa areas. The first is an outdoor jungle cove spa, where you can truly relax within nature whilst you stare out at the ocean, and the second is a spa tent where you can enjoy the peaceful sounds of the forest from within the quiet, private air conditioned space of a tent.

The treatments at the Amanwana spa are based on the Aman signature menu, with the addition of a selection of Amanwana extras such as the Amanwana fruit facial made with local fruits and Moyo honey to refresh your skin after an adventurous day of sun and sand.

The starlight cinema is my final activity for the day, a special screening of Myths Magic and Monsters, the more recent series created by Dr. Lawrence Blair, famed for his Ring of Fire adventures in his youth. After this thorough education on the myths of the Green Sea Goddess is over, I return to my tent and the welcome of sleep, three days of land and sea finally catching up with me.
Set in one of the world's most untouched wilderness and marine environments, Amanwana comprises an open invitation to explore nature and indulge the senses in a landscape largely untouched by time. Amanwana helped me connect to the yearning for simplicity that I didn't realise I was calling out for.

Amanwana
Moyo Island, West Sumbawa,
T: 0371 22 233
amanresorts.com