Camping on Sunut

Many thanks to everyone who helped organise Ocean Blue Resorts’ first camp out on Gili Sunut. It was a family affair with the both the CEO and Pak Yasin from Team Sunut bringing their sons to enjoy the gathering.

After pitching the tents the community invited us to watch them play football and to show off their ball skills. Keen to see what the ‘Tourists’could do, Jared Gow gave a quick demonstration his ball tricks and control.

With the late arrival of Pak Yasin and his team there was great entertainment as they pitched their tents in the dark. Fortunately there was a full moon that night to help, otherwise this seasoned team would also have missed the BBQ.

While we were well prepared with food and drink for out cook out, the community presented us with a feast fit for a king. Fresh tuna and lobsters where slow grilled on the open fire, freshly caught that day in the waters around the Island.  To add to our beach setting we enjoined camp fire songs and storytelling. As this was an unusual event for the community, we were as you’d expect, joined by dozens of villagers old and young to share the evening with us.

With an early start the next day, we also got the opportunity to watch the sun rise. It didn’t disappoint! 

Government Team tour Teanjah Anjah

Ocean Blue Resorts Indonesia and members of the Lombok Government visited Teanjah Anjah to tour the new village site.

With so much activity now taking place it was an ideal opportunity for everyone involved in the relocation programme to see first hand the great work Team Sunut is doing. CEO, Mr Martin, flew in his team from Singapore and Jakarta for the occasion. Pictured here from left to right are:

Moh Juaini Taufit (Camat of Jerowaru),
Mr James Weschler (Corporate Development, OBR Singapore),
Dr Mohammad Gofar (Jakarta),
Pak Muhasin ( Bupati Assisten)
Pak Yasin ( Head of Tourism).

‘I am very grateful to Pak Muhasin and Pak Yasin for helping to organise this event. We are close to completing Stage One of our Community Action Plan, so it’s an ideal time for the team to regroup on Gili Sunut to discuss the next phase of our resorts project,’ said Mr Martin. ‘With the village finished and the community moved into to Teanjah Anjah, we will then start building Indonesia’s first six star private island resort,’ he added.

Two weeks is a long time in Lombok!

There has been great progress at Teanjah Anjah. Now buzzing with activity, supplies arriving and builders on site, the 109 houses now start to look like a village.

The red terracotta roofs stretch into the distance, as the exteriors of more homes get completed. Still without windows, we are eagerly waiting for the delivery of doors and windows to weatherproof each house.

But as our photos show, the site now starts to look like a village.

A couple of impatient families have moved in, so we are careful to remind everyone that the site is not finished and they need to be ready to move as we assign the correct house to the right family.

It was great to hear from some of the villagers on Sunut and one family’s story of what it meant to move to Teanjah Anjah.

One young couple have been living with their family since marrying as they are unable to afford their own home.

But now thanks to the construction of the new village, they will be getting their own home and have space to start a family.

June sees progress at the village

After a private meeting with the Bupati to discuss the new village and the progress we are all making, it was a great moment to arrive at the site. The weather was still causing problems but construction was back on track with a new funding from Ocean Blue Resorts Indonesia, both materials and labour were being coordinated.

Many of the villagers accompanied Team Sunut to Teanjah Anjah as the news spread.

Every family is getting a new 3 room detached house. Concrete floors, brick walls and a terracotta roof will ensure that we build to a high standard. Each house when complete will also have its own private plot of land.

The founders of Ocean Blue Resorts, Stephen and Martin Gow, are pleased with the progress. ‘This has been a privately funded project by OBRI and so a massive challenge for us both financially and logistically’, said Martin, ‘but with the great support of the Governor, Bupati and Team Sunut we are building a more secure future for the community.’

We will be back in Teanjah Anjah in early July for another update.

You know who you are

It’s a sad world when large corporations loiter in the shadows waiting to pounce on the successes and good work of companies like Ocean Blue Resorts. If these hotel groups want to be involved in helping the community move to the new location OBR has spent years funding then pick up the phone or send an email to us.

Why the rant readers? We know that a certain hotel group attempted to negotiate with the local government to take over the island. This was not about helping build a sustainable future for the people on Gili Sunut but about money.

We know how business gets done in Indonesia. And we know who you are. If you are genuine in helping the community then we welcome hearing from you directly.

Teanjah Anjah Update

It would be great to report that the new village is finished and the community had moved in. But a combination of funding delays, operational issues and a rainy season like no other brought all construction work to a stop.

It’s a great disappointment for everyone especially as hopes were high that the relocation would happen before the rain started. But once the heavens opened there was no stopping the endless downpour. Laying the concrete foundations became impossible and rendering the walls a pointless task. So the decision was make not to fight Mother Nature and delay the project.

It has given nature the opportunity to show us what it can do and as you can see here, the new village was given a rich green carpet!

 With 60% of the new village completed, Team Sunut was able to assess the current conditions in the area and how best to restart the project.


The other reason for the visit was for Ocean Blue Resorts to announce that it wanted to push on with the construction and complete Teahjah Anjah. In meetings with all the senior staff within Team Sunut, a new schedule has been drawn up to ensure the flow funds, supplies and labour all work together to get this great project finished.

As the first private company in Indonesia to fund the construction of a complete new village, PT. Ocean Blue Resorts Indonesia is proud to be given this opportunity, knowing the enormous difference it will make to hundreds of needy people.

Life is a Journey

After one and a half hours on the road, the tiny village of Jor brought a welcome change of pace. This was the launching point for the two small fishing boats we had hired to take us to Teanjah Anjah and Gili Sunut.
Traders jostled for mooring space in the mangrove to off load their goods from the surrounding area. Rich colours attract your attention to the organised chaos that surrounds you.

 

 

 

 

 

It looks like a scene from the movie Water World with Kevin Costner. In fact these incredible bamboo structures are for catching lobster. The warm shallow waters are rich in marine life with and as we head south a school of flying fish create a frenzy of activity by our boats.

As we approach Teanjah Anjah the coast line of Lombok shows its idyllic face. Deserted beaches with only the occasional temporary hut remind us of how inaccessible this region is and how difficult life is for the villagers on Gili Sunut.

Lombok Life

Buzzing with activity, Lombok life is full of colour. It is Bali as it used to be, where you can get up close to the everyday lives of these welcoming people.

The hustle and bustle of our journey to visit Teanjah Anjah took us from Mataram in the West to the new village site at Teanjah Anjah on the South east coast.
Every corner in the road brought new surprises. Armed with a new camera, these snap shots of Lombok Life hopefully give you a taste of the real Indonesia.



A common site in the early morning are the local farmers heading to the traditional market (pasar). Here with Bananas and Jack Fruit.



There is always room for two more on the local angkutan umum (bus)! These kids are heading to a high school near Praya and like every student in Lombok, always in smart uniforms.
Selling is a necessity here, any place, any time, any where. Here pretty in pink is selling batik at one of the countless Bales along the roadside. It is an opportunity to stop, rest and chat to passers by.
The extended rain season has given many farmers the chance to plant April padi fields. With the work done, the boys have time to fly their kites.

Thanks For Visiting

The blog site may be small but our reach is Global!! I suppose that's the power of the internet.

Thanks to everyone around the world for visiting the site and for all the emails you send us. Thanks for caring about a small island community in Indonesia that needs our support.

We now have visitors from, Canada, France, India, Italy, UAE, Vietnam, Slovenia and Bahrain. As well as all our regular visitors from Indonesia, UK, USA and Singapore.

Good News

We are back on track with Phase One of the relocation programme. After a long and wet rain season, Team Sunut are back on the site. Its been a painful wait while resources and weather allow the builders to complete the construction of the new homes.

Ocean Blue Resorts will be visiting Teanjah Anjah next week for a progress update so watch this space for more photos and news of the community.

Thanks to Team Sunut and the community for their patience and hard work over the last few months.