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WANT OVERWATER SUITES, LUSCIOUS LAGOONS, PRIVATE
BEACHES, SPECTACULAR SUNRISES AND SENSATIONAL
SNORKELLING? CHRISTINE RETSCHLAG EXPLORES BAWAH
ISLAND, INDONESIA’S NEWEST LUXURY ECO RESORT.S
unrise at Bawah Island, and the sky erupts like an active Indonesian
volcano, spewing spectacular lava light across the ocean. Blacktip reef
shark circle the overwater suite below, in a similar lap of luxury to which
I find myself above.
I am on Indonesia’s newest luxury eco resort, halfway between
Borneo and Malaysia in the Anambas group of islands. Formerly part of the Sundaland
that connected Peninsula Malaysia, Cambodia, Java and Sumatra during the last
Ice Age, Bawah is just three hours from Singapore.
Dating back 10,000 years, this former fishing enclave now employs around
100 staff and welcomes a maximum of 70 guests at any one time to its three lagoons,
five islands and 13 beaches. It’s the new Maldives, Indonesian-style.
Throughout the night, South East Asia’s typical, tropical rain has been pitter-
pattering on my Indonesian timber roof like a line of exotic Balinese dancers. »IDYLLIC
Indonesia
150 | theceomagazine.com
INDULGE | Eco luxury