A vision for Bali: the birth of the Odyssey Institute’s Tropical Ecology Adventure Center

When I set up the Odyssey Institute, teachers kept asking me if I could take their kids camping. I said I could and began looking around for appropriate campsites. It turned out be harder than I had imagined to find a good spot. I found a handful of “official campsites”, but they were generally in a very poor condition and lacking inspirational surroundings. The same was true for West Bali National Park (although there is a rather tired-looking campsite at the Park headquarters right next to the highway!), which immediately stood out as the best location in Bali to try and find a campsite. Why? Because West Bali National Park is the last remaining piece of tropical wilderness in Bali. It is truly wild and still contains amazing biodiversity.

So after several visits to West Bali (and dashed hopes on every occasion), I eventually found myself standing on the dock of the Waka Shorea Resort meeting the General Manager. Pak Iwan and I immediately struck up passionate conversation about camping and the scene was set for a long journey!

Later that afternoon Iwan and I walked south, about 2 kms, to an uninhabited stretch of coastline, still within the jurisdiction of the Waka Shorea’s concession, but entirely undeveloped. I couldn’t believe my eyes. Boat access only. Sea grass meadows on a gently sloping shoulder out to a brilliant turquoise blue coral reef. Large, mature stands of mangrove trees standing guard on the white sand beach. THIS WAS PERFECT!

The photo above was taken once we began to get serious about the development of a facility here; one dedicated to environmental science and service and youth leadership development. Our field site remains in its infancy. But the land is already set up to accommodate groups of students from around the world who have begun arriving for numerous custom designed programs at what will eventually be a fully-outfitted Tropical Ecology Adventure Center.

Stay tuned for status updates as we continue our journey…