When Richard Kvech first set foot on Pinang four years ago, the only sign of human habitation on the island was a dilapidated bungalow used by passing fishermen.
Kvec and three friends, all from the Czech Republic, were sleeping in hammocks and cooking on the beach as they dreamed of creating an eco-retreat on a 50-hectare Indonesian island off the west coast of Sumatra.
Group member Thomas Ouhel met the pinang a year ago while doing conservation work on nearby Bangkal Island.
After a year of discussions between themselves and the two families that own the island, the group Kveci and Owel, together with photographer Stefan Kotas and fertility clinic co-owner Martin Mrazek, have decided to build a small ecological facility. signed a 50-year lease to create a. It is a resort area on the island, Kvech said.
Construction of an eco-resort
Kvech said the group built accommodation bungalows using locally sourced wood, dug wells to access the island’s underground fresh water and installed solar panels for electricity. He said supply and labor costs were covered by the group out of its own pocket.
Thomas Owell, second from the right, was the first of four friends to visit the Indonesian island. Together with Stefan Kotas, Martin Mrazek and Richard Kvech, the group leased the small island from two families and built an eco-resort there.
Source: Segara Bumi Indah
Later, we built staff quarters, a common area facing the beach, and four overnight bungalows that can accommodate 12 people. Kvech said the main bungalows have bathrooms, while the smaller bungalows share facilities and are all connected to an organic septic system.
The group also established orchards and vegetable gardens adapted to the island’s natural vegetation, established an approach known as permaculture, and introduced chickens to provide guests with fresh eggs. They compost organic food waste and recycle glass and cans, he said.
There are five guest bungalows and one beachside common area. The eco-resort is “not for people looking for a high-end vacation, but rather for people who want to live in harmony with nature,” said operator Richard Kvec.
Source: Segara Bumi Indah
The previously uninhabited island received its first paying guests two years ago, Kvech said. A former medical travel coordinator, Kvech is currently in charge of marketing and permaculture on Pinang Island.
“Before we came to Pinang, there was almost nothing on the island, just a small path, a tumbledown bungalow, and a small field.It was completely untouched by humans. It was a really pristine jungle,” Kvech told CNBC Travel.
This eco-resort was built using local materials such as seashells, driftwood, and coconut wood. The accommodation is described as simple and minimalist.
Source: Segara Bumi Indah
“We try to be as unobtrusive as possible. The island is so beautiful that we don’t want to destroy the pristine nature, so our place only takes up 1-2 percent of the island. The swamps, There are bamboo forests, coconut trees, hills, hermit crabs, lizards and gum tree snakes. The jungle is very active. ”
Accommodation fee
Since opening to the public two years ago, Pinang Island has welcomed 100 guests and has become an attractive yoga and surfing retreat, Kvech said. He says he has received interest from other groups, from writers to martial artists, DJs to gardeners.
Pinang Island is 50 hectares. Richard Kvec said the buildings built for the eco-resort accounted for “1 to 2 percent of the total”.
Source: Segara Bumi Indah
The island costs $999 per night for eight people. Up to 4 additional guests can stay for $125 per person per night.
Prices include all meals, daily cleaning, weekly towel and linen changes, Starlink satellite reception and 4G Wi-Fi, plus activities such as snorkeling, fishing, stand-up paddleboarding, and kayaking.
For an additional $500 per night, you can take guided surf trips to the Bay of Plenty, Bangkal and other nearby islands.
directions
However, guests should be prepared for a long journey to Pinang Island with multiple stops, Kvech said.
This typically involves long-haul flights from major cities to Singapore or Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur. From there, it’s a short flight to Medan, the capital of Indonesia’s North Sumatra province, where many tourists spend the night. Early the next morning, guests board another flight to the town of Singkil in Indonesia’s Aceh province.
Guests can enjoy diving, fishing, farming and cooking. Many people enjoy surfing, and eco-resort operators describe the surfing as world-class.
Source: Segara Bumi Indah
The last leg of the trip is a 1.5-hour boat ride to Pinang Island. This can be dangerous. In August 2023, a boat en route to Pinang from a popular surfing spot near Nias Island capsized in a storm. Seven people went missing at sea over the course of two nights and one day, as Kveci and the group confirmed in a statement. A massive search and rescue operation led to the rescue of six of the passengers, a group of Australian surfers. Unfortunately, a local Indonesian captain could not be found.
“We express our deep sympathy for the distress caused by this unfortunate event and the importance of working with the wider Banyak Island community to improve maritime safety standards and captain training for ships in the region. “We recognize that,” the statement reads.
“This incident serves as a reminder of the unpredictable nature of the ocean and the importance of high safety measures. With this in mind, we want to reassure our communities that we are taking decisive action. I want to guarantee that.”
Because Pinang Island is difficult to access, the operator told CNBC Travel that a 10-night stay is recommended, but week-long reservations are also accepted.
Source: Segara Bumi Indah
Kvech said the resort was temporarily closed but reopened after the group, which had previously relied on local boats, bought its own fiberglass boat. He said the vessel is equipped with a marine VHF radio, Garmin Inreach satellite communication device, Ocean Signal GPS transmitter, flares, flashlights, buoys, life jackets and a whistle.
Kvech said the group also established the Fifan Foundation in the missing captain’s name to strengthen safety training for other local captains. The boat transfer point has also been changed from Nias Island to Shinkiru, allowing for a shorter and safer journey.
“For those with an adventurous spirit”
Kvech said his hope for the future is to keep Pinang Island a niche and intimate place.
“I can’t imagine running a hotel that accommodates more than 50 people. That would be a logistical disaster, and it would also be an environmental disaster,” Kvech said.
Twelve locals work on the island, including kitchen staff who prepare dishes that combine Western and Indonesian cuisine.
Source: Segara Bumi Indah
He also said the island was not suitable for tourists looking for a luxury vacation.
“It’s more for people who want to live with nature again and find their balance. People with an adventurous spirit, who want to experience something very far away, but still want a certain level of quality and comfort. This is for people who are
Kvec said he splits his time between Pinang Island and the Czech Republic, admitting that life on a deserted island is not always the fantasy many people imagine.
Twelve locals work on the island, including kitchen staff who prepare dishes that combine Western and Indonesian cuisine.
Source: Segara Bumi Indah
“This is no fairy tale. This is the most difficult project I have ever worked on,” Kvech said. “We had to learn to understand the culture of the people and the island itself. Every day there are problems that need to be solved.”
“But it makes me happy when I hear feedback from our guests that they are so glad they made the long journey to enjoy their time in Pinang.”
