It is that time of year again when the Indonesian Tourism Village Awards are coming into a pique. The competition is run annually by the Indonesian Ministry for Tourism and Creative Economies.
The competition opened up in March this year, and now the finalists have been confirmed, with Bali’s villages, as ever, featuring high on the list.
For years, the leading tourist village in Bali has been Penglipuran Village in Bangli Regency. The iconic village has captured the world’s imagination as one of the world’s cleanest villages.
Penglipuran Village is completely pedestrianized and surrounded by ancient bamboo forests. The village is open for tourists to explore, from the central alleyway to the homes of community members and the village temples.
Exciting news has been confirmed by the Village Tourism Awards and the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economies. As the top fifty best tourism villages in Indonesia in 2024 have been announced, Bali’s Les Village has been named amongst the winners.
Speaking to reports the Head of the Buleleng Regency Tourism Service, Gede Dody Sukma Oktiva Askara, said “this achievement is extraordinary, because a total of 6,016 tourist villages throughout Indonesia were able to qualify.”
Minister Sandiaga Uno himself will be visiting Les Village in June or July, with final details of his visit to be revealed soon. The Head of Les Village, Adi Wistara, told reporters of his delight that the village has finally be listed in the top fifty after applying for the awards three times before.
In 2021 Les Village was named in the top 1,000 and in 2022 in the top 500 tourism villages in Indonesia. Wistara said “this is a blessing for us.”
The theme of the Village Tourism Awards this year is “Tourism Villages Towards World Class Green Tourism” which aligns perfectly with the vision and mission of Les Village in Bali whose tourism offering is oriented solely around the natural beauty and culture of the area.
Wistara told reporters, “The village and traditional governments will fortify our village so that it is not touched by development that destroys nature.”
This is a serious issue in Bali right now, with many tourism and political leaders raising concerns that the island’s rapid tourism development growth is posing huge risks to the island’s natural heritage, cultural principles, and environmental security.
Leaders are actively calling for a spatial planning investigation to be conducted so that development and conservation legislation can be updated and strictly enforced for the protection of the island of Bali for generations to come.
Les Village can be found on the northeastern coast of Bali. The community sits an hour north of the diving resort of Amed and an hour and fifteen minutes from Bali’s most famous coastal retreat, Lovina.
Aside from the stunning stretch of coastline, one of the leading nature attractions in Les Village is Yeh Mampeh Waterfall.
This secluded and seldom-visited waterfall cascades for over 40m into a natural pool that is perfect for swimming in.
The waterfall is accessed by a densely forested jungle trail in a part of Bali where tourism development and major infrastructure has not yet taken over.
Although a pebble beach, the palm-tree-lined Bembeng Beach is a real hidden gem. Boasting epic sunsets, rarely another human in sight, and gently lapping waves, an undisturbed day of relaxation at Bembeng Beach is not to be overlooked. Just bring a yoga mat to place under your beach towel to soften the feel of the pebbles!
One of the top hotel resorts close to Les Village is Alam Anda Ocean Front Resort and Spa. This 4-star hideaway is the perfect secret retreat on Bali’s east coast, offering oceanfront villas for often less than $50 a night.
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