Trip to Bali: Chocolate Farm, 21st Century Eco-friendly School and Yoga Retreat

It’s true that in Bali you’ll have access to all-night parties, lavish spas and noisy beaches—that’s part and parcel of the whole experience, and is what draws tourists to the island year after year. But if you’ve been there, done that, and want to go off the beaten path the next time ’round, then let us introduce you to the calmer side of the island. Take a tour of a local chocolate farm, see firsthand how a 21st-century eco-friendly school operates and get in touch with your spiritual self at an all-inclusive yoga retreat. Don’t skip out on good food and luxurious accommodations, of course—just remember that there’s more to this tropical paradise than meets the eye.

Jungle Learning

Imagine a school in the middle of a jungle, with buildings made entirely from bamboo stalks, where there is no such thing as indoors. A place where children learn how to plant rice and raise animals, and the cafeteria stocks fresh, organic produce. Well, turns out there is just such a school, and it’s in Bali. The Green School was founded by John and Cynthia Hardy, a Canadian-American couple who met on the island and ended up becoming business partners. The pair wanted to create a new type of school—one where kids could roam free and experience things that institutions in big cities just can’t offer. Established in 2008, the school is now not only a respected one-of-a-kind institution, but also a destination for travelers who want to witness firsthand how a place like this actually functions. Green School seems like a 21st-century hipster experiment—but it’s no doubt a very successful one.

The Green School offers a curriculum for primary to high school students that goes beyond basics like math and science. For one, the premises contain a zoo of sorts, filled with native birds and animals that the students take turns caring for. There’s also a rice paddy and a mini farm for students to grow their own produce and to test out the latest irrigation methods.    

Make no mistake: this isn’t Tarzan’s jungle, and there are computers and modern-day equipment in the classroom. The difference, rather, is that students at the Green School get both sides of the equation; besides traditional classroom learning (although “traditional” is rather loosely interpreted), there’s also a crucial outdoor component that is simply lacking in other instituations.

Go to www.greenschool.org/book-a-tour to sign up.