angelinabG9639SH
28 Dec 2025
What I signed up for in Pejeng was called a "cooking class".
What I experienced at Mai Organic Farm was something much rarer: a living story, told through soil, hands, laughter, and care.
The day began in the garden. We walked the land, gathered our own fruits and vegetables, touched what we were about to cook, and understood—without a lecture—what real connection to food means. Every ingredient had a story, a season and meaning.
Tataa and Komang, the young men leading the experience, are something extraordinary and special !! There is wisdom in them that goes beyond their age.
With humor, warmth, and genuine pride, they guided us through the history and traditions of each dish, encouraging us to cook ourselves, cheering and celebrating every small contribution we made, and turned learning into joy. I never felt like a tourist. I felt included. I felt like coocing with family. One of the most touching moments for me was meeting Komang's mothers, who was there helping quietly, naturally—like this is how things have always been done. That moment said more about Balinese culture than any guidebook ever could.
What impressed me deeply is the young community behind this place and their leadership—the conscious decision to protect tradition, support local farmers, and resist the pressure of fast, empty tourism.
This is not nostalgia. This is active preservation. Purposeful work.
Courage, actually...
Mai Organic Farm is not a tourist attraction in the usual sense,Mai Organic Farm is a mission with deeper purpose. It exists because the people behind it ,made a brave, deliberate choice: to remain connected to their land, their farmers, and their responsibility to the future.. It is a place built for continuity. The farm is worked the way it has been for generations—patiently, organically, in dialogue with the nature, rather than in control of it. By inviting others in, they are not turning tradition into spectacle; they are protecting it by practicing it. Local farmers are supported, ancestral knowledge is passed hand to hand, and cultural memory is kept alive through daily work. You feel that every step here is guided by respect—for those who came before, for those who live here now, and for those who will inherit this soil next. In a world rushing forward, this community stands firm. Quiet. United. And powerful because of it.
This was one of the happiest and most meaningful days of my time in Bali.
I left with a full heart, a sense of belonging, and the feeling that I had been trusted into something sacred. I came as a visitor and left feeling part of something larger—possibly with new friends for life.
I will come back. And I will support this place and these people in every way I can.
This is not “good.”
This is excellent—with soul .
Angelina