Follow the Fragrance — From Hillside Paths to Handcrafted Meals
Munduk is often known for its waterfalls, cool air, and panoramic views. But just beyond its more familiar trails lies something even more immersive: the spice trails of North Bali, where clove trees, cacao, turmeric, and coffee create a living map of Bali’s heritage.
At Umah Lusa, a tranquil Munduk hotel nestled in the village of Pedawa, this world isn’t a side excursion — it’s your backyard.
Here, spice isn’t just a flavor. It’s a way of life.
The Trails Themselves: Earthy, Untouched, Alive
Just steps from Umah Lusa, winding forest paths lead you through spice plantations that have been tended for generations. You’ll walk beneath clove trees — tall and aromatic — their branches drying in the sun. Vanilla vines cling to trees. Wild turmeric grows beside the path, waiting to be pulled and brewed into jamu.
Guided walks are available, but the most memorable journeys are often the ones you take at your own pace — with your senses fully awake.
You’re not just walking through Bali here. You’re walking with it.
From Soil to Soul: The Spice Trail Philosophy
Staying at a typical Lovina Bali resort, you might enjoy a clove-scented massage. But at Umah Lusa, you can follow that clove from the field to the kitchen to your own tea cup.
That’s the heart of slow travel — seeing where things begin.
To learn how we turn those ingredients into meals, check out Farm-to-Table at Umah Lusa, where the garden isn’t next to the kitchen — it is the kitchen.
Spice on the Plate: Dining at Cengkeh
After a morning on the trail, return to Cengkeh Restaurant to experience those same ingredients in new form. Try the Moringa & Sweet Corn Soup, spiced gently with local herbs. Or the Kecombrang Nasi Goreng, infused with torch ginger and served with chicken satay and sambal matah.
You’ll taste the cloves. The kaffir lime. The lemongrass. But you’ll also taste care. And place. And season.
There’s nothing generic here. Every flavor belongs — to the land, and to the moment.
The Forgotten Spice Capital of Bali
North Bali played a key role in the spice trade of centuries past. In villages like Pedawa, Munduk, and beyond, families still harvest by hand — drying, roasting, and selling to nearby markets or simply using what they grow.
You won’t find this in a cooking class. You’ll find it in the air. The landscape. The way your guide speaks about her grandmother’s garden.
Guests often tell us that walking these trails was their most memorable moment — even more than seeing dolphins in Lovina or waterfalls in Munduk.
Final Thought
There are many trails in Bali. But few let you taste, smell, and feel the land the way a spice trail does.
Umah Lusa, as a Munduk hotel, sits right at the intersection of forest, flavor, and memory.
Come walk the paths your food once traveled. Come see where stories are still harvested by hand.