With little days off to travel far, we’ve been trying to find weekend escapes close to Jakarta. Driving up to Portibi Farm takes about 2h30 and is a wonderful break from the city.
What we love
- This place has a soul: the owners are there, they care about the place, their staff, their guests and it shows. It’s not a hotel and feels like staying at a friend’s home
- The beautiful grounds, lush and green, perfect for bug hunters and budding botanists
- The houses, each uniquely designed and built with beautiful local material
- The food prepared with the farm’s harvest : fusion tacos, Vietnamese pho… instead of the usual nasi goreng (amazing range of dishes for vegetarians too)
- Its commitment to low energy consumption
- How everyone sits together for meals, including Portibi’s staff
Room types
We’ve been a few times and tried different rooms each time. In the end, we prefer the campground of Leuit:
- The kids love it because they feel like camping
- It’s the cheapest accommodation, which makes my wallet and me happy ?
We spend all of our time outdoors anyway and only go back to the room to sleep so it doesn’t make sense for us to book a more expensive room.
What else you need to know
- The guided walk around the farm was beautiful and kid friendly. The waterfall was too far for our kids, there were quite a bit of people too. A new road was built since our last visit creating easier access, but it probably means more visitors too.
- Remember this is the countryside and farm inhabitants may include bugs and rodents
- Morning prayers and kampung parties are loud
- There is no wifi
- The bedrooms are spread quite far apart from each other and most people hang out in the common area
- Fixed meals are served at fixed times, which can be a bit late for small kids
- To avoid weekend traffic, it’s best to leave Jakarta early on Saturday morning or Friday afternoon before 3pm (it then takes about 2h30)
What to bring
- Your wine if you are specific (corkage fee will apply, they also have great wines there)
- Bugs spray, headlights, earplugs
Are you looking to get away from Jakarta for the weekend? Here are a few ideas:
Next on my bucket list: SukaSantai, Schitzo Hill and Tana Kita