menu
About Us

Our vision is to create a space that will place value on the environment and
inspire those who come here to do the same in their lives.

Family Our Balinese land owners Family ceremony

Norm & Linda vant Hoff
Norm first came to Bali in 1989 from Australia, he contracted a small piece of land with a local family and built a simple traditional bungalow from coconut wood and bamboo. He traveled to Bali for holidays over the next few years and in 1992 he married Linda, in a colourful Balinese ceremony in Sarinbuana.
Together they imagined a place where people could come to be inspired by this simple (yet complex) subsistence farming community.
Over 5 years they held Permaculture courses at the lodge, inviting international guests for 2 weeks to learn Permaculture Design. Over the years they have added guest houses for people to stay, and in 2000 Norm, Linda and their 2 boys Larz & Oska moved to Bali full time and developed their home into a place where others could share their experience.
A little bit about Norm
Norm vant Hoff has gathered a wealth of knowledge over 30 years. Starting his career at 16 years as a commercial fisherman in Northern Australia, he was fortunate enough to realise the damage he was doing and left the job, gained his boat captains ticket and became an "environmentalist".
In Australia he worked on government tree planting schemes, Lead a local Green party, farmed organically and co founded O.U.C.H (Order of Underwater Coral Heroes) implementing moorings throughout the Great Barrier Reef to protect coral from anchor damage.
For the last 7 years Norm has founded Yayasan GUS (NGO) establishing rubbish management & high school educational training programs to over 20,000 local high school students.
Norm has worked extensively as an environmental consultant on private & commercial projects, and currently is in his 3rd year of consulting for International Aid organisations in Aceh, Sumatra where he has been implementing Permaculture strategies in sanitation as part of the rebuilding project for tsunami survivors. He has written several papers on water & sanitation (WATSAN) for USAID, GTZ, UNICEF and Oxfam. These papers can be viewed online under: sustainable sanitation in the tropics.
Norm is a passionate and captivating teacher, he has a genuine gift for sharing information on Permaculture inspired sustainable practices and will teach a Permaculture design Course in Bali May 2008 – see Permaculture courses
Norm vant Hoff Dip Perm, is available for consulting on programs & projects concerned with sustainability issues.
  • Environmental Management Consultancy – Private / Commercial / NGO & Government
  • Sustainable Land management
  • Sustainable sanitation systems
  • On site household biological treatment systems: subsurface flow wetlands & vegetated leachfields
  • Vetiver Grass production & sales www.vetiver-indonesia.com - photo
  • Slope stabilization with vetiver grass
  • Riverbank stabilization with vetiver grass
  • Rain water harvesting with vetiver grass
  • Aid & Development – sustainable community development
  • Permaculture Design Course facilitator
A little bit about Linda
Linda vant Hoff is from New Zealand, she first came to Bali in 1984. Linda has studied and practiced organic farming for over 15 years.
Linda developed and managed the first Organic/ Biodynamic Growers Markets in Australia in 1998 which still continues today in Bellingen NSW.
She has taught Environmental Studies in Bali for 5 years to International students and home schools her 2 boys at the lodge.
She has trained all the staff at Sarinbuana Eco lodge in: cooking, house keeping, massage, accounts, gardening and has designed, furnished, built & landscaped the lodge.
Linda has worked extensively with the local community managing the Seacology project (see below) and raising environmental awareness. She has trained locals to be trekking guides and conducts a weekly English class at the lodge for local primary aged children (Guests are welcome to join this class).

Highest rating by the Natural Guide to Bali
Sarinbuana Eco-Lodge has been awarded the 2 leaf rating by The Natural Guide to Bali for Environmental & Social awareness and practice.

Releasing captured Pangolin
Releasing native cat

Winner of the 2007 Wild Asia Responsible Tourism Award for best Eco lodge in South East Asia 2007
– see environmental practices


Aid projects

Over the last 6 years Sarinbuana eco Lodge has raised US$ 30,000 through AUS aid & Seacology grants to benefit our local community & implemented the protection of 800 hectares of neighboring Rainforest Protecting the Sarinbuana Rainforest Mt Batukaru, Tabanan Bali
Thanks to Seacology, Norm & Linda vant Hoff, & the village leaders of Sarinbuana 800 hectares of rainforest are now under protection in Mt Batukaru, Tabanan Bali.

Seacology, based in Berkley California USA have several projects around the world exchanging environmental stewardship of important natural areas in exchange for money to be used by the neighboring community for community based projects.
See links for more information.

The area under protection is called a "NO take zone" which means no person can harvest, gather, hunt or cut down trees within the boundaries of the agreement. Signs educating locals of the new agreement have been posted at the entrance to the rainforest, and it is hoped that locals will gain alternative economic & social rewards by supporting Ecotourism.

The Mt Batukaru rainforest is the largest rainforest in Bali and one of only 2 remaining rainforests. You can support the local economy by taking a guided rainforest walk from Sarinbuana Eco lodge (Rp 50,000 per hour) and help locals to see that Eco money is more sustainable than catching birds & butterflies.

Articles on Sarinbuana Eco Lodge

For Enquiry and Reservation please click here.