Bali Mangrove Tourism Blooms with Local Products and Boat Tours

TheIndonesia.co - Bali, famous for its beaches and waves beloved by tourists, faces a daily threat: coastal erosion. To fight back, locals have long relied on mangrove forests as natural wave barriers.

According to Antara News Agency, data from the Ngurah Rai Grand Forest Park (Tahura) management unit mentioned at least 1,373 hectares of mangroves are under their care, with around 80% already reforested. Maintaining these vital ecosystems isn’t cheap, so the coastal communities—many of whom are traditional fishermen—have stepped in to help.

Over time, it’s not just people who have kept the mangroves alive, but the mangroves that have given life back to the people.

With well-maintained surroundings, the mangrove area has evolved into an ecotourism destination. Visitors can now tour the mangroves by boat, and locals have started producing creative, sustainable products that both support their families and attract tourists.

Thriving Ecotourism

Wayan Kona Antara, head of the Segara Guna Batu Lumbang Fishermen’s Cooperative (KUB) in Denpasar, shared that interest in mangrove ecotourism has surged, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic subsided.

About 50 families have weathered economic hardships thanks to their stewardship of the mangrove area, which has blossomed into a vibrant ecotourism destination. Starting from across the G20 Mangrove Showcase in Pemogan Village, visitors can embark on guided boat tours with the group.

Motorized boats rent for Rp350,000–Rp600,000 for groups of 6–10 people, while canoes are available for 1–2 people during low tide.

The experience offers the feeling of sailing through open sea, shaded by five-meter-tall mangrove trees. Tours, which last between 30 minutes and over an hour, often include glimpses of the Bali Mandara Toll Road and Garuda Wisnu Kencana statue—despite the midday sun.

Sometimes, the tide forces visitors to wait up to five hours for the waters to rise again. Still, the appeal is strong, with around 2,400 visitors monthly—25% of whom are international tourists.

From these tours alone, KUB Segara Guna Batu Lumbang earns over Rp300 million annually. Beyond tourism, mangroves also support fishing and supply materials for a variety of unique local products.

Turning Mangroves into Marketable Goods

While the men guide boats and fish, women in the same group process mangrove leaves and fruit into a range of handmade products.

They harvest responsibly—only in small amounts and mainly during semiannual fruiting seasons. From the sonneratia caseolaris species comes vitamin C-rich syrup; Bruguiera gymnorrhiza yields crispy chips; Acanthus ilicifolius leaves are dried into tea; and the crowns of Rhizophora mucronata are turned into coffee.

Processing these materials by hand is labor-intensive. Still, the effort pays off: the women earn monthly wages, holiday bonuses, and share in a collective savings fund—earning a net profit of Rp37 million annually.

Among the four creative products tested and verified by Dhyana Pura University, the coffee takes the longest to make. The crowns are soaked in charcoal water for a week, then dried and roasted in a small grinder.

The most popular and fastest to produce is the pink mangrove syrup, resembling watermelon juice. It takes two days to prepare: boiling and squeezing the fruit, filtering, then simmering for 24 hours before adding cane sugar and letting it thicken.

The most complicated process belongs to the mangrove chips. The fruit must be soaked for three days in charcoal water to remove tannins that could otherwise cause dizziness or fainting. Only after this step can it be ground into flour and shaped into snack sticks.

Prices reflect the labor and rarity of the ingredients: Rp15,000 per 100 ml of syrup, Rp15,000 per 20 g of chips, Rp40,000 per 30 g of coffee, and Rp35,000 per 30 g of tea.

Because the ingredients are seasonal and carefully harvested, the products are not made in large quantities. Only about 10 women remain active in production today—down from 33 before the pandemic. Many have returned to other jobs, and interest from younger generations is declining.

Production now increases only when large orders come from institutions holding events in Bali. Otherwise, products are sold only to mangrove tour visitors—rarely outside the area or online.

A Future in Nature-Based Livelihoods

These mangrove-based creative industries support and sustain ecotourism, and are not limited to just one group—similar efforts are emerging across Bali. Around 10% of the 1,373 hectares managed by Tahura Ngurah Rai are now used for tourism.

With expert support and continued innovation, these communities could unlock even greater economic value. What began as a way to protect the coastline has grown into a thriving ecotourism venture—with marketable byproducts and the promise of a better future.