The farmers of Sibetan have collected of the Salak-palms over the years seeds and they discovered new species of snake fruit. At present there are fourteen species of Salaks grown here. Ten are considered very rare. The villagers now make their own sweet Salak wine. is a very short-stemmed palm, with leaves up to 6 metres long; each leaf has a 2-metre long petiole with spines up to 15 centimetres long, and numerous leaflets. The fruits grow in clusters at the base of the palm, and are also known as snake fruit due to the reddish-brown scaly skin. They are about the size and shape of a ripe fig, with a distinct tip. The pulp is edible. The fruit can be peeled by pinching the tip, which should cause the skin to slough off so it can be pulled away. |
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Snake fruit (Salaks) and the Salak wine
The village itself is quiet and traditional, blessed with a cool, clean air and a sense of real peace. Sibetan is one of the four JED villages. JED is the Balinese Village Eco Tourism Network. This organization tackles tourism in a very special way. In these villages, life is still quite common. The people are very hospitable, but there are no special facilities for tourists.
A walk around the village offers you breathtaking vistas of mountains, palm trees, picturesque villages and in the distance you can see the blue ocean. Dukuh Sibetan Salak is surrounded by gardens and woodland, dotted with small paths. A beautiful pond, full of stories and mythology, is located at the bottom of a high cliff, equipped with vines and spring water. When visiting Dukuh Sibetan you can help with picking the snake fruit. The Salaks are not too big but have the strangest forms. The residents of the village will show you how the pineapple-like fruits are made into wine.
Women, who want to visit the village, can build up the day with the women of Sibetan. They may help with cooking and preparing for one of the upcoming ceremonies. The residents of Sibetan are in fact very religious and often they have special ceremonies and festivals. It would be nice if you could experience such a festival, but to help the women is perhaps even more fun.
Sibetan
If you choose to spend the night in Dukuh Sibetan, you will stay with the family in family home stay. The family dress up the room of the family members who stay out of the village for education. Stay with the family will give you opportunity to chat with the family members and experience how they spend their time in the village.