Design & Construction
The inspiration for Cocotinos comes from the simple way of life and vernacular style of construction that is typical of an Indonesian village. The aim was to create a facility that is stylish and also caters to the needs of the present-day traveller, with particular attention to divers. Guests will find power points conveniently located at the writing desks and bedside tables in the rooms for the charging of mobile phones, computers, cameras and other electronic equipment.
The bathrooms are designed to be bright and airy. Every bathroom has a skylight and glass blocks to allow natural lighting, as well as ventilation windows with mosquito netting to keep out the bugs. Guests will enjoy the spacious shower area with its pergola and planter box at the side which gives the feeling of showering in the outdoors. Privacy doors for the water closet and shower areas make the bathroom more practical for double sharing, especially during the early morning rush before a dive.
The bedrooms are designed with high ceilings and each bedroom has a special louvred window with mosquito netting that allows for natural ventilation while keeping out the bugs. It also provides security for guests who choose to sleep without air-conditioning.
In general, the resort is built using local material that is available in the vicinity of the resort. Fossilised coral is used on columns and accent walls; washed pebble is the floor finish in the bathrooms and public areas; and “Buluh Tui” a type of bamboo used by local fisherman is featured on bathroom doors and balcony partitions. Volcanic stone is hand-hewed and used for the construction of the boundary wall.
An interesting fact to point out is that the swimming pool was dug out, not by excavators, by the village women. They would do the digging whenever they could find a break from cooking, washing and looking after their children. In addition to the swimming pool, a large part of the construction work was also carried out by workers from the nearby villages. As such, guests may find the finishing of the rooms a bit rough in part. It is, however, a fair exchange to accept some imperfections in return for good social relations with, and economic benefit to the local villagers.