When it comes to real estate and building, the number 1 rule is location, location, location…
Billy walking the Dog in the front yard...does it get any better than that?
We nailed the location. With a 200m reeling left hander directly out front, we are in a unique and exceptional location in the world, especially if you are a surfer...and to be honest, even if you aren't...
A veritable Dreamland.
The next set of rules of building comes from our dreams... To be able to wake up, sit up in bed, and check the surf. This is a luxury, afforded to only the most fortunate. Wake up and make the choice for a slow morning lying in bed replaying memories of yesterday afternoon’s dreamy session or dive into a good book, moving on to coffee and breakfast, or if the surf is good, hurrying up to get right out there for a morning session before enjoying breakfast.
The view from your bed...seriously.
Living on Asu in the old camp for 9 years, we had enjoyed this luxury, with a window right next to our bed that looked directly out to the main takeoff at Asu allowing us the good fortune to know what the surf was doing before even cleaning the sleep from our eyes.
The unobstructed view from the Presidential Terrace
We wanted this for our guests too. So, the first requirement was to have a clear view to the wave from the comfort of the guest beds. We accomplished this with large glass double French doors that open onto the front terrace.
This is our version of "couple's therapy"
A large front terrace is a must, 4m x 3m would do it, large enough to practice yoga, stretch, lay about, have some comfortable chairs, and even hang a couple of hammocks. Believe it or not, some people don’t prefer hammocks, so we also have comfortable woven rattan sitting chairs for enjoying the view from the terrace as an alternative.
Shade is a necessity. After a long day of surf under the tropical sun, the last thing you want is to bake in the heat of the sun in your bungalow. We kept as many coconut trees as possible around the bungalows and added roll down bamboo shades on the west sides of the terrace to keep out any pesky afternoon rays trying to sneak in to make you sweat.
Wood floors on the interior, so comfortable underfoot.
Wood floors, just let that sink in. There is nothing quite like the feel of wood underfoot. It is cool, yet warm, supportive, yet flexible, hard and soft at the same time, if you can understand that… So much better than cement or tile. Stepping out of bed in the morning onto a wooden floor is a Sumatran classic feel that had to be maintained.
Our Accommodations Video, see it all here...
Clean, spacious and open bathrooms with tile floors, flushing toilets, and hot water showers. Some people think that you don’t need hot water in Indo, but they just haven’t been here long enough. Hot water showers are essential to get the full extent of the sunscreen off your face, to fully wash the salt from your hair, and to really get clean at the end of the day. We do recommend a few minutes of cold water at the end of your hot shower to cool the body down before exit, this is essential to evade breaking into a sweat just minutes after getting out of the shower. We also incorporated a lot of shells into the walls and kept the back of the bathroom open to a small garden, it really allows for feeling a part of the island when you are having a shower or taking your morning ritual.
Air Conditioning, though not necessary in our opinion, having grown accustomed to the tropical heat, but for guests who are visiting for a short period just gotta have it sometimes. Whether it’s for taking a midday nap to escape the heat of the day, or for a long uninterrupted night of restful sleep, some guests just gotta have it, so we put it in our bungalows. It’s your choice to use it or not.
Privacy is another must. It’s not a private resort if you’ve got shared walls. No one wants to hear what’s going on next door. We separated our private bungalows one from the other by a minimum of 7m, so you’re going to be able to live in peace at Asu Camp and feel comfortable expressing yourself and knowing that no one is being bothered by your noises and you’re not going to be bothered by anyone else.
Custom bed frames fitted with queen size mattress.
Custom bed frames and mosquito nets. We designed and built custom bed frames that have shelves at the head of the bed for all your stuff that you like to keep close at hand. There’s also a shelf at the foot of the bed. Both shelves have power points for charging your devices and at the foot of the bed is a small fan to help circulate the air and keep you cool. All of this inside of a custom-made mosquito net with an 80cm overlapping door for entry and exit, so you can get in and out easily, but those pesky bugs stay outside where they belong. Our bed frames can be used as 2 single beds, but they can also have one sidewall removed and be put together as a double bed and we have full queen size mattresses for when couples visit. Maximum comfort, maximum style. Our beds were even designed with a high clearance for storing your surf board bag and suitcase underneath, inside the room, nice and clean.
Spacious and private and clean...
Head room. We did 2.5m wall heights with vaulted ceilings in the bungalows to give that airy feeling of spaciousness and elegance. We added a touch of the beach with double paned windows over the doors filled with beach shells. Everyone is always impressed when they see the rooms, pics just don’t do it justice. There are windows in the walls of the vaulted portion of the ceiling which give a great view for gazing up into the coconut tree canopy that surrounds our camp.
Beach style is a must too. We incorporated the use of reef and shells into the décor. These are truly island style bungalows and there are very few places in the world that capture this feel of outer island living in quite the same way.
Organic roofing made from palm tree leaf makes for a cool and quiet home for your vacation stay. The ‘atap’, or leaf roofing common here on Nias, absorbs the heat of the tropical sun and more importantly the beating sound of the heavy tropical rains. Guests who sleep under tin roofing often complain about the heavy tropical rains that wake them up at night while our guests sleep peacefully through the rain as the organic roofing absorbs the energy and the noise of the occasional nightly rain showers.
Each bungalow is equipped with a surf rack and drying rack for wet gear. Gotta have a safe and protected place to hang your gear and stack your boards.
Outside shower and reef walls
Outside shower is a must and we also have a back door through the garden with direct access to bathroom, no tracking sand and dripping water through the middle of the bedroom to get to your bathroom for a shower and clean up.
Each bungalow has a utility closet for tools, wax, gear storage, and just the general stuff that some of you like to bring on your trips. A great place for hanging a backpack, those swim fins, any fishing gear, stuff like that, we’ve got a place for it.
Lots of hooks in the bathroom. We know how it is in most places, get into the bathroom and nowhere to put or hang your stuff… Not here, we’ve loaded the bathroom with handy hooks, shelves, and racks for drying your wet towels.
Windows that open wide for airflow is a must and generally hard to find in Indo. We’ve designed our windows to slide open and let in a lot of light and a lot of air. We also have drapes over each window for napping in the day time and privacy at night.
Power outlets everywhere, even outside!! We know you love gadgets and gadgets love power, so we loaded the rooms with easily accessed power outlets on every wall, even outside on the terrace where you might want to charge a phone, speaker, or even plug in a fan if there’s not enough natural breeze for you.
Multiple shelves for stuff are located in both the bedroom and the bathroom, spread yourself out and make yourself at home.
Water dispensers with cold and hot water in the rooms is essential for maintaining hydration levels and maximum convenience for our guests.
In short, we spent a lot of time thinking about everything so that you can just get here and think about surfing, it all comes naturally out here on Asu…
Welcome to Asu Camp, welcome to paradise!