Klub Kembali - Stories and recipes from a bar owner in paradise…

It’s a Jungle Out There

Across our social feeds, in the daily news, and especially in global politics, it appears that people are becoming increasingly divided, separate, and antagonistic. Travel, instead, can show us just how much we all actually have in common. Exploring a different culture not only introduces us to new experiences but also illustrates that, at the heart of it, most people just want to laugh with friends and family, to enjoy a nice meal together or to simply watch a beautiful sunset.

Life seems more simple when we travel. And, of course, this is by design. When we travel we enter an intangible space, a juicy experience of “betwixt and between” where our routines are disrupted, our timelines jump and dance, and our expectations loosen. This can put us at ease, allowing us to relax and tap into a side of ourselves that’s often pushed down in our normal, everyday jobs and responsibilities.This space of curiosity and excitement reminds us to lean into something new, even if it isn’t perfect.

I like to call this “rough around the edges” exploration, allowing for some fun discoveries about ourselves and those with whom we travel. In this spirit, let’s raise a toast to where a less-than-perfect adventure can take us…

• Here’s to Restoring Wonder: When every stop is pre-vetted, photographed, and optimized, travel can feel like following instructions. Rougher travel leaves room for wrong turns, chance encounters, and personal finds that can provide awe-inspiring moments that reintroduce wonder to our lives.
• Here’s to Paying More Attention: Without the comfort of a perfectly branded café, curated boutique hotel, or viral viewpoint, you have to observe more closely…how people move through the village, where they eat, what rhythms shape daily life. This is often as simple as sitting in a local warung and watching interactions between people. Having a glimpse into how the kitchen staff jokes with each other. Enjoying how people come and go at their own pace.
• Here’s to Better Stories: The odd guesthouses, unexpected meals and conversations with strangers, and occasional mishaps are the stories we retell not the flawless photos taking up storage space on our phones. Stories to tell are the whole point of travel; they fill our hearts with memories and create experiences where the craziest happenings become the best tales to share with others in the future.
• Here’s to Humility: Less polished travel reminds us that places do not exist to perform for visitors. We’re entering someone else’s ordinary world, not just consuming a destination. This comes down to the idea of respect at its core being a visitor requires us to remove our own ego in exchange for being open to learning about things that might not exist in our own cultures.
• Here’s to Flexibility and Resilience: When things are less smooth, travelers have to adapt, negotiate, wait, ask questions, and sometimes be uncomfortable. That discomfort can become part of the value and part of how we can grow as people. In our “instant gratification” world, travel asks us to slow down, to sometimes just watch the world go by. This is more important than ever in today’s fast-paced world.
• Here’s to Fairness: When travelers move beyond the same Instagram-famous places, money and attention can reach smaller businesses, lesser-known neighborhoods, and communities outside the tourism spotlight. This is a great way to not only find unique locations, but to support the vast network of local villages waiting to share their favorite traditions with you.
• And best of all? Here’s to Travel That Still Includes Beauty, Craft, and Pleasure: For example, enjoying a nice cocktail or meal does not have to contradict the search for something less polished. At its best, it’s another way of being fully present to local ingredients, a restaurant’s creativity, a neighborhood after dark, the conversations happening around you. The point is not to reject comfort or style, but to choose places that feel rooted in their surroundings rather than staged only for visitors.

Since opening our doors at Klub Kembali four years ago, these ideas have always informed our goal. To create a place that brings authentic flavors and blended ideas, all housed in a traditional, 120-year-old Joglo building, all enhanced by locally-made artwork, all served up by a team of experts who know exactly where the ingredients originate and exactly how the experience should feel.

This flows through to our conversations with our guests as well. Namely, when we’re asked how to find the “real” Lombok, we always have a similar bit of advice: Allow yourself to be surprised, to expect the unexpected, and to embrace unplanned detours. Leave the Instagram shots behind to seek out something more authentic. This type of adventure can give you something that polished travel can’t: a more active, surprising, and memorable relationship with a place … and with yourself.

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In honor of this “rough around the edges” feel, this month’s cocktail is focused on getting out into the wild and exploring both the sweet and the bitter, all in one delicious recipe – the traditional Jungle Bird.

The Jungle Bird is a famous tropical tiki cocktail created in 1973 by beverage manager Jeffrey Ong at the Aviary Bar inside the Kuala Lumpur Hilton in Malaysia. Originally served as a welcome drink in a porcelain bird-shaped mug, it stands out for combining dark rum and tropical juices with bitter Campari. A great blend, and a perfect holiday sipper. Cheers!

Klub Kembali Jungle Bird

1. Fill shaker with:
   • 1 1/2 oz Aged Manta Dark Rum
   • 3/4 oz Campari
   • 1 1/2 oz Pineapple Juice
   • 1/2 oz Lime Juice
   • 1/4 oz Simple Syrup
   • 3 drops Saline Solution
2. Add ice and shake vigorously for 20 seconds
3. Double strain into lowball glass over ice
4. Garnish with dehydrated pineapple & cherry umbrella
5. Enjoy!

Notes

• At the Klub we age Indonesian Manta Dark Rum for added depth, but feel free to use any quality dark rum you prefer.
• Saline Solution is the bartender’s “secret sauce” to brighten up the flavors of most cocktails. We make ours by taking 100 ml water, adding 25 g salt and gently heating it until the salt is completely dissolved. Cool, bottle and use.