That already-ancient coconut grove in which Poppies was built in 1980 gets more and more ancient. At that time most of what is now Kuta's built up area was covered by similar coconut plantations.

According to an expert we spoke to at that time some of our trees were 75 years old then, meaning some that remain today are well over 100 years old. Every now and again one of the grove's tallest members begins to 'lose its grip', and it's time for some euthanasia.



Pak Budi has been our agile Balinese tree surgeon for many years. He is seen here doing what he does best on an 18 metre specimen.

He works with the simplest of equipment - an axe and some rope - and has refused offers of modern gadgetry, which make him feel unsafe.