At the time, it felt like a great idea to tell you about the Coral Triangle Centre Escape Room. Then I realised if I told you too much I'd spoil the fun! So allow me to share what I can about this wonderful experience and centre which can be found towards the south of Sanur. It has easy access from the bypass but is still in a quiet area with ample parking.
Coral Triangle Centre, Sanur, Bali
There's plenty to do there but my daughter and I just went for one of the Escape Rooms so let me tell you about that first.
I love Escape Rooms but most are a little too scary for me and definitely for my daughter. Or they require a large number of people to join. For these reasons I normally have to rule them out. Once I found out about this location I couldn't wait. I'll be honest, I was a little nervous as I wondered how good could it be if it was suitable for children, educational and could be played with only 2 people. As it turned out I had nothing to worry about!
After an extremely helpful briefing, we watched a video that gave us a bit of a 'backstory' to the Escape Room idea plus some information on what's happening in the waters around Indonesia right now. And they gave us valuable tips to help with our experience.
We did it!
Throughout the escape room adventure, there were hints and tips that not only helped us progress but also on how we could help save coral and marine life. And what we could do to reduce plastic and waste in the ocean. All of it was presented in a fun interactive way that my daughter and I really enjoyed.
Of course, we got stuck many times but there's nothing to worry about if that happens to you. During the game, there are doors in case you simply want to leave but you are always being watched (by camera) and can use the phones in each room to call the staff for help. Or perhaps if you're proceeding too slow or look stuck (which I guess may have been the case with us) they call you up and give you clues.
I won't spoil it for you by telling you too much about the actual games, puzzles and room(s)! In fact, it's such a well-kept secret that you can't even take in your phone! Rest assured there are plenty of varied puzzles, locks and combinations to figure out. There's also tonnes to find and work out and it's really well presented and put together. On that note, people in wheelchairs or those who are perhaps not as able-bodied will struggle with the sixty-minute-long game.
The two Escape Rooms
About the venue itself, the CTC Centre for Marine Conservation has a lot more to offer than just two fabulous Escape Rooms. To give you some background they are a non-profit organisation established in 2010. Their hope is to educate, train and protect the areas within the Coral Triangle. This is a large area around Indonesia, Malaysia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines to name a few. This amazing area is home to around 500 species of reef-building corals.
There are plenty of ways to enjoy the centre such as the many workshops. They offer a Coral Clay session so you can learn to make coral whilst learning about it and even a Traditional Sea Animal Weaving Workshop. This combines traditional Indonesian weaving with learning about marine animals. For bigger groups, they have a Fun Learning Class, perfect for larger families, world or homeschoolers. Plus there's even the opportunity to take the classroom outside and venture through the Nusa Penida Marine Protected Area. On top of all these, they offer races, art classes and dinner options to help make your experience in Bali fun, charitable and educational. To be honest, it's an amazing centre and a win-win for everyone involved.
The costs, minimum ages and minimum/maximum numbers etc for all these activities vary. As does the advanced booking time required, if even required at all. So it's best to drop them a line.
And finally, before you ask YES we did make it out but sadly we didn't manage it within the 60 minutes time limit. As the centre was so wonderful they just let us play a few minutes longer.
If you're looking for something a bit different and a way to help this charity I highly recommend it. I can't wait to play the second room soon!
