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An Island, A Community, An Approach

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Our Story

Why We Built a Resort on Our Own Island

The Seraya emerged from a slightly stubborn idea that a resort in Komodo National Park should belong to the reef and the island first. Seraya Kecil is a small island roughly 9 kilometres north of Labuan Bajo, ringed by a reef that was already healthy enough to build a resort around.

Every bungalow was raised almost entirely from bamboo by Balinese artisans who worked around the tamarind trees rather than clearing them. What started as a handful of beachfront bungalows has grown into four distinct ways to stay, a restaurant shaped like a manta ray, and a private liveaboard, but the founding idea hasn’t changed: build lightly, and let the island do the rest.

Our Community

The People Who Make Seraya Home

The Seraya sits alongside a working fishing village, and that relationship is part of everyday life at the resort. You see it in the crew who built the bungalows, the boats that bring guests across from Labuan Bajo, and the people who help make the island what it is.

We work with the local school on environmental education, supporting lessons on waste management and marine conservation for children who will inherit this reef after our reservations end.

Guests are welcome to join the resort’s daily beach clean-ups, visit the fishing village, and meet the people whose home this island has been for generations before The Seraya arrived.

Our Approach

Looking After Where We Land

Running a resort on a small island means thinking carefully about what comes in, what goes out and what gets left behind. At The Seraya, that thinking shapes the way the resort is built, powered, watered, landscaped and managed.

Bamboo is central to the architecture and construction. Coral restoration helps protect the reef that surrounds the island. Rainwater harvesting, water treatment and conservation help make the most of a limited resource, while recycling, composting and thoughtful waste management reduce what leaves the island.

Around the resort, tropical gardens and permaculture bring food and greenery into the landscape. Local and sustainable sourcing supports the people and places around Seraya, while regular beach clean-ups and community initiatives help care for the wider environment.

The idea stems from the fact that life on a small island asks you to pay attention to your impact. The Seraya’s approach is about finding practical ways to live, build and welcome people here while keeping the island, reef and community in mind.

Bamboo Architecture & Construction

Every bungalow and the Bamboo Manta restaurant itself are built almost entirely from bamboo by Balinese artisans, a fast-renewing material that keeps the resort’s footprint, and its silhouette, gentle against the island.

Coral Reef Restoration

Since 2017, our team has placed coral tables across damaged sections of the house reef and neighbouring Hatamin island, replanting coral by hand. It’s slow work, and the reason why snorkelling right off the beach keeps getting better.

Renewable Energy

Power on a private island can’t be taken for granted. We continue to invest in renewable energy sources to reduce reliance on diesel generation across the resort’s operations.

Water Conservation & Treatment

Fresh water is precious on any small island. Our water conservation and treatment systems recycle greywater back into use across the property, easing pressure on the island’s limited supply.

Waste Management & Composting

What can’t be reduced is sorted, composted or shipped back to the mainland responsibly, a discipline we also share with the local school through environmental education programmes.

Rainwater Harvesting

Seasonal rains are collected and stored, supplementing the resort’s water supply through Komodo’s long dry season.

Tropical Gardens & Permaculture

Permaculture gardens around the resort supply herbs and produce to Bamboo Manta’s kitchen, cutting down on what needs to be shipped in.

Local & Sustainable Sourcing

Where the garden can’t supply the kitchen, we buy from local fishermen and farmers first, keeping income within the community that hosts us.

Beach Clean-Ups & Community Initiatives

Daily beach clean-ups are part of the resort’s routine, and guests are always welcome to join the team.

🏅 Recognition & Awards

We were awarded the Gold Lingko Award for Sustainable Hotel Operations in 2022, recognising our commitment to responsible environmental practices and positive social impact.