FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)
What is Damara?
Damara Bali is a non-profit foundation support a beer life for the children from poor farming families in
Bali. Damara Bali Foundation was established in 2015 and registered as a non-profit Indonesia Foundation
(Yayasan) with the Indonesia Ministry of Law and Human Rights Indonesia No AHU – 0006690.AH 2015.
Who runs Damara?
Damara was founded by I Nengah Swikrama, who grew up in an orphanage and received education thanks to
the support of other people’s generosity. He has worked for over 30 years to assist children living in
orphanages. For the last 8 years before starting Damara he was the Director of Widhya Asih, managing an
organisation that provides homes and education to over 500 children and helps with many community
projects.
How does Damara help?
Our main aims are:
- Direct sponsorship of children who have dropped out/or are at risk of dropping out of school because
their parents are too poor to provide the cost of books, basic school supplies and uniforms. - Help poor farmers to have sustainable capability for generating income to provide for their children
and send them to school.
How is Villa Bugis associated with Damara?
Villa Bugis proudly supports Damara as its primary charity. Damara started with generous contribution from
Villa Bugis, a villa management company in Seminyak, Bali (www.villabugis.com). Villa Bugis have committed to
continue with annual donations and also with coverage of the cost of all administration of the charity to
ensure 100% of donations go directly to those that benefit most.
How many children are currently supported
Damara supports nearly 100 children for the school year 2019-2020, all living in extremely poor villages in
north and east Bali. All these children had already dropped out of school.
How much does it cost to sponsor a child?
The cost is quite small – IDR1,500,000 per year per child – or about AUD$150 per year
How is the donation money managed
Damara works with trusted school administrators who identify the children in need of help. No money is given
directly to the families, but is used for paying for direct expenses for the children to send school. Damara
representative visits regularly to monitor how the children are doing and receive school reports.
How are we matched with the children we sponsor?
Sponsorship is made to those most vulnerable, and in most need, as identified by their school, who’s staff
work very closely with Damara and the community. If you have children, we often try and match those with
similar gender and age group, for reliability.
Are we able to visit the children that we will be sponsoring?
Yes, this is possible after sponsorship has been made – it is a full day trip to and from the rural areas that the
children are living.
What do we receive after sponsorship?
You will receive photos and bio’s of the child you sponsor, it is also possible to communicate via written (and
translated) leers if you wish – as well as 6 monthly school reports and a quarterly newsletter
How do we make a payment?
Please visit www.damara-bali.org/donate-here – all Damara Overheads Finance and Admin services are provided by Villa Bugis. Direct payments can be made into the Damara account, but this is usually costly with fees from overseas, from both ends, not making it worthwhile.
How do we renew each year?
Each year we will contact you to renew your assistance and commitment, and you can then choose to renew the same way as initial payment was made.
DAMARA is a non-profit foundation supporting a better life for the children from poor farming families in Bali.
Damara Bali Foundation was established in 2015 and registered as a non profit Indonesia Foundation (Yayasan) with the Indonesia Ministry of Law and Human Rights No …AHU – 0006690.AH 2015
Apr 20, 2024
All the staff were amazing with everything and anything we needed. Love the breakfasts and our in Villa Ala Carte dinner was fantastic.
April 24, 2024 – Google Business
We stayed in Villa Alam for 14 nights in March 2024. Absolutely fantastic. Rooms were clean and spacious. Gardens are magnificent. So lush. Staff are first class. Always attentive to any of our concerns Pool was wonderfully warm, so we spent most of the time floating in it. Restaurants are a short walk away.
April 24, 2024 – Google Business
We returned again to Villa Alam…and loved it all over again! Amazing secure villa an easy walk to some great food options, and a fully equipped kitchen for the do-it-yourself alternative. Great rooms…with the biggest bed we have ever slept in! The staff were great…friendly and attentive. Nothing was too much trouble. Fabulous lush gardens, and many hours spent relaxing in the big private swimming pool. A great stay…we definitely will be back!
April 23, 2024 – Google Business
We have stayed in Villa Alam many times over the last few years, the most recent visit being in March 2024. Im not really one to write reviews, but I need to give credit to this villa and their staff. The Staff are second to none, super friendly and happy to assist with anything we need. The villa itself is so well maintained, clean and fresh, the gardens are spectaular, The bedrooms are cool and very comfortable. We love to sit in the pool and watch the squirrels come and go, listen to the geckos – the wildlife in Bali is simply stunning. Villa Alam is a home away from home and we cant wait to visit again soon!
March 5, 2023 at 05:22 pm – Google Business
Huge villa with great pool and great service breakfast cooked in your villa every day all the staff go above beyond. They send all the information you need before you arrive very good communication.
July 25, 2019 at 09:45 am – TripAdvisor
Villa Alam is a perfect oasis of calm located at the far end of a narrow Gang in the centre of Seminyak. The villa compound is huge with beautiful gardens and a lovely big pool. All four bedrooms are comfortable and have mosquito nets. The open-air lounge/diner/kitchen is a fabulous entertaining space and kitchen is well equipped should you wish to do any cooking. We really enjoyed the daily breakfast (best banana pancakes ever) Staff were very professional, friendly and discreet. Villa is maintained very well and cleaning of a high standard. We thoroughly enjoyed the comforts of this amazing four-bedroom villa and definitely recommend it. Everything you need on your doorstep, a superb location.
Feb 07, 2019 at 12:11 am – TripAdvisor
Loved everything about Villa Alam – it exceeded my expectations for a relaxing holiday! The staff were so friendly and always welcoming, we enjoyed breakfast being made for the 6 of us every morning and the cleanliness of the villa was amazing they made our beds everyday and gave fresh towels, checked in on us everyday to see if we needed anything and we’re just the friendliest people. I can’t fault our stay it was perfect, huge pool, cold air cons and many fans to keep us cool, 24/7 security made us feel very safe in our villa. Shops and restaurants were within easy walking distance and overall we loved our experience here! We’ll definitely be back again.
Jan 22, 2019 at 11:01 am – TripAdvisor
A fabulous place to stay. Pool was lovely and the staff were super helpful. They even put up decorations for a surprise birthday party while we were out. Very easy to organise drivers, diners, bar tenders etc.. Staff’s English was great also. Would definitely go back. About a 15/20 minute walk to main shopping/restaurants street.
July 02, 2018 at 11:43 am – TripAdvisor
We have just returned from 4 nights at Villa Alam, spent with family following our wedding.
The villa is absolutely stunning, exactly as pictured on the website and the location is quiet, but easy walking distance to the main street in Seminyak.
Staff were incredible, always happy to help!
If you are thinking of booking a 4bdr Villa in Seminyak, I definitely recommend Alam!
this is our second visit to Villa Bugis staying in the Alam villa. The staff were the same and as wonderful as the first time we visited. They are very professional and from the rooms to the breakfast it was great. The Villa now has a larger vehicle to take bigger groups to the airport, there were 5 of us he managed to pack all the baggage, negotiate the lane and get us to the airport in a downpour in good time. Absolutely thumbs up to Villa Bugis and all of their wonderful staff.
Group of 8 of us staying at two Villas – Saphir and Alam. These are in the same complex in Seminyak, great location with 5 minute walk into main street. Lots of restaurants and bars nearby Villas were perfect for us, a room each with fantastic central area for meals and socialising. Staff are fantastic taking great care of us and always on hand when required. Bugis provided a couple of chefs for a seafood dinner cooked for us at the Villa, highly recommend this.
I recently stayed at Villa Alam, on of the Villa Bugis properties, and it helped me have an even better holiday. The people there were really nice and celebrated with us. The breakfast was really nice especially the sausages. Thanks Suparta. The bedrooms were lovely and cleaned nicely everyday. The outside bathrooms were so cool. The internet was surprisingly good although the back rooms weren’t as good. Overall a great place to stay and enhance your holiday to Bali.
The best experience I’ve had staying at a villa in Bali. This team is absolutely wonderful, willing to do anything and everything. They made both myself, my family and the littlest (9 month year old) feel so welcome. The in house meals were amazing – breakfast everyday and the Indonesian BBQ (to die for). The Villa itself was even better in real life. We honestly didn’t even need to or want to leave. Thank you so much to the Villa Bugis team for your support and service, you’re all amazing. We look forward to coming back and staying with you soon.
Villa Alam part of the Bugis group was the perfect accom for our family of 6 adults and baby. Rooms spacious and spotless. Housekeeping 100% . Breakfast cooked each day whenever time suits. Pool and private garden amazing. Your own private place in Bali yet a $5 taxi ride , or less but we were happy with $5 into legion. A short walk to caplak road for food and shopping. 15 min walk to Seminyak square. I house food delivery from over 30 restaurants is an option if you don’t want to leave the villa. Foxtel if you want to watch the footy or a movie. Wifi good. Being a Bali traveller for over 30years, this villa ticked all the boxes. So for a holiday to include amazing accom, great location , brilliant service these villas are a good choice. Thank you staff at villa alam
Thank you to all the Villa Bugis staff especially those @ Villa Alam for making our stay amazing.
The staff are so professional and polite… The breakfast is amazing.. and please do yourself a favour and book the banquet one night… absolutley delicious and so much food.
We Nickie Hamilton Sarah Jane Simmonds Eve Davies and myself Tammy Simmonds had an absolute ball.
The pool is to die for…. so big and so relaxing.
We will defiantly be recommending it to others ..
Terima kasih, Terima kasih, Terima kasih
XXX
Our first trip to Bali – yahoo. We stayed here with our two children 11 and 12 and had a lovely time. The pool was definitely the highlight. Staff were great and in abundance which takes a bit to get use to if you like your privacy but with clear (read firm) instructions they are happy to leave you in peace. The property internally could do with a small spruce particularly the bathrooms but they are very clean and are a good size. Being that the rooms are all quite separate and the villa very open the children felt more comfortable sharing a room. We did feel that if the children had been much younger the arrangement of the rooms would not have been suitable for us (however I am a very clingy and paranoid mother). The beach is exactly a 15min walk and shops pretty much at the end of the driveway so overall we felt the location was great. My only tip would be if you are arriving late at night (and without any local cash – read his fault) order some groceries for your arrival to make a snack. We got by using the intended breakfast supplies in the fridge but not sure this is the norm. In sum, we will be back and highly recommend this place.
We stayed in Villa Alam and Villa Umah Kupu Kupu. Both were FANTASTIC!! Great location, modern,clean and spacious. Great for families. The staff were very friendly and so helpful. They would do anything and everything to help us. Nothing was a problem. Its a definite recommendation from us. We loved our stay.!!! We will be back!!! ❤️ The Jessops
Just perfect! I was so sad to leave Villa Alam yesterday. The villa was stunning & in a great location – but what really made our stay was the professionalism, warmth & friendliness of the staff. We stayed for 7 nights – I wish it could have been longer
Spent 7 nights with a family of 6 in Villa Allam, The place was beautiful, the staff were amazing and would do anything for you. Highly recommend this place. Although it was extremely hot when we were there, and the pool was warm, the outdoor shower was essential for that cool refreshment.
We stayed in Villa Alam with some friends having transferred from Villa Saphir in the same Gang. Both Villas are fantastic and I could not separate them. Each has its own special qualities but really they are inseparable in terms of quality and comfort. We have stayed in Villa Bugis Villas on about 6 occasions over the past few years and we continue to be amazed by the quality of the Villas and their wonderful staff. This was no exception. On one evening we arranged for the staff to cook an Indo Banquet which was fantastic value. Great tasting food, no fuss and heaps of leftovers for all to share! There is no question we will be back. In fact, I might just have a look at some flights tonight ……….
We are 4 mums in our 40’s with 12 children between us, and decided to head to Bali to escape husbands, kids and freezing Melbourne. After being collected from the airport by Putu, we arrived at our Villa. We were greeted by gorgeous Kutut who (even at 1am) proceeded to make us a cool drink and gave us a brief tour of our haven. This villa is stunning! 4 massive bedrooms (2 as separate bungalows) with very large individual bathrooms, with cool crisp and clean sheets on incredibly comfortable beds. The villa is serenely quiet, day and night, and we lazed around and had a very relaxing time around the most delicious and perfectly sized pool – shallow at one end, gradually deepening at the other. Each morning beautiful Kadek arrived to make us a delicious and very generous breakfast and to do our rooms. The location was terrific – great cafe up the road, short walk to great restaurants and a 10 minute walk to the beach. The friendly people from Villa Bugis made this week for us simply outstanding! I will DEFINITELY return, if not to Villa Alam, will go to another Villa Bugis villa. Just need to convince our husbands to give us another leave-pass next year!!!!
We stayed as a group of 8 for 5 nights as the kickoff to our wedding vacation. The villa itself was represented exactly as the online images portray. The staff on hand were absolutely fantastic, nothing was a problem. From providing us with a great breakfast every morning, to arranging for the fridge to never be empty of cold Bintangs! A must for a large group or family would be the inhouse BBQ, excellent food and great value. This was a fabulous way to start our holiday.
We stayed in Villa Alam for 7 nights in August 2014. The villa is a beautiful 4 bedroom villa with a private pool, located just off Jalan Drupad, which is only a short stroll to restaurants and shopping. Each room had its own outdoor bathroom – which I love !
The staff are AMAZING !! So friendly and helpful. would highly recommend this place :)
Stayed August 2014, traveled with friends
Villa Alam is a beautiful property with spectacular spacious amenities. The selling point for this particular Villa is that all four bedrooms are almost equal value – no guest is compromised on their experience (i.e. in some villa’s there are single/twin beds). The pool is immaculate. The outdoor kitchen is functional. The outdoor showers are desirable. The area was safe and security was efficient. The location was central. The staff were very hospitable and great cooks! Our Gardner should get a mention as he seemed to go above and beyond and was very accommodating and very friendly.
What I loved about your listing:
Each bedroom was awesome. I love all the space in the bathroom and also the property itself.
OMG! Absolute awesome, you wouldn’t stay in a motel once you’ve been here! Amazing facilities and the staff who look after you are fantastic. Gede & Ketut were awesome, nothing was a hassle. Definitely come back here
Had 13 days of a very nice holiday in Villa Alam with my boyfriend and his family, been in Bali many times but have to say this time is the most amazing place to stay just felt between at home and holiday. Will definitely recommend this place to anyone who will visit Bali.
Wow, what a beautiful villa, with great staff. We had a wonderful 8 days in this gorgeous villa and our only regret is that it was not long enough ! This is our second trip with a Bugis Villa and we will be recommending them to our family and friends who plan to travel to Bali in the future
I travelled to Bali with 3 girlfriends and chose the stunning Villa Alam. All in the Villa was absolutely stunning, much bigger than I expected. Service was outstanding, very helpful and kept an eye on us. One night the staff went above and beyond in helping us after too many drinks, I have never felt more comfortable while on holiday. Breakfast was very very nice. Only complaint would be the construction next door at 10 at night, we went to security and they went around, asked them to stop and they did so immediately. Absolutely WONDERFUL time at Villa Alam.. ❤️❤️❤️❤️
Great location, beautiful surrounds and excellent service. Theres a hotel being built nearby which is quite noisy but once that is finished definitely worth 5 stars :-)
Made and check-in assistant were both excellent!
Perfect everyday.
Personal assistant was very helpful & went out of his way to assist us.