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
We absolutely loved our stay here. Best location with both beach (with all its restaurants -LaPlancha a favourite), and supermarket and money changers just a short walk away. A few minutes further to Seminyak Square, markets, trendy little boutiques, great cafes, eateries and the best of the ‘Yak, basically. When all that got to be too much we adored the pool and garden gazebo-a great start and finish to every day actually. We meeting Ana, Made and the team. Her genuine smile and service made us all (4 adults, 3 children) feel so at home. Thankyou so much! We can’t wait to come back ?
Just returned from my favourite villa in Seminyak- Villa Sayang was my favourite, is still my favourite. We had opportunity to move around to several other villas during this trip, and must say that other villas did not compare in quality nor experience. For us, bigger or more open accommodation is not necessarily better, and we appreciated the ability to close the glass sliding doors from the elements if needed (as seen in the villa pictures). And once again, Villa Sayang is the perfect spot for a quick walk onto the beach down the quiet laneway- no need to make a trek for the beach- another fact we truly appreciated after staying elsewhere… an easy stroll for sunset cocktails or beers and nuts… And one more thing that’s welcome after comparing with other villas- fast reliable internet access, sometimes you need it more than other times! Also, cannot say thanks enough to the lovely Villa Sayang staff, always smiling and friendly, and helpful if one needs help. Gorgeous villa, perfect location, gorgeous people, let’s go again soon!
Stayed July 2015, traveled with friends
Here we were back at our favourite villa for location and quality. Holidaying for 8 days and had 9 extra. THANK GOODNESS WE COULD STAY ON AT SAYANG for 4 extra nights then this company relocated us to another villa for 3 nights and then another for 2 nights. The company was amazing and I’ve really had a good look at other villas now. VILLA SAYANG is the best for previously stated, location to beach, shopping and restaurants BUT I love their sliding glass doors to close kitchen off at night. NO ANIMALS can enter and the roof is tiled so NO WET SMELL. The WIFI IS FAST and always ACCESSIBLE, everything is so well presented. Its a first class position and a perfectly maintained Villa and you won’t find better. We will return.
Villa Sayang is beautiful accommodation offering everything that a holiday maker needs. The building is well designed around a pool with very comfortable bedrooms and well appointed amenities.A big plus is the enclosed eating , cooking and lounge area….large doors can be opened up during the day and closed at night. This gives the guest the ability to close out any little animal visitors. The villa is ideally located within walking distance to the beach, supermarket, a myriad of shops, restaurants and importantly the day spa. The staff are welcoming and pay great attention to and take pride in the daily housekeeping, garden maintenance and seciurity making this a very relaxing and safe place to stay.
Heading toward the end of a great week staying at Villa Sayang, location Central for everything, great staff always helpful, nothing was too much trouble, can’t wait to come back, has all that a Bali holiday should offer
This is our 2nd time staying with the Bugis Villa group. The first stay at villa Sayang. The Villa is exactly like the website photos depicted. It’s location is fabulous, tucked away down a quiet lane. 3 minute stroll to the beach and 6 minutes along a quiet laneway to the supermarket. A great place to stay and have peace and tranquillity, nothing to hear except the birds and the fountain. The bedrooms are very spacious and well presented. The whole villa has lovely homey touches throughout, you really can believe you live here. The staff at Bugis Villas are always so accommodating and friendly, nothing is ever a bother. We even had a look through some of the vacant villas for future trips. A MUST stay. Would definitely recommend and will definitely be back.
Thanks to everyone for a great trip.
Love, Love, Love, this Villa. Everything about this villa is fantastic. The villa in reality is much better than the photo’s on the web page. Very well maintained with gorgeous pool & lovely serene garden. The villa is realy big, much bigger than I thought, huge rooms, lovely big kitchen that is very well equipped with everything you need if you want to cook, nice lounge area with big TV & good stereo system, they even have a selection of music & movies to choose. There is a room downstairs with ensuite next to the living area, upstairs has 2 rooms one with king size bed & ensuite with lovely outdoor shower, the other room has 2 king singles & can have an adjoining door which was perfect for our two children ages 5 & 7. The 2 upstairs rooms also have a large private balcony with big daybed & nice lounging chairs.There is also another separate room with bathroom across from the pool & very private. Nicely maintained & very clean. Location wise it’s perfectly situated down a lovely little gang, about 7 min walk to bintang supermarket one way & about 3 min walk to seminyak beach, (all down little hidden laneways so avoiding traffic) very easy walk for my husband & kids to go surfing & where I could sit at a warung “Bali Juice Park” & get a nice coffee while relaxing in front of the beach. The other stand out thing at this villa is the staff, they are all so lovely & will go out of their way to help. One day 2 of the staff even took us into Kuta on the back of their scooters so we could pickup some hire bikes. I’ve stayed in many villas over the past 10 years of going to bali & this villa is a stand out as one of the best. I would definetly stay at one of the Bugis villas next time, they are obviously well managed & the staff are fantastic, making our overall stay realy enjoyable. The hard part was saying goodbye.
This is my second stay at Villa Bugis (first stay was in Tresna) and I can honestly say I cannot fault either one. Villa Sayang is well kept and more than comfortable and as for the staff the are more than accommodating, helpful and beautiful people. Even booking was a breeze. I and my travel buddies would like to thank all the staff for an amazing holiday that more than met our expectations and we will definitely be back for more. Special thanks to security for blowing up the Aussie thong to laze in the pool on and I hope your future guests enjoy lazing in the pool on the pool noodles we dragged from Perth !
If only I could click my heels and be back there, already seems like a distant memory. Can’t wait for our next visit !!!
Doffy, Kylie, Susie and Tina x
Girlie Getaway
It was our first time to Bali. After a very long wait to get through customs, we were greeted at the airport by our driver, Gede. When we arrived at the villa it was pouring rain. We were met at the door of the car with villa staff holding umbrellas and were then quickly ushered inside and offered complimentary cold towels and cocktails (perfect to cool down from the humidity!) while the staff took our luggage to the rooms.
The villa was a slice of paradise! It completely exceeded our expectations. The staff were on hand 24/7 and had great local knowledge. Breakfast was included each day (choice of American breakfast, pancakes or Indonesian breakfast) and filtered water was replaced each day.
We had the trip of a life time, and would highly recommend Villa Sayang!
Amazing! Villa Sayang was in great condition, the staff were lovely and very helpful. Close to the beach as well as shops and restaurants. Couldn’t have asked for more!
We recently stayed at Villa Sayang we found the accomodation to be very clean, spacious and relaxing. The service was fantastic everything we needed was just a phone call away. Close to everything, security outside so we always felt safe. Housekeeping came everyday, they also cook for you for free and you just pay for ingredients. They will do anything you need them to do. We would highly recommend
Visiting Bali is always an adventure combined with fun, cultural, thrill seeking, relaxing and eye opening moments. And staying at Villa Sayang, right in the heart of Seminyak, is the best way to compliment your trip.
Better described as a tranquil oasis in the heart of Seminyak, Villa Sayang offers you a sense of relaxation, beauty, trust and serenity.
We were picked up at the airport by Putu, a fantastic staff member of Villa Bugis (and yes, that airport can be stressful) and taken straight to the villa in 20 minutes – stress free and easy. The villa itself is only a short walk from all of the exciting hustle and bustle that Bali has to offer – Double Six, Jl Laksmana, Ku De Ta, and Potato head to name a few, so I can assure you, you will never run out of places to go.
Each room is equipped with air conditioning, flat screen TVs, lavish indoor and outdoor bathrooms and helpful staff that assist in any way they can. The private kitchen, garden and swimming pool added to the fantastic experience as we were able to make Villa Sayang our “home away from home.”
And this is all coming from a critic in the hotel industry…
Terimah Kasih Wayang, Anna and the rest of the staff at Villa Sayang, you truly helped make this trip memorable.
Regards,
Phoebe Clark
Wonderful villa with four spacious bedrooms and three nice bathrooms, all with showers, two of them with open air showers in addition to the stand alone one by the pool. The space is very communal friendly, centered around the pool.
Staff was very accommodating and would get us anything we needed. Whenever we would go to the beach (10-15 minute walk) or shopping (5 min), we’d come back to a spotless villa!
The villa is situated in the perfect place, secluded from the hustle and bustle of the noisy Bali streets but close enough where streets vendors and a convenient store is less than a 5 minute walk away. If you are bold enough, the villa is perfect for those who want to rent mopeds. Just be sure to be careful and wear your helmet!
If I ever go back again this would be the place I would want to stay! I highly recommend it!
Our villa (Villa Sayang) was a slice of paradise! We had the most amazing 2 weeks and the accommodation far exceeded our expectations. The staff were so friendly and accommodating, and our driver Gede had great local knowledge and got us very competitive deals on many activities (including white water rafting and volcano trek).
The location is conveniently located within a 5 minute walk to the beach, and 10 minute taxi drive to affordable and authentic Indonesian restaurants (e.g., Biku).
I would highly recommending the Villa Bugis group, and in particular Villa Sayang. It was our first time to Bali and the group (8 in total)
The villa was a slice of paradise! The staff were so welcoming and catered to our needs for the entire stay. The villa was in the heart of Seminyak, a 5 minute walk to the main supermarket, as well as to the beach. There were so many options for authentic Indonesian within a 10 minute taxi ride and a selection of boutique shops. We had a very relaxing and enjoyable stay, and would definitely recommend this villa to our friends and family!
The villa staff were outstanding! Extremely helpful and generous, they’d go out of their way to help where needed (special mention to our driver Gede – very knowledgeable and provided many laughs).
The villa itself is like a little oasis in the soul of Seminyak. The open plan layout, accompanied with the pool, ensured that the heat never became uncomfortable. A personal highlight was the speakers placed all around the house.
Overall I couldn’t recommend Villa Sayang more. It’s the perfect accommodation for any groups young or old!
From the very start of the trip, we were picked up at the airport by Villa Bugis’ welcoming staff and happily arrived at Villa Sayang within 20 minutes. Just a short walk from the popular Double Six beach, convenient stores and local shops, Villa Sayang’s location makes it a perfect homebase for your Bali activities.
The 2 story villa was amazing – 4 luxurious bedrooms with air conditioning & flat screen TVs, 3 spacious bathrooms (2 outdoor showers!), your own kitchen, a big living room, a fantastic garden, and private pool. There really wasn’t anything more we could’ve asked for or needed in that case!
Villa Sayang was the dream venue for someone like me who was traveling with a big group of friends but could also be perfect for families and couples. The friendly staff made us feel at home and were there everyday to help with advice on places to go, groceries, laundry, transportation, & general housekeeping. I really can’t thank the staff enough for everything they did and provided for!
I would definitely love to come back to Villa Sayang on my next visit – I miss the place already!
Stayed January 2015, traveled with friends
Villa Sayang is an absolutely gorgeous villa, even more so than the photos that I looked at. The living/dining/kitchen has bi-folding doors should you want to close this area off to watch a movie or of an evening when the mossies settle in. The 2 bedrooms downstairs (one opposite the main house) have king size beds with their own ensuite. Upstairs there is a bedroom with king size bed and its own ensuite on one side of the room and then on the other there is a room with 2 king singles, which would be great if you had smaller children. All rooms have aircon and their own tv. The only thing we found the villa didn’t have was an ipod dock, which was a very minor detail. The staff were lovely and very discreet. We had a choice for breakfast each morning so it was nice to mix it up between western food and balinese in the mornings. The location is perfect, between the beach and Bintang Supermarket and with security right out the front of the villa it felt very safe. I would not hesitate in booking Villa Sayang again.
We have just had a fantastic stay at Villa Sayang, the perfect spot for everything you want to do on a break in Bali. It’s tucked away from the hustle and bustle, just a short amble down a friendly lane onto the beach for a swim, afternoon drinks and sunset. Villa Sayang is central to everything- walk to restaurant and shopping precincts in every direction, or a short taxi ride for further afield. Or simply relax poolside in the gorgeous private garden- just like the photos! The villa staff tried to assist us with requests when needed. They were friendly and helpful from the moment we were picked up from the airport until they farewelled us from the garden gates and we were dropped back at the airport. Villa Sayang was our best choice for a getaway in Bali- location, ambience, friendly staff, and great weather at this time of the year, too. Wanna go again soon!
Location, location, location. One block from the beach, directly inline with La Plancha bean bag beach bar and beautiful Gado Gado Restaurant to the right. Around the corner from some fun night clubs and only a five minute taxi ride from eat street Seminyak. The Villa is quiet, spacious, gorgeous pool and well maintained. Staff were very helpful and also disappeared when you wanted privacy. I’ll definitely be back.
Good service, very prompt in fixing breakdowns, able to solve transport issues on spot.
Great cook.
Stayed in villa sayang in november 2011, was absolutely amazing, will be back soon, and sure to be staying in another one of villa bugis’s villas.
Our stay was extremely enjoyable, our Vila was spotless and clean and stunning. komang and Kadek were endlessly helpful and really made our holiday special. thanks to the team villa Bugis for a great holiday.
Great family holiday. Staff were fantastic and the villa was beautiful and spacious.