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
If you are looking for paradise on earth, Villa Intan is the place to be….!
It is conveniently located in the centre of Seminyak (close to the beach, shops, restaurants and entertainment) in a quiet spot that has an amazing view on the rice paddies.
The beautiful decoration and cozy atmosphere made us feel at home from the moment we entered and the incredible staff made our holiday just perfect. We will for sure return to Villa Intan. Highly recommended.
We have just returned from a vacation made in heaven at Villa Intan ! We truly couldn’t have expected a more gorgeous and comfortable place to stay in Bali; all the rooms were elegantly furnished and very well equipped ( air-conditioning, bathroom plumbing, kitchen appliances, pool were all working perfectly !). Whether from the top bedroom overlooking the ricefields or the other two bedrooms set around the pool, everything exudes beauty and tranquility (very quiet neighborhood). The staff was the best ! So friendly and accommodating. You could see all they wanted was to please us. What a joy to wake-up every morning greeted by a generous and tasty à la carte breakfast. We also ordered 2 dinner meals for our party of 9 and had an exceptional experience of Indonesian cuisine (our family is half Indonesian so we are usually hard to content !); 3 cooks came and spent more than 2 hours preparing and serving the delicaciesand cleaned everything after we were finished. Just a quick phone call and all your needs could be met (massage, grocerie-shopping, restaurant take-away…) The house and garden/ pool were diligently cleaned every day, anti-mosquitoe spirals were set all around the house at dawn; it was such a relaxing and precious feeling to come back to such a welcoming atmosphere after a long day at the beach or out exploring the temples. A big thank you again to all the staff at Villa Intan !
We were a group of 3 families, 6 adults and 6 children (ages 7-13). The Villa had a great layout for 3 families. We used the upstairs TV room as a fifth bedroom, it was a good size. One of the three bedrooms/ensuite downstairs was small but ok enough. The villa was well presented, the pool and garden was lovely. The staff were very kind and helpful. The location of the villa is down a long laneway and not easy to access by car. But it meant the Villa was very private and quiet, which we loved. You can walk from the Villa to the beach approx 5-10 minutes. We used transport rather than walking if we wanted to go into the heart of Seminyak for eating or shopping, you can walk approx 10-15minutes. Overall we had a great stay, it was great value and well positioned.
We stayed in Villa Intan for a week and the whole house is absolutely amazing. With beautiful rooms and a stunning pool, I would recommend Villa Intan to anyone who wanted a relaxing week in the sun. The Villa is close to the beach and a close walk to bars and cafe’s. With friendly staff and an a beautiful view of the rice paddies behind the villa, I would come back in a heartbeat.
Stayed April 2016, traveled with friends
Had an amazing week in Villa Intan with an awesome group of friends. The staff here went above and beyond to make our stay as comfortable and pleasant as possible. I highly recommend Villa Intan for anyone visiting Seminyak. Thank you very much for a great week!
What a week! Villa is unreal, decked out amazingly. The staff are all highly professional, friendly and more than willing to help with any requests. Location is ideal, close to shops, beach etc… Highly recommend a stay at Villa intan! #bali2016 BUGIS!!
Villa Intan is an amazing place. The villa is decorated very nice and has everything you would ask for during your stay in Seminyak: a well equipped kitchen, amazing staff and not to forget the amazing bathrooms which are partly outside. It’s location is unique, with just a 10 minute walk from the beach, on walking distance from the restaurants in Seminyak and a unique a view on one of the few rice fields left in Seminyak. I wish I could come back very soon and would definitely recommend it to others.
Wow! Villa Intan exceeded all our expectations. Everything was beautifully presented, clean, and meticulously maintained. It was just what our group of overworked Mums needed… time out with the Girls in easy relaxed style! Nothing was too much trouble for the amazing team of staff who were never intrusive… or elusive. The gorgeous Kadek made herself available at the press of a button and answered any query or request with the smile and knowledge of an experienced Hostess. Each bedroom was lockable and offered a wardrobe, safe and it’s own bathroom – complete with outdoor shower – true luxury. The large pool was central to our many
‘debriefs’ and much needed massages after shopping the best Seminyak had to offer. A beautiful place to rest & recoup before heading out for dinner and even more fun. Breakfast was cooked and served every morning at the large dining table – a perfect way to start the day – with the Villa team ensuring nothing was ever left out of place before they left us to enjoy our own little piece of paradise. As an added bonus the wi-fi was excellent.
Amazing… that’s probably the best way to describe our stay in Villa Intan in one word. We stayed there for 4 nights and had a lovely stay in this well maintained and warm villa. the villa is nicely located near the beach (5 min walk) and is equiped with eveything one could wish for.
Another thing that hit us was the perfect condition of all the furniture, it seems that the owners keep upgrading their furniture every year, which causes the villa to have a nice and clean look.
Overall I would most definitely recommend this villa to everyone who is considering staying in Seminyak!
With a group of 19 incorporating 11 children and 8 adults, villa Saphir and Villa Intan provided the perfect configuration for us. Tucked down quite a long laneway these two villas are situated in a great part of Seminyak with bintang shopping centre and eat street within walking distance. The beach is also a 5 minute walk and a great place to go at sunset.
The villas themselves are nice. intan is next to a rice party so the inhabitants of that villa did get a few mosquito bites!
The staff are great and the price is pretty reasonable.
Probably could do with more light in the bedrooms?
Also breakfast in the morning is a bit slow and a bit cold. Coffee could be nicer? Otherwise pretty good :)
Stayed August 2015, traveled with friends
This was our second stay at Villa Intan part of the Villa Bugis group.
Our stay was just like coming home. Amazing staff and the villa has everything you could need. Beautiful large pool and every room of the villa is spacious and beautiful. The villa is located at the end of the gang and privacy is assured. Housekeeping is exemplary.
All that Seminyak has to offer is a ten minute walk away. Supermarket, shopping, great restaurants and more.
The villa staff as mentioned are fantastic and can cater to your every whim, we had an amazing BBQ prepared by staff one evening as well as an in villa spa day organised by staff.
Nothing is too much trouble which makes a truly relaxing vacation.
Cannot wait until our next visit
As soon as walked in we loved this villa – then we met the amazing staff and were absolutely floored by how helpful and amazing they are. The pool and bedrooms are brilliant, the location is fantastic as its close the everything but feels like it’s secluded and just for you. Highly recommended for groups (like us) and families. We’ve stayed in villas in Bali before but will definitely return to Intan – five stars!
Stayed June 2015, traveled with friends
We stayed at Villa Intan and loved it immensely. It slept 10 people very comfortably. The pool and the garden area is well kept and has a very laid back feeling. It’s quiet and overlooks the rice paddy with no other villas behind it.
So peaceful and a perfect place to relax with your family and friends.
The owners have taken extreme care in keeping everything looking fresh and colorful. They’ve decorated the Villa with flowers and Balinese paintings. The rooms and bathrooms are tastefully designed and the staff keeps the place looking beautiful.
Whenever we need something , someone was just a phone call away and they always responded immediately.
You can walk to the beach in 10 minutes. There are so many restaurants and shops within walking distance. Taxis are easy to find off the main road.
You can order room service if you deice to eat in.
Kitchen is fully equipped.
We loved it here and will tell our friends and we will come back without any hesitation.
It’s a perfect place for families. Lots of room to move around. Internet and TV work well. It has everything and much more.
We’ve lived in Indonesia for 15 years and coming to Bali to find a place like this has been fantastic.
Sincerely, Bernadette ( from Canada)
OK where to start !!!! well from the start Peter has been nothing but polite and extremely helpful, always replied quickly to any minor query.. I asked plenty of questions about villa Intan which were all answered very accurately… in other words the place was exactly where and what he said.. without fail myself and any other large group going to Bali will get this recommendation
WOW !!! well Iv travelled the world and lived abroad and never bothered to write a review…… but this place deserves one , for starters when you think a photo looks bigger than it would in real life … Not with villa Intan it was way bigger than i ever imagined , the place is just crazy awesome and in the best spot in Semiyak. The staff is what made this so special, there is nothing they would do or organise for you, we were a group of 8 and they never struggled one bit , on the first breakfast on of the girls left the table with a tear in her eye at just how polite and generous they wanted to be for us…. When we left they all came down to say bye and insisted on a photo ….. OH and we caught some of there cleaning while we waited for our organised and free bus to the airport, they completely gut the place , all furniture pulled apart for cleaning , just to much to mention … GET THERE