ABOUT US
Our Journey
Our story started with a garden near the Ayung River in Bali, where holy springs bubbled from the ground, and the villagers traced their ancestry to three sages, or Begawantha, who founded an ashram in the jungle. Debora and Bradley T. Gardner first encountered this enchanting setting on a picnic in the 1980s.
Gradually the Gardners acquired eight hectares of land on the promontory bordered by two rivers in Begawan Village. Over several years, they designed water gardens, built vegetable beds and fish ponds, planted thousands of trees, and laid the foundation for a world-class hideaway. From its opening in 1999, Begawan Giri Estate set a new benchmark for tropical luxury and hospitality in Bali.
THE ESTATE
The Estate was composed of five individual residences. Each was created with a unique architectural style and landscaping, and inspired by one of five elements found in Balinese Hinduism.
The Gardners were involved with every aspect of the construction and design of the residences and their interiors, together with Malaysian architect Cheong Yew Kuan.
The first of the residences built was Bayugita, completed in 1995. Bayugita, meaning ‘Wind Song’, was built of a local stone called paras pila. The inspiration and design of both wood and stone carvings came from Nusa Penida.
Tirta Ening, meaning ‘Clear Water’, was inspired by Japan. At the entrance were lily ponds. The living and dining area was surrounded by a fish-filled water garden, and the master bedroom opened to its own waterfall and gardens.
Tejasuara, ‘Sound of Fire’, was inspired by the island of Sumba, from where 1,200 tons of stone were shipped to build the residence. This took ten months, and fifty trucks waited at the port to transport the stone to Begawan Giri Estate.
Wanakasa, ‘Forest in the Mist’, was designed to resemble a tree house. The residence was constructed around a group of holy trees where offerings were placed daily, and featured nine-metre tall Binkerei poles from Kalimantan.
Umabona, ‘House of the Earth Son’, was inspired by Indonesia’s Majapahit dynasty, which ruled in the 13th and 14th centuries. It featured an internal swimming pool overflowing to a 20 metre pool below.
The Kudus House, one of two restaurants in the Estate, was a finely carved Javanese structure dating to the 1880s, which the Gardners purchased in Kudus in Java. The restaurant, with views of the Ayung River, served traditional Indonesian dishes.
Begawan Biji was the Estate's restaurant, with a view down across the vegetable gardens to the Ayung Valley. Guests could sit at the counter of the open kitchen and watch dishes being prepared.
Tirta Empul, a holy spring flowing from the hillside, became the source for the Water Gardens, which were constructed over three years to create natural swimming pools, surrounded by fern palms, along with 2500 hardwood trees planted throughout the gardens.
At the Estate’s Spa, The Source, guests explored healing rituals from Indonesia, in garden ‘bales’ near a waterfall, each with an outside bath and shower.
In addition to eight hectares of completely private hillside, gardens, and forest, the Gardners preserved the Estate’s breathtaking views for guests by leasing 3.5 hectares of surrounding farmland.
Just three years after its opening, in 2002 Begawan Giri Estate was voted No. 1 in the Conde Nast Traveller Readers’ Awards Top 100 “Best of the Best”. The Source was also awarded “Best Overseas Hotel Spa of the Year” in the same year.
Long before this success arrived though, the Gardners had already planted the seeds of the community development work that would become their legacy.
The Foundation
Begawan Foundation was established in 2001 with a vision to serve the needs of the community in Bali and specifically Melinggih Kelod District, through education, conservation, and healthcare. The Gardners utilised the Estate as a hub for the Foundation’s early activities, pioneering a breeding program for the critically endangered Bali Starling, and opening a kindergarten where local children attended free lessons in English, crafts, health, gardening, and housekeeping. In 2004, the Gardners decided to step away from the Estate and focus solely on Begawan Foundation.
EDUCATION
In the early 1990s, Debora and Bradley met with Prof. Dr. Jurgen Zimmer, an Emeritus Professor of Education at the Freie University in Berlin. The meeting sparked a discussion around education reform.
Dr. Zimmer’s ‘Situational Approach’ and theory of ‘Educational and Entrepreneurial Success’ resonated with Bradley, who experienced first-hand the failure of conventional school systems, and after dropping out at 14, forged his own path. A collaboration began to develop an alternative model of progressive education that would enable students from diverse backgrounds to break cycles of poverty and realise their potential.
Bradley and Dr. Zimmer's vision for an Open Learning Village was discussed at length in 1997 with Indonesia’s then-Minister of Education, Prof. Dr. Wardiman Djojonegoro, who expressed his strong support for the project.
In 2000, the Gardners opened a kindergarten on Begawan Giri Estate. The kindergarten welcomed 50 children from nearby villages who joined experiential educational activities.
Community development through education was a cornerstone of Begawan's approach. The Foundation invested in meaningful education, environmental awareness, and healthcare services.
Begawan’s 10-week course on conservation was delivered for the first time in 2014. Staff of the Foundation spent one hour per week with students in the course, deepening the children’s understanding of the Bali Starling’s plight, and fostering awareness for conservation.
In 2016, Begawan launched the Bali Starling Ambassadors Fun Club. On Friday and Saturday afternoons, students joined in conservation-related activities at the breeding centre in Sibang and assisted birdkeepers with caring for the birds.
In 2017, the Bali Starling Eco Warriors was born, composed of students from Melinggih Kelod. These children attended after-school activities in Klub Lingkungan (community club) adjacent to the Foundation’s new office.
The Klub Lingkungan taught science, mathematics, geography, history and English through interactive games, and offered English lessons in exchange for plastic waste.
In 2018, the Foundation decided to open a spacious new facility, Begawan Learning Centre, to accommodate the growing number of students and offer a wider array of subjects and activities.
During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, while its students received virtual lessons at home, Begawan Foundation partnered with international ed tech developers Zaprendo to further develop and customise its curriculum. When it reopened in 2021, Begawan Learning Centre debuted its new curriculum, with holistic, interdisciplinary thematic programs tailored for children in Bali.
Conservation
Begawan’s conservation initiative took wing in 1999, when the Gardners brought two pairs of Bali Starlings from the United Kingdom to Bali. The Bali Starling, a striking songbird endemic to the island, had been poached to the point of near extinction. By 1990, fewer than 16 of these rare birds were thought to be living in the wild in Bali. Realising the urgency of the situation, the Foundation began a decades-long effort to reverse the decline of the Bali Starling population.
The first breeding pairs were housed in purpose-built enclosures designed by one of Indonesia’s top ornithologists. The Foundation took a professional approach to its breeding program, creating excellent facilities and hiring expert birdkeepers.
By November 2005, the population of Bali Starlings in the breeding centre had grown to 97. The birds and their enclosures were relocated to a new bird sanctuary on Nusa Penida.
Between 2006 and 2007, Begawan released 65 Bali Starlings on Nusa Penida. One release was attended by the former President of Indonesia, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The project moved to a new home in Sibang in 2010. While in Bali in 2014, renowned anthropologist Dr. Jane Goodall visited Begawan’s breeding centre and released two birds into the wild. Former UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon also participated in a Bali Starling release.
Between 2010 and 2017, releases were conducted in Sibang. New genetic lines were also introduced through 23 birds donated by Jurong Bird Park and the European Endangered Species Program.
To grow awareness for conservation in schools, Begawan Foundation developed a 10-week conservation program which taught students about environmental issues and nature preservation. The program was delivered to students in 25 schools in surrounding villages.
Begawan’s efforts were recognised in 2015 when the Foundation received the Tri Hita Karana Nugraha Award for its dedication to saving the Bali Starling over the course of 16 years.
In 2018, the founders decided to return the Bali Starling breeding program to Melinggih Kelod. Balinese conservation heads and village leaders joined the opening ceremony of the new breeding and release centre.
A new homein Bayad Village
In 2022, a new initiative took root when Begawan decided to respond to growing concerns over Bali’s agricultural landscape, including rapid land loss, agrochemical use, and low incomes for small farmers. Begawan’s regenerative farming initiative set out to support small farmers to transition to chemical-free practices, educate the community about the importance of agriculture, and increase incomes for farmers through the sale of high-quality produce.
FARMING
The initiative began with one farmer, I Made Murta, on 0.44 hectares of land in Bayad Village, a few minutes away from the Begawan Learning Centre. The project soon expanded with a permaculture garden, seedling nursery, composting house, and poultry house. More farmers joined the program, embracing natural practices and restoring the ecosystem in their rice fields.
Begawan applied 22 tonnes of compost to enrich the soil before its first rice planting season. The Foundation chose to cultivate Mansur Rice, one of many heritage whole grains grown in Bali before the introduction of genetically modified hybrid rice. The farm team sourced its Mansur seeds from an organic farmer in Tabanan.
In mid-2022, Begawan created a 0.26 hectare permaculture garden. To purify the water entering its fields and gardens, Begawan constructed a 20-metre natural water filter underground, using volcanic lava rock, gravel, vetiver, water hyacinth and bulrush.
Begawan uses intermittent flooding in its rice fields to reduce water consumption and significantly cut down on methane emissions.
Begawan's farm team guides local farmers through the process of making natural fertilisers, pesticides, and herbicides, from readily available materials.
Traditional agricultural practices are part of our approach on the farm. Ducks are released into the fields to carry out pest control and fertilisation, and simple tools are used for weeding the fields by hand.
Begawan set up a safety net for each farmer in its program, guaranteeing to buy their estimated yield at a premium price. Profits from additional yield are split 50-50 with the farmers.
Begawan created a market for Mansur Rice among some of the top hotels and restaurants in Bali. The initiative handles milling, packaging, transportation, and sale of the rice on behalf of the farmers.
By 2024, 10 farmers had decided to join Begawan’s farming program. Together their rice fields cover three hectares of land in Bayad Village.
The permaculture garden provides organic fruits, herbs, and vegetables for Begawan’s newest initiative, a farm-to-table restaurant.
In August 2024, Begawan opened a new chapter with the launch of Begawan Biji, a sustainable, farm-to-table restaurant that serves as a platform for all its initiatives. Through the restaurant, as well as guided tours of the farm and breeding centre, locals, travellers, students, and the global community can experience Begawan’s programs and discover the impact the Foundation has had over the past 20 years.
Like Begawan Giri Estate many years ago, Begawan Biji sets a new standard for tourism in Bali, this time through regenerative agrotourism experiences. Profits from the restaurant are dedicated to fund the Foundation’s continuing work in community development through education, conservation, and farming.