This Micro-Boutique in Bali is Making a Big Impact on the Lives of Local Kids

FULL DISCLOSURE : we’d be lying if we said this luxury Bali resort is a good place to bring your kids. Because it’s not—this beautiful little collection of six jungle-tucked, soaring-ceilinged jabus (villas inspired by North Sumatran architecture) connected by hand-laid stone paths is best suited for romance or solitude and, in fact, is adults-only. Yet, in terms of the heart of what Desa Hay (doubles from US$400) stands for, it would be hard to find a Bali stay more dedicated to children.

See, the owners of this micro-boutique hotel, Scott and Julia Kowaleski, Canadians who spend half the year here in Bali, fund the post-primary school fees for all the children at Chloe Orphans in Denpasar. Founded in 2010 by minister Victor Hutapea and his wife, Susiana, Chloe is today home to 22 kiddos, aged six to 18, many from among the most vulnerable populations. Some of their parents have died, others had to seek work elsewhere and never returned—tough backstories, to be sure.

Chloe, which receives no government support and relies solely on private donations, is a modest yet joy-filled place, a compound where the older kids help take care of the younger ones, like siblings, but are also encouraged to prioritise excelling in the classroom and pursuing extracurricular interests like computer programming, photography, drawing and soccer. The Desa Hay scholarship program ensures they all can finish school and get accredited for good jobs to support themselves once they leave the orphanage.

During our visit there with the Kowaleskis, who threw a pizza party in the large common space that doubles as a church on Sundays, we heard the success story of a Chloe kid who was headed for post-secondary education. Several of the children said they wanted to be doctors when they grow up, about on par with the number gunning to become footballers.

They proudly showed off their bedrooms—shared, sure, but each space personalised. We played card games and ping pong, and kicked a ball around. And then some of the children grabbed their instruments and started singing, like the biggest, cutest, contemporary Partridge Family. It was hard to leave, and easy to see why Victor and Susiana are so committed to their mission of giving these kids an education and a family.

It overlaps nicely with Scott and Julia’s mission that they’re too Canadian-unassuming to call regenerative travel. A member of SLH, this luxury boutique hotel in sleepy Mengwi, near Bali’s now-saturated Canggu area, uses tech to reduce waste and consumption (and improve your stay with constant comms). The hotel also offsets its carbon, conserves water on an island where it’s at a premium, and sources locally, in addition to uplifting the community and culture around them.

If you’re just here for the pampering, that’s cool, too: Be sure to fill out your pre-check-in form online so that your jabu is stocked on arrival with your favorite alcohols and preference of healthy treats, the better to enjoy from your hammock, stone tub or plunge pool.

Speaking of which, every so often the Kowaleskis shut Desa Hay entirely and invite all the Chloe kids over for a party in the resort’s main pool. What could be more family-friendly than that?

To learn more about the Chloe kids, and donate, visit chloeorphans.com.

Images courtesy of Desa Hay.

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