Bali: Beyond the Beauty

There are places that meet you first through beauty. Bali does that with ease: lush palms lifting toward a wide blue sky, offerings placed along the roadside, and a landscape that seems to invite you to slow down long enough to notice what is in front of you. For me, (and for most of the women traveling with She Dares to Wander), this was our first time on the island. We came with open hearts and a sense of anticipation, but we were not arriving without connection. Marjon Tondravi has returned to Bali many times over the last twenty years, and the relationships she has built there shaped the entire experience.

Through Marjon, we were welcomed by our wonderful guide, Agung, as well as local friends and hotel partners whose knowledge, generosity, and care made it possible to move through the island with greater respect for the people and communities who call it home. That is the kind of travel She Dares to Wander believes in. The beauty of a place should never become a reason to overlook the realities held within it. When we accept the privilege of visiting somewhere extraordinary, we also accept an invitation to listen, learn, and give back in ways guided by local relationships.

Our service work in Bali was made possible through Marjon’s fundraising leadership, the independent donations of group members, and the generosity of LOTUS Humanitarian supporters. Together with She Dares to Wander, we had the opportunity to spend time with several organizations doing thoughtful, essential work across the island.

A Day of Play at Bali Family Foundation

One of our first service experiences was a day of fun, games, and connection with children through the Bali Family Foundation. The Foundation supports families facing extreme poverty in remote northern and eastern villages of Bali, helping strengthen food security and keeping children connected to their education through practical assistance such as food parcels, school fees, supplies, and uniforms. Our time with the children was about showing up with energy, playfulness, and the willingness to be present. Laughter travels easily across languages. So does the universal delight of a game, a shared snack, a new friend, or the feeling of being welcomed into a moment of joy.

Supporting Mothers, Babies, and the Hope of Reunification

We also visited the Bali Baby Home, bringing donations and learning more about the care offered to infants and young children whose mothers are unable to care for them at that moment. The organization provides for children’s basic living, educational, and developmental needs, with the hope, whenever possible, that they can return to the care of their families and biological mothers. There is a tenderness to a place like this that stays with you. It asks you to hold both the vulnerability of the children and the complexity of the circumstances surrounding them. The staff’s commitment to care and reunification offered a powerful reminder that compassion is not a grand gesture. It is often the daily, patient work of protecting dignity, responding to need, and creating space for families to move toward a more stable future.

Care for Bali’s Animals, Too

Many women in our group are devoted dog lovers, so spending a day volunteering with BAWA, the Bali Animal Welfare Association, was especially meaningful for them. They walked dogs, brought collars, toys, and treats, and spent time with animals who benefit from exercise, trust-building, and human connection. BAWA describes its volunteers as essential to the physical, mental, and emotional well-being of animals rescued from difficult situations. It was another reminder that a community’s well-being has many layers and that compassion does not need to be limited to one form of suffering to be sincere. Sometimes it is a small hand on a leash, a dog beginning to relax, or a bag of supplies carried across an ocean because someone cared enough to make room in a suitcase.

When a Need Appears, We Respond

Perhaps the moment that best captured the spirit of this journey came unexpectedly. Along the way, we met a friend (a local waitress) whose village was also in need of food assistance. The group responded with spontaneous fundraising and was able to deliver rice and cooking oil to 80 families. No one had planned that moment in advance. It emerged because someone shared a need, trusted relationships made the response possible, and a group of women chose to act. The delivery was practical, immediate, and rooted in the understanding that the people closest to a community are the ones who know what is needed. We were grateful to be invited into that moment and to help carry it forward.

As we reflect on Bali, we carry so much gratitude: for the people who welcomed us, for Agung’s guidance, for Marjon’s decades of relationships and tireless fundraising, for Berkley’s leadership in a moment of need, and for every donor and traveler who helped make this work possible. Transformational travel is not about arriving somewhere to collect an experience. It is about allowing a place, its people, and the relationships formed there to change how we see the world and our responsibility within it. Bali gave us beauty, yes, but it also gave us perspective. We are grateful for the privilege of learning from the communities we visited and for the chance to support the work already being led with care, commitment, and love.

If you would like to help LOTUS Humanitarian continue supporting community-led service work on future journeys, we invite you to learn more about our impact or make a donation. If you want to experience travel with purpose, please consider a trip with She Dares to Wander.

With gratitude,

LOTUS Humanitarian, in partnership with She Dares to Wander