My entrepreneurial journey started more than 10 years ago in IT, sustainability and construction. In 2016, I discovered Bali and instantly fell in love with the island. What started as a dream to start a business in Bali became a reality when I decided to move to Bali with my girlfriend Elisa Rotteveel in 2022. We were on one of the first flights after COVID was over, determined to make our dream of buying real estate come true.
After 50 viewings, we had a deal to purchase a hotel in Ubud. Since then, Tamantara has been doing well, but the front of the hotel was still empty: just a grass field. We transformed that grass field into a terrace, where we opened the restaurant "Amsterdam" in 2023. This restaurant is now a great success. During my high school years, I worked as a cook in various restaurants for four years, and it was always my dream to have my own restaurant someday. What once seemed like a distant dream has now become a reality.
We bought the villas in Canggu half-finished; the walls were already up, but all the finishing touches still had to be done. After three months of finishing, the Beach Villas in Canggu were ready for rent. This was a learning process, where we learned a lot about building in Bali.
With the experience of the Beach Villas in Canggu, it was time for a new challenge: building villas for Dutch investors. We bought land in Bingin, Uluwatu, within walking distance of the best restaurants and only twelve minutes from the beach. The entire process, from finding the right location to purchasing the land, took months and again over 50 viewings. One thing was certain: we didn't want to compromise on the location. In the end, we found a fantastic place where we are going to build luxury high-end villas for investors.
Bali really feels like home to me. It's a place where I have the freedom to be an entrepreneur, where we have a great social life with friends around us, and where there's always something to do in the beautiful nature. Life here is amazing.
