The Idea of Mawi Valley: A Slower Way of Living in Lombok
Hi! My name is Sonny, and I am a co-founder and soon-to-be resident of Mawi Valley. I wanted to share a little bit of the vision and concept behind Mawi, so you can get a better idea of what we are trying to create.
My husband and I come from Hamburg, one of the larger cities in Germany. It is a beautiful city, but especially over the last couple of years, traffic has become overwhelming, and it simply isn’t enjoyable anymore. We were living quite centrally, and particularly during Covid, my longing for nature grew stronger and stronger.
When we moved to Lombok full-time in January 2023, we bought a beautiful villa surrounded by greenery in the heart of Kuta. Our three dogs, which we all found as little puppies on the streets, were able to roam around freely and had so much fun running through the empty fields around us.
We had a stunning view of the green hills as a backdrop and enjoyed beautiful sunsets every evening. Sometimes, we even had a snake peeking through the window or a large lizard swimming in the pool. I know that’s not everyone’s dream, but after the initial shock of seeing a snake, I actually felt excited. They all just want to live, you know. And coming from Germany, I am an immigrant here, so I believe I should be respectful of their home and find a way to co-exist in harmony.
Fast forward to today, Lombok has become very attractive to foreign investors, and development is happening rapidly. By now, most of the trees around us have been cut down, and the grass fields have been walled in. There is less and less space for our dogs to roam, and our open view has been replaced by a concrete wall of future neighbors. I don’t want to be a hypocrite, because we are also here for project development and are therefore part of the problem. Still, our goal is to offer Mawi residents the same dream we were able to live when we first arrived.
We envision a friendly neighborhood, but without our neighbors peeking into our bedroom. That privilege should belong to the curious ducks and chickens I hope to have in my future garden. We want to provide large plots that offer privacy and allow both people and nature the space to breathe.
I am currently pregnant with my second child and want to create an environment like in the 90s, when it was still common to spend the whole day outside. That is what our green zone is for. Apart from large gardens, we will have a community area with a small café for freshly brewed coffee, a playground, and cute animals around. Sports are also a big part of our lives, so the padel court was a must for my addicted husband.
When I am tired after a long day, it genuinely helps me fall asleep envisioning the peaceful environment we are trying to shape. As humans, we have the power to create, and this is where we are pouring our energy and efforts into. If you share a similar dream, maybe one day we can become neighbors and enjoy a coffee together in Mawi Valley! 🙂
To find out more about Mawi Valley check out our About Us page.
