Community Development Report
It has been a truly rewarding few months for our team and our partners. In August, we released the Annual Discova Community Development Report, a milestone that showcased the collective efforts of communities, travellers, partners, and our team members in creating meaningful impact across Asia. This report reflected not only our achievements, but also the strength of collaboration and the belief that tourism, when done responsibly, can transform lives.
I am immensely proud of what we accomplished together. But as I reflect on the past year, I’m reminded that our work does not end with the publication of a report. Impact is not static — it requires us to continue rolling up our sleeves, walking alongside our community partners, and ensuring that the progress we celebrate today becomes the foundation for even greater change tomorrow.
With this September edition, we return to our regular updates — sharing stories of ongoing projects, new milestones, and the quiet but powerful ways communities continue to grow in resilience, confidence, and opportunity. Thank you for following this journey with us, and for recognising the value of community-led development.
Together, we carry the momentum forward.
Chi Ngo Community Project Leader
Our Discova projects are entirely and exclusively run by our Community Development team, addressing a range of socio-cultural, environmental, and economic challenges in grassroots communities across our destinations. In 2025, we remain committed to continually supporting, empowering, and uplifting the communities we work with while delivering transformational educational experiences and expanding our travel offerings to include leisure travel and corporate social responsibility initiatives.
Our Communities
• Manggis Community, Bali, Indonesia
• Knapor and Chansor Community, Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Trei Nhoar Community, Siem Reap, Cambodia
• Kok Na Sai, Thai Yuan, and Muang Ngam Village in Sao Hai, Saraburi, Thailand
• Om Goi Community, Chiang Mai, Thailand
• Vinh Long Community, Vietnam
• Na Chao Community, Mai Chau, Vietnam
• Khai Cai Community, Mai Chau, Vietnam
• Bidayuh Community, Sarawak, Borneo, Malaysia (Upcoming)
Manggis Community
Bali, Indonesia
Asia Grassroots 2025 – Insights from Sintya
In July, our Community Development Manager, Ni Putu Ari Sintya Dewi, represented Manggis at the Asia Grassroots 2025 conference. One standout session, “Making Capital Work for the Grassroots Economy”, explored how investors evaluate grassroots enterprises, emphasising passion, scalability, customer understanding, and strategic use of capital. For Sintya, the takeaways were a powerful reminder of the importance of clear vision, operational efficiency, and accountability—principles already guiding our partnership with the Bakung Asri women’s enterprise in Manggis.
She also attended a workshop on the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI) Standards, gaining valuable insight into how sustainability reporting differs from impact reporting. These lessons will help strengthen how we measure, communicate, and grow our projects in Bali and beyond.
Manggis Community Report
At Kaura, students have embarked on a semester-long regenerative learning project that weaves together craft, culture, and digital literacy. Using repurposed fabric, they are creating dolls inspired by Balinese folklore and transforming their stories into stop-motion animations. This initiative will culminate at the Third Pekan Raya Kaura, where the community will celebrate student creativity and showcase these animations to visitors.
Meanwhile, the Bakung Asri Women’s collective is taking key steps to officially register its trademark, supported by the Department of Cooperatives and MSMEs. This recognition opens doors to government-backed events and accelerators, positioning the enterprise for growth.
On the agricultural front, the community garden is thriving once again, supplying organic produce to Kaura’s restaurant. A pioneering closed-loop waste management system—using Black Soldier Flies to turn organic waste into chicken feed—is also being scaled across Manggis. This model not only strengthens food security but reinforces the village’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
Trei Nhoar Community
Siem Reap, Cambodia
At Trei Nhoar community, two new initiatives are strengthening women’s skills and boosting tourism readiness.
Sewing Project
In July, sewing machines funded by a Discova donation arrived at the community, enabling women entrepreneurs from disadvantaged backgrounds to begin structured sewing and knitting training. Supported by Knowledge for the Future, local NGO trainers are guiding participants through a three-month programme, running four days a week.
By the end of the first phase, the women aim to produce small gifts and cultural crafts, laying the foundation for a community-led micro-enterprise. Beyond technical skills, the training equips participants with confidence, income-generating potential, and pathways to financial independence.
Cooking Class Upskilling
On 7 August, the Trei Nhoar homestay cooking team completed a half-day training session with Sophos Cooking Class. The session focused on standardising traditional recipes, food safety, and client engagement, as well as introducing new Cambodian dishes.
Each participant received certification covering health and safety, facilitation, and presentation skills. This training not only enhances guest experience but also strengthens the community’s reputation for quality, safety, and authenticity in cultural tourism.
Kok Na Sai Community
Saraburi, Thailand
Kok Na Sai x FCM Asia Leadership Conference
At the end of July, Discova partnered with the Kok Na Sai community to design and host a CSR and teambuilding programme for the FCM Asia Leadership Conference in Bangkok. For many in Kok Na Sai, this was the first time stepping outside their village to lead an international-scale event with more than 170 participants.
The 90-minute session was carefully crafted to blend cultural immersion, teamwork, and tangible community impact. It began with a traditional Lao Vieng dance, reflecting the community’s deep agricultural heritage, before participants divided into teams of ten. Each team then joined in two activities:
Tung Making: Crafting colourful paper flags that symbolise both Buddhist faith and the Lao Vieng people’s migration story.
Kao Hor Wrapping: preparing banana-leaf meal packs filled with sticky rice, chicken, sausage, a boiled egg, and snacks—echoing the way meals were once carried to the rice fields.
Over 45 minutes, the teams worked alongside Kok Na Sai facilitators to produce hundreds of Tung and Kao Hor, which were later distributed to elderly residents and underprivileged children in nearby communities. The event closed with a celebratory relay and a symbolic “mountain of nourishment,” showcasing the collective effort.
For Kok Na Sai, the event offered a powerful learning experience. Community members practised English, built facilitation skills, and proudly represented their heritage before a regional corporate audience. It was also the first time they had hosted a group of this scale outside their village, giving them exposure, confidence, and new opportunities to connect with partners.
One participant from the FCM conference reflected:
“One of the highlights was partnering with a local village — a powerful reminder of how travel can go beyond business and make a real impact.”
New Community Team member
This month, we are delighted to welcome Huong Tran as our new Community Development Executive in Vietnam. With a strong passion for connecting people and places, Huong is eager to build on Discova’s history of empowering local communities while also exploring new approaches to community engagement.
In her first weeks, Huong has focused on gathering insights across departments to better understand customer needs and emerging travel trends. By bringing together perspectives from different teams, she hopes to co-create solutions that both enrich travel experiences and ensure communities benefit meaningfully from tourism.
Reflecting on her start, Huong shared her appreciation for the supportive culture at Discova, where colleagues have been generous with their time and guidance. She expressed excitement about working alongside local partners to design initiatives that respond to real community needs and aspirations.
An Invitation to Purpose-Driven Journeys
As we reflect on this month’s stories — from women in Cambodia learning new skills, to communities in Thailand sharing their heritage with corporate leaders, to innovative farming and storytelling projects in Bali, and to the strengthening of our Vietnam team — one message is clear: progress happens when people come together with purpose.
Our community development initiatives are not stand-alone projects. They are ongoing partnerships that create opportunities, preserve traditions, and build resilience. Each sewing class, student showcase, waste-to-resource system, and cultural exchange contributes to a wider vision of tourism that uplifts communities and travellers alike.
We invite our partners, travellers, and supporters to continue walking alongside us in these purpose-driven journeys. Whether through collaboration, participation, or advocacy, your engagement ensures that the impact we celebrate today becomes the foundation for tomorrow’s achievements.
Together, we can keep shaping a future where travel strengthens communities, sustains the environment, and creates lasting value for generations to come.
