Adventure
The restaurant is a terrific place with lots of space and a nice design. But it’s situated at the bottom of the maybe 30 metres long small street. It was not the easiest task to get costumers down the. “We tried with an inhaler who should get people down our road but people don’t like to be pushed. They want to decide them self’s. So we gave up the inhaling. It was a tough start it took a while before the places started to work. We changed the menu so we beside the Churrasca also have an international menu. That helped a lot and now we are the where guest are coming back time after time and they even bring in their friends”, Marko explains. But in the middle of a relaxed life with to different businesses situated more than two hours drive from each other there were new thing to be done. Many years ago the young couple bought an apartment on timeshare basis in Goa. “We never went there we didn’t have the time for it. But there was something about timeshare we could use in a new project”, says
Kristiina who is still the financial expert and controller. Before with Nokia and now in hers and Marko’s Bali empire. In 2008 just before the financial crisis took off they bought 1 hectare of land in Armed close to the Santai Hotel. The cheapest villas goes for a cost of a listed prize of 155.000 everything included. With a lease scheme you can say are inspired by timeshare Marko and Kristiina are ready to promise the buyer their investment back within six or seven years. “The first five villas will be sold with a discount. Four is already sold and the fifth is close to gain a buyer’s signature. When five villas are sold the building of the common facilities with bar, restaurant etc will start”, says Kristiina who underlines that the Bali tourism Industry despite the crises had the best year ever. The locals say it’s the Thais who screwed it up for them self’s and that the 2009 records will never be repeated, but there is still lost of problems in Thailand. So maybe this will the time for doing good for the second year in a row.
The politicians and tourist professionals has often called for five star hotels or project in Ahmed. We answered that call with our plan about building The Griya, Villas and Spa with a first phase of 14 villas witch was designed to encapsulate some of the local charms and way of life that is expected of an island like Bali, whilst at the same time retaining the comforts of a modern residence . Marko says.
“I am very optimistic about The Griya. The villas has a direct view to the ocean and islands and to the mountains as well. There are all the other facilities like diving and snorkelling as well and Bali has a good reputation now with tourist returning time after time”. says Marko who had a lot of luck with architects, designers and subcontractors. “There will always be things to discus and changed but in all its very easy an convenient to build here in Bali”, Marko says. The Finnish couples first try in the tourism adventure and bought during a holiday, Santai Hotel also in Ahmed is still doing well. A new thing going faster and faster is wedding partys. There is space for 30 or 40 guest and until now the couple have arranged wedding for Finns, Americans, Hungarians and people from the UK. “Again, we are very optimistic. Indonesia in general are improving month by month and the same is the case with Bali. Good for us and good for our investors and guest” Marko is smiling. At that time Kristiina is busy checking the account.
August 2010 • ScandAsia.Thailand 17