Regenerative innovations, news and ideas by

John and Cynthia Hardy, Bali

John and Cynthia Hardy are the Canadian-born co-founders of Green School Bali, Bambu Indah, and a network of green businesses based in Bali, Indonesia.

What started as a home and a school became a way of living and building, guided by the idea of giving back more to the earth than we take.

1975

Arrived in Bali

1975

Founded John Hardy Jewelry

2005

Founded Bambu Indah

2008

Founded Green School Bali

About

John and Cynthia Hardy

John and Cynthia Hardy moved to Bali in 1975, drawn by a simpler way of living closer to the land.

Over time, their ideas grew into a way of life, the start of their very own green world.
In 1989, John founded John Hardy Jewelry, which grew into a global brand before he sold it in 2007.

The following year, he and Cynthia opened Green School Bali, a kindergarten-to-high-school campus built almost entirely from bamboo. The school now has over 700 students from more than 40 countries.

Since then they have opened Bambu Indah, a hotel in Sayan, Ubud, and supported a growing community of regenerative businesses across Bali.

This space brings together what they are exploring now, what they are reading, building, and discovering as they go.

Over decades of living in Bali, the island keeps inspiring us to create and try things for the first time. This website is an invitation to be part of our story. - John and Cynthia

Travels

Where they have been

Rajasthan, India

Three weeks visiting natural dye workshops and craft villages in the Thar Desert region.

Kyoto, Japan

Studying traditional joinery and bamboo construction methods with local craftsmen.

Amazonas, Brazil

Visiting INBAR bamboo forest projects and regenerative land restoration sites.

Scottish Highlands

Walking long-distance trails. Notes on land use, rewilding and hill farming.

Family

The Hardy family and their work

Chiara Hardy

Artist

Carina Hardy

Founder, Carina Hardy Jewelry

Elora Hardy

Founder, IBUKU

Orin Hardy

Entrepreneur, Bamboo Pure Bali, Bamboo U, ChopValue Bali, Kul Kul Farm

Bambu Indah

A hotel in Sayan, Ubud

Bambu Indah opened its doors in 2010 as an experiment in living differently, a way to share the island’s beauty and abundance without separating from it. The property is made up of antique Javanese joglo homes, brought from Java and carefully restored on the banks of the Ayung River, holding onto their original craft and character. Here, spring-fed pools meet the rushing river, stone paths wind through bamboo bridges, and hidden spaces reveal themselves unexpectedly. Much of the food is grown on site, and bamboo runs through the property in its structure, its furniture, and its finer details.

Friends and Family list

Sign up for private updates, event invitations, and stay announcements, directly from Bambu Indah.

Tembaga Restaurant

Fire-cooked, anti-inflammatory dining. Ingredients sourced from the farm and local growers. Open to guests and friends of the estate.

Tangan Boutique

Handcrafted objects and artisan goods. Curated by the Hardy family and made by Balinese craftspeople.

Favourites

What John and Cynthia recommend

Books to read

Christopher Alexander

Tyson Yunkaporta

Paul Stamets

Books to read

Steven R. Gundry

Dale E. Bredesen, MD

Paul Hawken

Steven R. Gundry

Jason Fung, MD

Yuval Noah Harari

Dr. David Perlmutter with Kristin Loberg

Dr. Josh Axe

Trends to follow

Land and community-based travel models

INBAR and global building codes

Permaculture and agroforestry updates

Trends to follow

Land and community-based travel models

INBAR and global building codes

Permaculture and agroforestry updates

Blog

Updates and notes

Contact and speaking

Get in touch

Speaking invitations

John and Cynthia speak on regenerative design, bamboo construction, and the experience of building businesses in Indonesia, drawing from their work on Green School Bali. John has spoken at TED, the United Nations, and conferences across Asia, Europe, and North America.

To invite them to speak, select “Speaking request” in the form.