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In April 2018, Jess and Daniel Baldock left their home Australia for the Indonesian island of Sumba, and never left.
Daniel Baldock had traveled to the island surfing last fall. Investors saw Sumba as a booming tourist destination and its real estate market was on the rise. He encouraged Jess Baldock to buy an invisible piece of land in the seaside village of Kerewe, surrounded by mangroves and waterfalls.
The 3,052-square-meter site, which they bought from a local, took two months to acquire. The land stretched all the way to the sea and was covered with jungle and scrub amid lush scenery overlooking the waves.
The only construction was a bamboo hut that the villagers of Sumbanese had built for the couple so that they would have temporary accommodation.
As avid surfers, the couple had planned to build a surf camp, but once they arrived, the architectural designer and builder they were working with said they would have to challenge themselves to do more.
Jess Baldock, who designed the homes, drew up the plans for Alamayah, a six-suite hotel with a rooftop yoga pavilion, a dining spot and a spa, built around trees.
Daniel Baldock, a professional builder who had worked on skyscrapers in Melbourne, would oversee the construction.
They had competed in a 10,000-mile car race, the Mongol Rally, and Daniel Baldock had kayaked from England to France and from Melbourne to Tasmania. Building a hotel “is the hardest thing we’ve ever done, but at the same time, it’s also very, very rewarding,” Baldock said.
Jess Baldock continued to work with clients remotely from Sumba, while managing the design, procurement, and procurement of fabrics for construction. Daniel Baldock is said to work full-time at the hotel. Jess Baldock’s design included a courtyard where a palm tree broke through a glass roof and carved poles into the suites reminiscent of Sumba’s classic homes.
The couple did not need to rely on outside contractors and hired 120 Sumbanese villagers. While they were professional carpenters, Daniel Baldock had to teach them how to weld the metal for the building design and make the plaster for the elegant walls designed by Jess. And since they were new to this field, I had to keep a close eye on them.
The couple gave themselves 12 months to complete the construction. Staff dug a well to get water at the site. The bamboo hut “was our bedroom, the office, the tool room,” Jess Baldock said, adding, “We had a little generator that ran during the day to run the force equipment on the task site and at the same time rate my computer and our phones. “
They chose to build with limestone blocks that they could locate in a quarry on the island, but the rest of the fabrics had to be shipped from other Indonesian islands, which can take up to a month.
The couple intended to split their time between Sumba and Melbourne, but soon realised that the structure would require their full attention, as they had done with staff who were still learning the basics.
“The only time we left the place was at lunchtime or after work,” Jess Baldock said. His brother took care of the couple’s home in Australia.
Despite the 7 a. m. to 10 p. m. Schedule of paintings, the structure took longer than the couple expected. They bought the land with their savings, but for the structure they had to take out loans. Waiting for fabrics to ship to the island can cause delays. A few walls were built, demolished and rebuilt until the staff got to the point Daniel Baldock knew he had to reach.
The generator, which was intended to be a short-term solution, ran for a year before being able to connect to the island’s power grid.
“Every day there’s a roller coaster of emotions. You’d be overwhelmed, you’d be proud and you’d be frustrated,” Jess Baldock said.
On days when the team had to pour concrete, the village would lend a hand and charge for their time.
With no trucks, “everything was put together by hand and moved in little buckets,” Jess Baldock said, adding, “We had help from moms, aunts and uncles. It literally took a whole village. “
It took two years to complete this sublime white-and-blonde villa, complete with a solar-powered pool, lawn, and a courtyard where visitors can practice yoga on cobblestones surrounded by water.
Jess Baldock said her most memorable day was when she was able to set up the furniture she had designed.
“It went from being a structure that we thought would never end and turned it into a hotel,” he said.
Another memorable day was when, regardless, the couple left the bamboo hut and moved into a new one-bedroom bungalow nearby, with running water and its own bathroom.
They opened in April 2020, but the COVID-19 pandemic led to a slow start as overseas bookings had to be cancelled. Guests from other Indonesian islands, such as Bali and Java, may still pass through.
Once they finished their bungalow, they planted fruits and vegetables for the hotel on a 1. 5-acre farm next door. Your sight is rows of pineapples, bananas and pumpkins.
“We still want to buy food, but our goal is to one day be self-sufficient,” Baldock said.
In May 2022, she gave birth to her daughter. They are now making plans to build a family home on the land. Each morning, the family heads to the hotel for breakfast and spends the rest of the day overseeing the kitchen, bar staff, gardens, and housekeeping, as well. like chatting with guests.
The couple takes turns taking care of their daughter, as they didn’t need a babysitter. They can work until 10 p. m. , but now, unlike Melbourne, they surf on their lunch break.