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Regenerative innovations, news and ideas

Curated 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.

Read their story
Hero photo
1975
Arrived in Bali
2008
Founded Green School Bali
40+
Countries represented
700+
Students enrolled
About
Portrait photo

John and Cynthia Hardy

John and Cynthia Hardy moved to Bali in 1975. 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 network of regenerative businesses across Bali. This site shares what they are reading, doing, building, and visiting.

Bamboo grows back in three to five years. It is one of the fastest-renewing building materials on earth.
Travels

Where they have been

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Rajasthan, India
Three weeks visiting natural dye workshops and craft villages in the Thar Desert region.
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Kyoto, Japan
Studying traditional joinery and bamboo construction methods with local craftsmen.
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Amazonas, Brazil
Visiting INBAR bamboo forest projects and regenerative land restoration sites.
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Scottish Highlands
Walking long-distance trails. Notes on land use, rewilding and hill farming.
Family

The Hardy family and their work

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Chiara Hardy
Artist
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Carina Hardy
Designer
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Elora Hardy
Founder, IBUKU
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Orin Hardy
Entrepreneur
BambooU Bamboo Pure Kul Kul Farm ChopValue Bali
Bambu Indah

A hotel in Sayan, Ubud

Bambu Indah opened in 2010. The property is made up of antique Javanese joglo homes, relocated from Java and restored on the banks of the Ayung River. It grows much of its own food and uses bamboo throughout for structure, furniture, and detailing.

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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

The Timeless Way of Building
Christopher Alexander
Sand Talk
Tyson Yunkaporta
Mycelium Running
Paul Stamets

Videos to watch

Fantastic Fungi
Documentary, 2019
Magical houses, made of bamboo
Elora Hardy, TED 2015
The Biggest Little Farm
Documentary, 2018

Trends to follow

Regenerative tourism
Land and community-based travel models
Bamboo in construction
INBAR and global building codes
Food forests in Bali
Permaculture and agroforestry updates
Blog

Updates and notes

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Bambu Indah
A new garden pavilion built from fallen bamboo on the Ayung riverbank
March 2026
Read more
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Travels
Three weeks in Rajasthan: notes on colour, craft and natural dye
February 2026
Read more
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Family
ChopValue Bali is turning waste bamboo into furniture and design objects
January 2026
Read more
Contact and speaking

Get in touch

Speaking invitations

John and Cynthia speak on regenerative design, bamboo construction, Green School Bali, and building businesses in Indonesia. 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.

Stay connected

Updates on travel, regenerative ideas, family projects and Bali dispatches.