A Different Kind of Paradise

This was no ordinary study trip. This was SMU-X Overseas, or SMU-XO, where learning happens off-grid, literally and figuratively. No air-conditioning, no hot showers, no pretense. Just real-world issues, lived experiences, and a test of one’s convictions.

In 2024, Bali welcomed approximately 6.3 million foreign tourists, marking a significant rebound in its tourism sector.³ Tourism’s rebound has raised alarms about environmental and cultural impacts. Globally, the ecotourism market expanded by 13.5% in 2024, reaching USD 249.16 billion⁴, with 83% of travellers considering sustainable travel important and 75% planning to make more environmentally conscious choices in the year ahead.⁵ Amidst these challenges and opportunities, Mana Earthly Paradise stands as a beacon of regenerative tourism, demonstrating how travel can positively impact both communities and the environment.

Founded by husband-and-wife team Aska and Tomohiro Hamakawa, Earth Company is more than a social enterprise. It is a movement for regenerative futures. Through Mana Earthly Paradise, their B Corp-certified eco-hotel and living classroom in Bali, future revenue will go towards supporting changemakers with life-changing initiatives in the Asia-Pacific. From its sustainable construction to its Indo-Japanese fusion meals, Mana reflects the belief that travel and learning should leave both people and places better than before.

In partnership with Earth Company, SMU-X students immersed themselves in Mana Earthly Paradise, a regenerative eco-hotel in Bali that channels profits into impact work across Asia. Tasked with refining its messaging for eco-conscious travellers, the students had to rethink how sustainability is experienced and communicated. “We had to see through the eyes of the locals,” said student Liow De Jun. “Unlike Singapore’s structured setting, this experience taught us to ask new questions and embrace uncertainty.”

For student Teaching Assistant Sharon Jerusha, the experience was intellectually rich, and deeply personal and immersive. From bamboo dorms to cooking with locals, every moment was a lesson in sustainability and culture. “It was eye-opening to see how these communities preserve heritage while caring for the environment,” she shared.

SMU-XO courses like this bring together students, faculty, and partners through field-based collaborations that are both challenging and transformative. The course Overseas Project Experience: Applied Social Sciences in Globalised Asia integrates cultural studies, sustainability, and real-world project work. Rather than relying on lectures, students immerse in the sociopolitical and environmental realities of the communities they serve, such as Mana’s pursuit of low-impact hospitality in a post-pandemic world.

The course was led by SMU School of Social Sciences Assistant Professor Charlotte Setijadi, and co-led by Adjunct Teaching Mentor Jack Ho, who experienced his first SMU-X Overseas course through this project. “We saw firsthand how sustainability holds real meaning,” he highlighted. “Mana Earthly Paradise brings it to life through genuine commitments and purposeful action, far beyond corporate slogans.”

He observed that students wrestled with questions rarely asked in typical classrooms. What does it mean to travel sustainably?
Do we act on our values, or only speak about them? “The programme made us reflect on what we truly value and how far we would go to give up comforts like air-conditioning or hot showers to live by those values,” he shared Jack also emphasised the value of personal growth, saying, “Stepping out of your comfort zone is tough, but worth it. If you haven’t done an SMU-XO course, just go for it.”

The students’ final presentations explored themes like poverty, land use, consumption, and gender equity, aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Their communications recommendations have already been adopted. Mana now highlights local changemakers across its platforms, which has boosted audience engagement and increased visibility of the impact network across Asia-Pacific.

“We’ve already implemented several of their suggestions,” affirmed Yulfitri Pramatatya, Impact Academy Programme Manager. “We now spotlight more people, from workshop facilitators to vendors, and it helped humanise our work.”

Tomohiro praised the students’ adaptability. “When the roof leaked and they had to move into the kitchen, not a single complaint. They just made it work. That kind of mindset is rare, and needed.” He also believes that experiential education like this builds essential workplace skills. “In the classroom, you do secondary research. But in real life, you work with uncertainty. You deal with humans. And that’s the kind of learning you remember.”

Jack noted that the students delivered work on par with junior consultants. Earth Company shared that student-inspired changes to social content are already deepening engagement with eco-conscious audiences. Several proposals on digital content, experience design, and education are also being considered. The project has led to meaningful gains in storytelling and public outreach for regenerative tourism.

“But in real life, you work with uncertainty. You deal with humans. And that's the kind of learning you remember.”

－ Tomohiro Hamakawa

Beyond skills, students walked away with deeper empathy and a broader view of the world. Sharon called it a defining moment. De Jun saw it as his best chance for meaningful global learning. Their advice to those next in line: “Come in with an open mind. Be ready to dismantle your lens. That’s when the learning begins.”