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Waterbom Bali: More Than Just a Water Park
It’s been an on-going passion project, Waterbom Bali. Having taken root among the foliage of Kuta just over 28 years ago, our distinct water park has established itself as more than just somewhere to swim and slide. It has become an institution on the island, a destination for good times and fond memories; and for the family that work here, the Waterbomers, it has become a home.
Enduring challenging times, enjoying the prosperous ones, we have grown alongside the island. In fact, we believe we have been a part of Bali’s growth: a thread in this rich and ever evolving tapestry that has become one of the world’s most popular destinations. But even within our own patch of paradise, our oasis in the heart of Kuta, we have experienced a humbling evolution of our own. Over the last three decades, the park and the people who are part of it have constantly been driven forward, bonded by a vision to do better for our guests, for Bali and for each other. This is the Waterbom story.
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Bamboo and Bangkirai
Let’s rewind to 1989 when our founder, Santo Gulino, first envisioned the idea to build a water park in Kuta. Whilst certainly growing in popularity, back then Kuta could still be considered a village, a hub for backpackers and surfers, just before the wave of big tourism. Santo had no experience in the water park industry but he knew the joys it brought to children and families.
Bali’s tropical heat and the fun-loving nature that was always in the air made it the perfect spot for one. Yet, having been to many parks across the years, he abhorred their modernist aesthetic. This one had to be different.
“I wanted to create a water park which blended in with the existing natural environment”, he shares. 
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After all, Santo arrived in Bali in the early 70s. Back then, getting to a near empty Kuta Beach meant walking through dusty, overgrown paths, populated by wandering cows that had drifted from the neighbouring bush. It began a love affair — one which hasn’t ended. He was deeply enamoured by the nature, the culture, the people and how they all existed harmoniously together. He did not want this water park to detract from Bali’s inherent value, but rather to create a space that added value to it. Thus, he instructed that not a single tree would be cut down upon construction and that the park would have to be designed around them. To this day, 55% of our 3.5 hectare park is preserved as jungle and botanical gardens, inspired by Santo’s vision.
It took four years to build. Imagine creating something that the Balinese workers had never seen nor conceived of in their lives! No forklifts, no cranes, just bamboo to scaffold and hold the relentlessly dense bangkirai wood that made the original structures, towering between the trees. Finally, on 7 December 1993, we opened our doors with five big slides, three small slides and an entry price of Rp.7,000.
The Long Climb
Like walking the stairs to the highest ride, it was a long, hard climb to find any success. The first decade of Waterbom Bali were our most formative years, hard-pressed by a series of hurdles and challenges like the 1998 Asian Financial Crisis and later the 2002 Bali Bombing.
These were important years for us, where our little Waterbom family fought loyally together to keep afloat. This collective drive to fight for the park has remained to this day, with 35% of our current 289 staff still with us, continuing to define the soul of Waterbom.
“That’s all Santo”, shares Sayan Gulino, Waterbom CEO and also Santo’s son. “He’s always been personable, really connected to the team, making time for them. And he’s always remained accountable when it mattered, which people appreciate.”
Waterbom Bali has always been a ‘family company’, even before Sayan joined and made it official! Growth has always been a big part of the company culture, especially when it comes to the Waterbomers. Our Cultural Affairs Manager, started as a cleaner back in 1993 when we opened; our current Operational Manager, began in our security team. Many think water is what makes this park flow, but really it is the people, they are the lifeblood that has pumped through our pipes, our slides and our pools.
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The Boomerang
The year 2007 was an important one in our history. We built one of our most popular slides, The Boomerang. This was an aptly named attraction as it seems our fate had changed the same year; a milestone moment that saw our many years of hard work coming to fruition and we could celebrate some success.
It was also the year that Sayan joined the park as the Operational Manager, having received his Bachelor of Commerce in Economics at the University of Sydney, and a Bachelor of Commerce in Tourism Management and Entrepreneurship at Curtin University of Technology.
Though he never planned to work at the park, having grown up around Waterbom, working odd jobs over the years, it was a natural transition to work among the people he had known for decades. Santo, Sayan and the entire Waterbom family brought the park to new heights over the next decade. Seven new, top of the range slides were built, all manufactured by the world’s leading producer, White Water, a family-run company whose unquestionable quality we have trusted since 1993. We were also voted Asia’s #1 Waterpark by Tripadvisor in 2016, and the World Travel Awards ‘Asia’s Leading Water Park from 2017 to 2019.
Yes, we were thriving, but so was the whole island. Bali was developing at an exponential rate and it had become obvious that the island, especially Kuta, had entered a phase of mass-tourism. From the beginning, Waterbom Bali was never to be a mass-tourism destination, nor a themed park. With Bali’s tourist numbers, it would have been easy to open the flood gates and benefited immensely; we could have sold theme-park food, but instead opted for healthy, gourmet catering together with our partner, M&M. The positive experience of every guest has always been a central ethos: quality over quantity. Quality tourism and experiences is what keeps the product strong, and that goes for Waterbom and for Bali.
“Do you want to wait in line for an hour for a 4-minute ride? No, it’s going to kill the experience.” shares Sayan. “More importantly, mass tourism is a detriment to our environment.”
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The Bali Balance
Growth is important, but there are downsides to growth too. Seeing the changes Bali was experiencing through mass tourism, we could not stand the idea of possibly being a detriment to the island. This was a pivotal realisation which changed the ways in which we would conduct our operations going forward: becoming a sustainable organisation was the new mission.
Slowly we transitioned our policies, infrastructure and most importantly, culture. We began by measuring our consumption of resources and our waste, seeing where we could improve, then introduced new ways of doing things. We made small changes from adjusting our pumps, taps and irrigation; separated our waste and began in-house composting; eventually we installed solar panels and even created a dedicated sustainability team, run by our young and passionate ‘Eco-Champions’.
Today, only 9% of our waste goes to landfill. We operate a closed-loop water system and in 2018, Waterbom Bali officially became the first tourism operation to be carbon neutral. 
Growing up in Bali fosters a very deep connection to the island. “Even in my early teens, I was nostalgic of the old Bali. This was before many of the major changes had even taken place,” shares Sayan. His commitment to sustainability is driven by the very same sentiment that made Santo determined not to cut down a single tree: to not detract from the value of Bali. Such was his passion he delivered a TEDxUbud talk in 2014 titled ‘Running out of water, running out of time’ to bring awareness to Bali’s water crisis, and in 2018 released a short documentary on the same issue, titled ‘Balancing the Waters’.
Few people realise that sustainability is inherently Balinese: the Balinese Hindu philosophy of Tri Hita Karana encourages harmony between people, nature and spirituality. The ultimate balance. This philosophy has been a cornerstone of our corporate culture at Waterbom Bali, a message our team members can connect to on a personal level.
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More Than Just a Water Park
Whilst we are proud of our sustainability milestones, and subsequent recognition such as our EarthCheck Gold Certification, the most humbling and motivating part of this journey has been the impact it has had on all the Waterbomers. The park has become a platform for awareness and behavioural change, which then extends outside of the park walls, slowly disseminating to their families and communities. This is the potential that truly excites us. “Business growth doesn’t have to be measured financially, or how much bigger the park gets. Growth can be based on our impact,” says Sayan.
Waterbom will continue to grow, but our growth is now centred on the valuable and conscious impact we can make on and for the island. We believe that Waterbom Bali is more than just a water park. It is a place for enjoyment, but through this it is also a vehicle, a centre and a symbol for change. An institution of fun, yes, but also of sustainability, community and education.
Just over 28 years ago, Santo planted this Waterbom seed on the island. Bali has allowed this seed to grow and to prosper. And so our roots, our slides and our hearts are firmly planted here. Now, we hope to return the favour by planting our own seeds of inspiration in our guests, colleagues and neighbours, to inspire them to do better for Bali and for the planet. This is now our mission. This is now the Waterbom story.
