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Getting to know… Lorena Crisante Fazio of Nomad Nesting

Nomad Nesting run weeklong jaunts to Bali for the interior and styling enthusiast. Fully hosted, it combines the perfect itinerary with a luxe experience at an affordable price.
Nomad Nesting Facebook Page
Tell us about yourself
I have a gorgeous hubby and three vivacious kids whom I adore and yet equally drive me insane. I’m a born and bred Inner West girl. I love to travel but always love coming home to the Inner West. If I had to sum myself up in a few words, I think it would be that I love people. I completed a degree in Social Sciences many moons ago, which allowed me to work with people in challenging life situations. In vast contrast, I have also worked in the happy world of entertainment. The common thread has been that all my jobs have been about engaging with people. With my passions also including events and home interiors, Nomad Nesting was the perfect brain-child.
Tell us about Nomad Nesting
Nomad Nesting is about short travel jaunts to Bali for the person who loves styling, interiors, furniture, and art or just wants a reason to escape to Bali with a boutique tour where every detail is organised for you. I host all the tours and am there for guests 24/7. Our weeklong adventures see us in gorgeous resorts, eating divine food and of course visiting the funky interior and home furnishing gems on offer in Bali. Being a mum and knowing how tricky a kid free escape is for us, the trips have been planned to have the least impact on the family whilst still allowing us an escape. We run in the school term, leave Sydney on a Thursday evening and home on the following Wednesday morning. Our package allows for an absolute stress free week, where everything from your driver, your accommodation, where we go each day and most of your meals are arranged so you can just relax and enjoy the ride.
What inspired you to start the business?
My first visit to Bali 15 years ago was a very reluctant one as I had lost a “Survivor” type vote with a group of friends. However, Bali ended up being everything I didn’t imagine and I totally fell in love with it!
The Balinese have a natural penchant for design and styling, which captivated me. The craftsmanship there is amazing; their stone masonry to their wood sculpting to the soft furnishing to the artwork and everything in-between. My husband and I toyed for years with the idea of furnishing and fitting out our home with Bali finds. When we finally started the process toward our dream home a few years ago, I bit the bullet and invested a lot of time researching the idea. I made reputable contacts and learned a lot about freight and logistics. I spent most of 2015 on the project.
I set off to Bali on my own in May 2015, while my other half looked after the brood at home. To be honest, it was a nerve wrecking first trip with a lot of unknowns amongst the excitement. While I was there I picked a huge range of stock and filled a 20-foot shipping container. I picked our terrazzo bathtub, several terrazzo basins, landscaping products, soft furnishings, coffee tables, beds, bedsides, lighting, art, pool furniture, and the list goes on. The experience was a success because I was lucky enough to have a year to do all the background work and develop the contacts, but at another time in my life having that amount of time would have been impossible. On the business side of things, a lot of inspiration has come from my husband who practices business law, and has been a wealth of important information. The business formed with his support and the belief that there would be people who would want an adventure, step out of the box, but wouldn’t have the time or knowledge to make it happen. Having learned so much about the process making excellent contacts with craftsman, suppliers and cargo personnel, I thought this would be a wonderful service to offer others. The opportunity for like-minded people to go with someone who had done it all before, knows where to go, what to do, who to see, and how to get it home.
Your tours to Bali are designed for the purchasing traveller in mind; tell us a little about your itinerary?
The great thing about the tour is that it’s designed to appeal to the traveller who just wants to be inspired by beautiful things and to the traveller who wants to furnish their entire home. Whilst 5 of the 6 days have shopping on the itinerary, there is also the painstaking choice of just chilling at the resort and catching up on some R&R if that’s what guests want to do on some days. In fact, I have 2 separate guests coming on our upcoming February 2018 tour who aren’t planning on doing a great deal of shopping but are keen to jump in on something that’s completely organised. Our itinerary takes us to Seminyak, Canguu, Kerobokan and Ubud, amongst other little stops. These have all been careful chosen for their amazing and diverse array of interiors, styling and home furnishings. We stay at two separate resorts, which are both a slice of heaven.
Balinese inspired home furnishings are hot in demand, why do you think that is so? What is the benefit of doing a tour like this?
Whilst there’s still a heap of people who think that Bali furniture is about carved elephant heads, yes there’s quite a few others who’ve discovered that Bali is a hub of choice for funky designs and interiors. I think the secret is the combination of amazing natural resources such as beautiful wood varieties and stunning natural stone married with the incredible skill that comes out of Bali. The benefit of coming on a trip like this is the stress-free way of discovering something new. The tour gives people a life experience, an opportunity for creative inspiration, and a detour from the every day.
How do the purchasers get their goodies home safely?
Having spent a great deal of time learning about freight and logistics and making
contacts in Bali and Sydney, I arrange all of this from the moment the items are purchased to the time it arrives at my HQ in Sydney. All goods are covered by insurance for the freight and all guests need to do is pick their purchase up from me upon it’s arrival.
Apart from shopping, what else is included in the tour? Is there time for sightseeing and lazing by the pool?
One day of the tour is devoted to sitting on a pristine beach, relaxing on a sunbed with an umbrella and being served all day by wait staff for food and drinks. The package also includes a 1-hour massage on the beach. I can confirm it’s the perfect day, having tested it out personally! We also do some beautiful discovering of Ubud on the last day of the tour.
One of the things I love to do is choose dining experiences that are exceptional and memorable for my guests. I have my go-to perfect places and can also be adaptable to guest requests and needs.
How often do the tours run in the year?
Nomad Nesting will run up to 5 tours in 2018, scheduled throughout the year. At the time of writing there are a couple of places still available on the February tour and the April tour is being released in October 2017. We keep group sizes small to keep it intimate and classy!
Is there flexibility around the suppliers you visit if there is a specific item required by a guest? Or what happens if a client can’t travel?
If guests have specific requests like a bathtub of a certain design I will take them out personally to visit the showrooms where they stock those items.
I also source items for clients that can’t make the trips. They might give me a brief of what they want, such as a client who had a specific lighting desire which I sourced from a photo and located on my last trip. Alternatively people can have a look at our Facebook or Instagram page, get quotes and put in orders accordingly.
How does a guest find out more about the trips and even meet with you?
In 2018 I will host information nights at my home where I have furnished it as an example of some of the products that are on offer in Bali. It’s a relaxed enjoyable couple of hours over some cheese and bubbly as I answer questions, explain the tour, freight and shipping. As the host of the tours, it also allows people to make a personal connection with me before we head to Bali.
I am also happy to personally meet up with future clients to discuss their needs and answer questions.
What advice can you share with mums considering starting their own retreat style business?
Spend a lot of time researching and living the experience yourself and establishing if this is your passion and skill set. Include or create the support networks you need to sustain this kind of business. My best advice is don’t give up on your dream, vary it if you need to, go out on a limb and don’t be discouraged by setbacks. Dreams happen one little step at a time.
Best overseas travel experience you’ve ever had?
I lived in Tonga for a month and it was both the best and the most challenging experience of my life. I lived on a mission base with very limited food supplies and questionable shelter but it was an incredible challenge in a beautiful country with beautiful people.
Most much-loved item bought from overseas?
It’s like choosing between my children! But my favourite would have to be a 6-seater day bed that sits in the pool area; it’s well loved by all the family and our guests. It’s a great place to escape to and bask in the sun. It makes me feel like I’m living in a resort.
Favourite spots in Sydney’s Inner West?
I love the Cooks River bike path for riding and running. The doggy cafe in Haberfield is a special place of mine and the Bay Run is my go to for meeting friends and walking.
 
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