image courtesy @mariefeandjakesnow
Maja Canggu
How one couple turned their passion into a lifestyle and career - now they are launching a unique boutique hotel in Bali!
German corporate ladder climber Marie Fe and Australian Football League contender Jake Snow turned travel content creators, entrepreneurs, and, most recently – hoteliers, inspire people around the world to give up the 9-5 career to travel the world, work remotely, and live a dream jet-setting lifestyle!
After accumulating over one million followers on Instagram, the creative duo behind @mariefeandjakesnow set their sights on developing a dream boutique hotel in Bali, Indonesia. We teamed up with the inspirational couple to add the finishing touches to the stunning MAJA Canggu with a selection of Uniqwa pieces.
With an Instagram account that has Marie and Jake's aspirational life captivating audiences from around the world, the main appeal behind @mariefeandjakesnow is their ability to show up as the genuine and humble people that they are in real life.
Marie and Jake have been in the social media game since 2016. As original rising stars of the modern-day career - Social Media Content Creators, Marie and Jake are proving to all – and mostly themselves – that a dream will become a reality with hard work and shared goals.
Four days after meeting on a beach in Thailand in 2016, the couple knew they wanted to travel together. Marie and Jake shared that they knew they wanted to be together long-term after only three weeks. It was as close to love at first sight as can be imagined! Marie and Jake credit the timing of their meeting; "it was just perfect – we were both at a time in our lives where we were ready for each other and ready to dive right in".
Marie and Jake count their anniversary as the day they met because they have been together ever since. The only days apart were when Jake had to fly back to Australia to train and play during the AFL season while Marie was still in Asia. After announcing to his coach, that he was in love and needed to be with this girl, Jake flew back to Asia three times a month to see Marie. "It didn't seem crazy at the time that we committed to each other a week after we met; now, when I look back, it does sound crazy", jokes Marie.
Marie and Jake shares an insatiable passion for travel and similar outlook on life, contributing to making their relationship great; "We enjoy most of the same things, sharing hobbies and passions is the key reason we can spend 24/7 together travelling and working together".
When she met Jake, Marie was running an Instagram account to share her travels with her family and friends in Germany. After two early cameos in mid-2016, Jake became a regular later the same year, with their Instagram merging into a joint account. Since then, the couple has let their followers join them on their journey from the start, travelling the world from Australia to the Maldives, Bali to Morocco – documenting their experiences along the way.
Starting off by earning enough money from four months of seasonal work in the South Australian wineries to travel the world for eight months a year, seasonal work freed up the time to pursue Marie and Jake's passion project.
"We wanted to be free, work for ourselves, and do what made us happy. We were both ready to choose love and happiness above all else, especially our careers," Jake and Marie share. As it turned out, Marie and Jake built a career through being together after they gave up their full-time jobs.
With a motto, "Fairy tales are real… when you believe, anything is possible", Marie and Jake have built a strong brand identity and several successful multifaceted businesses, with their new boutique build, MAJA being just one.
MAJA Canggu has been in the works since 2019. Initially destined for another lot, the project was delayed after all the stresses of lockdown. This opened an opportunity to secure a more extensive and better site for this Mediterranean-inspired boutique hotel.
Originating from sketches in a notebook with the goal of creating a place to feel at home, to be inspired and to dream, the villa's name is a clever combination of the two first letters their names; Marie and Jake.
Sundrenched from sunrise to sunset, MAJA, and its crisp white features are perfectly paired with Marie and Jake's selection of softer wooden and resin Uniqwa pieces.
The property itself is an instagramable oasis that encompasses five private villas, each with a rooftop terrace, three of them with accompanying free-hanging net that overlooks the tranquil pool and sunken seating area, textured archways, relaxing hidden nooks, and communal entertainment areas.
Around the expansive communal areas you'll find a selection of Uniqwa pieces from the Rondarvel Umbrella, Masekela Lounger, Trunk Coffee Table and Ghana Side Table paired together on the rooftop terraces, to the Makeba Hanging Chair and munggur wood Akoni Side Table placed within the three private spa bath retreats.
Around the beautiful lagoon pool lies our curvaceous Mykonos loungers, plush Ukuda Pool Chairs, and our resin Akoni Side Table, creating the perfect spot to bask in the Balinese sunshine.
The main communal area is home to the dining area, workspace, and sunken cinema room with our textural Log Coffee Table and comfortable Jude Barstools complementing the stunning architectural elements here.
MAJA Canggu is effortlessly breathtaking, an idyllic sanctuary to relax and unwind in whilst being just a short distance from Canggu’s thriving Batu Balong strip.
Not deterred from the construction journey after enduring a steep learning curve with MAJA, Marie and Jake are now looking to their next Bali project- stay tuned for Belajar…
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