Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

Hi Magda,
I'm not pretending to be a specialist on anything, but having now been here on the island for going on 2 weeks and having read all the previous postal advice requiring a doctrate in chemistry to understand - there aint no mozzys here!

It's now the end of the rainy season and me and the missus are out every morning and night and she uses Tigerbalm and I started using Autan but being my usual self I forgot to apply by the 2nd night and thereafter with no detrimental effects. Been in the mountains in Ubud and on the coast in Sanur and now Lovina and nothing! Ok you see the very occasional one buzzing around but they aren't serious about it - it used to be that the wife said she didn't need any bug repellent cause with me next to here they always went straight for me - oh well, not anymore.

About where to settle - with a littlun you'll need to be near schools and other kids - that's all. The Balinese seem to love kids above all else so no worrys there.

Have fun.

having read all the previous postal advice requiring a doctrate in chemistry to understand

Oh, gosh...that's funny... coz it did cross my mind on reading many posts here that one has to be a real intellectual to be able to participate on this site... and to see you wrote the above just nails it. Thanks!
(I'm still chuckling...)

Thanks Markit, that makes me feel real good to think mosquitoes are not even a issue
Love this site for how invested everyone is in giving a worthy reply...

Ummmm Mosquitos are an issue - guess Markits just been lucky.

If we dont close windows before sunset the house is full of them and Nusa Dua was even worse as there was a laundry nearby.

Thanks Markit, that makes me feel real good to think mosquitoes are not even a issue
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Not an Issue???? that is an absurd statement Markit ,when the sun goes down each day the mozzies come out all over bali,why do you think the beds are all covered in nets? Rainy season dry season,yes there are mozzies.

Wow guess I stepped in a Mozzy nest

Mozzys are a problem in every country in the world that has an average seasonal temperature above 23C. Now having said that and bearing in mind that all here are reasonable and responsible adults (or at least have adult supervision) I presume we all know how to take basic precautions against this problem.

For the learning disabled:
At dawn and dusk wear long trousers - shirtsleeves.
Close your windows doors at the same time.
If you must be out apply a repellent to exposed areas

Having said this I still maintain that we have hardly been bitten and having raised this point with the locals they say that the problem is now very minor (I know, I know - they would, but in this case it seems to be true). My sister in law came to Bali in 92 and warned us that the mozzys were so bad that people were carried off to their nests to feed the whole colony (not really, but you get the idea ).

They are worse almost anywhere I and the best woman in the universe can recall in our travels around the world. Worst was in Florida - if the mozzys didn't get you the gators did.

Far, far more dangerous here in Bali are the sidewalks.

Far, far more dangerous here in Bali are the sidewalks.

Amen to that and not just in Bali. I would walk on the roads rather than the sidewalks but it is even more dangerous. In Makassar you cannot even walk on the sidewalks due to the cars and motorcycles that parl on them.

gina tyler wrote:
Not an Issue???? that is an absurd statement Markit ,when the sun goes down each day the mozzies come out all over bali,why do you think the beds are all covered in nets? Rainy season dry season,yes there are mozzies.

I agree with Markit - usually not much of a problem. In Kuta we stay on Poppies II, rarely bothered; in Candi Dasa we stay on the beach, not an issue; in Ubud we stay centrally, no more that 1 or 2; we live in Lovina, and most of the time not problem but then there are very still evenings when they come from nowhere and Autan saves the day.

Thanks RonB confirming - by the way the locals here swear by a product they make themselves - clove oil, of which they sit on the sorce - I've also heard that it works wonders against mozzies but have also heard that some people have poor skin reactions to it - in any event I tend to prefer the more "natural" product if I can - but as we've said - mozzies don't seem to be much of an issue and I'd forget to use whatever it was.

They were a whole lot worse when we lived in Florida.

Don't worry about the bugs - the f*cking sidewalks will kill you here. If the motorcycles don't get you first.

I guess I'll see once I get there...but I feel prepared to use the right product thanks to all your information and useful replies.

Does anyone garden? If so what do you grow with Bali's weather?

Dear Magda
In the wet tropical climate of bali-anything and everything grows. You eat a papaya,throw the seed over your shoulder into the dirt a tree is fullgrown within 6 months! Many many medicinal plants grow in bali used for Jamu a system of herbals used by the Indonesians for thousands of yrs.

Amazing....I love to watch things grow

One more question for all of you nice folks...
We plan on landing...getting a hotel(appt-villa-bungalow-)....then looking for a long-term place.
Anyone has any suggestions on where to stay at first...we prefer something thats not "resort-y"...and affordable (under a 100 $/night)...in the Kuta-Seminyak-Legian area.

Hi Magda,
I'm not sure what level of comfort you are used to, but if you just want somewhere basic to start, with air conditioning, traditional Bali theme and warm friendly people. I'd suggest Bakung's beach cottages in Tuban (south Kuta). It's central enough geographically without being busy.
around Aud$25 a night per room.

Gang Kartika plaza, Tuban.

Hi Magda,

Many places to stay confortably in your price range. I particularly like Three Brothers, Jl Padma Utara, Legian. Have a look at

http://www.threebrothersbungalows.com

Prices starts at US$25/night. Bfts and taxes included for long stays.

Great and large grounds (2 ha.), and a rather eclectic clientele. This place has been around for at least 30 years.

Hi Magda,

A couple of observations based on my few years here with my wife and children:
1. Treat mozzies as a potential problem. They won't carry you away or anything (it's not quantity that's the issue), but as someone who employs a couple of hundred staff in Bali, I can tell you that Dengue fever is an everyday occurance. We probably have more mozzies in Northern Australia (and we have Ross River fever), but disease is nowhere near as prevalent as here. Don't stress too much about it, but certainly use nets, keep windows closed at dusk and all the basic good practices people have suggested. Wouldn't have a clue about DEET - we use Aeroguard on the kids (just as we did in Australia) and it seems to work Ok.
2. Obviously it's horses for courses (I don't want to start a "holy war"), but for us Seminyak is just a bit noisy and party-oriented. With 12 year olds, we prefer the relative peace of Sanur, Jimbaran or the Bukit. We planned to try Seminyak before we came here as a residence, but I'm glad we didn't go that way. Of course, if you want a night out at a restaurant or club, that's a different matter . . .
3. We bought a veritable pharmacy with us when we came, and needed almost none of it. I do bring cold & flu tablets back whenever I visit Australia (local brew is pretty industrial strength), but that's about it. Everything else is here pretty much.
4. Balinese LOVE children, so prepare for some serious spoiling. Also, Balinese will rarely say no to a child's request, and in my case my kids learned that pretty fast.

I hope that this helps.

Mike

Welcome to the Forum Mike,

It is funny that you mentioned Ross River Fever. I live about 100 meter away from the Ross River (from which I was told the fever got its name), but luckily I have never had the fever. I heard it is a terrible thing to get and will leave you very ill for months!

Yes, I think there are more mozzies here, and marsh fly - those nasty blood sucking flies with needle the size of a straw!

btw, are you from around up here?

Cheers
Kadek