Dropping by to say hi!

martyn

Hello everyone. My name is Martyn and I live in the county of Nottinghamshire, United Kingdom. I am exploring the possibility of living out in Bali for a year. (I have no intention of working!) Can anyone offer any advice on visas please, I'm not even sure if its possible to stay for this length of time? I have seen visas for 30 and 60 days but can't seem to find any information on that length of stay. Any help you could give would be most gratefully received. Many Thanks Martyn :)

martyn

Wow, this is so helpful thank you so much for your time and effort. I have another question on budgets... if you could offer an opinion that would be really helpful. Excluding accommodation (but not bills) I think I would have around £600 a month to live on. Is this an adequate budget to live or would I need more? Many Thanks... again Martyn :)

davita

Re: post # 5 Like I said...you have to tell us something about your lifestyle needs to offer any advice.

davita

Martyn...Bali downtown (Kuta, Legian, Seminyak) is a tourist mecca full of bars, clubs etc and many expats...mainly Australians. Outside of that area is a huge island full of the spiritual, temples and nature to explore...and many other areas devoted to water sports, hiking trails, river rafting....... heck you could even sacrifice yourself by jumping into a volcano.....hehehe. You would need to tell us a little about yourself i.e age, hobbies, travel needs, girls, guys, bar-hopping, sports...etc... to advise anything. There are many expats here who have knowledge on the social scene...I'm a bit too old so not much use in that area. Most visitors rent a scooter to get around so bring an International licence. Also get medical/travel insurance for the trip.

davita

Hi Martyn from Notts. and welcome. Staying in Bali for a year is more doable if you plan to leave to Singapore, or anywhere else convenient in S.E. Asia, and return...many do that. Budget airlines like Air Asia are full of people doing similar trips (visa-runs) and they sometimes leave in the morning, grab a duty free bottle of hooch, and return in the afternoon....or turn the trip into an exploration. The visas available are.... Free VOA for 30 days. Leave and return. Paid VOA (US$35) for 30 days, extendable in Bali for another 30 days (US$35). Leave and return. Paid Visit Visa, obtained in UK, for 60 Days (about GBP50-60) not supposed to be extended but can be (monthly up to 6 months) if a sponsor is found in Bali like an Indonesian friend or, for a fee, an agent. Then leave and either get another Visit Visa in S'pore /KL or wherever suitable and do it again... or revert to VOA's.

martyn

davita wroteHi Martyn from Notts. and welcome. Staying in Bali for a year is more doable if you plan to leave to Singapore, or anywhere else convenient in S.E. Asia, and return...many do that. Budget airlines like Air Asia are full of people doing similar trips (visa-runs) and they sometimes leave in the morning, grab a duty free bottle of hooch, and return in the afternoon....or turn the trip into an exploration. The visas available are.... Free VOA for 30 days. Leave and return. Paid VOA (US$35) for 30 days, extendable in Bali for another 30 days (US$35). Leave and return. Paid Visit Visa, obtained in UK, for 60 Days (about GBP50-60) not supposed to be extended but can be (monthly up to 6 months) if a sponsor is found in Bali like an Indonesian friend or, for a fee, an agent. Then leave and either get another Visit Visa in S'pore /KL or wherever suitable and do it again... or revert to VOA's.

Hi Davita, thanks very much for all that information, very much appreciated. I will be sitting with a travel agent to plan a holiday here in the first instance (as I have never been) but will be bringing all the information re visas up. Its really helped to know that it is possible to stay for this length of time. I guess my other concern is isolation as I will be traveling on my own and don't know anyone there. If you have any suggestions on how to integrate that would be very helpful as well. Once again. Many Thanks Martyn :)

martyn

Sure, no problem age 47, really into photography big passion of mine (but by no means professional), love to be by the beach its where I really tune out, love watching the sun rise and set. Spirituality is also really important to me. I like reiki and sometimes meditate but not as often as I should. I appreciate good food and enjoy eating out. I like to socialize and meet people, like a dance but not every night and I'm not a heavy drinker a couple of glasses over the week and that's normally my lot. Hope this helps paint a picture! Martyn :)

davita

Living in Ubud might suit you for your hobby and spiritual yoga thing then but it isn't on the water. Sanur is on the beach and laid back enough but most there are couples and nearer retirement.... but it is a place you could sit at a resort-type bar on the beach and casually meet people, mainly tourists. Avoid Kuta, Legian and Seminyak...good to go there for a day or night out but not to live. Nusa Dua is expensive and isolated. Don't know much about cost of living at your level but food/clothing is cheap. Accommodation is plentiful and varied as it is a renter's market. I suggest do not commit to anything from UK...once you get to Bali and look around and ask questions you will settle down to what you want.

martyn

Hi Davita Can't thank you enough for all the information you have provided. Its answered many of my questions in particular regarding visas. Its made what I had considered just to be a dream into something that could potentially be real. I will be talking my options over with a number of people over the coming weeks and will keep you posted as to what happens. Will definitely be planning a holiday out to Bali in the first instance to see how that goes. Once again thanks for your time. Much appreciated. Kind Regards Martyn :)

JohnnyCool

Hi martyn A few of my thoughts on davita’s excellent suggestions. [B]Visa:[/B] I wouldn’t bother with VOAs (the free or paid ones). Save yourself a lot of possible hassles by getting a 60 days Tourist Visa from the Indonesian Consulate/Embassy nearest to you in the UK. [B]Where to stay:[/B] I may be biased but I would suggest somewhere in Sanur. Why? It’s on the coast (beaches). It’s relatively central, so if you want/need to go further down South, or to Ubud, or North Bali, etc, you’re covered. These days Sanur is full of restaurants, bars, warungs, mini-markets, music venues, yoga and meditation, close to Denpasar (Immigration), free wi-fi, plus it’s much easier to get around than Kuta or Ubud. My “bias” comes from living in the Sanur area for the last 10 years. (I used to live around Ubud about 20 years ago, until it got a bit too much for me. I visit there occasionally, nowadays – about 40 minutes from Sanur.) [B]Your budget:[/B] £600/month works out to about Rp 380,000 per day. To put this into perspective, a “normal” working Balinese would be lucky to earn Rp 65,000/day. You can eat as cheaply or expensively as you like. (There’s also a night market here with different local dishes.) [B]Transport:[/B] We have GoJek, Grabcar, etc, here. You can get to just about anywhere around here for between 40 cents and $1.50. But, you need a smartphone with the app installed. Normal taxis are also very cheap (BlueBird are the best and most honest – I never catch any of the other ones). There are also local bemos and they’ll charge you 50 cents or more, depending on distance and how the driver feels. [I]Cheers. :)[/I]

martyn

JohnnyCool wroteHi martyn A few of my thoughts on davita’s excellent suggestions. [B]Visa:[/B] I wouldn’t bother with VOAs (the free or paid ones). Save yourself a lot of possible hassles by getting a 60 days Tourist Visa from the Indonesian Consulate/Embassy nearest to you in the UK. [B]Where to stay:[/B] I may be biased but I would suggest somewhere in Sanur. Why? It’s on the coast (beaches). It’s relatively central, so if you want/need to go further down South, or to Ubud, or North Bali, etc, you’re covered. These days Sanur is full of restaurants, bars, warungs, mini-markets, music venues, yoga and meditation, close to Denpasar (Immigration), free wi-fi, plus it’s much easier to get around than Kuta or Ubud. My “bias” comes from living in the Sanur area for the last 10 years. (I used to live around Ubud about 20 years ago, until it got a bit too much for me. I visit there occasionally, nowadays – about 40 minutes from Sanur.) [B]Your budget:[/B] £600/month works out to about Rp 380,000 per day. To put this into perspective, a “normal” working Balinese would be lucky to earn Rp 65,000/day. You can eat as cheaply or expensively as you like. (There’s also a night market here with different local dishes.) [B]Transport:[/B] The have GoJek, Grabcar, etc, here. You can get to just about anywhere around here for between 40 cents and $1.50. But, you need a smartphone with the app installed. Normal taxis are also very cheap (BlueBird are the best and most honest – I never catch any of the other ones). There are also local bemos and they’ll charge you 50 cents or more, depending on how the driver feels. [I]Cheers. :)[/I]

Hi JohnnyCool Many thanks for all this information, it's really helpful if you're planning a holiday or like me as well a possible longterm stay! I will keep you and Devita posted as to how things plan out. But you both have given me a great deal to think about. Once again, thanks very much for everything Martyn :)

Harry08

Have to agree with above regarding Kuta. Had a place there on a quiet street but it still gets annoying really fast. Now I am in Seminyak. Small side street, I can't hear any main street noise but I am few minutes away from the "restaurant street", shops, bars and most importantly - the beach and the yoga studio. One of the best yoga studios is just around the corner: http://www.yoga108bali.com/ Find a nice small villa with a private garden and a pool. I like open living-room/kitchen/shower + closed bedroom style layout and this is what I got now. I love it. Btw, I never cared about the pool before. Now I do. Avoid shared pool and or garden setups unless you like this kind of arrangements. I do not.

martyn

Hi Harry08 Thanks for the message. Seminyak sounds like a lovely place :). I have just viewed the website you mentioned for the yoga studios, that looks really good as well. I have never tried yoga I( do like reiki) but would love to give it a try! The type of accommodation you mention you outline sounds perfect for me. Can you give me an idea of how much I would pay for that currently? Thanks to everyone for all their help and advice it is really useful and really valuable going forward. Many Thanks Martyn

Harry08

Use airbnb.com. Street called Drupadi III is all private villas. Same fo II. This place is meant for 4 and 75? a night so it's really cheap... for 4 :)