US expat in UK

WindsorUK

Greetings! I'm a father of 3( the youngest 3 years from flying the coop!) hoping to gain insight on what it's like for expats living in Bali. I left the states( for work) 30 years ago and have spent most of my time abroad in Europe, with a short time in HK. With my job, I've been fortunate to travel, with my children, all over SE Asia( and the rest of the world!) We've been to Bali multiple times and really enjoyed it. I'm hoping to make a gradual shift in the next few years towards SE Asia( mainly Bali) on a more consistent and permanent basis. Thanks for allowing me access to the forum. I look forward to continue enjoying all the posts.

JackStraw

Bali will welcome you with open arms. Just please don't come here to build a holiday villa that will be empty 8 months of the year. The Bali economy is hurting bad and it could use some people with good business ideas not related to hospitality/tourism. The market is saturated in that regard but I know a few wise expats who've done very well here in other industries. Just something to consider if you plan on starting a new life here.

Markit

JackStraw wrote Bali will welcome you with open arms. Just please don't come here to build a holiday villa that will be empty 8 months of the year. The Bali economy is hurting bad and it could use some people with good business ideas not related to hospitality/tourism. The market is saturated in that regard but I know a few wise expats who've done very well here in other industries. Just something to consider if you plan on starting a new life here.

What with all the bankrupt hotels and derelict villas I'm wondering if starting off with a new villa/hotel rental might not be such a bad idea when things eventually do kick off here again?! Thinking for a friend ;)

harryopal

WindsorUK wrote what it's like for expats living in Bali.

How long is a piece of string? It will take some time to explore the many forums on this site which includes multiple questions across many issues. As you explore all that there will be specific questions come to mind which you can type in the search bar. Then if you can't find what you want there is a wide range of characters use this site whose answers will range from really helpful to fatuous and occasionally downright rude. But don't be put off. Gird your loins, plug away and I am sure you will find cover for the various matters that occur to you. Bear in mind that in the immediate term Covid has complicated many aspects of life here, as elsewhere, as governments try and cope with the ever changing landscape. Good luck with your exploration.

JackStraw

Markit wrote What with all the bankrupt hotels and derelict villas I'm wondering if starting off with a new villa/hotel rental might not be such a bad idea when things eventually do kick off here again?! Thinking for a friend ;)

And who will fill those bankrupt hotels and derelict villas if you buy one and open it up again? Australia will be locked down until the year 3000 and if China ever lets the Chinese back into Bali, they will just stay at the Chinese-owned Hotels like they always do. Your only hope for that is targeting the domestic market and whatever countries Indonesia plans to open the travel bubble up to if and when they decide to do that. Believe it or not, the guy I know that is doing best right now opened up a Tax consultation business here. You may think Indonesia and taxes mix like oil and water but according to him, the government is planning to crack down hard after the pandemic to make up for profit loss and the days of skipping on the taxman will be obsolete. the other guy I know opened a beef processing plant in Denpasar and is doing very well right now. He used to own villas in Canggu but said this is much more profitable and less stressful.

PERtoDPS

The amount of empty villas and rentals around here is jaw dropping (Sanur) I know not the most modern area but still a lot of people used to come through here just a few years ago and have long term ties to here. A lot of locals come through here too on the weekend and were (and are starting to again) fly in from Jakarta to spend a weekend. I took this rental over from a Dutchman who is obviously stuck over there or unwilling or unable to return due to covid. Good for me who is looking at extending rent, but yeah, what Jackstraw is telling you should be considered. Pointless to add to it. That said other things do work here and I actually like the traffic not being jammed up for ages and being one of the privileged few that can exist here. But the locals do need to find other industries than tourism that's kind of like "if and when". If it works great, if not find something else. It's stating to happen anyway from what I am seeing.

britoo

WindsorUK wrote Greetings! I'm a father of 3( the youngest 3 years from flying the coop!) hoping to gain insight on what it's like for expats living in Bali. I left the states( for work) 30 years ago and have spent most of my time abroad in Europe, with a short time in HK. With my job, I've been fortunate to travel, with my children, all over SE Asia( and the rest of the world!) We've been to Bali multiple times and really enjoyed it. I'm hoping to make a gradual shift in the next few years towards SE Asia( mainly Bali) on a more consistent and permanent basis. Thanks for allowing me access to the forum. I look forward to continue enjoying all the posts.

Welcome to the forum WindsorUK, my 10 C is that pre-covid Bali, lets say Bali 1.0 offered a real sweetspot for the foreign traveller to settle and enjoy all that this island has to offer, the surrounding islands, and much of Asia and Australia besides. That's why I am here though I still notmally split my year covid notwitstanding. PRO + Its a stunning landscape of beaches, jungles and mountains - well volcanos (bigger bike and/or car helps) + Normally, you can get to most of SE Asia / Australia really cheaply due to the high volume of trafiic in/out + Its generally very welcoming to foreigners especially when you are spending money + Living is mostly or can be cheap according to your lifestyle + English is spoken very widely in all but the most remote places - makes one lazy though +You can enjoy some really high class living, mainly dining, at unimaginable prices - at least compared to London CON + Unless you are over 55 (retirement) or married (to a local) the visa situation is complicated unless you wish to invest or set up a business; either monthly visa run on waiver, once every 2 months on VOA or 6 months on a social B211 visa. + At full swing Bali is congested, noisy, polluted and very dirty (think millions of tourists + garbage + poor infrastructure) - the rivers are the norm for garbage disposal and they well.......... flow down to the sea!! + Getting better but nearly no transport infrastructure so a bike or car is probably a must. This is evolving though with fleets of busses running new bus routes having just started shortly after covid emptied out the place. + There's a significant rainy season - it may rain all day, or for a week, or not at all for 3 to 4 months but the rain is tropical warm. + Accommodation is no longer really cheap and its changing but youll get pushed to pay for years upfront (becoming less a norm now) though you can get a lot for your money - though it may be shoddily built and fall down quickly. + As a foreigner, you cannot legally buy freehold here though some visas allow you to buy Hak Pakai which can be sold on but for sure if you are not formally resident renting or some "buying scheme" are your only options. This can obviously impact any estate you finally leave behind (pardon for raising such) + The extensive range of Western cultual activities available to you in any major Global city is not available here though Bali has of course oodles of its own cultual activities that many visitors simply ignore. + Healthcare is not considered on a par to its neighbours let alone the Westen World. General opinion is - don't get sick! None of us knows yet what Bali 2.0, post covid, is going to look like but for sure a lot of people are doing some serious thinking about its identitiy even as the literally 10s of 1000s of hotel rooms and the 1000s of rental villas, tourist rental cars sit unused and empty, slowly decaying. Against this backdrop, nature has flousrished, the roads are mostly clear, garbage mountain has declined, and as a result the air and sea is relatively clean and getting around is a breeze. Fresh locally grown food (almost unimaginable now in the UK - go turkey twizzler) be it vegetables fish or meat that normally got hoovered up by the hotels and restos is now readily available Keeping the UK as context I'd descibe the feeling of living here as broadly in line with living in say the cities/towns of Bath or York. I guess Windsor works too if its the place that gives you your name. Compact, historic, pretty places, packed with tourists at times and thus punching well above their weight for livabilty and things to do but nonetheless provincial and quite some distance from the big city. Add to that of course a climate the English could only dream of and proximity to some fantastic beaches for good measure. I read recently with some amazement that there are circa 105k foreigners still in Bali at the height of the covid crisis, so 1.5 years after all toursit visas were suspended. Of these maybe only 25% are officially resident with maybe 78k here on short stay B211 visas. The demographics of the Bali "expat" has certainly changed with the vast majority of these folks likely being mid 20/30s and engaged in some form of digital nomad-ism. Take that as you will. In summary pre-covid Bali was in my opinion a goldilocks destination and I am hopeful this will remain the case, however I think many things are going to continue to change, ease of travel locally and regionally, the demographics of the Bali "expat", the visa situation and Bali's identity itself within Indonesia. I for one plan on staying and enjoying. Good luck whereever you finally land!

WindsorUK

Thank you for the Welcome and the informative posts! The plan as it stands today in our upside down world is to make ever longer trips to Bali( 4,5,6,week). I'd like to experience as much of the island, for longer periods, as possible, to get a feeling for where best suits my lifestyle( most likely knocking on 60 when I plan to commit so will take that into consideration as well) As for accommodation, building and renting out for large parts of the year weren't a consideration in the near future. If after spending a great deal of time in Bali I feel it's the place for me, I would hope for a more permanent commitment( time, involvement with community, etc.). I'm glad to hear the pandemic has given the Island itself a chance to breath and regenerate. Hope those of you currently on the Island are able to stay safe and healthy( are ALL inhabitants getting the vaccine now?)