Relocating to Bali with 3 kids

jadebecca

Hi were in WA too and looking at moving dec/jan We have 2 kids age 2 and 6,ill be comming over next month to look at schools ect,doing alot of reserch at the moment.Good luck with it all!!

tiahaylie

jadebecca wroteHi were in WA too and looking at moving dec/jan We have 2 kids age 2 and 6,ill be comming over next month to look at schools ect,doing alot of reserch at the moment.Good luck with it all!!

Hi, good luck to you too. We love bali, I cant wait to go to Bali to to actually look around with the posibility of moving there. So exciting :icon_e_smile:

tiahaylie

Hi all, We are an Australian family with 3 kids 5yrs, 4yrs and 2yrs. We are very seriously considering a complete relocation from WA to Bali. At the moment we are doing our reaserch about everthing we think we need to know. This June we are coming to Bali to find out as much info as possible to help us with our desicion to move. While we are in Bali we would like to have a look at some areas we may like to live in. We have decided we dont want to live close to tourist areas like Kuta etc. My sister inlaws sister who is Balanise lives in Mediwi in west bali and we will have alook around there. What are some of the areas you all live in? and why do you love living there? Also any other advice for while we are in Bali to find out? Thanks so much :icon_e_smile:

pollyanna

tiahaylie wroteHi all, We are an Australian family with 3 kids 5yrs, 4yrs and 2yrs. We are very seriously considering a complete relocation from WA to Bali. At the moment we are doing our reaserch about everthing we think we need to know. This June we are coming to Bali to find out as much info as possible to help us with our desicion to move. While we are in Bali we would like to have a look at some areas we may like to live in. We have decided we dont want to live close to tourist areas like Kuta etc. My sister inlaws sister who is Balanise lives in Mediwi in west bali and we will have alook around there. What are some of the areas you all live in? and why do you love living there? Also any other advice for while we are in Bali to find out? Thanks so much :icon_e_smile:

Tiahaylie, you are already planning to do the best you can to make a good choice and that is just to come to Bali and look. If you are planning to be in Bali for a long time one of your prime considerations will be school. When you arrive it may be best to look at schools before you consider a place to live. There are a number of international schools in the south and with many of them you can find a neighbourhood close by that isn't too touristy. To answer your question, currently we are renting in Pengosekan on the outskirts of Ubud. The Pelangi school is only about 5 minutes away. What we love about it? The proximity to grocery stores in Ubud that sell the western products I'd rather not live without. I like the wide choice of restaurants. There is a fantastic used book store in Ubud with a huge range of books. There seem to be some very good medical clinics although thankfully we haven't had much experience with them. With little children that will be another consideration for you. I like the fact that we are living in a friendly Balinese neighbourhood. In a couple of weeks we are moving to a very small village on the outskirts of Sukawati. What we like about it? We are surrounded by beautiful green rice fields and our house has views of a beautiful river ravine. We have a little more land than we would have in town. It is only 15 minutes to Ubud and perhaps 25 minutes to Sanur so we have access to anything we want within a reasonable distance. We like our friendly, welcoming Balinese neighbours who've made us feel welcome before we even move in. There is a possible negative to keep in mind and since it is sort of politically incorrect most people will avoid discussing it with you. It is important, once you have found a place you like, to make sure that the locals are happy to have you there. There are some villages in Bali that don't really like having foreigners in their midst and make life unpleasant for them. The way you do this is to go with your Balinese friend/guide to visit the village leader and have a chat. That is a start. Maybe you could make a list of the things that are important to you such as schooling, medical, food, entertainment, neighbours, etc. and then go looking with that list firmly in hand. Good luck!

jadebecca

When are you thinking of moving?I saw your from Northam were in Kalgoorlie ,my husbands parents are from York!!!Ive just started up a blog to record everything im learning along the way making a Dream come true Hope you have a great trip next month,im going on my oen for a week,it will be strange with out the kids!!

jadebecca

Im also waiting to hear back from pelangi,im also wanting to look at sunrise and Dyatmika just to get a good look at some different ones.Same goes with the chat its lovely to see someone looking at doing the same,scary and exciting at the same time!!

tiahaylie

jadebecca wroteIm also waiting to hear back from pelangi,im also wanting to look at sunrise and Dyatmika just to get a good look at some different ones.Same goes with the chat its lovely to see someone looking at doing the same,scary and exciting at the same time!!

Yes its scary and very exciting. But I cant wait I have Bali on the brain lol. We leave Perth on the 14th June for 16 nights. 2 of those we will spend with Balanise family in West Bali, Mediwi. My sister inlaw knows a far bit about what we need to do etc with moving. Good luck to you on your own. Where will you be staying? After west Bali we will be at the Novotel Bonoa Nusa Dua. Cant wait to get out and explore.

tiahaylie

pollyanna wroteTiahaylie, you are already planning to do the best you can to make a good choice and that is just to come to Bali and look. If you are planning to be in Bali for a long time one of your prime considerations will be school. When you arrive it may be best to look at schools before you consider a place to live. There are a number of international schools in the south and with many of them you can find a neighbourhood close by that isn't too touristy. To answer your question, currently we are renting in Pengosekan on the outskirts of Ubud. The Pelangi school is only about 5 minutes away. What we love about it? The proximity to grocery stores in Ubud that sell the western products I'd rather not live without. I like the wide choice of restaurants. There is a fantastic used book store in Ubud with a huge range of books. There seem to be some very good medical clinics although thankfully we haven't had much experience with them. With little children that will be another consideration for you. I like the fact that we are living in a friendly Balinese neighbourhood. In a couple of weeks we are moving to a very small village on the outskirts of Sukawati. What we like about it? We are surrounded by beautiful green rice fields and our house has views of a beautiful river ravine. We have a little more land than we would have in town. It is only 15 minutes to Ubud and perhaps 25 minutes to Sanur so we have access to anything we want within a reasonable distance. We like our friendly, welcoming Balinese neighbours who've made us feel welcome before we even move in. There is a possible negative to keep in mind and since it is sort of politically incorrect most people will avoid discussing it with you. It is important, once you have found a place you like, to make sure that the locals are happy to have you there. There are some villages in Bali that don't really like having foreigners in their midst and make life unpleasant for them. The way you do this is to go with your Balinese friend/guide to visit the village leader and have a chat. That is a start. Maybe you could make a list of the things that are important to you such as schooling, medical, food, entertainment, neighbours, etc. and then go looking with that list firmly in hand. Good luck!

Hi thank you so much for your reply. Its lovely to hear why other expats love certain areas, we have no idea yet but I was going to check out the schools and the school you metioned was 1st on my list. I had also said to my husband about some of the villages may not want others living there so thats another thing on my list. I dont want to upset anyone and would rather be in a community thats happy to have us, after all it is their Bali :) Well its going to be an interesting trip to Bali this time we never looked around with the intention of moving, we are also not in a rush so we can take our time with the whole process and get it right hopefully:icon_e_smile: Thanks again

tiahaylie

jadebecca wroteWhen are you thinking of moving?I saw your from Northam were in Kalgoorlie ,my husbands parents are from York!!!Ive just started up a blog to record everything im learning along the way making a Dream come true[/url] Hope you have a great trip next month,im going on my oen for a week,it will be strange with out the kids!!

Hi, I just read your blog, very good. We are just starting our research so if there is anything you may think we need to know please do share :) I too loved green school but the fees are the deal breaker for us. I dont pay those fees here in Australia for private school and I cant pay it there :( I was shattered to see the cost of that school. Do you know much about pelangi school? I have emailed them and hope to here from them soon. Any other schools that you have looked into? We would be making the move hopefully next year if all goes well with this trip. I will keep an eye on your blog and good luck. Drop me a message anytime you want to chat. Its great to talk to people that are on the same page as you :)

jadebecca

tiahaylie wroteYes its scary and very exciting. But I cant wait I have Bali on the brain lol. We leave Perth on the 14th June for 16 nights. 2 of those we will spend with Balanise family in West Bali, Mediwi. My sister inlaw knows a far bit about what we need to do etc with moving. Good luck to you on your own. Where will you be staying? After west Bali we will be at the Novotel Bonoa Nusa Dua. Cant wait to get out and explore.

I leave on the 6th will be staying with a balanise friend for 2 nights in Denpasar,then at Bintang villas in benoa,i have a wedding to go to at the Novotel on the 11th-funny hey!!!Ill be fine on my own ive been lots. I have Bali brain at the moment too i cant function properly,thismorning i dropped Evan at school and forgot his bag!!!!hehe

tiahaylie

jadebecca wroteI leave on the 6th will be staying with a balanise friend for 2 nights in Denpasar,then at Bintang villas in benoa,i have a wedding to go to at the Novotel on the 11th-funny hey!!!Ill be fine on my own ive been lots. I have Bali brain at the moment too i cant function properly,thismorning i dropped Evan at school and forgot his bag!!!!hehe

Its a small world. I remember reading one of your post last year in August after we got back from Bali, and I always wondered how you got on. Now talking to you we have a lot in common. Im glad you know where your going and have a great time at the wedding and school shopping lol. Since I have been on this Bali mission I have even neglected my facebook lol, but thats a good thing. I found this forum instead lol. I forgot Haylies lunch the other day and had to drop it in crazy me. I need to focus on here and now but I find myself wandering to a Bali state of mind hehehe! One month to go!

leandra

[b]hi all[/b]

tiahaylie wroteIts a small world. I remember reading one of your post last year in August after we got back from Bali, and I always wondered how you got on. Now talking to you we have a lot in common. Im glad you know where your going and have a great time at the wedding and school shopping lol. Since I have been on this Bali mission I have even neglected my facebook lol, but thats a good thing. I found this forum instead lol. I forgot Haylies lunch the other day and had to drop it in crazy me. I need to focus on here and now but I find myself wandering to a Bali state of mind hehehe! One month to go!

hi all i am a mom of a 4 year old son and live in Bali since more than 3 years. i am happy to help with everything you may want to know, schools, areas etc. i would recommend to make a budget before coming as this is the main point. schools( especially!!) Visa fees( and flights) and housing are expensive points to consider. a normal school fee for one child is approx 5oo usd a month( more or less, depending on the age of course and which school).this does not include uniforms, books, enrollment fees and building and administration fees which need to be paid as well. international insurance is another big expense, for a family of 4, its approx. 4000 usd a year( and you need to have this). houses are going up constantly, if you want to stay in an area which offers a certain comfort( shops, restaurants, close to the beach or in ubud) a budget of 10.000 usd a year is under average. so please budget first and then look for schools and houses, to make sure all dreams come true.:icon_biggrin: all the best and a good start. leandra

tiahaylie

leandra wrotehi all i am a mom of a 4 year old son and live in Bali since more than 3 years. i am happy to help with everything you may want to know, schools, areas etc. i would recommend to make a budget before coming as this is the main point. schools( especially!!) Visa fees( and flights) and housing are expensive points to consider. a normal school fee for one child is approx 5oo usd a month( more or less, depending on the age of course and which school).this does not include uniforms, books, enrollment fees and building and administration fees which need to be paid as well. international insurance is another big expense, for a family of 4, its approx. 4000 usd a year( and you need to have this). houses are going up constantly, if you want to stay in an area which offers a certain comfort( shops, restaurants, close to the beach or in ubud) a budget of 10.000 usd a year is under average. so please budget first and then look for schools and houses, to make sure all dreams come true.:icon_biggrin: all the best and a good start. leandra

Hi Thanks for the info:icon_e_smile: Thats what we are all about we dont do anything with out heaps of research. My husbands not one to jump into things. We will be budgeting :icon_e_smile:

jadebecca

Just had a read some great info!!!Glad you guys are enjoying it though Ive been waiting to hear back from Dymatika but they dont seem to want to get back to me i hope you have more luck Tiahayle!

jadebecca

Its not really the fees that bother me,The first one im looking at next month is green school,i want to look a t a few thought so i can get a good comparison and then make my mind up.I will email them again though thanks! I dont have my heart set on where to live yet so once i have chosen school i will look at that

tiahaylie

jadebecca wroteJust had a read some great info!!!Glad you guys are enjoying it though Ive been waiting to hear back from Dymatika but they dont seem to want to get back to me i hope you have more luck Tiahayle!

I havent tried them yet what are their fees like?

BKT

tiahaylie wrote Whats a juta? Is that like rp?

Juta = Million so 1 Juta is around $110 US.

jadebecca

tiahaylie wroteI havent tried them yet what are their fees like?

it says 12 million 3 times a year

freetofly

[b]miving to bali[/b]

tiahaylie wroteHi Thanks for the info:icon_e_smile: Thats what we are all about we dont do anything with out heaps of research. My husbands not one to jump into things. We will be budgeting :icon_e_smile:

Hi, we live in bali and have been here just 5 months now. I have a daughter 16yrs and 3yrs and am pregnant now(bali magic). the budget is the most important - it can be can be cheap or expensive here - depends on what you like to eat, I find we dont eat out as much as we had hoped!! if you like indo food it can be cheap but I find there eating habits are not as healthy as ours, very little meat, lots of carbs and not so many veges. but in saying that there are plenty of great places to get salad stuff ect but it is not cheap. visa and fares hme cost quiet a bit , I find electricity expensive, I pay 1.3juta a month and we only have two air cons going at night. apparently the pool pump eats up the electricity. pembantu is 1 juta a month, nanny 1.5juta a month. gardener part time 300 00rp per month, pool man 500 000rp(this is a bit extra to cover any repairs) school fees - well my daughter just loved Bali International School, which happens to be the most expensive, but to be honest also the most impressive. yr 11 fees are about 15000US per year, and my 3yr old 5000US per year - but the cirriculum leaves aussie schools for dead. my three yr old does 3 lessons a week of phys ed, swimming lessons, computer and language and the students are amazing. I live right near Dymatika, which I may add has a fantastic reputation here in Bali, we live in Padang Galak which is 10 mins north of sanur. Our 3 bed villa, with pool cost 700US per month, about 70 juta a year. car rental costs 2.6juta a month, we are now looking at buying a car and than will have something to sell when we leave instead of dead rent. I drive myself and that is fine. you just have to be patient. With medical insurance, we have a credit card that gives free travel insurance for up to six months, this takes the pressure off medical insurance and my friend has a one year policy I think with HBF?? or RAC, that is much cheaper than having proper expat insurance. just dont tell them you are moving, just going for a long holiday. what I love - the laid back lifestyle. 'what I hate - a lot of people try and rip you off cause they think you have lots of money, I have had pembantu steal from my, petrol people not fill your tank properly - but there is good and bad anywhere. any way long winded, but enjoy your journey!!!! If you go to dymatika - PM me and we can catch up and I am happy to show you my hse ect. michelle:icon_e_smile:

freetofly

jadebecca wroteJust had a read some great info!!!Glad you guys are enjoying it though Ive been waiting to hear back from Dymatika but they dont seem to want to get back to me i hope you have more luck Tiahayle!

Write them another email and say you are trying to decide between BIS an Dymatika - that might get them moving LOL!!! the two are in tight competition. are BIS fees too expensive for you??? you need to keep in mind travel time for which school you pick. email BIS and see the reply you get, always worth a look. the director name is chris akins, you could say michelle kinsella advised you contact him. they do some sort of discount for multiple enrollments. my daughter first went to AIS (aussie school - less said the best) from sanur took 30 min each way in the morning, almost 2 hrs in the arvo for a pick up!!!!! where you live will be dictated by the school you pick.