Advice for long term stay - The perfect place

[Seli]

Hi,

I am flying into Bali early December with the idea of staying on the island, or around it, for a 9-month period. I am a writer and would like to find a quiet house/bungalow, fairly close to nature, with internet access, basic accomodation (no swiming pool, no ac, no jacuzzi, just a simple and clean place to live in a nice environment, near the sea if possible, or at least the mountains), in order to work. As I will be there alone, I would also like to be near like-minded people (motorbike ride kind of nearness, for example), in order to socialise once in a while.

Since I decided to try Bali and bought my ticket, I have been having a lot of second thoughts, reading this forum and others. I really don't want to be in a party-place (such as Kuta or the south of the island), nor in surfer's paradise, nor mixing with the Western-style villa high-lifers and tourists. I had the idea that Ubud might be the right place to head, but I have been reading that things have truly changed there lately, becoming more touristy and organised. Also prices are probably more than I want to spend (around 2 million IRP per month on rent).

So I seem to be left with the north and perhaps the east of the island. Is that right? Could somebody enlighten me a little bit and tell me if it is possible to find the kind of place I am looking for and where should I be looking? Should I disregard Ubud? Is Lovina a good alternative? Are there other places in Bali that I should consider? Or should I cross over to Lombok or even to eastern Java?

Thank you very much for your help!

 

[BKT]

You might want to try

Bali Rooms for Rent | Facebook

 

[Markit]

Your budget is pretty adventurous. You are not going to get much in the way of housing for that price.

On the up side you say you like nature, bring a tent.

 

[ronb]

....................
So I seem to be left with the north and perhaps the east of the island. Is that right? Could somebody enlighten me a little bit and tell me if it is possible to find the kind of place I am looking for and where should I be looking? Should I disregard Ubud? Is Lovina a good alternative? Are there other places in Bali that I should consider? Or should I cross over to Lombok or even to eastern Java?

Rooms to rent for Rp2,000,000 per month can be found near to Ubud, but they are becoming more scarce. And you are right that your money will go further in the north and the east. So don't worry too much - you will survive, and I expect you will enjoy it.

As an example, at Tirta Gangga in the east you can find rooms at 80,000 or 90,000 per night, so if you negotiate for a month you may get a good rate. If is a beautiful spot, very quiet, plenty of cheap warungs, and of course the Water Gardens. But this is just one example. Check the Lonely Planet Guide for more ideas.

 

[mugwump]

West Bali

For some reason little mention is ever made of West Bali. It has beautiful vistas, broad beaches and cheap lodging. It is also my understanding that there is a bit of a literary colony in the mountain area just east of Negara. Lonely Planet is the last place to look for anything resembling accurate information (the words of a misguided traveler), but a bit of exploration in the area should serve you well. Give it a look, and good luck.

 

[calitobali]

If you mean you are willing to live basic there are surely rooms to be had for under 2 million per month. A kos (studio apartment) that most locals live in can be had from anywhere from rp 300,000 to 2.5 million. The former would be unfurnished and have a shared bathroom with the rest of the complex and the latter should be fully furnished and quite luxurious as a single room in a complex can get. Don't worry you should be fine on a budget of 2 million per month for accommodation, and while it is still possible to find a (small) house for that much, you would be much better off looking for a nice and comfortable kos.

 

[julias.andre]

What if Amed??

 

[cintasugi]

im sure you could find one in the north

in btn areas around Lovina and Singaraja for under 2 million a month u can get a small house, but would be unfurnished and cold water. Some families rent out rooms for 300,000rp month, for locals and uni students. I would be looking in the north, east or west coast and get away from the tourist areas and get to know the real bali.

 

[Rambutmerah]

cheap accomodation

Seli, I have send you a PM

 

[Jimbo]

If you want to stay around 9 months have you thought about visa arrangements. You will need at least a Sodbud visa and then have to leave the country at least once.

 

[soontobeexpat]

Alot of people said it was impossible to find a cheapplace however I got mine for under your budget and that was a double story bungalow 2 minutes from Padma Beach with all western facilities fully furnished??

So if you were to go north or east then I doubt you would have a problem.

If you want away from tourism and cheap and in nature id go to Bedugul or GitGit.. It is alot cooler than the rest of Bali temperature wise but incredibly cheap to live in. There is waterfalls, jungles, untouched lush lands everywhere, lakes, wild monkeys and 20 minute drive takes you to singaraja.

 

[Tamispecial]

Alot of people said it was impossible to find a cheapplace however I got mine for under your budget and that was a double story bungalow 2 minutes from Padma Beach with all western facilities fully furnished??

So if you were to go north or east then I doubt you would have a problem.
beautiful places close by..
If you want away from tourism and cheap and in nature id go to Bedugul or GitGit.. It is alot cooler than the rest of Bali temperature wise but incredibly cheap to live in. There is waterfalls, jungles, untouched lush lands everywhere, lakes, wild monkeys and 20 minute drive takes you to singaraja.

Bedugal is a beautiful place and there are many other equally beautiful places close by......a great place to stay with a great climate as soontobeexpat states.

 

[Seli]

Thanks a lot for all the suggestions. I will definitely avoid living in a kos (which, as I understand, is a condo-like accomodation). I mean, what would be the point going to Bali to live a city-life? (But of course, I understand it's convenient and probably less expensive).

 

[Seli]

I guess then that the East and the North (and also forgotten West!) are the places to look. But what is the best way to look around? I've looked at the bali advertiser and most things on offer there are for the southern/ubud region. And booking online is so outrageously expensive that it's just not an option for me (and you never know where you are going). At the same time, if you don't speak indonesian it must be kind of tough to look for houses to rent around small villages away from the tourist centres. So what is the best and most cost-effective way to look for a house to rent away from the most developed areas? Thanks!

 

[phil170258]

internet

I'm a professional writer living in Bali and I can tell you there is one more thing you need to consider: internet. If, like me, you need to be in constant touch with agents/editors etc then you need to have good internet access. I'm no expert, but I wouln't be sure if some of these more off-the-track places can provide this.

 

[Seli]

Yes, Internet is a must for me too. But I don't need a high-speed connection. I am assuming that I can get by with mobile internet. But maybe I am wrong? Do these places in the north and east have poor mobile coverage?

 

[Seli]

Yes, Internet is a must for me too. But I don't need a high-speed connection. I am assuming that I can get by with mobile internet. But maybe I am wrong? Do these places in the north and east have poor mobile coverage?

 

[alphonso]

Yes, Internet is a must for me too. But I don't need a high-speed connection. I am assuming that I can get by with mobile internet. But maybe I am wrong? Do these places in the north and east have poor mobile coverage?

See if your mobile internet device (usually a USB modem dongle) has a socket for an external antenna. In areas of poor mobile coverage, then get an antenna and hook it up and this will boost your signal somewhat. You're obviously going to need a signal to start with for this to be of much use. :icon_smile:

 

[mugwump]

Internet Service

Virtually anyplace in West Bali has internet connectivity. It will vary depending upon the location and amount of usage. At times in some areas with only satellite coverage the usage can be heavy and thus slow, but internet cafes are numerously available in any but the smallest villages and are connected by antennas. For myself this has always been an alternative because I rely on satellite.
When it comes to speaking the language and learning everything beforehand about locale. It is simply impractical to assume anyone can find seclusion and not be able to communicate firsthand with others.
My suggestion would be to get a basic guidebook for English/Bahasa Indonesia then transport yourself by bus if nothing else is available and visit areas of interest. You can get enough information by finding budget hotels and asking questions of the locals. Someone will speak a bit of English (especially at a hotel) and make observations. Everyones needs are different and you can only learn by experience.

 

[soontobeexpat]

I would recommend livemocha.com I have been using this site for maybe 4 months now and am able to write and read in Indonesian quite well however my ability to have a verbal conversation in Indonesia has alot of work needed and no where near fluent. Its a free website and free to use. Its interactive so you will have courses and levels, I think there is 5 courses in 1 level and 10 levels. You have flash cards, pictures, sound and writing when you learn and then you get quizzed on each component “match the saying to the card”, write a sentence in Indonesian in what you have just learn and record you saying your writing and post it for fluent Indonesian speakers to mark and tell you where you went wrong.

The only thing bad I guess is everybody tends to say my Indonesian is “waayyy to formal” if I do write but Id rather know formal and be able to bring it back to normal street bahasa I guess instead of just knowing “street” bahasa and not being able to adapt to a formal conversation..

You must mark other people in your native language though, so Indonesians will mark me and I will mark anyone attempting to learn English