Already Moved to Bali? What can I expect?

[sammack]

Hi, I'm looking for some detailed insight into living/relocating to Bali (specifically Ubud or North Kuta). I want to know what to expect and what difficulties I might encounter in setting myself up in Bali (if I do indeed choose Bali to relocate to). I have lots of questions below and if anyone could take the time to answer just a few it would be greatly appreciated.

Relevant Info: Male, 29yo, Australian, Software Developer, Single (no dependents), Looking to relocate to Bali and work remotely. Know to leave my western ideas at the immigration desk but I would still like a few western comforts in the place I relocate to.

Rent:
- I am looking for a smallish (around 50m^2) quiet apartment or even cabin (similar to a Holiday Park cabin). Kitchen, 1 bedroom.
- Is it possible to rent an apartment short term (2-3 months) for around $US300/month?
- Whats the best method to find an apartment (internet, classifieds, a finder)?
- Scams or gotcha's to be aware of?
- New costs to expect? Ie; is it called Banyan? Rubbish pickup, gas canisters for cooking, buying lots of bottled water?
- Is setting up rubbish, utilities, banyan? quite an ordeal? Do you need proficiency in Balinese to do so?
- For rent in Bali do you usually pay all up in advance or monthly?
- Any insight into the lease signing process? May seem like a silly question but do I need references and bank statements like in Sydney?
- I saw on forums Banyan? also covers local security? Can it be bad crime-wise?

Utilities:
- Reliability of electricity, ie, black outs, other problems?
- Again setting up utilities quite an ordeal? Do you need proficiency in Balinese to do so?
- How do manage your clean drinking water? Do you buy bottled water or use filters?

Internet:
- I've heard the internet can/was not so great. I would probably need an unlimited data plan. And be able to stream video but not make Skype video calls pretty much ever. Is this realistic in Bali?
- Whats the uptime of your internet (is it ever down).
- Need a phoneline?
- Reliability of setup and service?

Healthcare:
- Accessibility, quality and cost of hospitals?
- Accessibility, quality and cost of GP/medical centre visits?

Safety:
- The Australian Smart Traveller website paints Indonesia incl Bali in a pretty bad light. With statements like 'We advise you to exercise a high degree of caution in Indonesia, including Bali, at this time due to the high threat of terrorist attack.'. As someone who lives there whats your opinion and advice?

 

[SusanSydney]

Hi sammack, welcome to the forum. You will get lots of help on here.
First may I suggest that you browse through the subforum on here at https://balipod.com/forum/forums/internet-and-mobile-phones-in-bali.83/
And having done that, any extra questions that crop up, you could post? That might make it a bit easier for everyone to respond in a useful way.

What you remember as banyan is probably Banjar, pronounced BUN (as in , sticky bun) then JAR (as in Jam)

As far as accommodation goes, it's usually recommended to get something twmporary while looking around to see what you like, then look for something monthly. You will probably want to find out a good area for internet access before settling down.
You won't really be expected to speak Balinese as most locals in the areas that you're interested in will be speaking fluent Bahasa Indonesia. Many will have some or even a lot of English.

There are facebook groups where people advertise rental properties, so just to get an idea of what is available perhaps you could look there to start? I think there's one call Bali Budget Housing.

Good luck

 

[SusanSydney]

Another thing you will encounter is people questioning you about your visa status. Of course Indonesia, like Australia and every other country doesn't let anyone come and work without permission. Assuming that you are thinking that working remotely is not regarded by the Indonesian government as "working" in the legal sense that you would be deported if found out. You will be educated enough to form your own view (from a risk management perspective) of whether your assumption is correct or not, so I will leave it to you to research that if you have not already done so.

 

[davita]

Hi samak and welcome to the forum.
SusanSydney (SS) has spelled out your immediate issues.
1. What visa you can get for your requirements....Indonesia doesn't seem welcoming to long-term visits but can be circumvented...many threads on that subject on this forum. If confused come back and we'll explain what is available and how to achieve.
2. SS is correct...check into a hotel within your budget..rent a motorbike and drive around the areas you are considering and look for adverts in coffee shops, telephone poles, and grocery stores...also find weekly newsletters. Others may chip in here with more info on this.
3. Bahasa Indonesia is understood by all Indonesians...'Strine is widely spoken in Kuta and probably Ubud by now...English and body language with a smattering of Indonesia will get you by.
4. Internet is iffy...again see many threads on this..it is improving with fiber cables being laid but depends where you wish to live. You don't need a phoneline and it will be almost impossible to have installed. Best find a place with one already installed if required...most people have smartphones to communicate.
5. There are occasional blackouts but not usually for very long. Bottled water is obligatory for drinking...but beer is better...Bintang is standard but Prost is also popular.
6. Please see recent posts/blogs from me concerning my experience with health care...best to have insurance at first until settled. As you are only 29 the premiums should be reasonable.
7. Ignore the Australian media on security...I feel more safe here than many other parts of the so-called civilized world. Just be cautious of your environment and dont get angry...Balinese are very patient people and Indonesians, in general, avoid confrontation.

Come on over...you'll enjoy your time as the good weather seasons are here...Xmas and New Year tend to be wet.

 

[runaS]

Hi,

Internet:

I also develop remotely and am fine with a Indihome 10Mbit connection (unlimited) + 3G/4G connection.
Downloading large files takes some time, but video calls are ok.

Indihome can sometimes be slow, but then I still have my smartphone connection which is the most reliable especially during blackouts.
Indonesia censors a lot of sites, so I setup my DNS to use Google's and if necessary use a VPN to access blocked contents.

Additionally I have Biznet as another backup connection, but hardly use it except for watching TV.

I used to visit some of the coworking spaces, but for me they are too expensive and noisy.