Hello All,
Well, you’ve all been spared my first even-more-longwinded post. It disappeared when I pressed the “Preview” button. Now I’m writing in Word and will paste it. Sorry if it seems to lack enthusiasm; I’m sure you’ve all had to rewrite long messages that have disappeared.
I asked about the subject of finding a house outside of South Bali on the BTF, and while waiting for some feedback, I discovered these Bali Expat Forums. While lurking, searching and otherwise building up the courage to join, I discovered the extremely helpful article in the Tips and Tricks section, “One Expats ‘How to Live in Bali’ Guide.” While sorting out my questions, I went back to BTF to see any feedback. Sure enough, someone suggested I look at that very same article.
I’m a U.S. citizen on what seems to be a constant migration southwards. Born and brought up in Massachusetts, I’ve spent 14 years in Japan and 4 years in Thailand (2 years of the twenty I’ve been abroad are somehow unaccounted for). I live in Krabi now, but one year here is sort of enough, and though my Thai girlfriend and I will eventually build a house up in her hometown, I’m not excited about jumping right into that. One of my Japanese friends had always been trying to convince me to go to Bali (he goes every month, and owns two Bali-style pubs in Japan). It seems like the best next step for me, though my girlfriend has her concerns. She will take all our stuff, including our two cats, up to her hometown, while I go to Bali first to find a place to live for an unspecified amount of time. She will follow later. I know I’ll probably attempt to have my cake and eat it, too, by splitting my time between Bali and her Thai village. Anyway, one thing I’ve been telling her without being certain myself is that it won’t cost any more to live in Bali than it does here in Krabi. I’m a freelance translator and survive quite well working very little. After so much time in Japan, I’d hate to have to take work seriously again.
The most important thing I learned in that article was the high cost of using the internet due to non-local telephone calls. On the rare occasions I have work, I spend a lot of time on the internet getting background information. So places I’d sort of thought about living, namely Padangbai and Bangli, which use a different area code, are now out of the question. I’m seriously considering Ubud, but I learned the hard way in Thailand that having the same area code does not always make it a local call. Can anyone tell me what it costs to use the internet from Ubud? I’m not going to have to live in Densapar, am I?
A very broad range of house rental costs was mentioned in the article. I would appreciate some information about the lowest end. We really only need one bedroom (though two would be preferable in case my girlfriend throws me out), a bare-bones kitchen, and a standard bathroom. A nice view, seclusion, and a hill or mountain for a daily hike would also be nice. In Krabi I’m paying about USD 150 a month for a house. I’d like to pay less. Is this a realistic expectation? Also, I’ve noticed rentals are quoted for on a yearly basis. Is it difficult to do a month-to-month rental?
A comment about having to go to the Kuta area weekly for supplies was made because of low-quality produce. I can’t imagine that local markets are any worse than they are in Thailand, and I’ve gotten used to these. Of course I miss nicely wrapped cuts of meat in a pretty showcase, but I can do without them. So, if you’re “living local,” shopping at the markets, and don’t eat out too frequently, how much would you say a couple could get by on for food each month? My next great expenditure would be beer. How much is a big bottle of beer bought locally?
Lastly, I’d like to comment on how important a site like this is. When we moved down here (southern migration) from Hua Hin, we just packed our things and came. First we took the first place that seemed nice without asking any of the local expats or natives. The owners turned out to be criminally insane, and as soon as we mentioned we were looking for somewhere else to others, we learned that they were “notoriously criminally insane.” When we left that place it was like the lyrics from Hotel California: “You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave.” Hope I got that right. We lost everything there, and the police commented “Why did you live THERE?” Anyway, to have a community of people who care and are willing to help is absolutely wonderful.
TIA, Richard
Well, you’ve all been spared my first even-more-longwinded post. It disappeared when I pressed the “Preview” button. Now I’m writing in Word and will paste it. Sorry if it seems to lack enthusiasm; I’m sure you’ve all had to rewrite long messages that have disappeared.
I asked about the subject of finding a house outside of South Bali on the BTF, and while waiting for some feedback, I discovered these Bali Expat Forums. While lurking, searching and otherwise building up the courage to join, I discovered the extremely helpful article in the Tips and Tricks section, “One Expats ‘How to Live in Bali’ Guide.” While sorting out my questions, I went back to BTF to see any feedback. Sure enough, someone suggested I look at that very same article.
I’m a U.S. citizen on what seems to be a constant migration southwards. Born and brought up in Massachusetts, I’ve spent 14 years in Japan and 4 years in Thailand (2 years of the twenty I’ve been abroad are somehow unaccounted for). I live in Krabi now, but one year here is sort of enough, and though my Thai girlfriend and I will eventually build a house up in her hometown, I’m not excited about jumping right into that. One of my Japanese friends had always been trying to convince me to go to Bali (he goes every month, and owns two Bali-style pubs in Japan). It seems like the best next step for me, though my girlfriend has her concerns. She will take all our stuff, including our two cats, up to her hometown, while I go to Bali first to find a place to live for an unspecified amount of time. She will follow later. I know I’ll probably attempt to have my cake and eat it, too, by splitting my time between Bali and her Thai village. Anyway, one thing I’ve been telling her without being certain myself is that it won’t cost any more to live in Bali than it does here in Krabi. I’m a freelance translator and survive quite well working very little. After so much time in Japan, I’d hate to have to take work seriously again.
The most important thing I learned in that article was the high cost of using the internet due to non-local telephone calls. On the rare occasions I have work, I spend a lot of time on the internet getting background information. So places I’d sort of thought about living, namely Padangbai and Bangli, which use a different area code, are now out of the question. I’m seriously considering Ubud, but I learned the hard way in Thailand that having the same area code does not always make it a local call. Can anyone tell me what it costs to use the internet from Ubud? I’m not going to have to live in Densapar, am I?
A very broad range of house rental costs was mentioned in the article. I would appreciate some information about the lowest end. We really only need one bedroom (though two would be preferable in case my girlfriend throws me out), a bare-bones kitchen, and a standard bathroom. A nice view, seclusion, and a hill or mountain for a daily hike would also be nice. In Krabi I’m paying about USD 150 a month for a house. I’d like to pay less. Is this a realistic expectation? Also, I’ve noticed rentals are quoted for on a yearly basis. Is it difficult to do a month-to-month rental?
A comment about having to go to the Kuta area weekly for supplies was made because of low-quality produce. I can’t imagine that local markets are any worse than they are in Thailand, and I’ve gotten used to these. Of course I miss nicely wrapped cuts of meat in a pretty showcase, but I can do without them. So, if you’re “living local,” shopping at the markets, and don’t eat out too frequently, how much would you say a couple could get by on for food each month? My next great expenditure would be beer. How much is a big bottle of beer bought locally?
Lastly, I’d like to comment on how important a site like this is. When we moved down here (southern migration) from Hua Hin, we just packed our things and came. First we took the first place that seemed nice without asking any of the local expats or natives. The owners turned out to be criminally insane, and as soon as we mentioned we were looking for somewhere else to others, we learned that they were “notoriously criminally insane.” When we left that place it was like the lyrics from Hotel California: “You can check out anytime you want, but you can never leave.” Hope I got that right. We lost everything there, and the police commented “Why did you live THERE?” Anyway, to have a community of people who care and are willing to help is absolutely wonderful.
TIA, Richard