Leaving America: How to Live a Spectacular Life in Bali
Dreaming of living in a different country? You’re not alone! There’s plenty of amazing places you can live (post-covid) as an American. Good news is it’s far easier than you thought.
When I set out to travel abroad, I never anticipated navigating long-term visas, lengthy rentals and how to start living like a local. Yet 2020 delivered everything unexpected, and for me - that meant living in Bali for half a year. Here’s what you need to know.
Visa Requirements for Indonesia
Due to the pandemic, I was allowed to stay in Bali for free under an emergency stay ordinance. I had entered visa-exempt, and was meant to be there for one month of less. Funny how plans change. In normal circumstances, American tourists can choose to be visa-exempt and enter free of charge and stay for 30 days. You may also choose a visa-on-arrival for $35. This provides you with the option of extension for another $35 - allowing you to stay in the country for a total of two months for $70.
For those looking for a longer stay, you can apply for a social-cultural visa which will allow a stay for up to 180 days. There’s several requirements, but they’re easily met and you can get plenty of help from agents in Bali. The simplest route is to head to Bali on a tourist visa - once you’re there, you can find travel agents and Facebook groups that provide all the assistance you need. When a visa does end, you can take a flight to another country and plan on re-entering on a new visa.
Long-term Rentals
Another situation that is far easier than expected - Bali has a ton of villas that can be rented by the week, month, or more. Looking online - places can be found on AirBnB, Instagram, Facebook and plenty of other routes so you’ll be able to find something. For solo people, there’s also Facebook groups where you can find other travelers looking to fill a villa.
I ended up hopping to a new villa nearly every month - we found most of our homes on social media. From there you reach out to the property manager, barter on the price, and determine a pay schedule. I never had to sign anything and would pay for the month up front in cash. Some questions to ask - is there live-in staff or cleaners? Is water and electricity included? Is there CCTV at the entrance?
We found it easiest to have everything included and ended up paying roughly 5million IDR per person (about $350 USD). This was consistent whether I was in a huge house with 9 of us or if it was just three of us in a smaller place. This price will be higher in normal circumstances, but not my much.
Transportation
For those blessed with the ability of balance, renting a scooter on a daily, weekly and monthly basis is easy. For about $70USD a month you can rent from a variety of styles which can also be serviced if any problems arise. Fuel isn’t expensive either, making it the best option overall.
For those more challenged, like me, I could never get the hang of driving a bike so I relied on the GoJek and Grab apps - similar to Lyft and Uber, you call a scooter or car from your phone. Price is based on distance, and most trips around the neighborhood would be about 10-12k IDR, or about 70 cents. They’ll provide you with the helmet.
Food
Warungs, little restaurants usually offering traditional food at cheap prices, just a few dollars, can be found on nearly every corner. Canggu and Seminyak are also filled with westernized restaurants serving up all kinds of fare - Russian, American, Italian, Greek and more. These are a bit more expensive, will a meal costing closer to $6 to $8. You can also order plenty of food to be delivered to the villa from Gojek and Grab with delivery fees less than a dollar.
Supermarkets can be found everywhere. Pepito is the main one - it’s set up is something you’d be familiar with, boasting a meat section, bakery and aisles for cereal, candy, teas and coffee and more. These prices are going to be somewhat close to what you’re used to. If you want cheaper options - local outdoor markets can be found. These places may not look as clean as what you’re used to, but they’re safe. Produce can be found at a significantly discounted rate and it’s nice supporting the local farmers.
Healthcare
I traveled with WorldNomads insurance which cost me $100 a month - I ended up stopping it after three months as I never needed it. That being said, I don’t live dangerously and am not accident prone. For comfort, most people do choose some type of travel insurance. There’s plenty of options online with different forms of coverage. Put in the research, choose what you feel fits your lifestyle, and don’t decide on any long term contracts just yet. Give yourself room to change your mind.
On a similar note, all of your health-oriented needs are available here in Indonesia. Dentists, doctors, physical trainers and more unusual options like spiritual healers and cupping and acupuncture specialists are all here.