In this episode of House Hunters International, a young woman who has been burnt out from a hectic New York life moves to Bali to start over as an artist. She is ready to embrace the island’s lush landscape and start her new career as an artist. The episode features three house-hunting couples who encounter the diversity of outdoor living options available in Bali, such as infinity pools with panoramic ocean views.
Designing an outdoor space in Bali means embracing the island’s lush landscape and thinking about how your furniture can complement the natural surroundings. Teak wood pieces that echo the island’s natural surroundings are used to create a unique and inviting atmosphere.
The episode also features Andromeda Dunker, who shares her experience of moving to Bali to start over as an artist after a hectic New York life. The couple enjoys watching the episode live on their iPhone via Skype with their parents while in Bali.
In conclusion, the episode showcases the diverse outdoor living options available in Bali, from infinity pools with panoramic ocean views to other unique features that make it an ideal place for a young woman to start her new career.
📹 House Hunters International (HGTV)
📹 Realities of living in Bali after 2 years, our top PROS AND CONS
After living in Bali on and off for more than two years, we’ve decided to tell you what our biggest pros and cons to living in Bali are …
Hi Rhett & Clair, being from America moving to Bali is mostly pros for me! My dollar goes so much further there that I can live well instead of just survive. I won’t be working so maybe easier for me to blend in and not need to be in the busier spots like Kuta, Canguu etc. Love your take on moving to Bali!!
With your back ground, may i suggest you acquire as many passports as you can without any of them knowing about each other !!! My parents are Euro, im Australian born, have 3 passports and about to have a 4th in Pinas. Its easier than you think. Once you obtain PR in SEA or have an ASEAN passport, you never have to worry about a visa ever again. You are able to reside in any ASEAN country for 12 months without a Visa. You just have to register with a paper stamp in your passport date of entry & dont pay for entry or exit fee. Life is so much more bearable than having to worry about looking over your shoulder… Peace out boykies
Hey guys, thank you for article! As one who lives in Bali 3+ years i want to share that here is spots for walk, picnic, hike, being alone with nature. But you wouldn’t find them in instagram top places to see, you know, you’ll have to find them. In Ubud for example many beautiful trails for walk. I used maps to find little roads at green non crowded areas and just drove there to explore and most of them worked. I ended up to live at one of that areas and now i have my sunset walks every day. To be alone with nature you’ll go to the rivers, waterfalls which not at the maps, but locals and expats will show you that places. Same with beach, here is lots of empty ones, you just need to go out of touristic crouded places. You can go to mountain area to have hikes in forest, jungle, camping etc. There is botanical garden with grass if you want all day hang out at the grass with kids and family. And much more. Yes. it’s not so available as we used to have in our homelands but it’s here. So i invite you to explore and enjoy that. 😊
Thank you for the article guys! I used to live in Bali and i can relate! But it is also true if one would looking for the quite places more carefully, one would find it! Me personally found a few in Ubud. South of Bali is a different story though 🙂 i lived there for almost a year and it was difficult to even walk to the beach (even 15 min walk) because of packs of mean dogs 😂 i mean seriously in Cemagi, where i used to live, there were a lot of dogs on the roads and they are very territorial and not happy to see strangers. Honestly sometimes it was pretty scary and obviously not relaxing🥴 So i gave up walking to the beach and ended up using my scooter. I solved it by getting up before sunrise, driving to the beach then i would take a looong relaxing beach walk enjoying sunrise light and almost empty early morning beach🙂
It really is astonishing how quickly the fitness industry has developed in Seminyak-Canggu over the past 8 years. When I lived in Bali 8 years ago, it was almost impossible to find a decent gym. There was one bigger local gym in Legian, total mess, weights everywhere, a bit dirty. The other only reasonable option was a tiny, average equipped hotel gym, that was rather clean, quiet and organised. Ended up training at the last one. Then again, the whole fitness industry worldwide has taken off since Instagram mostly.
YEAH.. I SAME LIKE YOU ! I NEVER TO BORED TO VISIT BALI MANY TIMES EVERY YEARS. • CHEAP LIFE COST : RENT VILLA, MOTOR, CAR, FOODS & BEVERAGES, MEDICAL, TRAVELLING AROUND BALI, ENTERTAINMENTS. • CHEAP LIFE STYLE NECESSARY : SALON & SPA. • CHEAP COST BY MAGIC HEALING THAN MEDIC OPERATION (BELIEVE OR NOT) BLACK MAGIC HAS HAD AROUND THE WORLD. • LIFE FREE & RELAX : I WERE SUNBATHE AROUND BALI BEACHES IN TOPLESS, G-STRING BOTTOM AND RIDING MOTOR JUST WEAR TOP BIKINI AND HOTPANTS NO BODIES & POLICES CARE TO ME IT’S REALLY MY SECOND HOME I ❤ BALI SO MUCH. • AND I WAS FORGOT TO TAKE MY MOTOR KEY BESIDE THE STREET FOR HALF DAY BUT WHEN I CAME BACK EVERYTHING IS OK MY MOTOR STILL KEEP STAY THERE. • BECAUSE FOR HINDU BALINESE THEY HELD ON LAW OF KARMAS. HAVE A NICE HOLIDAYS THANK YOU 🙏
Visa is expensive because we are also not free visa to south Africa, Ireland, and England. And they are more ridiculously expensive than Indonesia. Singapore and Malaysia have relationship with those countries so both citizens are free. So if you want to be free of visa (like Serbia etc), just push your govt to have a bilateral collaboration with Indonesia. So don’t complain about visa price if you put 100 poundsterling for British visa. You also can get 10-year visa but you have to put your money in Indonesian bank.
Hey Rhett & Claire, we too are from CT and live in Bali and we just got back to Bali after a month of visiting CT & the Garden Route. Haha we have spent the last few days debating the pros and cons of living in Bali and this article of yours pretty much is what we came up with. The biggest Con of Bali compared to SA is the pollution on the beaches. Seminyak beach at the moment is beyond disgusting with plastic and sh1t. The biggest challenge for us is the never ending heat and humidity, we so loved the four seasons in one day that you get in Cape Town.
The cons made you guys sound really ungrateful. I spent time in Bali and I completely disagree. I walked pretty much everywhere with no problems at all. And when I didn’t want to walk I got a car taxi which is pennies. And when I wanted quiet time I got up early and walked on the beach. I found more peace in Bali than where I live and I think your cons are a really poor representation of a place where you have been lucky enough to be welcomed into.
Bali is not walkable. Do you mean Denpasar? Kuta? Canggu? Seminyak? Or where specifically? Because if you said Bali, then it means the whole island. The pedestrian is sucked. Can’t be more agreed. You just need to be more attentive while walking. Running? You know that Sanur beach path is recommended for running, right?
As an Australian who has been to Bali many times I have to disagree with about 50% of your content. There are many areas outside of the tourist areas where you can find peace and quiet. I’m in Sanur at present and you can walk,run and cycle along the beachfront. I also spend time in Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand. If you think Southeast Asia is expensive you are not picking your destinations well. One example was Cambodia. After riding motor cycles for two weeks we went to an island off the coast of Kep for some r and r. I had a small rustic villa which had a comfy bed and private shower and toilet. We ate seafood and consumed more cocktails and beer than you could imagine. Total for everything was USD $200 for the seven days. Not sure if your vid was supposed to be about Bali or South Africa.
Hi guy’s, I was perusal your website before moving to Bali, great job, South Africa looks cool! . I full agree with your views and unfortunately in my case the cons overweight the pros. The mass tourism and bule ghetto culture, ruined Bali. I honestly belive that Lombok or other island’s have now what people expect Bali has. But as I said this is my personal view. One more thing, which could be pro or con, depending on who reads it. Majority, and I would gestimate, 80%, of both short term tourists and moving long term in Bali now are Russians. Literally, yesterday we went to Bias Tugel and were the only non Russian bule on the beach. After they were baned in from eu, pukhet and bali are now their top tourist and investment destinations.
Thank you for sharing the truth about the risks of walking in Bali. When I was little we often walked from Denpasar to the beach, even my grandparents did it. Now it would be a death wish. I won’t make friends saying this, but I will. Balinese and Indonesian people are no longer slim and healthy. I’m considered slim by my friends only because they’ve put on even more weight than me.
You spoke with certainty that nothing bad was going to happen to you in Bali. I’ve only been able to do that with one place once a long time ago when I was kid and it was the town I grew up in. Whats the best Airline landing there? They practice Balinese Hinduism there. Had you gone inside a temple you would have found all the silence you could stand, unless a ceremony was going on. Just park your shoes where everybody put theirs. Enter the temple slowly and bowed. Observe what others do before taking a seat and do the same. At all times remain seated and silent to the next break. Regarding property many countries in this region recognize surface and land rights. Land rights can go all the way to the earths core in some of these nations.
As an American, and having spent quite a bit of time on Bali over the last several years for periods of months at a time (and having lived in S.E Asia for 4 years), I cannot relate to your Con’s on being on Bali. Might be that I do not travel on a budget, I have transport, and generally live at 1/3rd the cost of the US. The weather I expect to be Hot and Humid. The food I expect to be 100% different, as do I the living arrangements. If you are going to list the Pro’s and Con’s of living somewhere, you might want to think about being up front of what your monthly budget is so that viewers can either relate to your POV’s, or simply skip it.
I am having a good time reviewing perusal this informative article. The following South African iconic foods might well be missed by South Africans moving to Bali, I should think. I am not South African, by the way, but, I know your foods. 1) Mzoli’s braai! (from Mzoli’s shop in Gugulethu township). No meal is ever truly South African with a rollicking good braai, eh? And, aren’t braais in homes down there? 2) Bobotie! I love plantains and meat in a delightful lasagna-like mash up, actually. 3) Potjiekos! In South Africa, where the two oceans meet (Indian and the Atlantic), the seafood is … KILLER! Those little charming one-pot meals are sumptious. I have had them twice and not ever in South Africa, actually. 4) Biltong! Cured, Dried and Cut meats (delightfully spiced) are the best! And, let’s face it, ostrich, emu, kudu, impala,, springbok and other game meats, one simply cannot eat anywhere else, but in South Africa or Capetown specifically. Guys, have you ever been to other South African cities such as Durban, Jo-burg, and Pretoria?
No need to watch the article guys, here’s the cons – Bad traffic, bad air on the streets, no sidewalk, bad quality cigarettes and sometimes food, bali belly, aka food poisoning, mostly unswimable beaches, 3h beach bed limit at some places, rude russian people haha, and much more Pros – Exotic and new(for some) place… salty water if you can get to it 2024 edition
Please can someone tell me if the Balinese government is releasing che mi cals from plan es and mani pulating the weat her, making it cloudy and rainy when it should be sunshine? That’s what they’ve been doing here in UK and throughout Europe for the last two summers, this summer and last summer, ruining summer for everyone. I was in Mexico in September and they did not allow it there and there was no GMO food either. For some reason the governments in Europe have decided the sun is bad for the earth and they need to put clouds to block the sun from coming to the earth in the summer. It’s cloudy and rainy in Bali today, it is just the 2nd of September, too early for the rain season….that doesn’t feel right to me at all,. I’ll be checking the weather everyday for the following week but if it’s cloudy and rainy at this time of year, it’s probably is going on there but I’d like some confirmation, can someone help me out here? (If it’s cloudy and rainy when normally you would expect sunshine then it is going on in your country.) I’ve seen it with my own eyes….rainy and cloudy in the middle of summer and above the clouds I can see plan es rele asing che m icals. Please tell me if it’s going on in Bali and neighbouring countries, thanks.
Regarding safety that’s not what I heard. I think it’s important for people not to be delusional or give misinformation. Somebody just did a article about how there’s ATMs that are set up to scam you out of your money. I heard about how they’ll snatch your cell phone out of your handfrom the road and I’ve heard about pickpocket there. Also, a few years back somebody had their MacBook Pro stolen out of their room. If someone’s coming there for the first time and they felt that they could be nonchalant they would be in for rude awakening. You have to watch out everywhere, but in the United States, I don’t worry about anybody smashing my phone from the road. I also don’t worry about somebody doing something weird to the ATM. But in Bali, they said have to watch where the locals go in order to find the right ATM.
Siapa sih yg mau ke Indo. Saya aja lari dr Indo. Sekarang ini banyak motor yang menggunakan knalpot yang disebut racing. Knalpot ini lubangnya besar sekali dan asapnya meletup – letup. Knalpot ini sengaja dihadapkan ke atas belakang sehingga wajah orang yang di belakang menjadi sasaran. Motor- motor ini tak ramah kepada sesama pengguna jalan. Turis asing pun pada kecewa setelah datang ke Indonesia yg mayoritasnya islam terkenal ramah, katanya, tapi mendapati motor motor dgn knalpot yg asapnya mengenai wajah mereka. Mereka merasa orang Indonesia tak ramah. Turis asing jadi malas datang lg ke Indonesia.
Do People actually think rice field is like grassland? well you’re going to get wet and sticky surprise. If you’re very lucky, u get to encounter danger noodles as well! I think the cost of Visa is not much if you also take into consideration the very affordable rent and food prices. Just don’t eat all the time at the tourist areas. For rent, if you find good price, negotiate a long term rent like 12 to 60 months (1-5 years) even. That will reduce the price even more, but usually you have to pay all 12-24 months upfront. However, I don’t really recommend extreme long term rent such as 10-20 years, since anything can happen during that extreme long period (who knows maybe you decide not to live in Bali anymore). Also I don’t suggest buying the villas for foreigners (since for foreigners, the land is never yours (leasehold), you have to extend after expiration. Usually this can be extended with fee. However, keep in mind immigration laws can change against foreigners, which you end up that you can’t renew the leasehold. Besides with some rental prices so affordable, why even bother to purchase leasehold? For healthcare, yes I agree. Bali healthcare is not comparable to Singapore’s nor Kuala Lumpur’s. This will become a problem if you get into serious injury from accidents or somehow you develop serious illness.
In my experience, alot of the locals that i’ve met are not nice people. They love to extort- some try to charge me 5 times the price they would normally charge a local, they lie, cheat, gossip and talk badly about people. I’ve been sexually harrassed by so many local men since I arrived even when almost full covered up and hated on badly by many of the local women who seem to feel intimidated by attractive young women with more money than they think they have. It’s really sad. Just alot of really not nice and immoral local people I’ve met. After a while it really starts to grate on you. Being part of a thrid world country (Indonesia) being extorted is expected but just strange that everyone says Bali is so great and the people are so nice when that hasn’t been my experience at all.
In My opinion, if you buy food or anything in resto and expensive market, you will notice expensive, but if you try local market on below resto or cafe, you will found cheap life cost. maybe we have different culture perspective about trush or junk with bad smell in local market, but some market clean and higienist
12:50 that’s a usual things happens here. waking up 2-3 in the morning, perusal football match from Europe, then feel sleepy in the work/school the morning after. I’m not a fan of football, but i can’t sleep either because my neigbours scream out loud when their favorite team score or losing a point. But yeah that’s what happen and now it’s normal
Hmmm. Interesting to hear that SA is cheaper then Bali ? I am with you both because you promoted the Jimny. I like this tiny car very much. I am living in Colombia. If you want to get more information about this country then let me know. But…. I am not THE expert. I am Swiss living now about 10 years in this country. And I am 67…..
First thing don’t live in the south of Bali, live in Lombok. If you cant find a quiet places to walk and hike or cycle you have not looked and you won’t get mugged, chased up the road with a Marchette for your belongings definite Con. Australians can get whats called a second home visa for 5 or 10 years and you can return home as much as you like ; )
Great article! Hmm feel like sidewalk/scooter probs come under safety. Safety isn’t just about crime, but conditions. Curious…I walked everywhere in PDC,Mexico…do you think walking in bali is worse? So many holes/obstructions on sidewalks in PDC but i got used to being careful 😅….but no scooters all over the sidewalks, that might deter me 😅
Hey guys, can you enter Bali without vaccine? And just go in quarantine for 5 days if I only have one passport? I’m from Europe . Because I can see that you can go in quarantine for 5 days without vaccine if you have a double citizenship.. I just think its strange if you are a more dangerous person to infect other people if you only have one passport?
Definitely disagree with almost all pros. Local people in Bali the most lazy people in South East Asia, There is everything is so bad: services, roads, live quality and so on.. Traffic jam here is just crazy and so annoying everyday, 10 km 1 hour drive, just don’t want to drive somewhere… (there is no pedestrian roads at all) Accommodation is so dirty almost always here. Local kitchen is so poor and tasteless, especially comparing with neighbours countries. Highly no recommended to go there to anyone and consider Thailand or Vietnam) P.S I can highlight only one pros, it is the best nature in South East Asia!
So how do you feel about the New Govt regulation and laws to be in effect within the next 3 years of no non married cohabitation unless married, that goes for visitors as well. All these Bali nomad flop houses and villa room rentals will be segregated. Tourism Bali has said this will be the death of tourism. What are your thoughts ? I know it’s stopped all my thoughts of living or long term plans staying there.
Have you guys visited Cyprus? It’s safe, beautiful. Having lived in Cape Town and the UK and been to Bali, Cyprus really is a place I’m very happy to be. Traffic isn’t too bad. Good health system. Great weather, similar to Cape Town. Stunning nature. There are times I’ve taken my dogs to the mountains or the bush, and there hasn’t been anyone else around. Lots of nomads and foreigners living here. You’re right about the Balinese, they are the nicest people ever.
I’m well aware that most of the properties you buy in Bali, come with a land lease title, and it’s like you said, leasing the land for 25 years and up, and you own nothing. You know what, that goes for anyone, anywhere on this planet, people just don’t have a clue as to how things work in this fictional system we live in. For one, we’re all dead to this system, hence your ALL CAPS name on your ID, dead people own nothing. If you registered anything with the Government, you don’t own it anymore, not that you really did, you’re just looking after it for them, same goes for a car, or anything you register. Unless anyone holds a allodial title, you don’t own it, most people get a fictional title, called a deed. Cheers !!