Being an expat in Bali
Bali island, this tiny little Hindu Island in the Indian Ocean, part of Indonesia, yet, different from the rest and known as ‘the island of the Gods’, is a popular place among expats. The number of expats living in Bali increases every year and no wonder: The beautiful beaches and nature, the laid-back tropical island life, the delicious, richly flavored food, the low costs of living and the friendly locals, who are already adjusted to Westerns in the bigger towns of Bali. Life can be easy and wonderful here, like a paradise island indeed and yet, there is also the pollution, corruption, bureaucracy and much more things to deal with as an expat living in Bali.
Challenges
Cost of living
Though the costs of living is generally low, with possibilities to eat for below $1 at local warungs, renting a small room for less than $50 a month and a scooter for less than $40, it easily goes up high when you want to stay in a private-pool villa, going out to eat for a healthy breakfast or a fancy dinner and craving for the same things you are used to at home, such as yoghurt and good coffee in the morning, quality chocolate, cheese platters to go with a bottle of wine. These things are just a few of the things that are much more expensive in Indonesia than back at home. You can keep the cost of living low if you live like a local and still then, it can be challenging because foreigners simply don’t get the same prices as the locals do most of the time, after all, we come from the Western World.
Property
Foreigners cannot own land or property in Indonesia, a longtime lease would be the only option.
Rentals are paid upfront, this can be annually, per 5 years, 10 years or up to 30 years. The only catch is that the money needs to be paid up front, in one go. This is also the reason why many locals live in a Kos (a small room) for all of their lives. There are some exceptions, allowing you to rent a nice villa or a bungalow monthly, but you will be paying a whole lot more than the market price.
Visas
Most nationalities can enter Indonesia without paying for a tourist visa, allowing you to stay in the country for 30 days. A social visa allows you to stay for up to six months, sponsored by a local citizen or an organization. A business visas, contrary to it's name, doesn't allow you to work in Indonesia, it is made for those researching business opportunities and you will still need to fly out of the country every three months. Them, therre are the stay permits for expats married to local citizens (Family KITAS), there are the expat workers sponsored by a company and there are the retirement visas. The Indonesian visa regulations tend to change quite often, which can be quite frustrating and it's not easy at all to find step-by-step information regarding what you have to do and what the total costs will be if you don't use an expensive agent or bribe an immigration officer into doing it for you.
Language
Indonesians speak Bahasa Indonesian, a language similar to Malay, invented after Indonesia gained independence from the Dutch. A language that allows people from different islands, who all have their own language, to communicate with each other. In these modern days, Bahasa Indonesia is the main language for a lot of the youngsters but, when it comes to older people or remote places, you will find people only speaking their own island language which would be Balinese in Bali. Once you have mastered the skills of Bahasa Indonesia, a language that is not too hard to learn, you still won’t be able to understand everything the locals say, you will need to learn Balinese as well.
Lifestyle
The lifestyle is laidback and easy. In the life of most Balinese, ceremonies and offerings to the Gods play a very big part. You will see temples and offerings on every street and in front of houses to keep the Gods content and good-willed. The Balinese also have many ceremonies to attend to every month, back in their home town. The Hindu Religion of Bali, is different from anywhere else in the world, even from India where it descends from. It is a mixture of the Indian Hindu Religion, Buddhism and Animism. Bali is also the only place in the whole whide world that shuts down completely one day a year during Nyepi; the silence day when the Gods fly over the island. Everything on the island is closed on this day, all the people have to stay inside their houses, be quiet and no light should be switched on in the evening. It’s really unique and quite special!
Indonesians generally avoid confrontation and they rather say yes than no, even though the real answer might be ‘no’, or ‘I don’t know’.This often causes a bit of frustration, especially to people owning business, working with locals and trying to get things done, but we got to adjust, we are living on an island with a different culture, after all. Patience and respect is needed!
Do’s and Don’ts
Be respectful to the local culture and the people, you are living on their island anyway! Try to be friendly and patient! Learn to drive motorbike. As an expat, you cannot do without it! It's easy and so much faster than driving around the city centers in a car.
Always try to be and stay friendly with immigration and police officers. Getting angry won’t get you any further. Sometimes you may have to take an extra breath when things take incredibly long or information is unclear and it cost more money at every step but still, a smile will do a whole lot more than showing your anger.
For expats, Bali is a wonderful place to live! Especially in popular places like Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud and Sanur, there are big expat communities to meet like-minded people. There are restaurants and cafés, turned into popular expat hang-out places over time, there are excellent multicultural international schools (expensive though) for expat kids to go to, modernized (again expensive) hospitals and modern supermarkets. In the end, you can live a real comfortably life in Bali for a whole lot less money than you would back home, and you can even get someone to clean your house and babysit your kids for you. Try doing that in the Western World with a regular 09.00 to 17.00 job.
