Indonesia. What a contrast!

[Bournville]

I was living in Thailand for about 6 years. I took several trips in recent years to South Korea.. Malaysia.. Ecuador.. Columbia.

 

Lucky for me I can tell about my experiences now....i wasn't gunned down. Latin America... Dangerous and police at every corner. South Korea... Cold winters. Expensive.

 

I decided to just stay in Thailand.. Better the devil I know. Then I arrived in Indonesia 1 month ago... Bali. Wow.

 

What prompted this post was leaving the airport here in Bali to do a visa run to Singapore. Denpasar Airport is modern.. very friendly staff and immigration people are actually pleasant! The officer scanned my passport... looked at the ONE page where my entry stamp was from 30 days earlier and 30 seconds later... I'm on my way! Leaving BKK I was ALWAYS questioned about my OA visa and they always read my passport like it was a fascinating novel! Idiots.

 

Balinese people are very very friendly... both make and female! They are curious... engaging and thier English in tourist areas is fantastic! Thier knowledge of the "hospitality industry" is excellent.. almost on par with the USA. The wait staff.. wait on me! They ask if I need anything else... Or if I have an issues. I'm in restaurant heaven for SE Asia! 555.

 

I can't rent a motorbike yet because I need a IDL or a local license... No license... No bike rental! Amazing! What a concept.

 

Long term visa options are available... After my Singapore trip I'll have a 60 day visa renewable 4 times inside Indonesia for a total of 6 months. During which time I can apply for 1 year.. Renewable to 5 years.

 

Bali.. Indonesia.. Is a fantastic alternative for those looking for a change from Thailand.

 

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[flyingtlger]

Different strokes for different folks...

 

[AlexRich]

Be careful with the corruption.

[Vacuum]

6 minutes ago, AlexRich said:

Be careful with the corruption.

Or terrorist bombings..

[Rimmer]

The Language is also much easier to learn in Indonsia

[Mavideol]

Tsunami, earth quakes, flooding, land slides...none of that in Bali? hummm interesting

[Lacessit]

The OP is in for a bit of a shock if he wants to stay in Bali long-term. Most rental contracts require the tenant to pay a year's rent in advance. That's standard Indonesian practice.

The other aspect to Bali is many beaches are badly polluted. In the Suharto era, his cronies went on an orgy of beachfront hotel building, without too much regard for sewerage infrastructure. Most of Denpasar is floating on a sea of raw sewage.

Every apparent paradise has its flaws.

[Lacessit]

13 minutes ago, Rimmer said:

The Language is also much easier to learn in Indonsia

Terimah Kasi.

[ColeBOzbourne]

"Latin America...Dangerous and police at every corner". 

A gross exaggeration. I've been all over S. America and throughout Colombia many times. You've been to Colombia yet you don't know how to spell it?

[Youlike]

Plus the food comes with loads of small side dishes and tastes much better .

[madmen]

You better start learning Australian slang Cobber, Bali is basically another Australian state. Thousands of them roaming around pissed out of their brains. I avoid Bali and Im Australian

[Bournville]

Tsunami, earth quakes, flooding, land slides...none of that in Bali? hummm interesting

I never said that. I can die any number of ways... Death on the road in Thailand would be a higher probability than a volcano eruption.

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[Puchaiyank]

How does the cost of living stack up with Thailand?  

 

My Thailand in baht per month:

Rent 3/2 modern home...... 8,300 

Water + Garbage pickup.....    300

Power (fridge, 2 A/C units, washer,

fans all rooms,water heaters... 2,000

Food, clothing, paper,toiletries 6,000

Entertainment............................  2,400

                                          19,000.

Roughly $635. USD per month.

 

How about Bali?

[Bournville]

"Latin America...Dangerous and police at every corner". 
A gross exaggeration. I've been all over S. America and throughout Colombia many times. You've been to Colombia yet you don't know how to spell it?

OK smarty pants... Yes.. A typo... Yes I was there... One more thing about expats in Bali... They are not as miserable and have thier heads buried in the sand. Not a gross exaggeration at all... I've lived it... No thanks

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[Bournville]

You better start learning Australian slang Cobber, Bali is basically another Australian state. Thousands of them roaming around pissed out of their brains. I avoid Bali and Im Australian

Yes. In Kuta... I used to live in Sydney.. Kuta seems to be a suburb of Sydney! 5555.. I m in Ubud for the time being... Lovely spot of heaven

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[madmen]

2 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

How does the cost of living stack up with Thailand?  

 

My Thailand in baht per month:

Rent 3/2 modern home...... 8,300 

Water + Garbage pickup.....    300

Power (fridge, 2 A/C units, washer,

fans all rooms,water heaters... 2,000

Food, clothing, paper,toiletries 6,000

Entertainment............................  2,400

                                          19,000.

Roughly $635. USD per month.

 

How about Bali?

80 baht a day for entertainment?

[madmen]

2 minutes ago, Bournville said:

Yes. In Kuta... I used to live in Sydney.. Kuta seems to be a suburb of Sydney! 5555.. I m in Ubud for the time being... Lovely spot of heaven

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Looks stunning !

https://www.google.com/search?q=Ubud&rlz=1C1CHBF_enTH839TH839&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwis1P-hroviAhU76XMBHWkyC54Q_AUIDigB&biw=1536&bih=792

 

Edited May 8, 2019 by madmen

[Puchaiyank]

2 minutes ago, madmen said:

80 baht a day for entertainment?

I do not need entertaining daily...

[spidermike007]

I too love Indonesia. The people are amazing, and the government beats this inept junta 100 times over. But, Bali is not my favorite. Found it to be way too crowded and the traffic is stupid. Sure, once you get north of Ubud, or up to the northern coast, it is great. Just avoid the lower SW corner of the island, and Denpasar. 

 

Indonesia has thousands of islands to explore. And most of the people are really cool, easy to talk to. And the local men, totally unlike Thai men, are curious, engaging and interested. Nice place!

[RobMuir]

14 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

How does the cost of living stack up with Thailand?  

 

My Thailand in baht per month:

Rent 3/2 modern home...... 8,300 

Water + Garbage pickup.....    300

Power (fridge, 2 A/C units, washer,

fans all rooms,water heaters... 2,000

Food, clothing, paper,toiletries 6,000

Entertainment............................  2,400

                                          19,000.

Roughly $635. USD per month.

 

How about Bali?

You only spend 80 baht per day on entertainment? One large bottle of beer? 

That doesn't even buy a lady drink.

[Vacuum]

6 minutes ago, RobMuir said:

You only spend 80 baht per day on entertainment? One large bottle of beer? 

That doesn't even buy a lady drink.

Bying lady drinks and drinking beer in a farang bar, is this what you call "entertainment"?

[Puchaiyank]

7 minutes ago, RobMuir said:

You only spend 80 baht per day on entertainment? One large bottle of beer? 

That doesn't even buy a lady drink.

Haven't been in a bar or had a beer in years...adjust entertainment cost to fit your particular lifestyle...????

[Essex Reject]

25 minutes ago, madmen said:

80 baht a day for entertainment?

Haha! 1 or 2 beers a day. Mind you that's more than most on here.

[Essex Reject]

2 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

Haven't been in a bar or had a beer in years...adjust entertainment cost to fit your particular lifestyle...????

What a surprise.

 

Does anyone on this forum frequent bars or drink beer?

[Vacuum]

5 minutes ago, RobMuir said:

What’s wrong with drinking beer? I find that entertaining

Nothing wrong with that.

[GeorgeCross]

i love Bali, its my plan B - i had one of the best months of my life there a few years back, truly beautiful place with great people

 

even loved Kuta.. pissed ozzies? a lot more fun (and a damn site less grumpy) than us poms ????

 

 

[Assurancetourix]

32 minutes ago, RobMuir said:

You only spend 80 baht per day on entertainment? One large bottle of beer? 

That doesn't even buy a lady drink.

You don't know him..

Maybe he doesn't like beer and/or women ?   

 

For 3 people , 4 dogs and 4 cats and diesel for the truck , I spent 25.000 baht every month ( 780 US dollars or 700 euros )

[watcharacters]

57 minutes ago, Puchaiyank said:

1 hour ago, RobMuir said:

You only spend 80 baht per day on entertainment? One large bottle of beer? 

That doesn't even buy a lady drink.

Haven't been in a bar or had a beer in years...adjust entertainment cost to fit your particular lifestyle...????

 

80฿       Temple admission fees.     ????

[LennyW]

Experiences vary, i find Ecuador, Peru, Chile, Colombia and especially Argentina all very safe and pleasant, Bali not so much, i agree the airport has improved since the new part was completed...but the staff... i see no such improvement! 

The Kuta area i feel it to be congested, narrow streets i guess and the barrage of hawkers trying to sell something gets annoying, everybody calling you "mate" ....

 

[geoffbezoz]

1 hour ago, Bournville said:

Yes. In Kuta... I used to live in Sydney.. Kuta seems to be a suburb of Sydney! 5555.. I m in Ubud for the time being... Lovely spot of heaven

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It was before Mick Jagger got "married" there (since annulled). Since then it has just become yet another over commercialised area.  I was there in 1984 and at that time it was idyllic. Returned in 2008 never to bother to go there again.