Bali

[eezergood]

Has anyone ever lived here ? or spent a good amount of time in the Island of the Gods?

[LivinginKata]

Not really Phuket or even Thailand related.

How about you pose the question living in Bali as compared with Phuket.

[hansgruber]

I know a few guys that lived there before living in Phuket and they said they both have pluses and minuses but they have all said Phuket is better all-round except for the surf.

[steven100]

don't like indonesia ..... rampant poverty & corruption. Also being the most populous muslim nation in the world one needs to exercise extreme caution. Bali bombings ?

[stevenl]

don't like indonesia ..... rampant poverty & corruption. Also being the most populous muslim nation in the world one needs to exercise extreme caution. Bali bombings ?

Yes, Bali bombings, WTC in NY, subway in London, train in Madrid.

Bali is not muslim BTW.

[hansgruber]

You think the traffic is bad here. It's 10 fold worse in Bali.

It's way way overdeveloped compared to Phuket and beach roads views are often blocked so it's natural beauty and scenery is not as good.

[phuketrichard]

long term visas are NOT easy to get

[NamKangMan]

don't like indonesia ..... rampant poverty & corruption. Also being the most populous muslim nation in the world one needs to exercise extreme caution. Bali bombings ?

"don't like indonesia ..... rampant poverty & corruption" - you've obviously never been to the poor villages in Northern Thailand.

[eezergood]

Not really Phuket or even Thailand related.

How about you pose the question living in Bali as compared with Phuket.

Ok, as an after thought, I knew this was coming... SO

HAs anyone lived in Bali? If so how does it compare to PHUKET in terms of (this is a non exhaustive list BTW) things such as:

Costs of living

Internet

Availability of European goods (you know those treats we miss from back home)

Thai foods

Cable TV - i.e the premier league

cars

Nannies

Schools & Hospitals

Again for those NOT paying attention compared to PHUKET, lets say in the sat 2-3 years max

[LivinLOS]

long term visas are NOT easy to get

You can do your annual kitas for about 300 USD a year. Or at least you could a few years ago, perhaps its changed..

I have spent a few long spells on the island of the gods (or dogs depending on mood).. Multi months at a time over the last 15 or so years.. Never considered that as living there but longer than basic vacation.. My brother has had a house there and lived on and off for maybe 5 years.

Its poorer.. More corrupt.. Worse infrastructure.. Especially internet..

Its also cheaper (in general maybe some bit of real rural Thailand are comparable)..

Traffic around the southern side of the island truly awful..

Language far easier to pick up.. Cops and locals will skin you if you have issues (accidents etc) makes Thailand look positively fair..

Balinese people generally soft and nice.. Javanese and other muslim immigrant population there to work the tourists a lot less so.. Comparable to northern southern Thais and tourist areas in many ways. That said I do think you can make local friends easier there, my brother had his Indo surf mates, would hang out for beers and seemed like more genuine social integration.

Bartering is hardcore (think 10% of the first offered price not 80) and becomes so tedious you dont want to bother..

I can understand why Thai has a much better rep but Indo food is pretty damn good.. And very cheap.. Lots of deep water fish and OK cheap western tourist grub too..

Lots of Aussie tourists make a large part of the population, while I generally get on well with Aussies.. Being the closest short haul means lots of young bogan drunks.. Bounty on a Sat night is not Australias finest..

Scenically its heartbreaking.. It has to be one of the most beautiful islands in the world, hot springs, volcanos, long beaches, etc etc.. Yet is covered in plastic and garbage.. Its properly depressing and sadly indicative of the planet..

I personally find the architecture and local culture pretty special.. I love the detailing and stonework.. The house designs and cultural vibe is really cool and just sort of 'there' not done for tourist show..

I have nearly lived there a few times.. It does hold a real pull for me.. But its also that much more work than here.. Nicer to just visit maybe.

[LivinLOS]

Below..

Costs of living

Cheaper than Phuket.. Compared to 'thaiand' in general not excessively so tho..

Internet

Worse..

Availability of European goods (you know those treats we miss from back home)

Clothes cheaper (many made in indo factories) and surf brand super cheap.. Everything else less of and harder to get or import. Big bikes crazy money..

Thai foods

Less of.. Obviously..

Cable TV - i.e the premier league

Lots of sat channels.. I think last time people had pirate Oz feeds.. Not paid huge attention..

cars

Expensive but similar to Thailand.. Also island based traffic problems similar.. Bad roads, wouldnt want a 'nice' car..

Nannies

Schools & Hospitals

School stuff ?? Not a clue.. suspect worse.

There is hospital care, again I suspect worse than phuket by a long shot.

[beechbum]

Gotta a mate that moved there 5 or so years ago after living in Phuket for years, according to him it's great and very easy to get stuff done, he had a house built and says it was easy and hassle free dealing with all involved.

If your after western foods just head to a Hardy's mall supermarket.

Cost of living depends on how you want to live, same as anywhere really.

Check the net, theres international schools, hospitals and cable tv.

[NamKangMan]

Not really Phuket or even Thailand related.

How about you pose the question living in Bali as compared with Phuket.

Ok, as an after thought, I knew this was coming... SO

HAs anyone lived in Bali? If so how does it compare to PHUKET in terms of (this is a non exhaustive list BTW) things such as:

Costs of living

Internet

Availability of European goods (you know those treats we miss from back home)

Thai foods

Cable TV - i.e the premier league

cars

Nannies

Schools & Hospitals

Again for those NOT paying attention compared to PHUKET, lets say in the sat 2-3 years max

From my last visit to Bali, approximately 18 months ago, this was my experience:

"Costs of living" - cheaper.

"Internet" - high speed and stable.

"Availability of European goods (you know those treats we miss from back home) - I never went into a supermarket, but all foods, from many nations, were available in cafes and restaurants. There were also brand name shops for original clothing, electronics etc.

"Thai foods" - available in restaurants. Not sure if you can buy the ingredients yourself.

"Cable TV - i.e the premier league" - sport, movie and news channels, in English, all available.

"cars" - I didn't price them to buy, but there are many cars on the road there with locals driving them , so I assume cars are afffordable there.

"Nannies" - I can not comment on the availability of nannies. If you can not source a local nannie, you could probably employ one from The Philippines.

"Schools & Hospitals" - I walked past a small International School, I forget it's name, so, obviously they are there.

Luckily, I can not comment on hospital service.

[eezergood]

Thanks - we are moving there for work, after 6 yrs here in LOS & 3 in Phuket.

Change is as good as a rest they say.......

[Old Croc]

Being from Perth I have visited there more than a dozen times over a lot of years, but not recently since I discovered Phuket

Back in the day you could get 10 days accommodation and airfares for about $500. This ease of access has resulted in the worst of Australian tourists crapping up the place.

Agree with virtually all of LLs observations.

Back in the 70s and 80s it was a magical place, but the influx of tourists and a/hole Javanese scammers following the big money, has resulted in a steady decline in most things particularly in the Southern tourist areas.

Before I came to live in Thailand, Bali was one of the options for me, so I did a fair bit of homework about living there. Just like ThaiVisa there are several expat forums for Bali/Indonesia. Worth checking out. Many Australians retire there and are very content. I think ii is a requirement of a retirement visa that you provide a local with employment, so virtually all have maids. Wages are very reasonable. Hiring a nanny won't be a problem, Balinese love kids.

Don't know what type of visa you will be getting or where you will be living/working.

However, just like in Phuket stay away from Kuta (Patong) unless it's what you're into.

Bali is 10 times bigger than Phuket and full of volcanoes, lakes, terraced rice paddies, and traditional, remote villages. It too has neighboring Islands that are worthy of a visit.

There are plenty of things to do and places to visit.

Before the bombings, hospitals and health systems were terrible. Australia poured a lot of money into improving health facilities and there is apparently at least one top hospital there now. There are also International standard clinics. Probably not quite to Phuket standards, but Darwin and Perth are just a few hours away with frequent flights in a medical emergency.

Beaches are not as good as Phuket, although I've swum from some beautiful black sand beaches on the northern coast. However, surfers love the place because of many good breaks.

[steven100]

don't like indonesia ..... rampant poverty & corruption. Also being the most populous muslim nation in the world one needs to exercise extreme caution. Bali bombings ?

"don't like indonesia ..... rampant poverty & corruption" - you've obviously never been to the poor villages in Northern Thailand.

ah yes I have ... rampant poverty & corruption is worse than experienced in Thailand.

[eezergood]

Work will organise the VIsa & cheap flights to Oz kind of helped make the decision.

Had got to the stage where I literally could not stand being here anymore, so made a decision to change - how long? who knows It will sure help gain perspective

[Guest]

Had got to the stage where I literally could not stand being here anymore, so made a decision to change - how long? who knows It will sure help gain perspective

That happens to many of us. Sometimes the feeling of leaving vanishes after time, sometimes not. For me it comes back every single year when I'm renewing my visa.

It would be nice to hear your experiences and comparison to Phuket few years after you have moved to Bali.

That's the average time to get through the two first phases of the cultural shock.

Good luck and I hope you enjoy your new adventures.

[eezergood]

Thanks mate

[LivinLOS]

Work will organise the VIsa & cheap flights to Oz kind of helped make the decision.

Had got to the stage where I literally could not stand being here anymore, so made a decision to change - how long? who knows It will sure help gain perspective

I too gave Bali a lot of thought when I finally gave up on thinking I would stay on Phuket..

The issue for me i most of the frustrations with phuket are the same frustrations with Bali, but worse.. More frying pan into the fire, for me and my perspective.

Bali was the first place in asia I came to, and has a real hold over me but it only takes a few weeks for the environmental issues there to really made me feel sad about it. It must have been truly special in the late 70s and 80s.

[NamKangMan]

don't like indonesia ..... rampant poverty & corruption. Also being the most populous muslim nation in the world one needs to exercise extreme caution. Bali bombings ?

"don't like indonesia ..... rampant poverty & corruption" - you've obviously never been to the poor villages in Northern Thailand.

ah yes I have ... rampant poverty & corruption is worse than experienced in Thailand.

Udon Thani is not a poor village in Norther Thailand.

[eezergood]

Work will organise the VIsa & cheap flights to Oz kind of helped make the decision.

Had got to the stage where I literally could not stand being here anymore, so made a decision to change - how long? who knows It will sure help gain perspective

I too gave Bali a lot of thought when I finally gave up on thinking I would stay on Phuket..

The issue for me i most of the frustrations with phuket are the same frustrations with Bali, but worse.. More frying pan into the fire, for me and my perspective.

Bali was the first place in asia I came to, and has a real hold over me but it only takes a few weeks for the environmental issues there to really made me feel sad about it. It must have been truly special in the late 70s and 80s.

I am aware that will also become an issue - but 2 years passes quickly

Too good an opportunity to turn down & i truly believe this will be a super tough year for Thai business

[EmptyHead]

At least the bule (farang) are not dropping like flies there.

I have always loved Indonesia. Java is particularly nice. Bali is nice, if you get out the tourist areas.

[NamKangMan]

Work will organise the VIsa & cheap flights to Oz kind of helped make the decision.

Had got to the stage where I literally could not stand being here anymore, so made a decision to change - how long? who knows It will sure help gain perspective

I too gave Bali a lot of thought when I finally gave up on thinking I would stay on Phuket..

The issue for me i most of the frustrations with phuket are the same frustrations with Bali, but worse.. More frying pan into the fire, for me and my perspective.

Bali was the first place in asia I came to, and has a real hold over me but it only takes a few weeks for the environmental issues there to really made me feel sad about it. It must have been truly special in the late 70s and 80s.

I am aware that will also become an issue - but 2 years passes quickly

Too good an opportunity to turn down & i truly believe this will be a super tough year for Thai business

"i truly believe this will be a super tough year for Thai business" - I actually think this year will be the start of a recession for Phuket.

We've probably already had two consecitive quarters of negative growth.

[eezergood]

Work will organise the VIsa & cheap flights to Oz kind of helped make the decision.

Had got to the stage where I literally could not stand being here anymore, so made a decision to change - how long? who knows It will sure help gain perspective

I too gave Bali a lot of thought when I finally gave up on thinking I would stay on Phuket..

The issue for me i most of the frustrations with phuket are the same frustrations with Bali, but worse.. More frying pan into the fire, for me and my perspective.

Bali was the first place in asia I came to, and has a real hold over me but it only takes a few weeks for the environmental issues there to really made me feel sad about it. It must have been truly special in the late 70s and 80s.

I am aware that will also become an issue - but 2 years passes quickly

Too good an opportunity to turn down & i truly believe this will be a super tough year for Thai business

"i truly believe this will be a super tough year for Thai business" - I actually think this year will be the start of a recession for Phuket.

We've probably already had two consecitive quarters of negative growth.

Tourist numbers will drop, I think, plus the super strong Thai Baht aint helping......

[hansgruber]

Tourist numbers will drop, I think, plus the super strong Thai Baht aint helping......

Thailand has huge gold and foreign currency reserves, thats why it stays strong and I don't see it changing unless they devalue the baht to assist tourism and exports.

[eezergood]

I think it is not helped by the weakening Euro.

[NamKangMan]

Thailand has huge gold and foreign currency reserves, thats why it stays strong and I don't see it changing unless they devalue the baht to assist tourism and exports.

"Thailand has huge gold and foreign currency reserves, thats why it stays strong" - I believe they also limit the amount of baht that can be traded each day, on the global market.

[eezergood]

Well there are a certain amount of gold reserves held that will never see the trading floor - i dare not say who holds & owns these

[madmitch]

Well there are a certain amount of gold reserves held that will never see the trading floor - i dare not say who holds & owns these

Allegedly!

Good luck Eezergood. I can understand your feelings towards Phuket, and Thailand in general, which has been changing for the worse continually for some time now. Not sure Bali will be much different (I'm visiting for the first time later this year) but it's a change.