Bali, Indonesia was always a dream for Chris, even when he was still back home in Germany. Today he's living his dream with his fiancee in this country, which is part of his love for Asia as a whole. Bali is a tropical paradise for him: with its gorgeous scenery and lovely people. Still, there are a few things that people who plan to move to Indonesia should be aware of, and Chris gives some helpful tips gleaned from personal experience.

Chris

December 18 2006

-Where were you born?
I was born Germany, in a small town which has no more than 20,000 souls and is located not far from Berlin in the eastern part of Germany.

-In which country and city are you living now?
Currently I’m living in Bali, Indonesia.

-Are you living alone or with your family?
I live here with my fiancée.

-How long have you been living in Indonesia?
We arrived only 4 months ago, although we visited Bali a few times earlier over the last 3 years, so we knew what to expect.

-What is your age?
34

-When did you come up with the idea of living in Indonesia?
This story is a bit longer and goes back a few years:

When still living in Germany, Bali was always some sort of distant “dream-location” for me – a ‘far-far away land,’ with an exotic touch in its name. An island which always has great weather, with dancing and smiling people. I didn’t even know at that time, that Bali was part of Indonesia.

A few years back my love with Asia started, when traveling to Thailand, Cambodia, Philippines, Australia and other countries in the region. Almost every year I had to come here for a few weeks and slowly I began to think about living here. On one of those common stopovers in Singapore I had a bit more time than usual and I discovered that my then current employer had an office there.

So I just walked in to say “Hello!” and check out what ‘crazy things’ my colleagues were doing in that ‘remote part of the world.’ Surprisingly I ran into a colleague whom I still knew from Germany and he pointed out some open job positions to me.

It was basically the same job in the same company (Account Management for Key Customers), so I didn’t have to think long to decide that this was a great opportunity. A risk for sure, but with a parachute in case I wouldn’t get along.

As I was single and free of choice at that time, I moved to Singapore within 4 weeks after having signed the employment contract.

My time in Singapore allowed me to live and travel Asia heavily for the past 4 years, making me fall even more in love with the region, its people, the weather and its food. And I found love here as well! :)

So having worked in Singapore for 3 years, it was just time again to move on and explore life in different countries. Our first stop was Phuket in Thailand, where we moved due to its pristine beaches, the great Thai food and the cheap cost of living.

After about 8 months in Phuket we became a bit bored. So when the Thais decided to tighten their visa regulations, we thought why not try out something else and move to Bali, which offers nice beaches as well, the tasty Indonesian cuisine and a vibrant scene of young travelers.

On top of that Bali is located in the middle of Indonesia, so you can travel easily to other parts of the country like Lombok, Komodo Island, Flores, or East Java with its Mount Bromo or Borobodur Temple.

So far we like it a lot! ;-)

-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
I’m here on a Social Visit Visa (‘Sosial Budaya’). It’s easy to get, when you have a local sponsor (which is more like a formality). We applied for it in Singapore and you can extend the visa directly in Bali. Every 6 months you have to leave the country and apply again.

Here are some more details regarding the Visa process: Visa Extension in Bali – how does it work?

-Was it difficult for you to get medical insurance before you went there or when you first arrived?
Honestly: I’m not a friend of insurances. That goes way back to my time in Germany, where everyone is practically forced to subscribe to all kinds of welfare insurances like health, social, employment and retirement insurances. You basically work half of your life to pay of those insurances. In the end, insurances don’t even pay enough anyway.

And when you are sick or dead, what good is money for?

Okay, seriously - so far, as we are both young and healthy, I don’t see it as a main problem. Healthcare is still affordable in Asia, so you can as well pay it out of your pocket, in case of need.

As another blogger put it: “Face the facts – you are either afraid, or you jump!” You can’t and don’t want to control everything.

I know this opinion is a bit lax and controversial, and maybe I have to revise it in the future. ;-)

-How do you make your living in Indonesia? Do you have any type of income generated?
I don’t work in Bali, as I’m here on a Social Visa only. From my previous activities I have a few streams of income like rent, dividends and interest, which all occur back in Europe. Due to the strong Euro compared to the Rupiah it’s more than enough to stay afloat here.

Online stock trading and a bit of web design/blogging keep my brain flexible and provide some pocket money.

-Do you speak the local language and do you think it's important to speak the local language?
For sure it’s important that you can speak at least a few words to ask your way around, negotiate prices or articulate what you want to eat or buy. It makes things easier and shows your respect for the locals. You will have a much better standing with the people here and some doors are opening, which otherwise stay shut.

Though my fiancée is Indonesian (although not from Bali), she helps me a lot to catch up with words and phrases. Of course I can’t speak fluently yet, but over time that will surely improve.

I’m really surprised at how well the Indonesians speak English. I expected a hard time and a lot of miscommunication, as it happened to us in Thailand. So basically it’s even possible to get around here without speaking ‘Bahasa Indonesia’ at all.

-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Of course I do! I try to visit my family at least once a year. On top of that my parents are still quite mobile and they visit us practically every year as well. We always had a ball of a time traveling together!

Usually we are on the phone once a week. With new technology like Skype, it’s not very expensive anymore to stay in touch over long distances. Connect a camera to your computer and you can even see the other one halfway around the globe.

-Do you have other plans for the future?
Definitely we want to see more and other parts of the world. So Bali won’t be our last station.

-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
I don’t believe in the concept of owning a house for oneself. The German word for real estate or property is ‘Immobilie.’ That basically says it all. Your own house makes you practically im-mobile, as there is always something to fix, money to spend on or problem to look after. Renting is our way of choice here and Bali offers very nice and affordable houses. I couldn’t even rent a 1-room apartment back in Europe for that money.

-What is the cost of living in Indonesia?
The cost of living here is way lower than in Europe, the US or in Singapore. But that doesn’t mean you can’t spend a lot of money here in a very short time. You have to calculate your expenses like anywhere else and learn to survive with what you have.

-What do you think about the Indonesians?
The Balinese are the most lovable people you can imagine. It’s amazing how they keep their culture and traditions alive, even with lots of tourists around. Unlike in Thailand, where the youth is pretty much neglecting their roots and are almost completely westernized, the Balinese seem to be able to preserve their traditions and everyone is involved in all kinds of celebrations and festivals throughout the year.

It’s a great sight, when Jalan Legian (one of the main roads in Bali) is completely blocked for traffic, just to have a celebration taking place with hundreds of people in their traditional costumes and sarongs, marching along with drums, burning scent sticks and food offerings for the gods.

The Balinese really enjoy life; they always have an honest smile and a bit of time for some chit-chat at every time of day. Foreigners are usually treated with respect. Of course you have the usual black sheep here as well, as in every country.

-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Indonesia?
Positive is the great equatorial weather, the laid-back and relaxed atmosphere, the inexpensive local and international cuisine, the choices of entertainment, good value for money and the international crowd in Bali.

Sometimes the hawkers, who stroll the beaches and trying to sell you something every 5 minutes can be a bit annoying, but you learn to ignore them. As a ‘Boleh’ in Indonesia (‘Farang’ in Thailand or ‘Ang Mo’ in Singapore’) you are naturally overcharged at the start, as in almost every other country in Asia. While learning the real prices over time - things become more negotiable and of course cheaper.

-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Indonesia?
Check out Indonesia on a few trips before deciding to live here permanently. Take everything easy and with a pinch of salt and don’t let other expats (including me, hehe) tell you, what is right or wrong here. Life is what *you* make it!

-Do you have any favorite Web sites or blogs about Indonesia?
You can check out my blog at nomad4ever.