Terima Kasih (thank you) Bali, we would love to live here!

September 15, 2019 is when we arrived at the Denpasar airport in Bali for the first time. This was not in our plans but we liked the idea and decided to give it try without knowing what to expect. The open air airport and the warm temperature already felt good. It was late and we could not see much but we felt the island vibe right away! An hour drive and we had arrived to Canggu, little did we know we would love it here and would be back in 2 months time. Next morning we realized we were in paradise and this place was going to be amazing. This is the beauty of traveling, you go and discover new places not knowing what’s coming your way and the thrilling adventures that await.

Many of you have asked us why did we come back to Bali in December if we had already been here in September and stayed for 1 month?! Well, Bali is about the experience, that island excitement that you feel once you arrive at the airport and that freedom that you get from riding around in your motorbike. It’s a tropical state of mind and this is our happy place. Here we have a lifestyle that we wish we could have closer to our families. We currently attend a local gym where we mingle with the locals and learn everyday from their way of life. For us, it’s flip flops all day everyday, rice fields everywhere, temples, endless food options, wonderful massages, delicious healthy breakfasts, spectacular sunsets, beach life, rich culture, amazing sights, friends, and the Balinese people are some of the most loving we have met. It is important to us that we feel connected to the culture, it is not only about the place, because we can be in the most beautiful place in the world and not feel happy if we don’t feel connected with its people. The energy all around is good for the soul. It is not perfect, many things can improve or be changed but it’s pretty close to paradise and that’s why we decided to come back and end our South East Asia travels here!

‘”Suka duka” is a Hindu expression to learn when you come to Bali. It’s a concept central to the culture, signifying that life hangs in a balance between happiness and grief, highs and lows, good and evil. Below you can see some of the offerings and shrines the Balinese make to the gods. You’ll find them everywhere, from your own guesthouse to supermarkets, offices, and stores. This is one of the main customs of Balinese people and it will not only make everything look colorful but will also make you connect to the culture as you start to realize how important it is to them.

Canggu

We are based in Canggu which is on the south coast of Bali. We had never heard of this place and have to give all the credit to a good friend who convinced us to come as he has been living in Bali for about 9 months. We’re thankful to him because for us Canggu is the place to be. We could of stayed in Seminyak that has high end shopping and restaurants, Kuta known for its nightlife, or Ubud for relaxation and a spiritual encounters but why not stay at the place where you can find all of that plus more! Canggu combines it all in one package. Moving around from the different areas if you have a motorbike or by taxi is very easy and distances are not long unless you want to venture out to the north side Bali.

Food

One of our favorite things about Canggu is the endless food options, no matter your preference they’ve got you covered. You’ll find foods that maybe you miss from home if you’ve been traveling for awhile (this happened to us). There’s many vegetarian restaurants and juice bars to choose from as well. With plenty of options it is always hard to decide where to go for lunch and dinner. We have our breakfast covered as our favorite breakfast places are Satu Satu Coffee Company and Crate! Overall, we are very impressed with the food as the quality is fantastic, tasty, elaborated, fresh, every restaurant is beautifully decorated, and affordable. Canggu makes it easy for you to relax, eat healthy, exercise, and do yoga. What’s not to love!

Digital Nomads?

Canggu is fun for anyone on any budget! It is so affordable and convenient that many people come to make a living here from all over the world. Canggu and Ubud are the 2 areas in Bali where you can find the majority of digital nomads. A digital nomad is a person who works remotely from foreign countries, co-working spaces, cafes, public libraries, and from anywhere they have a good connection to the internet. In short, they are people who are living or traveling while working. They use technology to perform their jobs and most are working in areas such as marketing, design, IT, writing, media, tutoring and consulting, among others. This is the perfect work life balance. What makes Canggu attractive for many is also the ability to have this lifestyle. Canggu has many co-working spaces with the most popular being Dojo Bali. For a monthly, daily, or hourly rate a co-working space offers fast internet, comfortable work spaces, private meeting rooms, community events, guaranteed friendships, and the opportunity to network with other digital nomads. At these co-working spaces you might end up meeting your next business partner or meet professionals who will be willing to teach you a new skill and grow your business! This is the digital nomad dream, who wouldn’t want to work from a laptop in Bali next to the beach or the beautiful rice fields!

Guesthouses

Another reason we love Bali is because of the tons of options for accommodation. Villas, guesthouses, hotels, hostels, are all a way of co-living. Co-living is when people share their living spaces all around the world. In Bali you can rent an entire villa for yourself or one to share with friends which is the normal way here. In a villa or guesthouse you have your own private room and bathroom with a shared kitchen, garden, and pool area. We liked our guesthouse so much when we were here in September that this second time around we came back to the same one plus the owner is super nice to us! He even gave us a deal with the motorbike included for the month! We don’t have to worry about cleaning our room since someone comes to clean it for us daily and we also don’t have to worry about doing laundry since the laundry service here is quick and very inexpensive. All we have to do is drop it off and pick it up all nice and clean. I know, we get very spoiled here!

Tips for Bali

Prices for accommodation and food vary by area (the north is cheaper)
Pamper yourself at the spa – 80k ($5usd) for a full body one hour massage
Look at visa requirements depending on how long you’re staying
Bali is safe
Try and learn yoga
Visit the monkeys but watch your belongings!
Eat the local food
Bargain
Don’t miss the sunsets!
Don’t drink the water!
Watch out for Bali belly!
Traffic is a bit chaotic so have patience and if driving a motorbike, please be respectful and drive responsibly. Some of the worst drivers we’ve seen are foreigners!
Lots of sunscreen all the time
Learn some of the basic language

Don’t hesitate when thinking about Bali, chances are you will want to come back just like us. Make sure to give it enough time as there are many lovely places to see and some days you’ll just want to relax at a beach club or hang out at with friends at some of the cafes or bars around. Remember, you can make it as cheap or expensive as you want it to be.

This place is one we will definitely come back to. Our experience has been marvelous and we love the vibe, the lifestyle, the locals, the foreigners, the food, the motorbike, just everything even the chaotic shortcut road!