We first spoke with this gorgeous family on Zoom back in October 2023 where they discussed that they were looking for somewhere to call home and a place they can live a full life enriched with a strong sense of community, both locally and internationally.
Having spent two months in Bali the previous year, they were already somewhat familiar with the island and Natalie said their ideal location would offer a vibrant social scene and plenty of adventures. This included supporting her husband as he starts a new venture in Bali and a set up that would still allow her to work remotely. They also wanted a child-friendly area with friends for their toddler son, an outdoor-loving nursery, and opportunities for surfing, all within the context of affordable, spacious living.
Following our call, they decided to purchase the Silver support package to ensure this best preparation to for a move to Bali at the end of December 2024. I was thrilled to be invited to their home for a Saturday morning pancake breakfast the following March and catch up on what had been happening the last few months.
Thank you, Natalie, for sharing your incredible journey with us. Enjoy this beautiful read!
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? Where are you originally from?
My name is Natalie Aisha. I’m a 38 year old Creative Producer & Mama living in Bali with my husband and 3 year old son. Half English, half from the UAE. I believe in the power of humankind(ness) and finding the common threads that connect us.
When did you first arrive in Bali, and what brought you here?
We came for a month to see how it felt living here – and it quickly felt like home ticking both of our various boxes. Part of me was always searching for what I experienced growing up in Oman: a magical place in nature to raise a family, with the choice to dip into simple or bouji pleasures. Balinese culture and its beautiful people are filled with ambition, warmth, positivity and spirit.. the elements that speak to my soul. Chuck in sunsets, surf… the pure joy of cruising around on a scooter and this gal’s trying to make peace with the bugs and reptiles for the lifestyle of my dreams. Thankful for my husband’s hands on approach to moving various creatures back to the jungle. A year later we made the move and we’re now 6 months in, opting for a closed living space with fewer reptiles this time round.
What motivated you to move to Bali, and how did you go about making the decision to do so?
Living in London during COVID lockdowns was a big wake up to how far we’d drifted from living in alignment with our true selves and values. I stumbled upon Our Year in Bali on social media, subscribed to the website and was inspired by weekly stories of families from all over the world that were making it happen on the island.
When I finally reached out to Simone, after my first visit 2 years later, her offering made it so easy to get into action mode with an extensive dossier of practical info and contacts. As someone who truly cares about her clients, Simone has gone above and beyond for us in facilitating great connections both in friendship and work fronts to this day.
Where in Bali do you live? Share the neighbourhood etc
We live between Seminyak and Canggu, minutes from a gorgeous beach and a road w lots of boutiques, shops, warungs, and restaurants, but pretty nuts traffic at most times of the day. Our gang (lane) is pretty quiet, with lovely neighbors from Bali and further afield, the sound of gamelan music often heard from the nearby temples and space for my son to ride his bike in the lane.
You have a beautiful little boy, how has the transition been with a him?
The transition was seamless, maybe thanks to his age or the crazy amount of travel he’s done due to my work and he regularly speaks to his grandparents via video call. When someone asks my 3 year old where he’s from, he says Canggu which cracks me up and melts my heart.
What preschool did you decide to send him to and what has the experience been like?
There’s such a great choice of schools for little ones, and hopefully the options will continue to grow to cover older age groups. We picked a preschool that has a great indoor & outdoor space, with the focus on developing confidence, cooperation and curiosity through play, what will hopefully foster a life long love of learning.
What do you feel like Bali offers your son?
The chance to grow up in and respecting community, nature and animals, running around active & barefoot, mixing with kids from around the world and learning Bahasa and Balinese cultural practices which are filled with history, theatrical characters and fables. The love that locals have for children is a beautiful thing, as is the simple power of a smile. The amount of cafes that have playgrounds and things for younger kids is super special, the best part being the world of adventure in nature on your doorstep in Bali and the thousands of islands in Indonesia. The other thing has been the luxury of time to enjoy each other.
What are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced?
Finding housing was tricky. Though the options are vast at different price points, a lot simply aren’t catered for little ones; with exposed ledges, bedrooms detached in separate structures and swimming pools directly outside of sliding doors. A lot of developers negate green spaces for play. The other factor to bear in mind here is that most places expect a 1 year or 2 year contract with up front payments. We got lucky in finding a flexible landlord directly through a Facebook ad and hope to explore other areas in the future.
Building a circle of friends who are also here for the long haul takes time, with a lot of people in transient mode. Again it’s down to the effort you put in, chatting to people when out and surprisingly Facebook groups for fellow Mama’s has been a nice start. As an example, I put a post out on a Mom group for any Mamas interested in a kid free night out which has led to meeting beautiful women with play dates to come. Simone has also intro’d us to a great range of people.
You are continuing to work remotely whilst in Bali, please share how that is working out.
I run a Dubai based film production company, Luc Kind Media, that creates branded content, commercials and feature documentaries globally. The jet lag is nuts.
The pro to working on a different time zone to my clients and teams, who are spread across Dubai, Europe and the US, is that I get a lot of focused and uninterrupted work done in the mornings, plus making time to nurture myself, surf, play or soak in a sunset with my fam.
It comes down to time management, and yes, the juggle is real, some days filled with disproportionate balance and an intense workload, but for me it feels like there’s more hours in a day if I’m active and attentive across all areas.
I’ve dipped a toe into some of the cowork spaces and biz/tech events- and whilst connection can be surface level at these types of things globally, there can also be the spirit of collective conscious creativity. I’m grateful to have encountered likeminded people with similar goals, leading to an unintended potential side hustle in a blockchain fashion business.
What are your favourite things to do in Bali? New hobbies and interests?
Faves:
Taking in a sunset, early mornings waves, walks or reading on the beach, beauty and spa treatments, clothes shopping, visiting temples, picking a point on the map and going on a road trip to ridiculously beautiful places – we haven’t even scratched the surface
New:
Playing pool, unexpectedly
EMS workouts
I love chocolate – had no idea there would be so many chocolate factories here – plan to hit em all up.
What do you think are the biggest misconceptions about Bali, and how would you correct them?
One is that it’s over run by tourists and foreigners, eating up the culture. Yes, slices of the land pie are being eaten up to the detriment of its pristine natural beauty in places. But a lot of people are very poor here and the island is creating an economic point of entry for its citizens and thankfully Balinese culture and traditions positively impact almost every aspect of life on the island. If you make the time to learn, the principles and philosophy that people live by are magical. Tri Hita Karana ✨
Life’s a beach here, yes, but the beach is the beach. The amount of guys who stroll around cafes, restaurants, shops or on scooters shirtless is pretty ignorant to the incredibly welcoming locals – annoying to see people behave in ways they wouldn’t in their home country and certainly not something a Balinese surfer would do.
Sadly the beaches in Canggu or Seminyak aren’t pristine as found in other areas or even 15 mins up the coast, with horrible amounts of trash and I think people often remove themselves from the issue – I’m guilty of this and hope to be part of the solution as many are, whilst respecting that we’re visitors here and some local people may have different attitudes or perceptions to the problem.
The temperature – surprisingly cooler climes in the mountains of the north.
What would you say are the best things about living in Bali?
The people, guiding philosophies, lifestyle, natural beauty, spirituality, adventure, vibrant local & international culture
What are some factors that families looking to live in Bali should consider?
Having funds/work in place to facilitate living here long term.
Is there anything else you would like to share about your experience living in Bali that we haven’t covered yet?
The beginnings of life long lessons in Tri Hita Karana; a philosophy built on harmony with God, humanity, and nature. Rather than being independent of each other, they are the threads of Balinese life.
