For many, the idea of retiring in Bali sounds like a dream. For Janine Burford, a proud Kiwi who spent the past 30 years in Australia, it’s now her everyday reality. After decades of running busy consultancy businesses in hospitality, retail, overseas production, and real estate, Janine and her husband decided it was time for a fresh chapter.
When asked how she’s adjusting to life in Bali, her answer was simple: “No adjustment needed. I’m just on a Bali holiday 7 days a week.”
Now, her days are filled with morning teas by the pool, exploring Bali’s food scene, and overseeing villa renovations, all while welcoming friends and family who can’t resist visiting.
In this interview, Janine shares the story of her move, the joy of simplifying life, and what retirement in Bali is really like.
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself and where you are originally from?
I am a kiwi who moved to Australia 30 years ago. I lived in Queensland, most recently on the Sunshine Coast.
My husband and I ran consultancy businesses in hospitality, retail, overseas production, and real estate. Work was busy, with only Sundays off to spend with family and friends.
When did you move to Bali?
We moved to Bali in March this year and see ourselves staying long-term.
What inspired your move to Bali?
We came to Bali for a holiday in May last year. Meeting up with friends who had relocated from Queensland to Seminyak, and seeing their relaxed and stress-free way of life, we decided to plan our move by visiting Bali 3 more times in 2024 – checking out neighbourhoods, searching for a home, and also bringing our 4 adult children over for a holiday to show them where we planned to live.
It was also quite invigorating to sell/give away most of our possessions – including rehoming our children’s stuff being stored at our place. I particularly liked giving away all my work clothes and only keeping a fraction of my wardrobe (who needs 20 pairs of white trousers anyway?).
Because I am a cook, I wanted to bring over some of my precious things – pots/pans, knives, Smeg/ Cuisine art appliances, Nespresso machine – as well as good bed linen and mattress toppers (a must!).
I packed 4 suitcases for each of the 2024 visits, unpacking into big polybags and storing them at a Sanur storage unit, returning to Australia with the empty suitcases to fill for the next trip.
What was it like working with Simone and the team?
Realising the enormity of moving overseas, we searched for help and advice online and found Our Year In Bali. Simone provided us with valuable information and contacts, without which, I’m sure we would still be running around in circles trying to plan the move!
What has it been like retiring in Bali?
My husband continues to run his consultancy business in Australia, working via Zoom from Bali, with trips back every 8 weeks. Internet issues have been a challenge, so we have recently upgraded to Starlink. Due to the time difference, he starts his day at 5 am and finishes by early afternoon. Having work has given him purpose and structure to his new Bali life.
I have leapt into retirement with gay abandon and am loving it! Friends and family have been clambering on planes, and barely a week goes by without someone turning up on our doorstep with a suitcase in hand. As well as showing them the sights, I am also project managing a renovation of our villa.
As I type this, I have gardeners cutting back the bamboo around the pool, a couple of blokes cleaning and painting our outside bathroom walls, a cheerful soul building shelves in our laundry, and I am expecting our architect to arrive any minute with samples of teak-framed glass doors which will enclose our open living area. Who has time to fit in a job as well?!
Where do you live in Bali?
We stayed in Seminyak last May, and thought it was too touristy and chaotic for us. Our fabulous driver, Putu, said that Sanur would suit us better, drove us around the area, and showed us the amazing beachfront and main shopping street. We loved the relaxed vibe in Sanur. People still pushbike down the main street, loud nightclubs and beachclubs are banned, and there are over 500 restaurants and local warungs to eat at.
Our villa is a 5-minute walk to the beach and is situated in a quiet street, surrounded by locals and other expats. It is a friendly community, with our Balinese neighbours running a little café, shop, and day spa ($10 massage, anyone?).
How did you plan financially for retirement abroad?
Luckily, with my husband continuing to work, we still have a regular income, so we are not living off our savings.
We did sell our house, and as a security blanket, left enough furniture in storage to fill a 2-bedroom apartment, just in case we have to move back or decide to set up a second home there.
How does the cost of day-to-day life in Bali compare to Australia?
Daily costs can be much cheaper or just as expensive – depending on how you want to live! The local warung across the road does fantastic food for $2.50, but we also like eating at a great French restaurant on the main street, where a meal is 10 times as expensive. A sundress at the beach markets will cost me $8, but my favourite is a $100 linen dress from Marks and Spencer’s (at the Sanur ICON mall). A cold Bintang beer is $2.50, but a good bottle of Australian Sauvignon Blanc is at least $60.
What is much cheaper is the cost of labour in Bali. We recently replaced all the ceiling fans at our villa. Whilst the cost of the fans was similar to the price you would pay in Australia, the cost for the electrician (who spent a day rewiring) was $40.
Transport is also a cost saver in Bali. We sold our 2 Australian cars, and have no more petrol, insurance, or registration costs. We tend to use the Uber equivalent; Gojek and Grab – a 10-minute drive will cost around $1, and we don’t have the stress of driving in traffic where road rules are optional.
This month, a free shuttle bus (like a large golf cart) has started operating in Sanur, driving up and down the main street – great if it’s hot and you want to head out for a quick ice cream at Massimo!
What’s been your experience with medical care in Bali?
Ohhh Yes. I have a husband who thought he could beat his son and grandson in a quadbike race. Going faster than the speed of light, he didn’t factor in a large concrete wall… 4 broken ribs later, we wandered into BIMC, a great hospital in Kuta that caters for expats and tourists (although the new Sanur International Hospital has just opened with much fanfare. Next time the husband decides to plough into a wall, we will check it out) BIMC was fast, efficient, comprehensive and cheap. Doctors and all staff spoke fluent English, the quadbike idiot was seen within 10minutes of arriving, and left with scans/xrays and medication within the hour. A $300 cost.
We have chosen to take Indonesian health insurance, in addition to our Australian health insurance, which we will continue to use when we are at home. Global health insurance is very expensive, but we found that Allianz offered Indonesian cover at a good rate. (Seeing my husband fell over a large pot plant last month and damaged his ribs further – requiring 3 days in hospital – it looks like we are going to get good use out of it…).
What does a typical day look like for you now in retirement?
I wake at sunrise, sit out in the gazebo by the pool, drink cups of tea, and check up on the news of the day. My toy poodle, Daisy, (rehomed from friends heading back to Australia to live) and I sometimes head to the beach for breakfast, or we stay home munching on amazing English muffins, hand-delivered weekly from Roti Made, fresh out of the oven.
With Daisy joining my husband on his work calls, I often jump in a Gojek or leap on a scooter, hanging on tight to my housekeeper as we head off on adventures – buying up large at Lotte Mart (like Costco), checking out locally made colourful wall tiles in the hills around Sidemen, or spending the day wandering aimlessly through stunning homewares shops in Kerobokan.
On the days I’m not racing around the countryside, I’m reading recipes, tracking down ingredients, and cooking up a storm. It can be difficult to find some Western ingredients at the local supermarkets here, but I’ve found local online food wholesalers for many items, have tracked down an amazing farm that handpicks fruit and vegetables to order, and the rest I demand from our frequent Aus/Kiwi visitors. (last week, our daughter dragged a heavy suitcase over, full of blocks of cheese, Whitaker’s chocolate, Twinings’ tea, and Mainland butter..)
Arriving home around the time my husband’s work is finished, we grab Daisy and wander down to a beach restaurant for a late lunch/early dinner, then back for a swim in the pool and a movie before we head to bed.
What are some of the common myths about retiring in Bali that you’d like to correct?
Friends keep asking me (in a concerned soft voice with head to the side), ‘How are you adjusting?’ I just say ‘No adjustment needed. I’m just on a Bali holiday 7 days a week.”
Being on a Bali holiday, though, does require you to suspend disbelief, appreciate the different culture, acknowledge that you are living in a developing country, and learn to live on Bali time! The positives totally outweigh the negatives.
Have you taken part in local traditions or learned any of the language?
I have started learning Bahasa Indonesia, and delight/confuse the locals by proudly chatting in a mixture of Indonesian, English, and schoolgirl French (why?), complete with hand signals.
Even my laundry lady gets involved, and gives me a new phrase to learn, written on a slip of paper she puts in with my cleaned washing. (My husband has learnt to say thank you, and uses it at every occasion).
Anything else you’d love to share about your retirement journey or what Bali has given you?
We have had a great time meeting the many Expats now living in Sanur. We have eaten out with the Sanur Dining Club (a new restaurant every Saturday), joined the ‘Angry Pirates’ Trivia Team (every second Tuesday night. Not surprisingly, since we have joined, the Pirates have finished last..) and have had some of the most ridiculous laughs at the fortnightly ‘Music Bingo’ at Warung Sports.
