Meet Ryan, Alicia, and their two kids, Sari and Dash, a busy family from Australia’s Central Coast who decided to hit pause on their usual routine and spend a whole year living in beautiful Bali. They wanted more than just a holiday, they wanted to really experience the island’s culture, lifestyle, and community. With the help of Our Year in Bali, some careful planning, and lots of excitement, they settled into family-friendly Canggu and started a new chapter filled with school adventures, local traditions, and plenty of fun. Their story is full of insights, travel tips, and a fresh perspective on what it’s really like to live in Bali as a family. Keep reading to hear all about their journey!
Tell us a little about yourself.
We are Ryan, Alicia, Sari (10), and Dash (7), a family from the Central Coast, NSW, Australia.
We are an active family who rarely had a free day before moving to Bali.
When did you move to Bali?
We are on a family gap year! We moved to Bali in November 2024. It’s scary how quickly time flies when you’re having fun.
What inspired your move? What were the key reasons or turning points that led you to relocate to Bali?
We’ve always wanted to experience the lifestyle and culture of beautiful Bali, the simple life, for longer than just a holiday.
During the pandemic, our family occupied our time with homeschooling, crazy working hours, and weekly themed nights, traveling around the world, or attending events from the comfort of our home. We missed traveling, and with the world locked down, our conversations turned to “what’s next?” and “what if we could?”
From there, the plan to move our family to Bali was born.
How did you come across Our Year in Bali, and why was the service valuable to you?
Preparation is key, and if moving to a foreign country wasn’t scary enough, I threw myself into researching expats living in Bali. I came across “Our Year in Bali” and was hooked. Simone’s lived experience had me feeling at ease, and after reading more expat stories, I knew we needed her guidance. We purchased the Silver Package, as we thought it was the best fit for us. The package gave us the opportunity to map out a plan of action and work out costings for our year.
The contacts have been invaluable, we can’t recommend them enough. Visas were a breeze with her contacts. Simone’s guide is known as “the Bible” in our house, and we still refer back to it even while living here.
Where do you live in Bali?
Picking a location was a top priority for us. We settled in Tibubeneng, a province in Canggu.
We selected this area as Canggu had the most to offer our family, lots of family-friendly and sporting activities, which are important to us.
Schooling in Bali
Prior to settling in Canggu or even relocating to Bali, I came 8 months earlier to review schools. It was important for us that Sari and Dash continued on a strong academic path while also getting a taste of Bali life in a school setting. After visiting seven different schools, I settled on Bamboo Garden School, a small, independent international school that offers the Cambridge curriculum and focuses on life skills.
Our kids have grown so much from this type of learning environment. Sari enjoys entrepreneurship classes (and runs a successful little side hustle) while also learning Bahasa. Dash has become quite the chef, learning how to cook independently.
How does everyday life in Bali compare to back home financially?
Once we made our ‘big’ financial purchases, a villa and scooters, our day-to-day spending became quite basic. We don’t overly indulge and like to live a simple life. However, we do find ourselves able to eat out a lot more here, as it’s affordable and accessible. And of course, we get a weekly massage (it would be rude not to). Bali, for us, can be as cheap or fancy as you like.
How have you found the medical and health services so far?
We have been extremely fortunate not to have needed any urgent medical care. We do have health insurance in case we ever need it. However, we have been to the dentist and couldn’t fault the service, care, or value.
What does a typical day look like for you and your family in Bali?
A typical day for us is very different from back home in Australia. It’s a slow start, followed by the kids going to school. We then head to the gym and spend some time there before having lunch. Afternoons are always filled with a sporting activity, swimming, CrossFit, soccer, or AFL, and then dinner at our local warung and favourite spot, Super Eats. Madé and Knomang have become like family to us. On weekends, we always make time for fun and sunsets.
What are some common misconceptions about Bali, and what would you say to set the record straight?
Bali is so much more than a cheap holiday destination, Bintang, tourist nightlife, and shopping.
It’s about the friendly, warm-hearted Balinese people, their deep-rooted culture, the beautiful landscape, and the tasty food. It’s about finding calm and peace in the chaos. For a developing country, Bali has so much to offer, and we know we’ve only scratched the surface.
What should other families think about before making the move to Bali?
If I had to give any advice, it would be: do the research and invest in the “Our Year in Bali” guide, it’s worth it! Also, if things get lost in translation, just laugh about it. It’s all part of the adventure.
Is there anything else about your Bali experience you’d love to share?
Do the research. Be prepared. Take the leap, you won’t regret it!
