Could you start by telling us a bit about yourself and your background? Where do you originally come from?
I was born and brought up in Australia, and after I graduated from university, I moved first to Japan for a couple of years, then to the UK, where I lived for 17 years and became a British citizen. I travelled a lot, both personally and professionally, so when I met Mike, whose work took him all over the world, we were thrilled to be able to travel together. We’ve lived in many countries over the past 15 years – namely Israel/Palestine, Switzerland, France, Pakistan, Fiji, China, and now Indonesia. Our twin boys were born in Geneva nine years ago and enjoy travelling the world with us.
When did you first arrive in Bali, and how long do you envision staying?
We first arrived in Bali at the end of June this year. We’ve signed a two-year lease on a lovely villa, and we’ll decide around the 18-month mark whether staying in Bali will be the best decision for the boys’ education and well-being. Right now I can’t imagine wanting to live anywhere else!
How did you come across Our Year in Bali, and what has your experience been with Simone’s guidance and support?
When we were living in Beijing and thinking of moving to Bali, I had no idea where to begin with planning the move. I think I Googled something like, “How to move to Indonesia”, and came across Our Year in Bali. After the free 30-minute online consultation with Simone, I knew that she was the right person to help us with the logistics of such a big transition. She was calm, professional, friendly and hugely knowledgeable, and made me feel very confident that our move was in good hands. We signed up for the silver package, and Simone put us in touch with everyone we could possibly need to know to make the move as seamless as possible. The visa agent that Simone recommended sorted out our visas and the estate agent she put us in touch with found us our beautiful home. Simone has been warm, communicative and helpful throughout, and even now, four months into our stay in Bali, she’s actively maintaining contact and making sure we’re in touch with all the people we might need to know to make our lives here happy, productive, organised and fulfilling.
What inspired your decision to move to Bali, and what was the thought process behind making such a significant life change?
It’s been nearly 35 years since I lived in my native Australia, and now that Mike’s retired and we can choose where we want to live, I wanted to be closer to my family in Perth. I realised that I wasn’t ready to give up on our life of international adventure, so moving to Bali has meant that we can continue to make the most of the interesting cultural experiences we find on our doorstep, while still enjoying proximity to my family in Australia. And it’s a wonderful place for people to come and visit us, too!
You’ve chosen to settle in Sanur. Could you share the reasons behind your choice of this particular area?
The main reason was because our boys, Keir and Viggo, have always attended International Baccalaureate schools, and we wanted for them to continue with that familiar curriculum. Now that we’re here, we find that we love the village vibe of Sanur, and we’re blown away by the number of incredible amenities that we have really easy access to.
Your two boys attend Bali Island School. What led you to select that school, and how would you describe the school community?
The IB curriculum was the first draw, and it was great, when the boys first visited the school, that the ethos and vocabulary and educational approach were immediately familiar to them. The school community is incredible. Simone put me in touch with a couple of parents at the school when we first arrived, and their responses when I reached out to them were warm, kind and open. The boys made fantastic friends immediately, and Mike and I have been warmly welcomed into the community too. I’m in awe of the energy and commitment shown by the PTA and other parents to make the school community vibrant, happy and inclusive.
What benefits do you see Bali offering to your family, both personally and as a whole?
Having lived as expats for so many years, we’re very comfortable being surrounded by people whose experiences resonate with our own. Balinese people are beautiful, welcoming and kind, and we’re so lucky to be able to enjoy and learn about Balinese culture while also being surrounded by people from all over the world. Having lived in an apartment in our previous home in Beijing, we’re so happy now living in a villa with our own pool. That and the proximity to the beach afford us a much more outdoorsy lifestyle than we had before. There’s so much going on in Bali for us to enjoy, from active adventures for the kids to cultural and learning experiences for me and Mike, and we’re also looking forward to finding ways of giving back, probably by helping to tackle issues like waste disposal and management that affect the lives of all of us who are lucky enough to live here.
How does the cost of living in Bali compare to your previous experience in China?
It’s hard to tell because we had a lot of institutional support through Mike’s work in previous settings, but it seems to us that things are more affordable here. While you can, of course, spend a lot of money if you’re only buying imported goods and eating in restaurants that cater to western tourists, it’s also possible to live much more cheaply if you so choose. The general consensus seems to be that even if you’re spending the same from month-to-month as you might in a different setting, your quality of life will be much better here. That seems to be our experience so far.
In what ways has living in Bali impacted your personal and professional life, and what new opportunities have arisen for you here?
I host a podcast, Oblivious Witness, on which I interview people about the things they’ve witnessed as they’ve travelled around the world, and how those things have made them who they are, and Bali is an incredible place to meet fascinating people who are perfect prospective guests. I could interview someone new every day and still never run out of people I’d like to talk to on the platform! Having decided to take the podcast to the next level, I’m now in touch with a production company here on the island that can help me to do that, so I feel incredibly fortunate and extremely excited at the opportunity I have to amplify the voices of some truly amazing and inspiring people.
What have been some of the biggest challenges you’ve encountered since relocating to Bali?
Moving schools is never easy and the boys have sometimes struggled a little with the transition, but they’ve been fortunate to have made wonderful friends that have helped them to settle in. We haven’t found it easy to decide on the best mode of transport for our family – there’s a sad lack of public transport options around the island and we don’t want to contribute to the traffic issues by buying our own car, and we’re still a little intimidated by the potential danger of scooter riding on these busy roads – but we’re lucky that Grab/Gojek make it easy and affordable to get around. We’ve also struggled a little with the difficulty of walking places. The beach path is beautiful, but the lack of footpaths anywhere inland of that makes walking an unattractive option in many parts of town, especially anywhere near the bypass.
What are your favourite activities or hobbies in Bali? Have you picked up any new interests?
There’s so much to do here! The boys have really got into skateboarding and boogie-boarding – we take regular trips to Kuta to enjoy the waves there – and we’ve all enjoyed wake-boarding together. The boys love indoor adventure parks like AeroXSpace, and outdoor places like Waterbom, and I’ve just signed them up for Parkour too. There’s still so much we’d like to do and experience in Bali, but we also love jumping on boats and heading out to neighbouring islands like Nusa Penida, Lembongan and Lombok, to visit friends, snorkel, surf and swim on beautiful new beaches. I’m trying very hard not to be too distracted from my main tasks of writing, photography and podcasting, but there’s so much to do here that it’s a constant battle to stay focused on my work! I think it’s only a matter of time before Mike gets caught up in golf and padel, which so many of our friends here seem to love.
What do you think are some of the most common misconceptions about Bali, and how would you address or clarify them?
I think a lot of people think of Bali as either one big wellness retreat or one big drunken tourist party! While you can definitely find those two things here, there are also so many other things to discover. Balinese culture is strong and vibrant and the people are lovely, and there is, of course, “normal” life going on here – people working and going to school and doing their jobs and having fun with their families. Many people see it as just a holiday destination, but I think it’s important (and beautiful) to remember that it’s primarily the home of Balinese people, and we’re lucky to be welcomed to live here and learn about Balinese culture, language and lifestyle.
Oh and also… I see on some expat forums that people think of Bali as somewhere where they might get robbed and will almost certainly get sick from the food or water or mosquitos… While of course you have to keep your wits about you here, as you do everywhere in the world, I’m happy to report that in four months, neither I nor any member of my family has been sick, exploited, injured or, for the most part, inconvenienced. The truth is that I feel safer and more at ease in Bali than I would in most western settings… Travelling with an attitude of kindness and respect usually brings out the best in both yourself and in the people around you.
For families considering a move to Bali, what important factors should they take into account?
We were incredibly lucky to find a villa to rent easily, but I understand that, especially here in Sanur, it’s not always easy to find accommodation, so employing an agent to help with that is a must. It’s also not easy to navigate the immigration/visa situation, so while a visa agent is not a legal requirement, it’s a huge time saver, and probably ultimately a money saver too.
The part of the island that you decide to live in has a big impact on your lifestyle – Mike and I are older AND have young children, so Sanur suits us well in those respects! – but younger people looking for beach clubs and parties are probably better off on the other side!
Lastly, is there anything else about your experience living in Bali that you’d like to share or that we haven’t covered yet?
We’ve only been here for a short time so I’m not hugely experienced yet, but mostly it seems that if you’re friendly, flexible, courteous, open-minded and respectful, you can’t help but have a wonderful time here in Bali.
