What does it really look like to press pause on life in Australia and move your family to Bali for a year?
In this honest and insightful interview, Simone sits down with client Bianca, a Melbourne mum who relocated to Bali with her husband and three young children for a one-year “gap year” adventure. What started as a need to step away from the fast pace and pressure of life back home quickly became a much deeper shift toward balance, connection, and a more intentional way of living.
Bianca shares what it actually takes to make the move—from choosing the right location and organising schooling and childcare, to navigating the cost of living and adjusting to a completely different daily rhythm. She also opens up about the emotional side of relocating, the unexpected challenges along the way, and the support systems that made the transition smoother for her family.
More than just a relocation story, this interview offers practical, real-world insight for families considering a move to Bali. Whether you’re in the early dreaming phase or actively planning your own move, Bianca’s experience provides a relatable and refreshingly honest look at what life in Bali with kids is truly like.
Where are you originally from, and what did life look like before Bali?
Cameron and I were both living in Melbourne before Bali. Cameron has always worked in construction on the big civil projects like the Metro Tunnel and the North/East Link. I have had my own business for the last 7 years, founded with my sister called The Big Sister Experience, where we provide mental health and wellbeing programs in schools for female-identifying students. We also have 3 children.
I was pregnant with my third child when we first seriously spoke about looking to head to Bali for a one-year gap year. Life was filled to the brim with things we felt we had to or should be doing. Cameron was working shift work, so most of the time I was solo-parenting, plus trying to run a business. We had a lot of family obligations, and we weren’t really living; we were just surviving. We felt we were barely spending any time with our children, and despite our best efforts, there was nothing from our lives we could “remove” to slow things down or catch a breath. We didn’t want to be so “busy,” but we were drowning and couldn’t see a way to break the circuit.
When did you arrive in Bali, and how long did you plan to stay?
We moved to Bali when our baby Jagger was 3 months old, in June 2025. We planned to stay for 12 months because we were viewing this as a circuit breaker, a one-year adventure. Because of the commitments to my business and our family, we knew the move to Bali wasn’t going to be a forever move for us at this stage.
In a lot of ways, knowing this was going to be a short adventure was very beneficial. It meant we chose to find a villa that was a bit more luxurious than we would have if we were staying long-term. It meant we were a bit more liberal with pleasures such as eating out, additional time for support staff like nanny and driver, and meant we had a “why not” attitude for much of our stay, because in some ways it was an extended holiday and we really wanted to make the most of our time here.
What were the turning points that led you to relocate to Bali?
On a holiday in 2021, I experienced a 1:1 Facilitated Breath Repatterning session, and it changed my life. Shortly after, I promised myself that one day I would train in the method, and having experienced it himself too, Cameron promised he would support me in that when the time came. The training at the time was only offered in Bali. Due to the reasons outlined in question one, we were feeling the pressure of everyday life, so we began exploring moving to Bali for a 3-month period for me to complete the training. The more we looked into it, the more it looked like Bali could provide us with the respite we were craving, and so we decided to commit to a 12-month adventure. Also, the expenses of packing up our life and setting up in Bali meant it made more sense for us to commit to a 12-month period instead of a 3-month period.
How did you come across Our Year in Bali, and why was the service valuable to you?
On countless Facebook groups, Simone and Our Year in Bali is recommended in the comments! We were excited about the possible move to Bali, but simultaneously overwhelmed by the logistics of it. After our initial phone call with Simone, we felt clearer and calmer and had a straightforward plan thanks to the guides she provided! Simone is a grounding presence that reassures you that it’s all achievable and going to be worth it! Which it is!
Where did you live in Bali?
With Simone’s help, we narrowed it down to settling in Sanur. Even though my breathwork training was going to be in Canggu, we didn’t feel that was the place we wanted to land with our family, and the training was only going to be for 2 months out of our stay.
We absolutely made the right choice for our family as Sanur is like the “small country town” of Bali with fewer tourists and traffic and a safer and slower pace. It is extremely child-friendly from the calm beaches to the playgrounds and toys in cafés and restaurants, and even the lack of a crazy nightlife, which feels safe if you stay out of an evening with the young kids. Sanur was also small enough that I was able to become friendly with the local café and restaurant owners as well as our villa neighbours which all added to that beautiful sense of Bali community.
Planning your own move? Explore our guide to the best areas to live in Bali for families.
What has been your experience with childcare in Bali?
The kids really came out of their shells in Bali, and I believe it’s because of the warm, welcoming and grounding energy of the Balinese. Wherever we went from the café to the beach, they would strike up conversations with adults and other kids alike, confidently ordering from staff and playing in safety and fun.
I knew we wanted to have a nanny, so I began speaking to a few before we left and lined up 3 nannies over the first few weeks we were there to see how they got on with our family. They were all FANTASTIC, but when asked, the kids had a clear favourite, and Made became truly part of our family for the next 10 months. She not only did her role as a nanny but became like a Balinese mum to me, putting me in touch with other services that I needed, offering advice on the local culture, assisting with pick-ups or drop-offs as needed, and generally being just a wonderful pillar of support for our time there.
After touring a couple of kindies when we arrived, our first preference was actually full (definitely recommend getting in early, much like in Australia if you can!), but our second pick ended up being a perfect fit for our family anyway! We enrolled the two older boys in Cheeky Monkeys (4 and 3-year-old kinder), and from the first week they were off and away with big smiles and waves goodbye each drop off, which is very reassuring as a parent! The teachers genuinely cared for the kids; it was so obvious from every interaction, and given how play-based the centre was, I was genuinely blown away by the learning that was happening with literacy and numeracy. This was not high on our list for our boys, as we wanted them instead to focus on their personal development and interpersonal skills (which they did!!), but obviously was such a pleasant realisation.
Read more about childcare options: schools and childcare in Bali for expat families
What differences have you noticed financially between life in Bali and back home?
Definitely don’t think it’s as cheap as people think it is; however, things that are a luxury back home are more affordable. Things such as rent, daycare/kinder fees, and supermarket shopping were not as cheap as we thought, but dinners out, the movie cinemas, massages, and food delivery are exceptionally cheaper.
Also, doctor visits to the villa and medications were super affordable, even specialists, which was handy with 3 young children who were being exposed to new bugs in a different country! Support around the home, such as the nanny and driver are very affordable as well. So overall, I wouldn’t say we spent less on the cost of living, but we were able to achieve a lifestyle that was above our means back in Melbourne.
Learn more about cost of living in Bali for families.
What was the wok/life balance like in Bali. I hear that you completed a Breathwork Course, please share!
I was working remotely running my business and returning home to Melbourne a few times when needed. Cameron was not working and full time caring for the kids – this trip was so incredible for our relationship and brough us closer on so many levels, one of which was a new understanding of the roles we each played back in oz. For example, back in Melbourne I am the primary parent as Cam works long hours of shift work. There was a nice moment of realisation and recognition when he was sharing how hard it was being the primary parent and he was NOT working, and had the nanny… so a moment where he was able to recognise the role I played back home without the nanny and trying to run the business. We were able to have many date nights and fun as a family which also was so healthy for our relationship and partnership! Because Cameron was at home so much he made such beautiful connections with the kids that was difficult for him to achieve with his work schedule back in Australia.
I started work early at 6am due to the time difference but it was actually fantastic as it meant I could wrap up early afternoon when the kids were home from school and we could hang out by the pool or explore Sanur together. Work was overwhelming at times for me in Melbourne with the 3 kids and Cam working so much but in Bali, with the support of the home duties and cooking done, and additional support with the kids, I found my creativity again and enjoyed a beautiful balance between work and family life. One that is truly hard to achieve back in Australia.
I completed my 400 hour training in Facilitated Breath Repatterning (FBR) and the whole process again allowed a deeper connection between Cameron and I. During the course I was in Canggu from Monday to Friday and Cameron was in Sanur with the kids and the nanny, and I would return on the weekend. Once a week the kids would stay with the nanny and Cam would come to visit me in Canggu and we would do a breathwork circle together then have dinner before he headed back to Sanur. It was a far drive and not ideal to be away from the kids during the week but we made it work for us and it solidified the family time further on weekends etc.
What does a day in Bali look like for the family?
Bianca wakes up and cycles or walks to a nearby café to start work at 6am while Cameron gets the kids up and ready to bring to kinder. Cameron leaves for kinder at 8am whereby Bianca returns to the peace and quiet of the villa to continue working for the day!
Cameron will go for a walk with the baby, maybe do a supermarket shop or run any errands. The nanny will arrive around 11am or so to help with the baby while Cameron gets some time to himself either going to the gym, going for a run, sometimes we may have lunch together.
Cameron will go pick the children up from school at 2pm while Bianca wraps up work for the day so by the time the kids are home we can play in the pool, head to the beach or playground. We will head out for an early dinner and the nanny will meet us with the baby. Will then head home and pop the kids to bed before Cam and I get to spend some time together.
At least once per week we will do the above and then the nanny will put the kids to bed so cam and I can have a date night.
What are some common misconceptions about Bali, and what would you say to set the record straight?
That it’s super cheap, definitely not as cheap as people make it sound, but you can have a more luxurious lifestyle.
That ALL the Balinese people are so lovely and kind – SO MANY ARE!!!! But also, like anywhere in the world, there are also people who try to be dishonest or sneaky, so it’s important to be sensible and remain cautious.
In what ways has your family connected with the local culture?
Our nanny was a wonderful guide in this way, explaining and sharing with our family stories and aspects of holy days, ceremonies and cultural celebrations. Her and her husband brought us to a melukat where we experienced a water blessing as a family. Also the children’s school had a big focus on Balinese culture so the kids were exposed to the festivities, ceremonies and celebrations at school which was very special!
From the Balinese we have learnt to be grateful for what we have, not what we don’t have. To slow down and be more present. That community is so important.
What should other families think about before making the move?
Get clear on what you want to achieve from your experience. We were very clear with what we wanted to get from our time there as a couple and as a family as well as personally, and it was so rewarding to achieve all we came for.
To prioritise the things that are important and find a location based on that (eg while my breathwork course was inspiration for the move, it was more important to us that the kids were safe and supported and so we chose Sanur over Canggu which was absolutely the right choice).
Health Insurance! We got a great health insurance and were covered for around $12,000 in medical expenses over our time there from our baby being in intensive care within the first month there and then my husband ending up in hospital towards the end of our stay!
