Is it easy for Russians to live in Bali. Rice fields, traffic jams and rubber time. Secret beaches and Russian dachas

Russian Irina Krokhaleva moved to Bali in 2012. She spoke about the peculiarities of life in Indonesia, the weather, mentality, difficulties, prices and much more in her blog for Journal Tinkoff.

To be honest, if not for surfing, I would hardly want to live here. But there are many expats in Bali with different hobbies: there are party-goers, athletes, "enlightened ones", families with children and just those who do not like winter. And for all these groups there is an infrastructure and a lot of entertainment.

You get aesthetic pleasure from the views in Bali every day. Over the years, they do not get bored: the nature here is incredibly beautiful.

Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

The disadvantages are mainly related to the mentality of people: Indonesians in general and Balinese in particular are people who are relaxed on the verge of total laziness. However, they are very greedy and often unprincipled. IN government bodies corruption and bureaucracy reign, and the attitude towards whites is biased.

How the island works

For the average tourist or expat, Bali is divided into several main areas.

Kuta and Seminyak are the most touristy, densely built with hotels and villas, shops, bars and restaurants. There are crowded beaches shopping centers, nightclubs, cinemas and water parks.

Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Canggu is the trendiest area for expats and is where I live and most of my friends. In short, Canggu is rice fields, stylish cafes, custom bikes and surfing. All in all, a hipster neighborhood.

The appendix in the very south of the island is Bukit. Bukit has great surfing waves, pristine beaches, high cliffs with breathtaking ocean views. If you compare Bukit with Seminyak or Canggu, it's like a village and a city. Bukit is inhabited by those for whom surfing is more important than the rest of the infrastructure for life.

There are few beaches in Bali for simple swimming, they are concentrated in Nusa Dua. The coast there is built up with all-inclusive hotels.

Ubud is located in the center of the island. The ocean is far from here, but there are many rice fields and jungles. In Ubud, mainly those who are fond of yoga, meditation and creativity live and relax.

In the northeast of the island, in the areas of Amed and Chandidas, there are no waves, but good conditions for diving and snorkeling, very calm and quiet, few people. It’s boring to live there for a long time, but periodically going for a couple of days to relax is cool.

From point of view local population, there are two in Bali major cities- Denpasar and Singaraja, - as well as villages evenly dispersed throughout the rest of the area. Locals live everywhere, just closer to the center of the island, the building density is less because of the rice fields or the jungle. They work in the field of tourism, grow rice, breed chickens and pigs. Many people are employed in small industries: in clothing factories and jewelry workshops, wood carving is developed.

Manual labor in Indonesia is inexpensive, and many expats take advantage of this by exporting furniture, clothing, jewelry and home furnishings. Other expats are starting businesses here, and not necessarily aimed at tourists. In addition to bars, hotels and beach clubs foreigners have opened here, for example, karting in the center of Denpasar and a nail salon focused on Asian tastes in nail design.

Bali is international resort, where people come from all over the world, but most of all there are tourists from Australia. For Australians, Bali is the nearest resort, as for Russians, Turkey or Egypt. There are also a lot of Russians in Bali - both tourists and expats, so some Indonesians even learn Russian. Finding a guide with knowledge of the Russian language is very easy here.

Visa

A tourist visa for a month is given to Russian citizens free of charge at the airport. For $30 at the airport, you can buy a visa for 30 days, which can then be extended for another 30 days. Then you will need to fly out of the country, but you can return at least the same day - and get it again tourist visa. Such trips are called "visa-runs". The cheapest way to fly on a visa run is to neighboring Malaysia, on average, the trip costs $150-200.

I have not heard about cases of refusal of entry due to the fact that there are too many visas in a row in the passport, but sometimes they ask to show return ticket from Indonesia, although its authenticity is not verified in any way.

Flying back and forth every two months is expensive, annoying, and the pages in your passport run out quickly. If not working or working remotely like me, best option for a long-term stay in Indonesia - this is a social visa. It is called so because it suggests that its owner has local friends here, and he studies culture and society. A social visa is issued at the Indonesian embassy in any other country. From Bali, it is most convenient to fly to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. You will need a copy of the identity card of the Indonesian guarantor and a sponsorship letter from him, that is, a paper that contains his and your details. It is assumed that the guarantor bears full responsibility for you, and if you break the law or get into trouble, then they will also be asked from him.

Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

A social visa costs $50 and is valid for 60 days. Then it can be extended four times, each time for another 30 days. Each renewal costs $30. It turns out that in total with such a visa you can live in Bali for six months, and the registration will cost $170.

To extend a tourist or social visa, you need to come to the immigration office three times: first, submit a passport, then pay and have your fingerprints taken, and finally pick up your passport. If you have a social visa, then you must apply for an extension together with a guarantor.

The search for a guarantor and the hassle of renewals can be avoided by using the services of a visa agency. Documents for the embassy cost 250,000 Indonesian rupiah ($19). Each renewal will cost 700,000 rupees ($53). The initial fee of $ 50 for 60 days of the visa is paid independently when applying at the Indonesian embassy, ​​the process takes two days, so tickets to another country, hotel and food are added to the amount.

You can also stay in Indonesia on an annual KITAS visa, but not everyone is given it. Kitas can be obtained if you go to university, get a job, get married or marry an Indonesian. Kitas itself costs $700 a year, but in order to work, you also need a permit, which costs about $1,300 a year. Therefore, it is difficult for foreigners to find official work in Bali: it is simply unprofitable to apply for them. If you are married to an Indonesian citizen, you can work for him without additional permits - this is considered helping the family. But in order to get a job that is not related to your spouse, you need to get permission and pay the fees in full.

There is also a kitas for pensioners. Those over the age of 55 can apply for it by providing insurance, a one-year lease on land or a house, a letter from a local guarantor, and a bank statement showing regular cash receipts. How much money comes in is not important, the main thing is to show that transactions are regular.

Kitas is extended in Indonesia, and in order to leave the country, you need to get permission. Having lived for 5 years on Kitas, you can apply for a KITAP - this is the same visa, but not for a year, but for 5 years. It costs the same amount, you just have to pay the whole amount at once. So, if a foreigner has been married to an Indonesian citizen for 5 years and wants to get a kitap, he needs to pay 36 million rupees ($2,700).

300,000 rupees ($23) per day - visa overstay fine.

Since 2012, I have been applying for a social visa every six months. Usually in Malaysia, a couple of times I made out in Russia. In Moscow, the set of necessary documents is larger, you must also provide a rental agreement or hotel reservation, as well as an account statement with at least $1,500.

Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Housing

In law, Foreign citizens cannot buy land or property in Indonesia. You can negotiate with a local and conclude an agreement under which a foreigner allegedly lends him money, land and real estate are registered in his name, and then he writes an agreement that, as payment for the debt, he gives his property for untimely use. In this case, you pay money, but in fact you do not own anything. Probably, this allows you to agree on more low price, but the risks are unreasonably high - it is much better to conclude a lease for, say, 50 or 100 years.

There are a lot of options for renting: from rooms to guest house to a luxurious villa with palm trees and a swimming pool. The only question is the price. The cheapest options start at 2 million rupees ($150) per month - this will be a room with a bed, a bedside table, a fan and a shower. There is no top bar.

When you rent a house for a year, you need to conclude an agreement in which the area of ​​​​responsibility is spelled out. Due to high humidity, houses leak, sometimes something falls off, pumps, air conditioners and water heaters break down, all this must be repaired by the owner at his own expense. I pay monthly, there is no contract, but the hostess writes me a check every time. If something breaks, I write to her at whatsapp, she sends workers and they fix everything.

I rent a house for 5.5 million rupees per month ($413) in the Canggu area. It takes me 15 minutes to get to the beach by moped, there is a supermarket, fruit stalls, gas station nearby.

This is my house in Canggu area: 2 bedrooms, kitchen, bathroom and large veranda on the second floor
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

It is more profitable to rent a house for a long time than for a month. My house could be rented for a year for 60 million rupees ($4,500), but you have to pay the whole amount at once.

This is what the house looks like inside
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

You can search for accommodation on Airbnb, local site olx.co.id or in Facebook groups. There are also notice boards in Bali tourist places or tablets For rent / Di kontrakan at the gates of houses in the villages. If you are already in Bali, you can simply drive through the area of ​​interest and look for it or ask around the locals.

This is the village where I live. To the supermarket and gas station to go 2 minutes, to the beach - 15 minutes
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Some houses have water meters, but most often it is simply pumped from a free source by a pump. That is, you do not pay for the water itself, but electricity is consumed. Electricity works on a prepaid basis, it is necessary to deposit money into the account in advance. This can be done at any store. You pay 100,000 rupees ($7.5), they give you a check with 20 digits, enter them into the meter, and the balance is replenished by 65 kW. I spend about 400,000 rupees ($30) a month on electricity. I buy gas for the stove and water heater in cylinders. 95,000 rupees ($7) is a large bottle of gas that will last for three weeks. Garbage removal costs 50,000 rupees ($4) per month.

This is what an electricity bill looks like.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

You can clean the house yourself, or you can find a housekeeper. I have a housekeeper - she comes twice a week, does it in 2 hours and gets 500,000 rupees ($38) a month.

Each district has a local government - banjar. It includes all the adult males of the village. They are responsible for security, help resolve conflicts. The banjar has to pay a village tax every month. This is 50,000 rupees ($4) from a regular house or 100,000 rupees ($8) from a pool villa. This amount can be included in the contract, and then the owner will pay - as agreed.

Board of announcements with proposals for the rental of villas and houses.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Money

The currency of Indonesia is rupiah, in January 2018 $1 costs 13,441 rupiah. The largest denomination in Indonesia is 100,000 rupees. Cards are accepted in shops and cafes, but it is better to pay in cash and withdraw money from ATMs in the bank office, as skimming machines are very common in Bali.

You can change rubles to rupees directly, but it is very unprofitable. The rate for such an exchange differs from the official one by almost half, so it is better to bring dollars or a dollar card with you.

Salaries

The salaries of locals and expats are very different. Indonesians from service personnel, gardeners, housekeepers and waiters receive 2-4 million rupees per month ($150-300). Middle managers earn 5-10 million rupees ($375-750).

For formally employed foreigners, there is a minimum wage of 20 million rupees ($1,500). True, in fact, the employer often negotiates with the employee for a smaller amount. As for Bali, the richest locals here are not those who work, but those who have property to rent.

Working illegally in Indonesia is dangerous. Expats with their Western mentality mostly work better than locals and receive high salaries. Usually foreigners work as managers, managers, surf instructors, photographers, videographers, DJs. In the eyes of Indonesians, visitors simply get more, and this causes discontent. Therefore, Indonesians may report to the immigration police on expats supposedly working without kitas.

The immigration police themselves sometimes arrange raids on organizations owned by foreigners. Checking for visas and work permits. Therefore, expats who work illegally in the tourism sector are at great risk: they face prison or deportation with a ban on entry.

taxes

The company pays taxes for employed citizens and foreigners by preparing monthly tax returns. Salaries up to 3.5 million rupees ($263) are not taxed. There are many gray areas. It is possible, for example, to write off part of an employee's salary for rent, since only what a person receives in his hands is taxed.

If an expat opens in Bali own business, he is obliged to hire a lawyer or conclude an agreement with a consulting company that collects and prepares documents. As a result, he will be billed, which includes taxes, government fees and commissions of agents.

In Indonesia, there are taxes on property: land, real estate. In theory, every Indonesian should file a declaration and pay for himself, but in fact, few people do this. Since 2016, the tax police have been carrying out an amnesty in order to bring out the worst defaulters from the shadows. There was a period when it was possible to cancel the tax debt for 1% of the amount, then for 3%, now you can do it for 5%. After that, mass checks and fines under 200% are planned.

Taxes in Indonesia affect pricing. Here, for example, there is a luxury tax, which is imposed on certain categories of goods that do not necessarily belong to the expensive segment. Wetsuits in Indonesia are one and a half to two times more expensive than in Russia or Europe, just because of this tax. When you order something from foreign online stores and the order amount is more than 500,000 rupees ($38), you will also have to pay tax. Its size will depend on the product category. Sometimes you have to pay up to 30% of the value of the item.

Once I ordered clothes from Asos for $90, but I had to pay another 350,000 rupees ($26) in the mail.

The state tax, analogous to our VAT, is 10%. There is also a 5% service tax. In cafes and restaurants, they often write prices without taxes, so in the end the bill is 15% more than you expect.

Some establishments do not even have a cash register, but they do not forget to charge taxes.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Banks

Officially, foreign citizens can open a deposit in a local bank only if they have a kitas or kitap visa. Rumor has it that if you have certain connections in some banks, you can negotiate with the manager, and he will approve the application without the necessary documents. It's illegal, so no guarantees.

Friends who have accounts in local banks say that the service is good, Internet banking is convenient and works without failures. I use Russian cards.

There are many banks in Bali, and locals actively use them. Judging by the billboards offering any goods on credit, the service is in demand. Basically, cars, scooters and equipment are taken on credit.

In Bali, it is best to withdraw money from ATMs, which are located in bank branches.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Transport

Personal transport in Bali is absolutely essential. There is no public here at all, and walking is impossible. Behind Last year V tourist areas sidewalks were laid, but since the traffic is very dense, there are a lot of cars and scooters, often scooter drivers just ride along the sidewalks.

In addition, Bali is very hot and humid, and the distances are long. More comfortable to drive.

Renting a simple Honda or Suzuki scooter costs 600,000 rupees ($45) per month. You can rent a car from 3 million rupees ($225) per month. You will not be asked for any documents, rights, or collateral - they work on their word of honor. You can also drive without a license, and if the police stop you, then 200,000 rupees ($15) will solve any problem.

Gasoline costs 7,450 rupees ($0.56) per litre. You can park anywhere, as long as you do not block the road: on beaches and parking lots in tourist areas, it costs 2,000 rupees (0.15) per bike and 5,000 rupees ($0.38) per car.

The roads in Bali are good, but there are a lot of bikes and cars. During peak hours, from 8 to 10 am and from 4 to 7 pm, the main streets are almost completely closed, traffic jams are 9-10 points.

Cork from motorbikes. I took this photo at 17:00 local time.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

There are taxis and Uber in Bali, but using them every day is much more expensive than renting your own vehicle. With Uber, the situation is generally tense: local taxi drivers boycott it and can use brute force on the driver. Therefore, house calls, especially night calls, are often not accepted or cancelled.

Instead of developing their service, the Balinese are trying to boycott competitors.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

But there is a very convenient Go-Jack application - instead of a taxi, you can order a scooter there. You can call a driver to take you somewhere, or pick up the package and deliver it to the right address, or generally buy according to the list in a store or restaurant and bring everything to your home. Services cost 10-30 thousand rupees ($0.75 - $2.25) depending on the distance of the trip. I most often order food delivery from Go-Jack from fish restaurant in another area. It costs me 12,000 rupees ($0.9) and saves about an hour.

In the Go-Jack app, you can order food delivery, house cleaning, and even a massage.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Medicine

There are two types of hospitals in Bali: for tourists and for locals. The first is clean and tidy, but expensive. Secondly, it looks creepy, but in general they treat the same, but cheaper.

I will give an example from life. My friend sprained his finger on his hand, there was no insurance. First we arrived at a decent hospital "Bali-med". They took a picture, it turned out that there was no fracture and the operation was not needed, you just need to pull and insert the joint into place. We were billed 5 million rupees ($375). In two more hospitals, "Prima Medica" and "Kashih-ibu" - the same thing. As a result, we went to the Sanglah emergency room, where they anesthetized the finger, inserted it and took another picture, and we paid 180,000 rupees ($13.5) for this.

I always take out travel insurance, because in case of a serious injury, such as a fracture, an operation is prescribed with screwing in the pins. Even in the cheapest clinic, it will cost from 40 million rupees ($3,000).

All diseases of a cold and inflammatory nature are treated in the same way: antibiotics, painkillers and anti-inflammatory drugs are prescribed - these are the three pillars of Indonesian medicine. In general, it is tight here with qualified specialists.

My friend had gynecological inflammation. She was misdiagnosed. She was saved only by the fact that she urgently got ready and flew to Russia for treatment.

Crime

Bali has a very high crime rate. Europeans are constantly robbed here: they break into houses, rip off bags, pull out phones. At the same time, the police do not try to look for robbers. It is easier for them to play for time, and there the tourists will already fly away.

If you are not a tourist and have been living in Bali for a long time, there are more chances that the police will help. But you still need connections.

One day two laptops were stolen from my house. I speak good Indonesian, the police understood me perfectly, but they refused to accept the application without a certified translator. His services cost me 1.5 million rupees ($113). The next day, I saw that they were trying to log into my account. I even found an IP address and a provider, came to the police with this data, but they told me: “Sorry, we don’t have a technical specialist now, relax and go home.” This was the end of the matter.

My friend, however, once managed to return the stolen equipment. But this happened only because he had connections with the local government - the main banjar of the entire region, whose leader was able to put pressure on the police.

The police found a laptop for another acquaintance, but did not return it, but offered to buy it: either he pays and takes it, or they leave the laptop as material evidence. The computer was old and not very useful, so after much bickering, he simply copied all the necessary information to the hard drive and left it to the police.

A police station where you will be helped only for money.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Products and food

Eating in Bali can be both expensive and cheap - it depends on your budget. There are many small stalls on the streets where for 15,000 rupees ($1.13) you can eat a large portion of fried rice, vegetables or chicken. The traditional meatball soup is called bakso and also costs about 10,000 rupees (0.75). But it's all very low quality food.

In cafes and restaurants, the average bill for a dish and drink is 100,000 rupees ($7.5) per person.

It is better to buy fruits and vegetables in markets and tents, and meat and chicken in stores, it is safer. There is one big one in Bali fish market, there is the freshest and most inexpensive seafood, but I have to drive 40 minutes to get there, so I buy fish in the supermarket.

There are many imported goods in Bali, but the prices are often unreasonably high, especially for cheeses and nuts. Alcohol is also expensive due to high excise taxes. Since 2015, the tax on strong alcohol is 150% of the price per liter. Bottle of whiskey in the shop Jameson costs 745,000 rupees ($56). Prices are rising fast. Four years ago, milk cost 9,000 rupees ($0.68), today - 29,000 ($2.18).

In the supermarket, the prices for basic products are as follows:

• loaf - 25,000 rupees ($1.88)
• liter of milk - 29,000 rupees ($2.18)
• 1 kg of potatoes - 20,000 rupees ($1.5);
• a dozen eggs - 30,000 rupees ($2.25);
• 1 kg of sugar - 12,500 rupees ($0.9);
• a pack of butter - 40,000 rupees ($3);
• 1 kg of chicken thighs - 56,000 rupees ($4.2);
• 1 kg of tuna fillet - 165,000 rupees ($ 12.4);
• 1 kg of salmon fillet - 300,000 rupees ($22.5).

There are many vegetarians in Bali. I don’t consider myself one of them, but it’s so hot here that I really don’t feel like eating meat. Healthy and environmentally friendly food has been at the height of fashion for several years now, and they make good money on it. On the one hand, it's funny when an eco-shop sells for 100,000 rupees ($7.5) a reusable glass straw for drinks, which says that it charges the liquid with positive energy. On the other hand, it is good if there is less plastic on the island.

Imported cheeses.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Fruit in Bali huge selection all year round, and everything is cheap.
Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Leisure and entertainment

The whole of Bali is huge Entertainment Center. There are natural attractions here, such as a volcano, as well as temples, zoos, spa centers, shops, clubs, surf schools, safari parks - the list is endless.

If I want to rest, I go to some a nice place Overnight. The price of the issue is only rental housing, usually you can meet 200,000 rupees ($15) per person. I usually go to the beach in the north of the island, to the rice fields in Ubud or Botanical Garden in the foothills of the Kintamani volcano.

I go to a gym that costs 150,000 rupees ($11.25) a month. This is a small room at the hotel. Nearby there is a large sports complex Finns Recreation Club with a pool, sauna and group classes, the subscription costs 800,000 rupees ($60) per month. One yoga session in the studio costs an average of 100,000 rupees ($7.5), a manicure - 160,000 rupees ($12), a movie ticket - 50,000 rupees ($3.75).

Climate

There are two seasons in Bali: wet and dry. From December to March, it rains almost every day, sometimes long, sometimes short and powerful, showers. At this time, the rivers wash all the garbage into the ocean, and the tides carry it ashore, so West Coast dirty, swimming unpleasant.

During the rest of the year, precipitation is rare. But dry air still does not happen here - it is almost always humid. The most difficult time is the off-season period: April-March and November. At this time, it is very hot and stuffy during the day, but there is no rain yet.

The most pleasant weather in Bali usually occurs in July and August. Air temperature +28 °C and sunny.

Evenings in Bali are fresh, and when you ride a scooter, it can even be cool. I have already adapted to the climate so much that I wear light sweaters and jeans, although tourists cannot understand me.

Photo from the personal archive of Irina Krokhaleva

Language

All employees of the tourism sector speak tolerably English, albeit in a simplified version.

Everyone here speaks Indonesian, although official language It became Indonesia only in 1954. Each island also has its own historical dialect. There are few rules in the language, and they are simple. A vocabulary of 100 words is enough to solve any everyday problem.

Arriving in Bali, the first thing I learned was numerals in order to bargain in the market. Gradually I remembered the names of products, translating them in Google Translate. She also translated words from billboards and signs, asked friends who had been in Bali for a long time how to say this or that phrase in Indonesian. I learned a lot of Indonesian words from a Balinese woman who worked at my surf school. In general, I learned in everyday situations.

I can’t talk about politics or literature, but at the everyday level I can easily explain everything I need.

Generally

Despite all these difficulties and disadvantages, it is much more pleasant for me to live in Bali than in Russia. I earn less here, but I also spend much less time on work, and more time on life.

It's like in a village: everyone knows everyone, Fresh air, No tall buildings and the constant urban race, the pace of life is slow. On the other hand, there is any entertainment here, as in a metropolis. From here it is easy and inexpensive to travel around Asia. Tickets to Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam, India, Thailand or the Philippines cost around $300 round trip.

In conclusion, I want to tell two telling stories about the Indonesian mentality.

History first. For the event it is necessary to print banners on flags, time is running out. We find a printing company, dialogue:

There are many orders, we will make it in 7 days.

For a long time. Let's pay twice as much, and you will do it for 5?

Let's pay twice as much, and we will definitely do it for 7?

The second story. Five surfer friends stayed on the coast in a small guest house. Breakfast is prepared by the owner himself, you have to pay for it separately. Four friends woke up, ordered an omelet and had breakfast. The fifth overslept and came when everyone had finished eating. He goes to the kitchen to ask for another omelet, and the owner looks at him and says: Already closed, because I'm tired("Already closed, I'm tired").

The local way of life is very specific, it cannot be changed. If you put up with it and accept it, it becomes really good in Bali.

I have repeatedly written that Bali is our dacha. But it usually turned out that I stayed in hotels, and in different ones: and in expensive ones that are located on the coast in Nusa Dua, and in those that cost three kopecks, and even in a home-made one that was built by a Chinese professor with the hands of villagers. Somehow it never occurred to me before that it was not necessary to be limited to a hotel. I stereotyped that a villa is a very expensive pleasure "not for everyone" and in general, how will I...

We have friends and partners in Bali who distribute our magazine. They endlessly invited me to visit, but I could not find the time to come. I specially saved up a lot of things for Bali, so that there was an excuse to go to work. And so, it happened.

I was met at the airport by Nastya, an assistant to my friend and partner Stas, who lives on the island with his family and is officially engaged in the sale and rental of real estate in Bali and Lombok. I went with the driver, and Nastya was in front on a moped, waving a bunch of green bananas attached to a surf hook. Cork-cork-cork: this is how they live on the island. Of course, it is faster on a moped, but it is cool and safe in a car, so I decided that it would be better to travel around the island by car, even if it would be a long drive. In the end, you can even make an office out of the car, as I did later: I took a charged modem, phone, laptop with me and worked on the road, not noticing hourly traffic jams.

I settled in a village, in a small villa, where there was not a soul. And the silence is such that you can hear the fish jumping in the pond near the living room. After Singapore, it was somehow even creepy at first. The dacha is a real dacha!

Outdoor living room: sofa and TV too, outdoor kitchen, outdoor dining... And even a small pool and a very small garden with trees. I will live on the street, and this is wonderful: so I lived in a dacha in the suburbs, and only went into the house to sleep. Around the deaf fence, the neighbors can not be seen or heard.

You can’t see it, you can’t hear it, I’m alone and all that ... I sat on the sofa, looked in the refrigerator, walked around the rooms, sat on the sofa again, went to lie down by the pool and just wanted to fall asleep, when suddenly I hear someone walking. Oh ... I look out and see how an Indonesian is standing near the living room and pouring something into my pond. "Who are you?" - "Ah, I'm Ketut, here I feed the fish." - "Ahhh, gardener?" - "No, the gardener is my brother Wayang, and I feed the fish." - "And how did you get here?" - I look at the wooden valve, which I blocked from the world. - "And you didn't close the gate, I thought you hadn't arrived yet." Well, of course, she came from Singapore, where the doors are not locked, and did not even check the gate or the second gate. She saw off the fish feeder and went to bed on the sunbeds.

It gets dark very early in Bali, at 6 o’clock. Therefore, I woke up already in the dark, afraid that I was all alone at home, and didn’t even look where the lights turned on. If it is dark in Bali, then it is dark - only the stars are bright and the moon. I went around with the inspection, in the hope that the Balinese gods would be lenient with me. Silence, darkness, only lizards scream and fish gurgle periodically. She arranged the Palace of Congresses in the villa, having dealt with the light, called Stas and got ready to visit.

In order not to get lost in the village, Nastya drove after me on a moped with dangling bananas. Nightmare: me, on a moped? Yes, for nothing. But I went) I'm not a tourist, but I live here as if I moved for a while, so I need to join the style of a local resident. Turn to the left, to the left, to the right, to the left - and at all deaf fences. Stas lives in a huge house with the letter P, most of which is also located on the street, and in the center - a long pool. The whole family is outside in the dining room. Also a dacha. We had a great evening, but I don’t remember how we rode back on a moped, but I remember that I squealed something and I had fun))

At home, I checked all the locks and doors properly: both into the shower room from the street and from the shower room into the room, but still I forgot to close one - the one that goes out of the room to the street.) But of course, no one stole me at night. There is a huge TV in the living room on the street, what was I so afraid of?) Morning! I go back to Stas to discuss our future plans and have breakfast.

And there I was met by Lucky - a labrobalidog. "Is there anything?" he says.

The morning in Bali is fresh and sunny, very bright and cloudless. I do not want to hurry anywhere, and no one is in a particular hurry.

We have breakfast, discuss my plans, a trip to Lombok, meetings and articles.

I decided not to plan anything serious for the day, but to understand how it is to be a resident, not a tourist, not to go to the beaches of the hotel, but to the wild ones, where to buy groceries, where to have lunch and dinner, and how best to move around the island, where there are no buses and metro. Nastya took me to the ocean on a moped, after which I absolutely decided not to use two-wheeled vehicles anymore, and left me to walk there. To the left you could go along the hotels and rent a sunbed for yourself, in any place you liked, and to the right - the beach is completely wild and without tourists. That's where I went.

A wild beach is wild for that: no one cleans it from algae, there are no sunbeds, only boats sway on the waves. I made it to the very end, meeting the locals along the way.

Turned around and went to look at clean beaches for tourists. On the way, landing at a cafe with free wi-fi.

On the other hand, there were almost no algae and the ocean already looked quite touristy.

Then I went to have lunch at an Italian restaurant not for tourists. She returned home by taxi. Very cheap, fast and not scary.

I spent the whole evening fighting mosquitoes. This is a big disadvantage open spaces. There are fumigators in the rooms, and on the street it was necessary to burn sticks, but, wrapped in towels from head to toe, I sat on the sofa to work, periodically describing my guests on Facebook: first a cat came, which I was terribly frightened of, then it was a monitor lizard that slowly walked along the wall to the ceiling, sat on the crossbar and began to yell loudly, and then, when I went to look for a light switch for the pool, I ran into a huge container in the maid's room in the backyard Akan, which we also cannot count in Singapore. She was waiting for a snake, but her plans apparently changed.

The next morning they sent me a driver with a car, because the villa is not a hotel, and includes a free driver if necessary. In general, for a month you can rent a car for 300 dollars and a driver for the same amount. I think it's even cheaper, but it's better that the driver speaks English, so it's easier for him to explain by phone where I am if I suddenly get lost.

Globalization has not spared Bali.

I went to meet Russians who live in Bali and have their own business. I went to have breakfast with Masha Mozolevskaya and Denis at the D.R.O.P cafe in Seminyak.

Exactly one year has passed since the opening of the cafe and we can already say that the project was a success! All tables were occupied by both Russians and Europeans, because it is really tasty, interesting and fun. Because Masha and Denis themselves are in the cafe every day and monitor the quality of all the dishes and drinks that they have come up with. I am very picky and will never praise something that is tasteless or uninteresting. They are all great, interesting and with love!

Separately, I would like to say about the Russians who live on the island. I have been to Thailand, and Hong Kong, and Japan, and India, and Malaysia - everywhere I try to meet Russians who live there permanently. And it should be noted that Russians in Bali are a separate category of people: they are creative, educated, very interesting and very calm. As if the island arranges a selection unknown to us. After all, not everyone can settle down there for a long time.

With a cup of hot chocolate, I listened to Denis and his guests, although it was time to move on.

The next stop was the coast of Nusa Dua, Bali Collection - a place where wealthy Russian tourists relax in restaurants and shops. I let the driver go for lunch, took our magazines and distributed them to restaurants.

So, slowly, I reached the Black Stone restaurant, which Ivan opened a few months ago. There, we already had an interview with him, which you will soon be able to read.

Ivan spoke about the joys and difficulties of doing business in Bali, about the decision to move, about a possible return, and about the peculiarities of life on the island. We sat for an hour and a half, and then he showed me his house and a little rabbit that lives in his yard. (I saved these photos for the interview).

Bali taxi drivers are in no hurry: while waiting for customers, they play chess and try to speak Russian.

Then I had dinner, the story of which I will leave for another time. And the next day I flew with an inspection to the island of Lobmok, which I will definitely tell you about on Monday.

PS I want to thank Stas for the hundredth time for helping me organize my trip and not only.)) And a special thanks to Nastya, his assistant, who never got tired of answering my questions and even flew with me to Lombok. And, if you suddenly decide to live in a villa, and not in a hotel, then look here www.hoteigroup.ru - there you can also ask all questions to Nastya online: on cost, conditions, etc. From myself I will say that in no hotel you can rent a villa for 150-200 dollars with a driver, a private pool and two bedrooms. And if you share the costs with friends, it will turn out to be 2 times cheaper.

Here, for example, such a villa with two bedrooms will cost you a total of 250-350 dollars, depending on the season. Where in the hotel can you rent a room like this for $125 - $175 per family?

It's in Ubud and I have a special love for it...

The beautiful island of Bali in Indonesia attracts many. Beautiful, warm and exotic country. Many go there on vacation, both on their own and through travel agencies. You get here and want to stay. How can this be brought to life? An option is to open your own business, even a small one, so that you have something to feed yourself and have money for a ticket when you decide to go home. Everything is boring, even such an idyll.

There are many Russians here. These are vacationers and those who took risks and started personal business here. Naturally, the question of business interests Russians and residents from other countries. Let's start in order so that everything is clear and understandable.

The primary question is what is business in Bali?

It is profitable to open a catering establishment here, produce some food, take and then rent out premises, you can open a small shop or try your hand at tourism. You can try yourself in the jewelry industry and in the export of leather and leather products. There is very beautiful furniture here - also a topic for a personal matter. Furniture from Bali is exported to many countries, why not try it with Russia.

The Indonesian government does not guarantee that the money you invest in the business will be returned to you. They didn't give me a visa, that's all. You just don't get into the country and the business is over. They can, seeing that things are going well for you, put forward new conditions for the implementation of activities. You won't be able to handle it and the case will have to be closed. These are the local laws.

Local authorities do not care where you get the financial resources to start a business. Many people think that having a work visa is already an opportunity to open a business. This is wrong.

You will have to take a local resident as a partner. It is he who will be the master of your business, and you will be the manager. In other words, a director or CEO. Any activity requires a license, of course for money. The Firm may have a license for only one type of activity. Having a local partner, your firm becomes a firm, as if with the participation of foreign capital.

If your firm has an authorized capital of $6,000, you will pay 10% of the profits to the local treasury. The amount of authorized capital reduces or increases the amount of taxes. Your partner - a local resident will become the owner of the company with a participation of 40% - up to 100%, and without investing a penny in it. You will not register any business without such a partner.

How to register your business in Bali?

Deadlines are three months. It depends both on the type of activity and the form of ownership of the company. Required documents collected and prepared by local lawyers. You will have to pay such an assistant from 100 to 200 dollars per month.

Company types

1. The most profitable form is RT. Almost not controlled by the authorities. Problems that arise are the business of the owner, that is, a local resident and your partner. It is possible to buy an already existing business and register it with your local partner. When choosing the type of activity, do not forget that there is a restriction on some business in the country. If you make a mistake and choose just such a business, then the percentage of your participation will not exceed 49%. The authorized capital will increase, it will be possible to obtain a better license for activities. In terms of opening time, it will take from two to seven days.

2.CV is a simplified type of company, but you will not open a visa for work. You will not be able to obtain other types of licenses for this type of company. The opening of such a company is convenient for a not very large type of activity. CV - open work visa for a foreigner you can't. To register such a company, two local residents are already needed. This type of company is simple and very suitable for both small and medium-sized businesses.

3. RMA is what you need for a larger business and for a good investment program: construction or opening big hotel. There are no restrictions on obtaining visas or quotas, but the financial turnover of the company and the number of local residents who work for you are taken into account. You can be included in the constituent documents and have the right to sign. You can negotiate with the bank a form of control over bank accounts. Any write-off of money from the accounts will occur only in the presence of the director.

One of the most urgent problems is the problem of personnel. Here this question is almost unresolved. There are no professionals. Therefore, we have to think about visas for workers.

If you want to start your own business here - buy an already existing company. Save your time. This will speed up the process of obtaining a visa. It is desirable that you already have a license for the activity that interests you.

If you have a lot of time and you are not in a hurry, open your company with a person you can trust. With any purchase, carefully check the documents: who was the director, whether a visa was opened for someone, whether taxes were paid. It will cost somewhere in the range of $ 2,000, not taking into account licenses and visas. There are no official prices for all these operations in the country. It all depends on how and with whom your business partner agrees. Visas in the country are different: annual, 3 years and 5 years. We advise you to come here for the first time on a "social visa". Take a closer look and only then make a final decision on the business.

Bali is a great place for recreation and tourism. The rest is debatable.

There are many Russians here. Some of them have mastered and successfully conduct personal affairs. Things are going well for those who thoroughly studied all of the above and only after that began to act. Therefore, if you have thoughts about business, first come here to rest and find a local partner. Talk to those compatriots who are already doing something here. A large Russian business is engaged in rental and hotels. Russians, who are smaller, become surf instructors, open small catering establishments and try to establish a furniture trade with Russia.

Whether to stay here to conduct business is up to you. There are no recipes. Dare!

I will say right away: I do not see any reason to live in Bali, unless you are a surfer and not a volcano explorer. Surfing in Bali is a paradise. Nature on the island fantastic beauty: mountains, waterfalls, green fields and rice terraces. But that's all. This will be the first impression of a few days. And if you decide to stay on the island longer, you will certainly encounter another, real side of life in Bali. This is what I want to talk about in this article. It will be useful to anyone who plans to move and live in Bali. Instructions for renting housing in Bali with a description of all areas are located.

Crime and corruption

We must recognize the fact that Indonesia is a third world country with all the ensuing consequences. First of all, it is poverty and a huge stratification of society, monstrous corruption at all levels of government, non-compliance or ignorance of laws and a high level of crime. Tourists are especially often victims of criminals. Most likely, the tourist already has a return ticket and there is no time to investigate the crime. Most likely, he does not know the Indonesian language and will not be able to explain anything to the police.

Crime in Bali is a constant and hot topic on local forums. Try google and you will find hundreds real stories how in Bali they rob apartments, villas, steal things from cars, steal bikes. Many have come to terms with this and say that “this is how it is everywhere”. No, guys, it's not like that everywhere. In Bali, the chances of being robbed are much higher than in India, Thailand or China. If you like to constantly be in suspense and think about the safety of your property, then welcome to fabulous Bali.

Street crime in Bali

You have probably already read how bags and phones are torn out of hands in Bali, backpacks are torn off (even if you are riding a bike) and other delights. If you have been robbed or robbed of a car or house, you can assume that there is no chance of finding the perpetrators. The police can only find a bunch of reasons not to accept your application, and if they accept, they will not do anything. Even if you yourself find the thieves and point them out to the police, they will not do anything. My friends got out of the car and stole a bag with an iPhone. Through the application, it was possible to establish its location up to the house. However, the police did nothing. It turns out that in Indonesia the police do not solve anything. The banjars, the councils of the elders, decide. Informal structure, like a village council. They can influence the police or even find criminals, but they will have to somehow negotiate because they will not do anything for free.

Carding and skimming in Bali

A very common type of fraud in Bali is skimming (plastic card cloning). An inconspicuous reader is installed on the ATM, which copies the card data and pin code. In the future, scammers make a clone of the card and withdraw money with it. Try to google the English internet and you will see hundreds of stories of people losing all their money months after a two week holiday in Bali.

This phenomenon is massive and put on stream. The police and banks do nothing. Opinions are openly expressed that data copying credit cards happens at the level of ATMs and bank security services, which then simply sell the data to fraudsters. I have no doubts about this, since the level of corruption in the country is really very high. It is almost impossible to prove the guilt of the bank, and how will you do it if the Indonesian police are investigating the case?

Charges on the roads

Separately, it is worth mentioning the topic of extortions that the local traffic police arranges on the roads. A particularly desirable victim for the police will be European tourist on a bike and of course without a license. I have already told you how it is possible, which operate in all countries of the region, including Indonesia. But even when I presented such a certificate, the police told me that this certificate was not valid here and that I had to pay a fine. They may also say that you have a bad helmet, problems with your bike, or some other problem that you have to pay them for. Ask them to write a protocol. In many situations, this upsets the police and they let go. There were cases when the police tried to snatch money directly from the wallet, when tourists took it out to find rights there. The police on the roads behave very arrogantly and familiarly.

Where can you fly cheap from Bali?

Dirt and trash

This is what catches your eye from the first minutes of your stay on the island. Even the most prosperous and environmentally friendly areas such as Bukit will delight you with frequent dumps along the roads. For an Indonesian, throwing trash out a car window or on the beach is a common thing. We have repeatedly witnessed and even sometimes returned their garbage back to them. Bali is beautiful place, with crazy beautiful nature, but because of the mountains of garbage, your impression will be forever spoiled.

In Bali, you rarely meet an urn or a janitor, so locals garbage is simply burned right next to the roads.

Internet in Bali

For me personally, this turned out to be the main problem, which significantly lowered the rating of Bali as a place to live. To be honest, I don't understand how all these thousands of freelancers live and work here. It doesn't matter what type of connection you use: a SIM card, fiber optic or radio modem - the entire Internet in Bali comes through several very weak backbone channels. And on the island itself, this moment, almost 3 million people live, and each of them has a smartphone that is connected to the Internet. As you might guess, the channel is simply not enough for everyone. Whatever type of connection you use, you will always face the problem of slow internet and session disconnection. Bad internet is what makes life in Bali much more difficult for me personally.

Roads and traffic

In terms of trash and disorder, Balinese roads can only be compared with Indian ones. There is one difference - average speed in Bali is much higher than in India. The roads in Bali are very narrow, people will walk on them, they will dry clothes and rice on them. I have not seen road markings, and lighting is only on major highways. Add to this terrible traffic jams and you get absolutely hellish and dangerous traffic. Trips to the neighboring beach will seem easy to you only on Googlemaps. In reality, they take a lot of time and effort.

During my life in Bali, I met another very interesting phenomenon - this paid parking. Money will be taken from you everywhere: on the beach, near the store or near the temple. Naturally, no one will guard your car or bike.

Uber and Grab operate everywhere on the island. But there are areas where the drivers of these services do not call, as local taxi drivers do not like them. The prices for the service are lower than the Central Asian ones.

Bali beaches

If you have ever been to Goa or Phuket, then the Bali beaches will not impress you at all. The beaches in Kuta are dirty and you don’t want to swim there at all. The beaches in the south in Bukit are clean, but hard-to-reach places. They are cut off by high cliffs. You need to either go down the stairs for a long time, or along a long serpentine on a bike. On southern beaches always very windy and huge waves. Therefore, it’s impossible to swim there just like that, but for surfers it’s real paradise. The beaches in the north are quieter, and you can swim, but they are all rocky, and the rare sand on them is black. northern beaches ideal for diving and snorkeling. They are quiet and deserted.

Rain season. Climate in Bali

It was a discovery for me that in Bali there is a rainy season in December-January and it is quite noticeable. When planning your trip to Bali, keep this in mind. The rainy season here is not the same as in Phuket, when the downpour passes and after 10 minutes it is already dry. In Bali, the sky will be completely covered with dense clouds for two months. Sometimes a downpour can go on for a day or more without a break, so that it will be very problematic to move around.

In the rainy season, the activity of all kinds of living creatures and insects increases. For example, mosquitoes that carry dangerous viruses such as dengue fever. Last time a strong epidemic on the island was in 2017.

Another important point- this is a very strong humidity, due to which many things become moldy. Local habitually solve the problem of mold by treating things with a solution of vinegar. Take note of this lifehack, it will really come in handy for life in Bali!

Safety hacks in Bali

• Choose ATMs that are located in bank branches. Avoid stand-alone ATMs at intersections and busy streets in Bali. Visually check the ATM for foreign installations on the card capture reader and keyboard.
• Use two cards. One is for basic savings and the other is for cash withdrawals. Top up the second card with exactly the amount you want to withdraw.
• If you have one card, then create a deposit on it and withdraw small amounts from the deposit that you plan to cash out or spend.
• Don't take out your phone when riding your bike in the evening. At night, robbers, with lights off, catch up with tourists and grab phones or bags. Very often, in Bali, criminals snatch the phone from the bike passenger when he is navigating the navigator or taking pictures.
• Houses and villas rented by tourists are regularly robbed and video surveillance does not save. It will be very good if there is a safe in the house where you live. The safe must be bolted to the wall tightly with anchor bolts. Leave all valuables in the safe - this will make your life in Bali a little more relaxed.
• It is better not to settle in a villa next to which there is a construction site. It is believed that the villas are often robbed by visiting guest workers from the island of Java. In general, the Balinese blame all the problems with crime on visitors.
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IN Lately I often come across materials about how our compatriots leave for the distant island of Bali. And I hear from friends beautiful stories about exotic island, about how one of the friends left. So the question arose: “Is everyone already in Bali?” And they don't go to rest. And to live. Someone is experimenting with terms, planning to live for several months. Someone stays for a long time. And, of course, we wondered how you can pick up and leave like that? Throw a habitual way of life? To radically change the situation, environment, place of residence, climate, in the end?

Meet the participants of our conversation

Evgenia, St. Petersburg, 22 years old

Kristina and Kolya, Tyumen, 23 and 25 years old

Why Bali? What attracted you to this island?

Evgenia: The island of Bali was chosen by me by chance, before that I lived on the coast for six months mediterranean sea and the plan was to continue to do so. But one fine day, it was my birthday, my friend, with whom we lived in Tunisia, flew to Bali and said that she was waiting for me there. There was no time to think about whether it was good or bad at all, the ticket was bought three hours before departure.

Christina: We started planning our departure 6 months in advance. We started researching travel information, reading blogs and choosing a place for our first long trip. And I absolutely accidentally stumbled upon the film "Life in Travel", it was filmed mainly in Bali, I was just blown away by how beautiful it is there! I even sat closer to the monitor and at one moment imagined myself in the place of the main characters, even goosebumps ran. And so the search began for information specifically about Bali, visas, ticket prices, how much housing, food, and more. The choice seemed obvious, the island simply beckoned me, I couldn’t even think of anything else, I infected Kolya with my enthusiasm, and together we started preparing more seriously! The island attracts many with its beautiful nature, on one seemingly small island, you can freeze in one day (somewhere in the mountains) and burn in the sun (on the coast), you can climb to the top of a volcano or cool off under a chilling stream of a waterfall, this list is endless ...

How easy/difficult is it to go to Bali and settle down? How long have you been living here? And what are you doing?

Evgenia: I think in modern world if you have money (and not such large sums as many people imagine), it is easy to go anywhere. Bali is generally beautiful in terms of arrangement, there is everything for every taste and color, for every budget. Very comfortable weather, a very large Russian community that communicates very well within itself and supports each other. I have been living in Bali for 10 months, six of them I did nothing: traveled, painted, danced and watched a lot of films. Recently I have been working on the Internet and decorating wedding ceremonies.

Christina: It's simple, if there is a goal, then everything will work out! For example, at the beginning of the trip we had savings, which we set aside for ourselves for the first time, while we got used to it, and then we planned to earn money on the spot! Everything turned out exactly as planned, after 2 months we have already begun to earn the first money. Kolya conducts photo shoots on the island, I help him, and in free time I do everything that does not bring money, for the soul: I draw, I write about our trips to the group "We are in Bali" I photograph landscapes and all sorts of beautiful things! We have been living in Bali for 7 months and have become very attached to this island, from the first month we felt at home here.

Are there many Russians living on the island? Do they interact with each other? Maybe join communities?

Evgenia: There is one of the strongest Russian communities in Bali than anywhere else. We all communicate very closely, constantly intersect, there are many events, many places opened by Russians. Everyone supports each other and everyone knows about each other. Because the village is small

Christina: Regarding Thailand or Goa, there are not so many Russians in Bali. Many communicate, but everyone is divided into small “interest groups”, someone does yoga together, someone surfs, but there are also just random magical acquaintances that bring you exactly with your people. So we found very cool friends here, with whom we continue to communicate even after they leave the island! And I am grateful that we met in Bali, because in Russia it would be quite problematic for us to meet, and even make friends!

Favorite place on the island?

Christina: Of course, it is very difficult to choose just one favorite place because there are a lot of them in Bali! But still, I will highlight one thing, this is the village of Ubud, it is located in the heart of the island, surrounded by jungle and rice terraces! A calm, peaceful atmosphere reigns here, there is a lot of greenery around, and the locals honor traditions more carefully than in the south of the island! Ubud is also considered cultural center Bali is home to many artists, artisans, musicians and other creative people.