Diamond Head Road

The good, the bad, the lovely… 

One of the inspirations for this blog was the lack of information available to me when I scoured the web late at night for several months before our move looking for insight from other expat families who had already made the leap. Besides tips on where to scuba dive or find a great message, the info was lacking: schools? medical care? a town that we would actually want to call home? Nada.

We had to discover all of the answers to our questions on the ground in person, which of course is the fun part of the travel adventure equation, but when you're traveling with a 5-year old and an 18-month old, it is nice to know some things in advance. Now that we're here, we are bombarded with questions by friends and friends of friends about the reality of expat life.

In so many ways, Bali is different than what I had imagined or expected, so my goal with these posts is to provide the straight scoop for families who may be thinking about spending some time here. Of course, we are still looking at Bali through honeymoon eyes, so this info is subject to change without warning!

The good:

Food: Of course, we have to start here, don't we? The abundance of amazingly fresh local food as well as the vast quantities of delicious gourmet imports has been dizzying. I admit that I was naive and truly did not expect Bali to be so advanced in this respect. The restaurants never stop and the prices are so much fun. Our favorite restaurant on the beach in Sanur serves fantastic seafood curry for $3.50 or a perfectly grilled mahi-mahi or prawns for $6. Restaurant options are endless: internationally renowned fine dining, street food such as peanut chicken satay, Hong Kong style steamed fish, American diner style bacon and eggs, succulent roast duck, sushi, French, Italian, German, you name it.

As a mom, I was definitely worried about how our bodies would respond to the new cuisine and so far so good as none of us has been sick in response to something we have eaten. Truthfully, we don't do too much of the street food and when we do, it's usually just David and I.  Grocery stores such as the French chain, Carrefour, are very well stocked and gourmet markets such as the eye popping Bali Deli are common now, so if you really need a bag of Kettle chips or a pint of Haagen-Dazs you can find it. There is fresh milk, organic eggs, freshly squeezed juices everywhere, European style coffee shops, and wonderful Balinese food including my favorite, Nasi Kuning. 

The bad:

Dengue Fever: Caused by mosquito bites, dengue is alive and well on Bali. In the short time that we have been here, we have personally known four adults who have had it and they have all been hospitalized for several days. There is no vaccine or sure fire way to prevent dengue so being generous with your bug spray and trying to find a place to live that is not infested with mosquitos is a good way to start. 

The first symptom of dengue is a fever that spikes and recedes and spikes again. Stanley has had a couple of fevers since we arrived and we have taken him into the doctor to be tested for dengue as they do have a blood test for it. Luckily, the result was negative. There are quite a few hospitals and clinics to choose from and everyone has an opinion as to which one is the best. We have chosen Prima Medika in Denpasar as the place we go to when the children are sick. Health insurance is very reasonable (approximately $2,500 annually for our family) and quite comprehensive. 

The lovely:

The People: The Balinese are world renowned for their gracious approach to life. Showing anger or aggressive behavior is simply considered 'unskillful.' Simple everyday body language that westerners tend to do without thinking such as standing with your hands on your hips or arms crossed in front is kind of looked at as aggressive behavior in their eyes. 

The child loving, nature revering, Hindu practicing tendencies of the Balinese are all factors in why I thought it would be a great place to start an international adventure for our family. I'm not afraid here - I ride my bike to the grocery store after dark and although we are careful about locking our doors when we leave the house, the worry about being robbed or attacked just isn't there.

The Balinese are very lucky in that they live in structured multi-generational compounds within a communities similar to a bee hive. Everyone has a duty and feels responsible to carry it out to the best of their ability. They have tremendous ceremonial commitments that take up a lot of time and energy - there isn't that much time left over to sit around and cause trouble. They are connected which of course leads to a solid sense of security - something we could work on a little more within our own family structures in most western countries. 

The Balinese are very proud of their culture and show it off every chance they get. Ceremonies are wonderful as you see magnificent displays of beautiful fabric wrapped around man, woman and child. Even the tiniest of tots where a little batik sarong or a flower behind the ear. Little boys grow up learning how to play the gamelon, a melodious Balinese xylophone of sorts; and little girls spend countless hours learning traditional Balinese dance.

For more posts: 

Bali Life  |  DHR Fashion  |  Family Adventure  |  Our Models