Radical Retirement Communities - Bali
By Jean Sutherland, Thu Dec 8th
If you've retired anywhere outside the US, you've done theRadical Retirement. Disbelief from family and friends is proofenough. Today people everywhere are opting for radicalretirement. Take Bali for instance. Bali's weather is tropical with the warmocean waters that you'd expect to find. There's a landscape ofrice paddies at the bottom of volcanoes, an eclectic localculture and miles of extraordinarily beautiful beaches. Exploring Bali will lead you to over 10,000 Hindu temples.Balinese music plays everywhere at night accompanied by dancing.The island has an active arts and craft scene and the bestshopping and prices in Asia.
A cute 2 storey house with small plunge pool, 2 bedrooms, AC and2 baths will cost you approx. $600+ US. a month. Apts. are evencheaper. There are approx. 20,000 foreigners living in Bali, with a highconcentration on the southern coast from Sanur to Seminyak andin the center of the island, in Ubud. The Ubud expatriates arefor the most part artists, traders, and businessmen and womenwho offer services to tourists and the expatriate community. People who live in Bali tend to be people who let life lead themrather than trying to control it. The Balinese don't have a wordfor future -they don't think about tomorrow the way we do. Soundfamiliar? Expatriates living in Indonesia, have the unique advantage ofbeing within a few hours flight or drive from beautiful pristinebeaches, towering volcanic mountains, verdant rain forest,wildlife refugees and fascinating cultural experiences.
All thenormal activities such as golf, tennis and scuba driving arealso available. The expatriate community is well organized andvery sophisticate with many of the activities and groups youwould find in most communities. When it comes to medical needs there are many small hospitalsthroughout the island and serious medical needs are usuallyreferred to Jakarta. There are many public hospitals but you canalso find many private hospitals. Medical coverage from privateinsurers is recommended. One usually enters Bali with a temporary 30 day visa and it's along and winding road to obtain a longer stay visa. One isadvised to seek professional help to work your way through theimmigration maze. Rachel Greaves, offers this advise to those considering thisexpatriate community. Make friends with the local people, learnthe language, acknowledge the dangers, take care on the roads,accept the things you can·t change, embrace the challenges,explore the island and the culture, and be open to the intensespiritual energy here. Bali is full of magic and wonder, if youtruly want to be here you will find a way to make it work. Thereare a lot of lessons to be learned on the way, but if you have apassion for Bali, the joy and rewards of living here areimmeasurable. If you would like website references for more information,please email me. I would enjoy your comments and recommendationsfor other expatriate destinations to feature.webmaster@retireresource.com About the author:Jean Sutherland is a retired freelance author who has lived inMexico for 3 years and runs the popular retirement websiteRetire Resources at http://www.retireresource.com |
