Moving to Ubud, Bali, and have questions

November 6, 2019 1:56 PM

There are lots of forums devoted to life in Bali, and more specifically to Ubud, but the hive mind has never steered me wrong. And I have questions about moving a family of four to the Ubud area for a minimum of one year starting July 2020.

In what area do we want to live, given that kids will likely be in the Green School? We'd like to minimize time in the car, be convenient to Ubud, and have a pretty healthy rental budget.

I'm planning to spend a week in Ubud in January to look around and potentially find a rental property. Recommendations for rental agencies? Is this too soon to look for a villa that will be available July 1? What's the best way to search and find good properties? And what should we be looking for and considering?

More broadly, any advice on the best way to spend four days on the ground in and around Ubud in January in preparation for a move?

Bonus question: Any insight from media folks (marketing/writing/communications) who've moved from the States/UK and are setting up shop as consultants in Bali?

Thanks!

posted by bassomatic to Travel & Transportation around Indonesia (2 answers total)

Best answer: I don't think four days will be enough time, sorry. There are a shitton of villas to rent, all around Ubud and the surrounding countryside. You will be overwhelmed by choice. Sometimes, there's a 'villa for rent' sign by the roadside. There are bulletin boards with flyers. I can think of two estate agencies off hand but not enough to recommend them. You can even contract a bungalow at a guesthouse. I think if your kids are going to The Green School, you might want to focus your search SW of Ubud, just because you don't want to be driving through Ubud twice a day. The majority of roads in Bali run north-south. Gridlock is a frequent occur in Ubud center. Having a motorbike will ease your life considerably.

There's just a lot of variables here. Have you looked online at all? If you have more specific questions about areas or places that you've found, feel free to memail me.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:35 PM on November 6, 2019 [1 favorite]

Best answer: My experience is not Bali-specific but expat living-specific, and I agree with TWinbrook8 on the feasibility of having it all sorted from a week-long scouting trip. If it's possible for you, commit to a month-long (max?) temporary rental while you finalise your options. The time you give yourself would also help in familiarizing to local climate and the home layouts that would work for you. Maybe the January trip can be centred around the school arrangements instead, perhaps it would give better leads on which neighbourhoods to look at.
posted by cendawanita at 12:34 AM on November 7, 2019