Expat friends in Seminyak Bali

Many people think that living in Bali is paradise. I know people who visit Bali once or twice a year and who dream of moving here. In my experience it can be great with many advantages over living in a western country. For me, being a creature of habit, it is important to keep pushing myself too explore new places. If I find something I like that is handy, I tend to go there a lot, not wanting to expend the energy visiting somewhere new. With so many great shops, restaurants, beaches, villages, hotels, guest houses etc. that doesn’t make sense.

So what is it like being an expat? Well for one thing the other expats aren’t going to roll out the red carpet for you. Its up to you to go out and meet people. Given there is such an international mix here, you may have to adapt more than you are used to. One expat who has lived in Seminyak for years told me recently he and to go traveling for a part of the year in Asia because Bali is boring. I think what he actually means is Seminyak is boring, and it is if you only go to the same place or drinks and dinner. I see the same faces, scurrying to the same bars, chasing the same chicks and it can seem a small little environment if you are here for a while. I break out of the daily cycle by going for a ride in the mountains or to another part of Bali. There is nothing boring about that and plenty of adventure if you are up for it.

One expat told me ‘when you are a single guy living in Bali you find that your male friends don’t visit much.’ One reason for this could be the weather and choice of outside meeting places is means people would rather go out. Another is single guys are more into chasing single girls than visiting buddies. Seminyak expats can easily forget they are in Bali with all the internationally themed places to eat and hang out. I never want to forget that and its important to stop and observe a ceremony once in a while and actually take a minute to consider its meaning.