Bali has become in recent years one of the most influential and popular hubs for Digital Nomads.
In this article you will find 10 Compelling Reasons why more and more digital nomads are choosing the island of Bali as their new home and why, if you’re working remotely, you probably would like to consider it too! 😉
People say that digital nomads’ jobs can be done from anywhere in the world, as long as there’s a reliable internet connection and a laptop.
Well…that is kinda true; the pity is that often people see only the benefits of this kind of job (geographical mobility in primis) and don’t recognize the amount of work and mental well-being often needed for running an online business or offering services in remote with success!
In a few words: the job of a digital nomad can be done from anywhere in the world, but not because of that it’s ENJOYABLE doing it from anywhere in the world!
As all workers, digital nomads also have needs: the need of networking (which is not always easy if you’re constantly on the move!), the need for food (we all need to eat!), the need for recreation (if you choose to work remotely to have more time, you’ll also want to spend it in meaningful ways!), need for affordable housing, need for safety, need for stability, etc.
Then, only AFTER that, come the fast internet connection, a comfortable place to work with, and perhaps some good air-con 😉
When you consider all of the needs of digital nomads, Bali seems to tick all the boxes!
In this article, we’ll see one by one all of the reasons why digital nomads love Bali so much and why, if you’re a remote worker, you might fall in love with it too!
Let’s start! 😀
1. Bali offers High-Speed Internet Connection at Low Cost
The Government of Bali, along with the significant data companies operating on the island, strived to improve its network infrastructure in the past years, and the efforts are paying off.
Indeed, almost all of the island offers excellent 4G coverage, while in Denpasar the 5G is becoming increasingly adopted.
In addition to mobile data (of which you can check out the Coverage Map here), many bars and Co-Working spaces in Bali offer fast Wi-fi and Ultra-fast Fibra connection.
All in all, if it’s a reliable internet you need, Bali got you covered! 🙂
2. Bali is Safe and (Almost) Everyone Speaks English!
The official languages in Bali are two, and none of them is English: Indonesian and Balinese.
Said that in the past 50 years the island of Bali saw an increasing boom in tourism and its economy began to revolve almost entirely around tourism. As the tourist economy rose, so did the number of locals speaking English.
Nowadays, almost anyone in Bali can at least communicate in English, and that’s one of the main reasons digital nomads love Bali and why many foreigners from all over the world feel comfortable moving their residence to the island.
On top of the widely-spoken English language, Bali is a pretty safe place too! Yes, there might be some petty crime (like everywhere on Earth!) in most touristic areas (such in Kuta), but it’s very rare: Balinese people in general are very respectful and crime has never been a feature of Balinese culture.
Side note: learning a few sentences in the local language is always a good idea as you show people that you care about their culture and heritage. If you’re interested, here I found an article teaching you the basics phrases of the Balinese language 🙂
3. The Locals are Extremely Welcoming and Friendly
Linking to the previous point, another reason why hordes of Digital Nomads decide to move to Bali and love this place so much is surely the local culture.
Balinese culture, traditions, and religion are like no other in Indonesia: locals believe in good and evil spirits, which should strive to show equal consideration and respect toward both people. It is a culture that emphasizes peace and mutual respect and the customs coming from religious teachings are visible also in the local population of today.
People in Bali are extremely welcoming to foreigners, like in very few other places on Earth! I don’t have memories of someone not greeting me with a huge smile anywhere I went… portraying positivity in others is a cultural trait that makes Bali incredibly special!
It’s a strange feeling to describe, but once you have visited the first time in Bali you’ll be able to immediately understand what I mean: once you land on the island, you feel at home, from day 1! 😉
4. Co-Working Spaces are Fantastic to Meet other Digital Nomads and Find Partners
In recent years, Bali has emerged as a nomadic hub for those seeking a novel way of existence, where the boundaries between work and leisure dissipate, and opportunities for business and freedom coexist.
Co-Working spaces popped up all over the island, and some towns of Bali such as Seminyak, Canggu, Ubud, Uluwatu, and Seseh grew amongst the most popular digital nomad destinations worldwide.
The price of a workstation in an average Co-Working with fast Wi-fi goes between 30-50 euros per week: definitely, something that most digital workers can afford.
Also, it is essential to consider that in Bali you won’t be forced into a cubicle of bricks: co-working spaces in Bali are gorgeous and well-though places that can help you focus, sparkle your creativity, and built with networking in mind 🙂
Just imagine how amazing it is to unwind on palm-fringed shores, find the inspiration amidst terraced landscapes, and craft dreams from quaint cafes overlooking breathtaking sunsets. Combining work and leisure in this tropical paradise is a philosophy of life that here comes lynaturally and which always more digital nomads are deciding to follow daily! 🙂
Here you can find a: List of All the Most Popular Co-Working Spaces in Bali.
Last but not least, as a digital nomad you might want to consider the advantages of living within a hub of like-minded people. In fact, in Bali, there are many services that might help freelancers and start-up entrepreneurs to develop their online business and succeed.
Here you can find a few services tailored for digital nomads you might want to check out once in Bali:
Bali Accelerators – Incubators – Investors Database – for those planning to grow a Business in Bali
SEO Bali Agency – for Bloggers and Content Marketers that want to promote their content in the region
5. You can Work from a Natural Paradise on Earth: It hardly comes better than this!
Infrastructures, Co-Working Spaces, Local culture… everything makes working remotely from Bali great, but nothing beats its breathtaking nature! That’s what draws people here in the first place and locks many on the island forever!
I still remember the first time I saw the pictures of Diamond Beach and the GWK park on a digital nomad’s German Travel Blog I was following back in 2018: I was immediately hooked and three months later…dadaaaa I was in Bali! 😀
Bali, also called the “Island of the Gods” by locals, has been nicknamed in the past century as the “paradise island” and you can bet that’s for a truly compelling reason: it’s just SO SO SO wonderful!
From pristine jungle to dream beaches, from emerald waters to lush green rice terraces and even vulcanoes, Bali has it all! Add to that tropical temperatures years round (with a dry and a wet season), and you can imagine why they call it a “paradise”.
If you dream of living your life in flip-flops, Bali is definitely the place you want to check out! ;D
If you want to know more about the awesome beauty of Bali, check out my article The Top 10 Most Beautiful Places you Need to Visit in Bali too!
6. There are so Many Events that you’ll Never get Bored… truly Never!
Every business benefits from networking with peers: you share ideas, experiences, and thoughts, sparkle creativity and meet new potential partners and customers!
While working online though, networking is not always easy as you’re physically distant from others, and social occasions to meet each other in person are generally rare.
In Bali, that’s not like this: chances to meet like-minded people and make new friends here are high!
In addition to Co-Working Spaces, here you can join tours, beach clubs, happy hours, kioskos and cultural cafès to meet up with colleagues and the digital nomad community at large. Events in Bali are every day, prices are affordable and the whole laid-back environment creates the best frame for sparkling interaction 🙂
Once laptops are closed, in Bali you can meet the people behind those laptops, and that is one more reason why digital nomads like to work and live in Bali! 😉
Here you can find a handful of websites that monitor all the cool events taking place on the island:
- Bali General Events on Bali.com
- NightLife Events Calendar
- Cooking, Meditation, Yoga Events, and More
7. There are many Visa Options as Digital Nomads and Bali’s Government is very Welcoming too
The Local Government of Bali sees the great economical benefits of having digital nomads moving to the island, and therefore trying to make getting a Visa for Bali increasingly simple.
In 2023, several visa options became available to accommodate the needs of nomadic professionals. Here are some of the visa types commonly utilized by digital nomads:
- Tourist Visa: Digital nomads can enter Bali on a tourist visa, which allows for a stay of up to 30 days. This visa can be extended for an additional 30 days, providing a total of 60 days in Bali. However, it’s important to note that this visa does not permit any form of employment or work.
- Social/Cultural Visa: This visa allows for a longer stay of up to 180 days. It requires sponsorship from an Indonesian citizen or a local organization. While this visa does not specifically cater to digital nomads, it can be a viable option for those seeking an extended stay in Bali.
- Business Visa: Digital nomads who wish to engage in business activities in Bali can opt for a business visa. This visa allows for multiple entries and a stay of up to 60 days per entry, with the possibility of extending it for up to 12 months. It requires sponsorship from an Indonesian company.
- Working KITAS (B211a visa): For those planning to work in Bali for an extended period, obtaining a Working KITAS or the Indonesian Electronic Limited Stay Permit (ITAS) is necessary. This visa requires sponsorship from an Indonesian company and allows for a longer stay, typically up to one year, with the option to renew.
Talks are ongoing for making a 5-year Visa specifically designed for Digital Nomads, but at the moment it has still not been approved.
My suggestion, before applying for my visa, is that you should consult the Indonesian Immigration Website, BaliVisas, or with a Bali Digital Agency to ensure compliance with the latest regulations and to determine the most suitable visa option based on individual circumstances.
8. The Atmosphere is Laid-Back and non-Judgemental
In Bali, nobody is staring at you… or better: nobody is staring at anyone! 😀
The social atmosphere in Bali is extremely relaxed, laid-back, and carefree: everyone dresses up as he feels like, cultivates his passions when he feels like and nobody cares! It’s not like in big cities…
Many digital nomads love this aspect of Bali: not being judged by your profession and having the time to do what you want without feeling guilty about it.
Escaping to Bali is a way for many to escape the pressure to succeed that societies elsewhere put on them… and actually, in this environment, they can succeed even better at their own pace!
A laid-back social atmosphere gives you the peace of mind to freely organize your work-life routine and be productive on your own terms!
9. You can Live with Less and Enjoy Great Work-Life Balance
Bali can be for everyone and finding the perfect accommodation in Bali is an exciting part of the digital nomad experience.
From budget-friendly guesthouses to luxury villas, Bali offers a wide range of options to suit every preference and budget.
The cost of living in Bali is relatively affordable, making it an attractive destination for digital nomads. Daily expenses, such as food, transportation, and entertainment, are reasonably priced, allowing you to make the most of your budget. (if you want to have an idea of the prices, check out my other article Bali: How Much it Cost and How to Plan your Budget).
When it comes to co-working spaces, Bali has a thriving community of digital nomads, and there are plenty of options available. As we’ve seen before, these co-working spaces provide a productive and inspiring environment, equipped with modern facilities, high-speed internet, and comfortable workstations, all at very reasonable prices too!
Whether you prefer a lively co-working space in the heart of Seminyak or a serene one surrounded by rice fields in Ubud, Bali has the perfect spot to enhance your productivity while connecting with like-minded professionals.
Overall, everything you’ll do in Bali, including what to eat, where to stay, and where to go, can be tailored down to your budget: there are just so many options!
10. Every Sunset in Bali makes you Feel Alive
If all the above-mentioned reasons did not convince you, wait for the cherry on top!
The Western Coast of Bali is studded with long beaches and every sunset from there is magical and will make you feel alive!
Every evening, thousands of tourists, foreigners and locals alike meet-up on the large beaches of Bali to share the spectacular view that mother nature has to offer.
From the coast of Bali, you can see the sun diving in the ocean every day, with the shadows of palms trees and the sound of the waves crashing gently on the beach. Personally, I cannot imagine any better scenery to re-charge the batteries after a day behind the laptop!
Sometimes, as digital nomads we focus so much on our projects that we forget to stop, reflect, breath-in, be present and assaporate the moment: the Bali’s sunset is exactly THAT thing that reminds you every evening why you actually are there in the first place! 😉
Why Digital Nomads Love Bali? – Conclusion
And here we come at the end of this article 🙂
In this post, I showed you 10 Compelling Reasons why digital nomads love Bali so much!
Personally, before building our orange van and starting traveling the world on that, I’d been in Bali twice and I was three weeks away to move there before the pandemic struck and made me review my plans.
As of now, although I am writing while traveling, I still have in the back of my mind the idea of moving back to Bali once my van travels will come to an end. After experiencing the island and its environment, I cannot stress enough how ideal it is for living and working as a digital nomad! ;D
Before saying goodbye, as always I ask you to let me know in the comments below: Did you find the article useful? Have you traveled to Bali before? Do you agree with the reasons listed above or would like to share your experience?
I always love exchanging perspectives and getting to know new people 😉
Hereafter I will leave you a few additional I wrote about Bali, in case you would like to expand your view and knowledge about this paradise island:
1) The Top 10 Most Beautiful Places You Need to Visit in Bali
2) Bali: Hotspots Map and How to Move Around
3) Bali: How Much it Costs and How to Plan Your Budget
4) Bali: What to Pack for Your Trip
6) Our Romantic Experience in a Balinese Luxury Villa
7) Drift Diving in Lembongan – A Memorable Experience
Also, if you’re not a digital nomad yet but you’re aspiring to find a digital nomad job that might allow you to earn while traveling, be sure to check my guide too:
Work and Travel: 70 Ideas for Earning while Traveling the World
Thank you for reading, and see you in the next article! 🙂
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