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There’s a lot to be said for being able to make good small talk in another language. Conversations can start up and keep going indefinitely with the right people. But what can you talk about? Perhaps you’ve tried talking about the weather and didn’t end up getting terribly far. Or perhaps you’ve already met someone in Indonesia and gotten along with them, but you don’t know what to talk about whenever you hang out. When something big happens in their life, you’ve got the perfect opening. For example, wishing them a happy birthday in Indonesian is a good way to open up new conversation topics like what they want to do during this next year of their life, if they have special plans, etc.. Well-wishes, or ucapan in Indonesian, are an important part of any culture. Knowing the right thing to say, whether it’s good news or bad, is the cornerstone of any interesting conversation. In this article, you’ll learn about phrases of congratulations in Indonesian, as well as how to offer Indonesian condolences when they’re needed. Let’s get started. Table of Contents Birthdays Holidays Christmas Babies Graduation Weddings and Anniversaries Bad News in General Good News in General Conclusion 1. Birthdays Indonesians definitely celebrate birthdays, meaning that wishing someone a happy birthday in Indonesian is much appreciated. The word for “birthday” is hari kelahiran literally “day of birth” when translated, but instead of using that construction, there’s a set phrase you should use. Selamat ulang tahun! “Happy Birthday!” In very formal contexts, like when an important person is celebrating their birthday as a large public event, the word dirgahayu is used. Generally, dirgahayu is used for Indonesian Independence Day—so it has the same connotation as the birth of a country! If you’re writing a card, you should also include some of these excellent phrases for wishing long life, happiness, and success. Semoga permohonanmu terkabul. “May your wishes be granted.” Semoga selalu sejahtera. “Keep staying prosperous.” Semoga panjang umur. “May your life be long.” In English, we have one typical birthday song that everybody knows perhaps two, if you count He’s a Jolly Good Fellow. In Indonesian, though, people don’t really sing the song. Only in the case of celebrating a foreigner’s birthday would a song be sung, and then it would just probably be the same tune as the English Happy Birthday to You. 2. Holidays Wishing someone a happy holiday in Indonesian can be a bit uncertain if you’re new to the country. For example, when you’re living in Indonesia and everything starts closing up early during the holy month of Ramadan, if you’re not a Muslim you may not be clear on how to wish other people a “Happy Ramadan.” To be honest, it’s not really done with the kind of fervor that, say, Americans tend to use when they wish every stranger in sight “Merry Christmas.” That said, a holiday greeting in Indonesian is normally appreciated. Here are a couple of examples Selamat menunaikan ibadah puasa. “Wishing you a blessed Ramadan.” Selamat Idul Fitri. Minal aidin wal faidzin. “Happy Eid Mubarak. Please forgive any wrongdoing.” These two phrases can function as a sort of conversation, in that if somebody greets you with one, you can reply with the other. From dawn to dusk, Indonesian Muslims fast during Ramadan. As the word for “fast” is puasa, you can say Selamat puasa! to others to wish them a happy fasting period. After the month of Ramadan is over, the fasting period is broken with the celebration of Eid al-Fitr, or as it’s known in Indonesian, Hari Raya Idul Fitri. During this time, there are public holidays known as Lebaran, where everybody takes time off to be with family. 3. Christmas When it gets past November, the Christmas spirit is alive and well in big shopping centers and near churches. You’ll get past the incongruity of seeing Christmas trees next to palm trees. But because most people you meet aren’t likely to celebrate Christmas, it’s a good idea to refrain from sending out season’s greetings to ordinary people on the street. With people you know better, you can certainly tell them Merry Christmas in Indonesian Selamat Hari Natal! “Merry Christmas!” In a casual context, the ubiquitous word selamat can be shortened to simply met. Lastly, for a holiday greeting in Indonesian that says both Merry Christmas and Happy New Year in Indonesian, you can do exactly what we do in English Selamat Hari Natal dan Tahun Baru! “Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!” The New Year isn’t the largest holiday of the year, by far, but you’ll definitely hear fireworks. People celebrate all through the country. If you can, try to get up to the top of a building in a residential area and watch the fireworks go off all around you. A great way to ring in the new year! 4. Babies The arrival of a new baby is a joyous time for anyone. In Indonesia, the equivalent of a “baby shower” can take many forms. In some places, it’s held in the seventh month of a woman’s pregnancy, and is a time for a woman’s closest friends and relatives to give their blessings. In other places, there’s no ceremony until after the baby is born, at which time they’re welcomed into the world with an enormous feast and party. No matter what the ceremony looks like, you can’t go wrong by wishing the mother or the father congratulations with this phrase Selamat atas kelahiran bayi! “Congratulations on the birth of a new baby!” Naturally, you can be more specific with your Indonesian congratulations by being more descriptive with your words. Selamat atas kelahiran sosok yang begitu menakjubkan. “Congratulations on finding something so magical.” Nikmatilah petualangan sebagai orang tua! “Enjoy your journey into parenthood!” Aku sangat bahagia dengan kelahiran si kecil dalam keluarga kalian. “I’m overjoyed at the arrival of the little one in your family.” A quick note on Indonesian usage That little word si is actually kind of like a title. Here it’s being used in a very cute way to say “the little one,” but it could just as easily fit before any adjective si gemuk, meaning “the plump one,” or si manis, meaning “the sweet one,” for example. 5. Graduation More and more students are graduating from Indonesia’s top schools every year. But that doesn’t mean graduating isn’t a big deal. If you know someone who’s graduating or if you yourself are, then you should definitely study up with these phrases. Selamat wisuda! “Happy graduation!” In a card, you can send these more formal wishes for the future Aku bangga denganmu. “I’m proud of you.” Saya berharap kamu selalu sukses. “I hope you achieve success.” The word berharap here implies both a hope and an expectation—so no pressure! Kamu sudah bekerja keras untuk lulus. “You’ve worked hard for this graduation.” One interesting thing is that, since a lot of young people are studying English or speak it very well, plenty of Indonesians will just use English to congratulate each other on graduating. It’s almost seen as more formal than Indonesian. 6. Weddings and Anniversaries If you’re lucky enough to be invited to an Indonesian wedding, you should make your best effort to be present. Unlike in the West, where you can send a gift or card if you’re unable to make it, people in Indonesia generally give out invitations to their close friends with the expectation that they’ll be able to come. There are two very common wedding congratulations or set phrases in Indonesian. Selamat ulang tahun pernikahan! “Happy Wedding Day!” Semoga bahagia sampai tua. “Wish You Happiness Until Old Age” Doesn’t quite roll off the tongue in English, but it will be very well appreciated, particularly if you know the bride or groom well. In addition to these set phrases, you can use some of these example sentences to create your own more personalized Indonesian wedding congratulations. Selamat, dan harapan yang indah untuk kalian berdua di hari pernikahan ini. “Congratulations, and warm wishes to both of you on this wedding day.” Selamat untuk kawanku! Semoga selalu bahagia dan keluargamu sehat. “Congratulations my friend! I wish you happiness and good health for your family.” As many weddings are held within religious traditions, it’s very common to send spiritual blessings or doa, which are “prayers,” during a wedding as well. Aku berdoa agar Tuhan memberkati kalian berdua dengan pernikahan yang indah. “I wish to God to bless the two of you with a beautiful wedding day.” Semoga Allah memberi berkah kepadamu dan atasmu serta mengumpulkan kamu berdua dalam kebaikan. “May Allah bring blessings upon you and gather the two of you together in kindness.” Those are just two examples of the highly formal style of language you can expect for doa and in Islamic weddings, these prayers are often delivered in Arabic outright. Many people actually consult religious scholars to provide them with prayers that fit the situation, and the bride and groom, exactly. 7. Bad News in General Not every life event is all sunshine and roses. If somebody’s going through a tough time or has received bad news, you should extend some heartfelt words of sympathy. Many Indonesians use the word “sorry” in English some spell it sori. To foreign ears, this can sound rather dismissive, but it’s not rude. Even for relatively serious things, you might hear someone say sori ya but mean it with respect and gravity. However, this is somewhere where you can’t totally rely on simple set phrases. If somebody thinks that you’re not sincere in your words—just reciting something memorized—then it’ll hurt more than if you hadn’t said anything. And as a foreigner learning Indonesian, using just your own language might seem like a bit of a cop-out. So keep that in mind as you look at these following phrases, and if you ever have to use them, do your best to speak more specifically about the actual situation. 1- Death or Funerals Funerals are a bit complicated here, as they’re highly personal events that are still celebrated in literally hundreds of different ways throughout Indonesia. Remember, the Indonesian language, as a national language, is only about two or three generations old, and cultural roots go way deeper than that. First, the basic phrase for expressing sorrow is turut berduka. Turut berduka atas ayahmu. “I’m very sorry about your father.” When giving condolences in Indonesian, it’s common to refer to someone’s death in a sensitive way, just as in English we might say that someone “passed away.” Saya sangat kaget mendengar bahwa dia telah tiada. “I am very sorry to hear that she has passed away literally that she is not here.” The most common condolence messages for funerals in Indonesia take the form of reminders about the person’s afterlife. Although not all Indonesians are devoutly religious, the vast majority believe strongly in a creator and an afterlife, and these thoughts are very comforting for someone who has lost a loved one. Semoga Tuhan memberinya tempat yang terbaik. “May God give them the finest place.” Dia akan mendapatkan tempat terbaik di surga. “He will receive the finest place in heaven.” Ingatlah kebahagiannya untuk bertemu dengan Sang Pencipta. “Think of her happiness in meeting the Creator.” Aside from that, condolences often come with gifts of flowers. You should deliver them personally if possible, along with words like these Tetap kuat dan ingat bahwa kamu memiliki banyak orang yang peduli denganmu. “Remain strong and remember that you have a lot of people who care about you.” Kami selalu mendoakanmu. “We’re always praying for you.” 2- Poor Health If you were suffering from an illness, wouldn’t it feel great to know that your friends and family were thinking of you? It’s always a great gesture of kindness to send nice thoughts to someone who’s feeling under the weather, whether it’s serious or just an ordinary bug. First, the all-purpose phrase Semoga cepat sembuh! “Get well soon!” But when you’re really feeling awful think day three or four of tropical fever, the concept of “getting well” might seem awfully far away. In that case, you’ll want to hear encouraging messages of support, both from the perspective of friendship and of spirituality. Jangan merasa sendiri. Aku akan selalu bersamamu. “Don’t feel alone. I’m always with you.” Jangan pernah menyerah! “Never give up!” Doaku selalu untukmu. “My prayers are always with you.” 10. Good News in General And in order to end on a happy note, let’s look at just a few more quick phrases you can use for any kind of catch-all good stuff. Someone’s cat had kittens? Promotion’s coming up? These are perfect responses. Keren! “Awesome!” Bagus sekali! “Fantastic!” What about when somebody’s about to take on a challenge, or they’re not sure whether the outcome will be good or bad? In that case, you can quite literally “wish them success” with this phrase Semoga sukses! “Best of luck!” 11. Conclusion Now that you’re armed with all of these great phrases, you should be able to connect with other people on a totally different level than before. Seriously, there’s a big difference between letting some foreigner know about your upcoming graduation and getting into an interesting conversation with them about it. If you can make yourself into a foreigner who’s capable of having that kind of conversation, your life in Indonesia will be all the richer for it. I hope you enjoyed learning about Indonesian life event messages, and that you took away something valuable from this article. Before you go, let us know how you feel about holding conversations in Indonesian using these phrases! Are there any life event messages you still want to know about? We look forward to hearing from you. 🙂 Is your first thought of Indonesia a beach? Relaxing in the sunshine on a beautiful warm day, no matter the season? Indeed, the weather Jakarta, Indonesia and the rest of the country experiences can be delightful. Or perhaps it’s a blustery day, threading through stalled traffic on a motorbike as buckets of rain pour down from the heavens. One of the reasons you should always keep up with Indonesian weather forecasts! To be honest, the longer you visit Indonesia for, the more likely you are to experience both. Climate and weather in Indonesia can be extreme, so knowing what to expect from the weather in Indonesia all year long is essential. The question is, how well will you be able to describe these experiences in the local language? Since the weather is something we all experience every day of our lives, it’s a great way to break the ice with strangers. Indonesians are happy to chat with foreign visitors about anything if they speak the language, and so in this article we’ll give you the tools and the background to do just that. By the end of this article, you should be able to talk with natives about Indonesia weather like it’s nothing! At we hope to make learning about the weather and talking about the weather in Indonesian both fun and informative! Table of Contents All Two of the Indonesian Seasons Fifteen Typical Phrases for Describing Day-to-Day Weather Natural Occurrences Besides the Weather Telling the Temperature Idioms and Expressions about the Weather Conclusion 1. All Two of the Indonesian Seasons So let’s get this out of the way first. Whether you’re talking about Bali weather, Jakarta weather, or weather anywhere else in the country, it’s not likely to get very cold. Instead of temperature, what varies throughout the year is usually precipitation. The year is divided into two seasons Roughly six months of very little rain from May to September, and then six months of quite a bit more rain from October to April. These two seasons are known as musim kemarau or “drought season,” and musim hujan meaning “rain season,” respectively. Musim hujan, by the way, gets translated to English sometimes as the much more evocative “monsoon season,” but it’s nowhere near as dangerous as it sounds. That said, weather in Indonesia by month doesn’t vary too much apart from these two seasons. Of course, that doesn’t mean that the four seasons experienced by other countries are impossible to talk about in the Indonesian language. Everybody understands the phrases “spring” musim semi, “summer” musim panas, “fall” musim gugur, and “winter” musim dingin. In the following sections, I’ll be going over different ways to talk about weather in Indonesia throughout the year. 2. Fifteen Typical Phrases for Describing Day-to-Day Weather 1- Hot Weather There’s a reason this section is first. Indonesia is not a cool place, generally speaking. The word for “hot” as in temperature is panas in Indonesian, and this is the kind of weather in Indonesia you’re most likely to experience. Knowing this word will definitely be helpful in talking about Indonesia weather by month, considering the typical hot weather year-round. Waduh, panas sekali hari ini! “Goodness, it’s so hot today!” It’s tough to translate waduh. Just treat it as an exclamation that isn’t considered rude at all, while still carrying more weight than “wow.” Ingatlah minum lebih banyak air waktu panas. “Remember to drink more water when it’s hot.” You’re likely to get this kind of advice from locals. They know foreign visitors often find themselves gasping at the heat, and so they’re here to helpfully remind you to stay healthy even when you feel uncomfortable. Mas, bisa mengecilkan AC? “Hey mister, can you turn down the AC?” This might seem like a strange question at first, given the context. But tons of taxi drivers like to absolutely blast the AC in their cars, and after a few minutes your teeth might start chattering. Kalau Anda tinggal di daerah laut, cuaca lebih lembap. “If you stay in a hotel near the sea, the weather is more humid.” Of course, if you’re used to anything even approaching kering “dry” cuaca “weather,” the climate in Indonesia is going to be extremely lembab, or “humid,” for you. Now that we’re on the topic of moisture… 2- Wet Weather All too often, when it rains in Indonesia, it pours. Sometimes there’s little to no warning about how much the skies are really going to open up. Kelihatannya akan segera hujan deras. “It looks like it’s going to rain really hard soon.” If you get caught out on the street during a cloudburst, you may want to head to the nearest convenience store for something to keep you dry. These words will be quite helpful Ada jas hujan di sini? Ada payung? “Do you have ponchos here? Do you have umbrellas?” You may happen to be from a place where ponchos aren’t as commonly worn in the rain. Just try holding an umbrella while driving a motorbike, and see how much you miss ponchos then. Kita tidak bisa ke sana. Ada banjir. “We can’t go there. There’s a flood.” Thanks to the intensity of sudden rains combined with a sometimes lacking road drainage system, it may be quite a shock to you to see how fast the water can rise in the streets. This happens especially often in certain areas of Jakarta, giving that city a reputation for flooding in the rainy season. Fortunately, in most cases, the water is just a nuisance instead of a real danger. Your shoes should dry overnight if you keep them inside. Besides Kamu lebih baik tidak jalan-jalan waktu hujan. “You shouldn’t go walking when it’s raining.” In Indonesia, most people believe that going out in the rain causes people to get sick. Whether or not you think the same, it’s just common sense that you should postpone your stroll until later. The clouds are known to clear as fast as they form, anyway. Hujan sudah berhenti belum? “Has the rain stopped yet?” This simple sentence is actually an extremely useful pattern that you can use with tons of different verbs. Belum means “not yet,” so you’re literally saying “Rain stop, or not yet?” 3- Cold Weather What’s cold weather doing here if all I’ve been doing so far is talking about how hot it is? Well, remember You can talk about other places than just Indonesia. The Indonesian diaspora around the world certainly experiences cold weather too! Di sana dingin setiap malam. “It’s cold there every night.” Apakah bersalju di musim dingin? “Does it snow in the winter?” If you’re from a faraway country, curious locals might ask you this question—even if you’re from a place like Miami or Barcelona. Cuacanya tidak cukup dingin sehingga turun salju. Tapi ada gunung di mana orang bisa bermain ski! “The weather doesn’t get cold enough to snow. But there are mountains where people can ski!” And if you end up going up into the mountains of Kalimantan or Papua, you’ll feel the urge to bundle up, too. When it’s cold, wind chill makes things even worse. That’s actually one of the times you might find yourself shivering even without going some place really exotic. You get up on top of a peak for an afternoon hike and find that the wind is practically blowing you over! Angin kencang sekali di sini! Ayo pergi! “The wind is so strong here! Let’s go!” Lastly, Indonesian rain does in fact have a middle setting between “off” and “heavy.” The word for a light rain or drizzle is gerimis, which you can remember because it sounds kind of like “gray” and “miserable,” the general color and feeling during that kind of rain. Biasanya ada gerimis setiap pagi. “There’s usually a drizzle every morning.” It’s good to keep in mind that Indonesians rarely complain very much. If you’re too negative, you might find yourself in an awkward situation where your host wants to try to solve the problem for you. So when you’re talking about weather you don’t like, keep it light and simple! 3. Natural Occurrences Besides the Weather More than just rain and wind happens in the natural world. One thing Indonesia is regularly in the news for is volcanic eruptions, which—while not exactly weather events—still get talked about in a similar way and have their own set of vocabulary. An “eruption” is formally called a letusan, while a “volcano” is a gunung berapi literally “mountain with fire”. A more poetic term for an eruption, though, is batuk, literally “cough.” Gunungnya batuk malam ini. “The mountain coughed this evening.” The volcano erupted this evening. Certain types of eruptions don’t have any lava flow associated with them, but they do end up spewing a bunch of abu, or “ash,” all over the place. The ash cloud can be blown across entire cities, resulting in a fine dusting over a large area known as hujan abu or “ash rain.” Note that this is dry, so it’s different from actual precipitation mixed with ash in the air—but both are unpleasant to be outside in. Another natural event that happens with some frequency in Indonesia is an “earthquake,” or gempa bumi. These rarely make more than local news because they’re not often strong enough to cause any damage, just a gentle swaying of the lights in your room. Gempa bumi yang terjadi kemarin tidak parah. “The earthquake that happened yesterday wasn’t serious.” Air pollution is another noticeable problem in some areas. Built-up metropolitan areas suffer from chronic congestion, and when you’re in the thick of a crowd of idling motorcycles, the fumes can make your eyes water in seconds. For that reason, lots of people buy cheap single-use or washable face masks that serve the dual purpose of blocking some of the pollution while also preventing a hilarious helmet-shaped tan line around your face. Protip If you rent a motorcycle, throw a pack of masks in the little storage compartment for when traffic strikes. Otherwise… Saya lupa membawa masker. “I forgot to bring my face mask.” 4. Telling the Temperature To talk about Indonesian weather by month, knowing temperature terms is a must. This is an essential aspect of Indonesian climate and weather, and you should know a little about this to better understand Indonesian weather forecasts. Indonesia uses degrees Celsius. This is actually a somewhat unusual word in that it’s been adopted wholesale into Indonesian, but the spelling didn’t change. So it’s pronounced selsius but spelled celsius. The word for “temperature” is suhu. Here, you’ll find some phrases you can use to talk about Indonesia weather and the temperature year-round. Suhu hari ini lebih tinggi daripada kemarin. “The temperature is higher today than it was yesterday.” The word for “degrees” is derajat. Equally interesting to me at least is that in the English phrase “degrees Celsius” the adjective comes after the noun, just like in Indonesian. Sekarang suhunya minus sepuluh derajat Celsius. “The temperature right now is minus ten degrees Celsius.” 5. Idioms and Expressions about the Weather Probably the very first idioms that English learners hear about in class are “raining cats and dogs” and “every cloud has a silver lining.” These are the most common and accessible for a reason. Everybody understands that weather can represent quite a lot symbolically. In Indonesia, too, weather-related terms can talk about more than actual Indonesian climate and weather. Here are two phrases and three idioms in Indonesian that use the weather as a metaphor for something else. Can you guess the meaning before reading the explanation? makan angin Literally “eat wind” Instead of snacking on the breeze, this phrase means “to get fresh air.” You know the feeling; it’s hot and stuffy inside, and you just want to go outside and get a mouthful of clean air to clear your head. Di sini terlalu panas, saya akan keluar makan angin. “It’s too hot in here. I’m gonna go outside for some air.” masuk angin Literally “enter wind” Just to show you how versatile wind can be in Indonesian, here’s another. This phrase means “to get a cold.” There’s actually a popular herbal cold remedy under the brand name Tolak Angin, or “repel wind.” Anton sakit. Dia masuk angin. “Anton is sick. He has a cold.” Kemarau setahun dihapuskan hujan sehari. “A year of drought is washed away by a day of rain.” This idiom is pretty self-explanatory, actually. A long-running feud or a long-lasting period of suffering can be brought to balance once more by a single act of kindness or love. Of course, it can also go the other way. Trust built up between people for years can be destroyed by one misdeed. Mengharapkan hujan turun, air di tempayan ditumpahkan. “Expecting rain to fall, the water that has been saved is thrown away.” Here, the meaning isn’t quite so obvious at first. This is a piece of advice for planning for bad outcomes. In other words, it warns against expecting only good things to happen. It describes someone who is so sure of a lucky break that they risk everything all at once. 6. Conclusion There’s no better way to actually remember all these words and phrases than to use them. One of the best ways to practice is simply by reading some Indonesian weather forecasts online; just go to a website like Kompas and head to the cuaca section. Simply read a single article every day or so for about a month, and you’ll know all the Indonesian vocabulary you need to talk about Indonesian climate and weather like the back of your hand. You can also check out our lessons here on Combining audio reinforcement with your other studies is a fantastic way to make your speech totally automatic. That way, when it comes time to relax in Bali, call a cab during a Medan thunderstorm, or walk around in the weather Jakarta poses that day, you’ll be totally prepared for jabbering about the weather with anyone nearby. We hope you now feel more prepared for Indonesia weather, and that you know what to expect year-round. Before you go, be sure to drop us a comment to let us know what you thought of this article! Did you learn any new Indonesian weather vocabulary, or new facts about Indonesian weather you didn’t know before? We look forward to hearing from you! Author Yassir Sahnoun is a HubSpot certified content strategist, copywriter and polyglot who works with language learning companies. He helps companies attract sales using content strategy, copywriting, blogging, email marketing & more. When we asked people living in Indonesia about the weather in Indonesia, they said... "The climate in Indonesia is tropical and humid, with two distinct monsoon seasons. The wet season runs from October to April, while the dry season runs from May to September. Temperatures remain fairly consistent throughout the year, with the average temperature ranging from 25 to 30 degrees Celsius. Indonesia is also prone to typhoons and other tropical storms during the wet season," said a member in Indonesia. Never worry about paying your medical bills out of pocket again. The innovative Get a quote from our partner, PassportCard. PassportCard allows for a stress-free experience for all expat families, remote travelers, and workers. With a 24/7 customer service and an outstanding customer base of over 2 Million clients, it will feel like medical care at home. Get up to 10% off on your policy now. Get a quote from our partner, PassportCard. Other Questions What do I need to know before retiring in Indonesia? How do I meet people in Indonesia? What is life like in Indonesia? Is there a lot of crime in Indonesia? Is there a lot of diversity? Are people in Indonesia accepting of differences? What are the schools in Indonesia like? Is the cost of living in Indonesia high? What advice do you have for expats having a baby in Indonesia? What are healthcare services like in Indonesia? Is the cost of living in Indonesia high? What type of recreational facilities are in Indonesia? What is the weather like in Indonesia? Are there good restaurants in Indonesia? Where will I buy groceries and do other shopping in Indonesia? What are the visa & residency requirements in Indonesia? Are healthcare and health insurance expensive in Indonesia? What do I need to know when buying property in Indonesia? Are foreigners allowed to own property in Indonesia? What appliances are typically included in a rental? What is the weather like in Indonesia? If you live in Indonesia, newcomers to Indonesia would love to hear your answer to this question I’ve lived in Bali for the past few months and it’s been one of the best experiences of my life. I had visited Bali as a tourist many years ago and I already knew I loved the island. I came to Bali again during the pandemic and stayed. It was quite the process to enter the country during COVID, but it was well worth it given that it was not crazy overcrowded like it was during normal haven’t many negative things to say about Bali so this post will mostly be dedicated to why I absolutely love living on the Island of the Gods. If you’re also planning to spend extended time in Bali, this post will definitely help give you plenty to think about!Year round great weatherI’m a warm weather type of person and Bali is absolutely perfect for me. As it is located around the equator, it is warm and tropical year round. You can expect warm to hot temperatures throughout the year which is just what I need. Because of the predictable weather, shorts and tank tops are the only type of clothing I need which really helps cut down massively on the clothing has a two season a rainy season between December and April, and a dry season between April and November. During the rainy season, you’ll find weather that is largely unpredictable. Sometimes you’ll have sunny days for days on end, and other times you’ll have a stretch of days where it’s only rain. More likely is that you’ll have sun for most of the day with a downpour at some point in the day usually later on in the day. You can expect temperatures to be really hot in March with humidity elevated as my luck at InstagramI stayed in Bali largely in the rainy season and it really isn’t that bad compared to other rainy season’s I’ve the dry season, Bali is less humid and it rains far less often. Sunsets can be enjoyed almost every night. It’s no surprise that Bali’s high season months are typically between June and my scooter around everywhereScooters are the main form of transportation around Bali. There is no public transportation to speak of at least I’ve never come across any and almost everyone uses scooters locals and tourists. Walking and even cycling is just not something that is done here. When it gets super hot and humid, you won’t want to be on your bicycle anyhow. For someone staying in Bali long term, a scooter is the way of life and you can rent a scooter for as cheap as 400k IDR a month which definitely won’t break the I love getting around everywhere on my scooter. Something about cruising along the rice fields with the wind blowing against you on a hot and humid day is just great. With the scooter, I can go everywhere and explore all of Bali’s different neighborhoods as well as taking weekend trips to Ubud or aren’t great for exercise because you end up traveling even a few hundred meters by scooter but that is what going to one of the numerous gyms in Bali is for!More beautiful cafes than anywhere in the worldBali has perhaps the highest number of brunch style restaurants and cafes of anywhere in the world. I’m not joking. Within maybe 5 square km, you’ll find a hundred different trendy cafes and beautiful restaurants beckoning for your stomach and Instagram account. Seriously, I would like to know if there is somewhere with more beautiful cafes per capita than in Canggu or Ubud, I know that a delicious cup of coffee is probably one of the easiest things I can obtain. Read my best cafes in Canggu post for a list of all of my favorite cafes There are many as well as my favorite cafes to work from in different restaurant cuisines availableI’m a big fan of Indonesian food. From Nasi Goreng to Beef Rendang, the strong flavors, spices, and ingredients are totally my style. There are countless Indonesian restaurants on the island in the form of Warungs local restaurants for you to try the local if you are feeling like you need a break from Indonesian food, there are countless options of all different cuisines in areas like Canggu, Seminyak, and Ubud. From delicious Napoli style pizza, to Mexican food, Italian, Greek, Steakhouses, Michelin star tastings, there is everthing you’ll ever need are new restaurants constantly being opened in Bali so you always have something new to look forward to. When you feel like you need just a casual no frills no thrills meal by yourself, you can go to a local sate shop and grab 10 chicken/pork sates for 10k-20k IDR!Natural beauty is easily accessible rice field to beach in one dayBali is just incredibly beautiful as far as natural scenery goes. Bali is an island but due to its size, it offers so much more than a typical tropical island like Koh Phangan, Thailand, or a place like Caye Caulker is unique in that it has all the beautiful beach things you can want like surfing and diving but it also offers incredibly picturesque rice fields that are world famous, ancient temples, and numerous dramatic volcanoes. You can go from mountain rice terraces to the ocean in the same I lived in Canggu neared to the ocean for most of my stay, I would frequently travel around Bali visiting places like Ubud and Sideman because it just felt like you went to a completely different I wanted a longer trip, I could take a ferry to islands like Nusa Penida which is even more stunning in my opinion and offers the most impressive scuba diving in easy to get sucked into Canggu lifestyle I’ll have to admit. But being able to leave what is already an amazing lifestyle to have a weekend break in a villa in Ubud overlooking the rice fields just goes to show how special Bali is absolutely stunning, options are endlessContinuing off the previous point, Indonesia as a whole is just absolutely stunning. It is one of my favorite countries in the world because the diversity above and below the water is unmatched. Most people think Bali is the only thing Indonesia has to offer but it couldn’t be further from the truth. Indonesia has 18,000 islands after all and Bali is just a few of I’m an avid scuba diver, I’ve dived all over the world and I can safely and firmly say that Indonesia offers the best scuba diving in the world. I’ve spent many months diving around Komodo National Park famous for its beautiful manta rays and pristine manta rays in KomodoIn addition, Raja Ampat is equally if not more beautiful than Komodo which is just crazy that the country can have this many beautiful things in one place. I spent a week in Raja Ampat on a dive liveaboard which was one of the most amazing experiences of my people are very friendlyBalinese hospitality is a real thing. The smiles in Bali are contagious and the people are some of the most friendly and hospitable people I’ve met during my travels. It’s not surprising to see why Bali became such a popular island for tourists over the service is paramount and people go above and beyond to be friendly to you. Balinese people have a be happy with what you have type of mentality and it really there are so many tourists that take advantage of Bali’s hospitality to act like complete degenerates. In the end, you are a guest of Bali and Indonesia. Never forget that no matter how much money you Perfect place for a digital nomadThere are many amazing places to be a digital nomad these days, but I honest to God believe that Bali is the best of the bunch. Of course everyone has different criteria for their dream digital nomad destination myself included but Bali ticks off the most boxes for is one of the few places in the world where you’ll find the most digital nomads per capita. So many people that I’ve met in Bali are doing some sort of online work in some fascinating field. Whether you’re into crypto, coaching, video editing, or just working your traditional job in a remote location, you’ll find your tribe has endless co-working spaces, cafes, and great WIFI which makes it the perfect place for digital to meet people in BaliThis leads me to the next point, it is so easy to meet people in Bali. In fact, it’s probably been one of the easiest places to meet new people. I say this with having a lot of first hand experiences. Compared to other countries/cities/regions, Bali is a place that attracts a lot more long term travelers than is coming here for either some online business, retirement, or everything in between and people are just more open to meeting other people in Bali. Perhaps it’s the fact that everyone else has also figured out how amazing they have it in Bali which automatically just makes a person more laid back and keen to meet way, you’ll have no shortage of ways to meet people. Whether this is through co-working spaces, meetup events, fitness clubs, yoga clubs, vegan clubs, club clubs etc. You name it, there’s something here for life on a budgetBali is famous for its sheer number of “villas”. Before I came to Bali, I had always pictured a villa being a huge estate for a very rich person. Something like the huge houses on Lake Como or the super fancy houses in Mykonos. In Bali, you have these huge villas, but you also have smaller more modest villas. Essentially, a villa in Bali is any standalone housing structure with a private pool. This could be a 1 bedroom villa, or a 10 bedroom has endless amounts of villas built in a traditional Balinese style which has become more beautiful and more inviting throughout the years. You can find amazing villas that look like something out of a travel magazine at a very affordable price. Other tropical destinations like Thailand, Zanzibar, Philippines, Mexico etc. just don’t have any of these types of accommodation options on offer, and certainly not at an affordable villaYou live large in Bali and you live well!Cheap cost of livingWell I’m not ashamed to admit that one of the reasons I love living in Bali so much is because of the cheap cost of living. I’ve traveled to many many countries around the world and have lived in many as well. However, for the money you spend, you will be hard pressed to find anywhere in the world where you get more offers an incredible lifestyle for amazing prices. You can live a life of luxury at a fraction of the price of other similarly tropical destinations. Bali is unique in that it has that island life feel, but because of how large it is, it also offers a city vibe as well. It’s hard to explain unless you live you can rent an amazing villa with a private pool for under $1,000 a month or you can rent a room in a guesthouse for as little as $250 a month. Of course, if you want to really live it up, you can spend $3,000 or more for a huge villa. Food is incredibly affordable and delicious with every cuisine you can think in all, I spend under $2,000 a month and I live the high life. I don’t worry about money and I pretty much do whatever I want, whenever I want to. Make sure to read my detailed cost of living Bali post for the full breakdown of my monthly budget!Massages anytime you wantMassages are a common part of life while living in Bali. There are massage parlors and spas everywhere you go. A Balinese one hour massage can be as cheap as 75k IDR very basic to a luxurious experience up to 1m IDR. Something in between between 100k and 200k IDR means you have a very comfortable definitely got more Bali massages when I first moved to the island as it was just such a great novelty experience. I still get massages once a week but this is down from the multiple times a week in the also prefer Balinese massages to say the massages in Thailand. Not only is it a more luxurious experience in Bali but it is cheaper and generally feels to lead a Healthy lifestyleHaving spent some time in Bali, I’ve noticed that Bali is perhaps the easiest place I’ve ever lived in to lead a healthy lifestyle. By healthy, I mean eat good food, exercise frequently, and drink less. One would think that people come to Bali to party and get drunk at the beach clubs and you wouldn’t be wrong. However, this is primarily people that come here for a one to two week life without alcohol in BaliIf you are actually living here long term, you quickly realize that drinking daily and going to beach clubs get old very quickly. On top of this, drinking in Bali is not cheap in comparison to other things. Sure, you could get a Bintang beer for 30k IDR but how many mediocre lagers can you drink before you get tired of it? Wine is almost all imported and is on the expensive side 100k IDR per glass and cocktails are mostly mediocre and not that cheap 120k+ IDR.What you do have in Bali is easy access to fresh fruit all over the island, protein shakes, smoothie bowls, veggie foods etc. There are so many places to eat in Bali that it is easy to lead a health conscious lifestyle. This is not to say you need to go full vegan although this is very easy to do in Bali, but you quickly realize you don’t need to drink as much as before. Instead of drinking beers for the sunsets, I opt for a coconut in all, my alcohol consumption went way down. It’s quite the shock to go back to Europe for example where alcohol is just a way of life. I do love drinking amazing wine in the Piedmont region of Italy or the Douro Valley in Portugal overlooking the vineyards but I really do love a clean and healthy lifestyle even a Bali for everyoneIn the end, there is a Bali for everyone. I’ve never seen a collection of people doing so many different things than in Bali. I think living here during the pandemic was particularly interesting because the people who stayed were people that actually had success in their lines of work. Even with the cheap cost of living in Bali, you still need some money to live here and you’re a spiritual healer, web developer, crypto trader, media specialist, social media influencer, travel blogger, or anything in between, you’ll find something here for of my favorite moments were hanging out at the cafes in Bali and meeting a web developer and talking to them about my travel blog, and their friend at the same table was trading NFTs. Just so much diversity and so many interesting stories that I never had before living a digital nomad style life!What I dislike about BaliAs with anywhere else in the world, there are things I also dislike about Bali. All truth be told, there is nothing in Bali I particularly hate but here is a list of things that I find is terribleBali traffic is terrible. This is a well known fact by locals and foreigners alike. The roads in Bali were just not designed properly from the beginning. You’ll find mostly one lane roads throughout the entire island that might have sufficed decades ago when they were first constructed. Over the years and millions of tourists later, the roads are just way too small to fit in all the bikes and cars around the pandemic, it could easily take 2 hours to drive from Canggu to Ubud only 25km because there was just so much traffic. This is particularly painful when it is hot outside and you are just waiting in traffic the whole day. I avoid anything south of Berawa like the plague because the traffic is too much. Even living in Canggu, the shortcut that connects Canggu to Berawa can be jam packed full of HasslesThe visa situation in Bali is quite a hassle. You can only have a VOA for 30 days which can be extended for another 30 days. Once you’re finished, you can leave the country and come back to get a brand new visa this method might or might not work in the future. If you want to stay for longer, you can apply for a B211a visa business visa which is good for 2 months and can be extended every month until 6 months. You’ll have to pay a fee to get this visa and a monthly fee for renewing the you want to stay longer than this, you’ll want to invest in a KITAS which is essentially a residence permit for 2 years. This costs something in the range of $2,000-$3,000 depending on the agent you is not the only country that makes it difficult to stay long term. In the end, you’re not meant to legally stay in a country for so long without a proper residence living costs in BaliCost of living is one of my favorite things about living in Bali. I’ve lived all over the world and I must say that Bali is probably one of the cheapest places I’ve lived in. The value for money in Bali is absolutely crazy and sometimes feels a bit surreal how something could be so remotely in BaliI’ve written in great detail about my cost of living in Bali and break down my monthly budget line by line. Here is a summary of my monthly budget. Keep in mind that I am not a backpacker or a recent college grad. I have a large portfolio of stocks that I can withdraw from. Along with the income from writing this blog, I can easily withdraw $40k USD a year without any issue. Therefore, I don’t really skimp out on my experiences, dining, accommodation etc. The great thing about Bali is you can totally live a good and respectable life without spending too $700Gym $120 nicest gym in CangguFood, cafes, and Going out $800Cell Phone plans $5Massages $40Visa Fees $50Scooter transportation $40Total $1,750In total, I spent just under $2k a month give or take. I live a very comfortable life in Bali and there’s not much I can’t do here. I find that a big reason for the low cost of living in Bali is the lack of drinking. While living in Europe or the US, I found that going out and drinking excessively contributed to a lot of cash outflow. In Bali, the vibe here is not so much focused around drinking which saves you so much money! I could spend much more of course and get a huge villa but what is the point of that when my villa is already so nice?I’ve also met many people that spend much less than me $1k or so and they still live totally respectable areas to live in BaliIf you’ve been thinking of moving to Bali and are sure of it after reading this post, the next question to ask yourself is where should you live? Bali is a huge island after all with most of the island being jungle and rice terraces. It’s not an island where you can get from one side to the other for a day trip. Traffic is also horrendous so where you live will dictate where you spend the majority of your you’re a digital nomad, the vast majority of people choose to live in the Canggu, Berawa, Pererenan areas. This is where I lived for my entire stay in Bali I spent a few days each exploring the other areas of Bali. Canggu is my favorite area in Bali because it offers the cosmopolitan lifestyle with insane amounts of restaurants, cafes, and coworking spaces that you would find in a city, but in a beachside village vibe. Canggu is not crazy hectic like Seminyak, or Kuta where it’s essentially just a concrete jungle. Rather, Canggu still has beautiful rice fields, trees, and open is another very popular area for foreigners to stay. Ubud is the famous area that is packed with dense jungle, nature, and rice fields. It’s so different than the seaside towns which is why I love Bali. Ubud also attracts a lot of the spiritual, vegan, and yoga types. If this is your scene, then you’ll love rice fieldsFinally, somewhere like Sanur on Bali’s east coast is perfect for those that like quiet and peace. You don’t even need a scooter for most of Sanur. Sanur generally attracts an older Reading Covering an area of million km², Indonesia is the largest country in Southeast Asia and the 14th largest in the world. Only about 8,000 of Indonesia's islands are inhabited. Each island has its own unique cultures, vibrant communities, and amazing destinations. Indonesia has the second-highest level of biodiversity in the world. So, if you ever have the chance, don’t forget to explore the many wonders of Indonesia. Release your adventurous souls and hike various volcanoes across the country, dive to see the pristine coral reefs in Bunaken, spot orangutans in Borneo, or visit the famed Komodo Island. The capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, is located in the nation’s most populous island of Java. Jakarta is the largest and most populous city in Indonesia. This bustling metropolitan serves as the central hub for business, economy, and entertainment in the country. Demography of Indonesia With more than 264 million people, Indonesia is the world’s fourth most populated country. It is home to more than over 700 languages and around 300 ethnic groups, making this wonderful country one of the most diverse nations in the world. The country is divided into 34 provinces, each with one-of-a-kind cultural traditions and lifestyles. Despite having the world’s largest Muslim population, Indonesia officially recognizes six religions, including Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism, Protestantism, Catholicism, and Confucianism. Indonesia is also officially a secular democratic country and its people enjoy the freedom of religion. The official language of the nation is Bahasa Indonesia. But many Indonesians are often multilingual, speaking one or more local dialects aside from Bahasa Indonesia. Additionally, English is rather widely spoken by young Indonesians, especially in larger cities. As a result, it wouldn’t be difficult for expatriates and tourists to communicate with the locals. Economy of Indonesia As of 2020, Indonesia is considered one of the world’s major emerging power. It is a member of the G20 and the 10th largest economy in the world in terms of purchasing power parity. Moreover, the country is also one of the fastest-growing economies in the world. In fact, it is expected to be the 5th most powerful economy in the world by 2030. Despite its poor infrastructure and issues with corruption, investors are still attracted by its rich natural resources namely gold, tin, copper, natural gas, and oil, agricultural production namely palm oil, rice, coffee, tea, rubber, and spices, as well as its large consumer base. Besides, Indonesia’s booming economy has also opened new opportunities, both for local businesses and foreign investors. As a result, the country continues to attract foreign professionals. By the end of 2018, the Ministry of Labour in Indonesia reported that there are almost 100,000 expatriates residing in Indonesia. Climate of Indonesia Located across the equator, Indonesia has a tropical climate. So, you can expect the weather to be rather hot and humid all-year-round. The average temperature in the coastal plains is 28 °C and in the mountain areas temperature averages around 26 °C. The sun also shines quite strongly in the region, with the UV index reaching up to 10 on some days. So be sure to apply sunscreen before heading out to avoid sunburns. There are two seasons in Indonesia, the wet season and the dry season. The wet season typically lasts from October to April and is characterized by heavy bursts of rain and sometimes even typhoons. Meanwhile, the dry season spans from May to September. Cost of living in Indonesia The cost of living in Indonesia depends on which area you live in. Living in bigger cities, such as Jakarta, Medan, Denpasar, and Surabaya, calls for a higher living cost. However, you’ll be pleased to find out that Indonesia ranks 56th lowest cost of living in the world according to a survey conducted in 2017. This means, living in Indonesia is not too cheap or expensive. The average person can live quite comfortably with just around IDR 10 million around $750 per month. The number already includes the cost of food, basic utilities, internet, and rent for a humble apartment. Also, IDR 30 million around $2,200 should be able to cover the living costs of a family of four, including rent for a small house. Useful link Indonesia National PortalIndonesia Tourism WebsiteIndonesian Immigration Portal

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