home sweet home in bali: andree’s homestay
Many of you have been asking about where we are living…well, here it is. Andree’s Homestay. It’s a quaint little compound, and so far, the best long-term deal we’ve seen in the towns that we were interested in staying in. It’s not advertised, and most of the guests find this place by word of mouth. We knew about it, because our friends used to live here (Thanks, Ken and Niken!) The family and staff that live here have been wonderful, and now that we have adjusted to Bali living, we happily call this our home away from home…
It was challenging, at first, to find a place that fit our needs and our pocket book. We’ve learned that the stuff you see in travel books and magazines were not as affordable as we expected it to be. If you are vacationing, you can spend as little as $20/night (sometimes less) for a room, backpacker style. Or you can stay at a posh resort for $100/night, and upwards, to $800/night or more for a room. And then, there is everything in between. A lot of the beautiful villas (that I wished we could live long-term in) are catered mostly to vacationers, and as GORGEOUS as they are, you end up paying western prices…let’s say anywhere from $560/week for a small villa to $3,500/week (or more) for something spectacular. Most of the high-end villas include a staff.
Obviously, we can’t afford that.
On the other spectrum, you can rent a traditional house for, let’s say $3,000/year — yep, that’s approximately $250/month, with a commitment of at least one year — (at least, that’s what we’ve heard). Or approximately, $400/month for a two-bedroom, two-bath house. Most local houses have open-air living and traditional amenities, or a combination of both. If you go this route, you are usually responsible for setting up utilities, internet, etc. on your own.
Andree’s Homestay was the perfect fit for us, because it has a mix of both western and traditional amenities. The rent fit our budget (at $400/month), and all utilities and internet are included…and there’s a pool! We also have security and a full-time staff on the grounds, so if there is anything we need, it’s nice to know we have help.
There are a lot of things I like about Andree’s: it’s nice and quiet; it’s located near some very nice beaches (where touts are apparently banned) and located near low-pro surf spots; we can easily drive to the West Bukit to surf more popular spots; we have a wide variety of restaurants to choose from; we have met a lot of people from different countries who are also here long term (did I tell you, we met someone from Los Osos?); and although, we are still in a very nomadic state of mind, we have made it our own…
When you travel, what is it that makes a place ‘home’ for you? Are you planning on visiting Bali anytime soon or are you an expert on Bali living? Feel free to share your thoughts below…
this is where we park. we have many stories about this little jeep…ask us later
we really wanted the top studio for the view, but we ended up renting the bottom one for the kitchenette
see the big fish? I think his name is Jon? or Charlie? Not sure.
lovely plants near the pond
our front door
the view from our studio window
many statues around the property
lounging area
another lounging area
the swimming pool. essential, to cool down, especially after a long hot day…
this is exactly what i envisioned for you. it is perfect! are all the windows placed in crooked? and are you sure you guys are a planned meal for that fish? that’s why rent is so cheap. it looks like it could eat a hefty meal. XoOoxX.
everything in bali is crooked! the sidewalks, the roads, the buildings…LOL. the fish is probably crooked, too. as big as it is, it’s always jumping out of the water for fresh air!
Great pics…post more of the giant fish! I had to look up the definition of touts too, a welcome addition to my expansive brain knowledge
haha…i had to learn some new slang, too. guess what the aussie slang is for beer? i saw it on a sign in front of a restaurant and had to do a double-take.
Very cool…thanks for the pics and update….as always.
Lynne
of course, my pleasure :)