Bali

Bali is a Hindu island in a mostly Muslim country, and that shapes everything about the place. It is also, in 2026, one of the most crowded destinations in Southeast Asia: foreign arrivals passed 6.9 million in 2025, and the southern strip from Kuta through Seminyak to Canggu now suffers chronic traffic. The pollution-free idyll of the old brochures survives mainly in the interior and the quieter north and east.

Where residents live

Foreign residents cluster in the south. Canggu and neighbouring Pererenan are the digital-nomad hub and the centre of a large Russian community; Seminyak is upmarket but congested; Sanur is quieter, favoured by older and family residents; the Bukit peninsula around Uluwatu pairs clifftop luxury with world-class surf, Uluwatu being arguably among the best breaks on the planet. Inland, Ubud remains the cultural centre, cooler and calmer, though its roads now clog with day-trippers. Foreigners cannot own freehold land: residence and property run through long leasehold or a PT PMA company.

Getting there

Bali's gateway is Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS). Direct flights are frequent from Singapore, across Asia, and above all from Australia, its largest market. There are no nonstop services from Western Europe; European travellers connect through a Gulf hub or through Istanbul or Singapore.

Visas and the levy

Every foreign visitor pays a one-time tourist levy, IDR 150,000 at the time of writing, through the official Love Bali portal; KITAS and KITAP residence-permit holders are exempt. Tourists enter on the e-VOA (IDR 500,000 for 30 days, extendable once). Living here long-term requires a KITAS, and earning any income on a tourist visa is illegal and now actively policed. For the current rules, consult Okusi Associates.

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