During the pandemic, I moved from the hustling and bustling Seminyak. Before the virus, it was a lively community and area. But because of the lack of work and to save money I felt to move out of the “busy tourist” areas to another place.
I am now 1 hour away driving, depending on traffic, from Seminyak. For about a week now I live in a gated community. I am still moving some of the last stuff, but I already have a good feeling of what it is like living here.
What makes the gated communities different
Since it is “secluded” from the busy tourist areas many of the houses built in this area are actually empty. Some are up for sale and some for rent. People invested in buying land and building a house in the hope of turning One of the nice things is that the rent price is really good compared to the center.
Besides having a good price, I can count the vehicles pass the house on a day. I just need 2 hands to do that. It’s a peaceful and quiet place, which makes it great if you love this.
The air itself feels fresh and there is a breeze that my previous house did not have. The previous place was packed with the build as much as possible near each other. Because of that, the roads became narrow, and the place for children playing became less. During hot days and having no breeze made it even hotter than it actually was. The traffic just meters away from the house did not seem to help with that as well.
The gated community here has roads so much wider. Children play safely on the streets compared to busy areas and it seems so much greener. No people drive hard to let their muffler roar the streets.
Another big difference is that before entering the housing complex, you have to pass a gate where one security personal is posted. They alternate with several different ones. The first time I passed, I had to show why am I here, what am I going to do here. Well as a new resident of the gated community it gave me some sense of safety knowing there is a security guard posted.
Facilities in and nearby a gated community
nearby there is an established supermarket with all the essentials you would need. Even products such as a faucet or tap are available. but the choices are limited since the supermarket is smaller. There are several smaller convenience stores and warungs nearby.
I would think most products would be cheaper outside the city since the source of it is nearby. But it isn’t. It’s either the same or slightly more expensive. With less choice available we would still need to find other products further away from home.
An example of what is more expensive is chicken wings. I think it’s even about 2x more expensive nearby the house. But buying it further away would have the challenge of keeping the meat cool enough till it arrives in our refrigerator. A solution would be to find something else like a butcher or nearby bigger supermarket.
Looking for an ATM machine took me some time
Google Maps is not always up to date. So I would try to find an ATM machine and the several closest ones were already removed. Then I drove around for 15-20 minutes before I found one. It wasn’t even the bank of mine, but I was in need.
The transaction fee made it very unattractive so my next goal is also to find an ATM machine that is from my bank and is nearby. According to the maps I would need to drive almost 20 minutes for that! I have yet to find out if that ATM machine is still there.
Many empty houses in the gated community
Many houses were empty, and this is due to the location. When we moved in, we were approached quickly by the neighbor welcoming us and telling us we should at least register with the chief of the village or community.
In order to keep track of who lives here (in which house) and also pay for trash and security, this is required. It’s not that expensive but it took also some time to find out who we need for our registration.
Apparently there are many ex-pats living in this community for an inexpensive lifestyle in Bali.
Internet access far from the city
I have heard only bad stories about the available provider I had here. It was either getting internet through tethering or a fibre connection from one of the companies that nobody speaks highly off.
For me the internet connection is important, and I think for many this is considered essential.
With a 10MBps packages, I reach 2 Mbit upload. This means about 7 hours to upload one of my Youtube cooking videos. I haven’t gotten to it (yet) but I will try it.
For now, the internet has been stable all week! that’s good news! I think it is even more stable then I was in the city. The speed however isn’t that great but at least I can continue blogging and hopefully soon upload again to you my Youtube Channel.
More things I like
Right around the corner it’s so much greener. so many more ricefields and plants grow nearby. It’s a nice sight to see which is still untouched by tourism.
Less air conditioning required
In this place, since there is more breeze we use less electricity. We require less air conditioning because it is already very pleasant. Using less electricity is good for our wallet.
So there are some pros and cons but overall I do like living in this gated community! Which much free open space my family does too.
Hi I am Dwi. I am a blogger, travel agent and a mom of a lovely daughter and wife to a supportive husband. I customize and plan tours in Bali and islands nearby for a living and have been doing this for more than 14 years. Get in touch via contact [at] taletravels.com