The Reality of Digital Nomad Life in Bali | BEWARE OF THESE BALI TRAPS | VLOG

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Are you considering going to Bali soon? Lemme know in the comments! 💖

[@carkawalakhatulistiwa]

Imagine you go to Indonesia, the country where the number 1 and number 3 best food in the world exist and you don't try it. Rendang and Nasi goreng . if you want to eat go to the where where they sell real food. if you just need a vibe for Instagram photos, come to the cafe. all Asians know that. you are in the spice islands. So try martabak manis, martabak telor, sate , iga bakar.

[@shaunconyers]

I'm going on the 18th of November and staying for 3 weeks.

[@zaharabbar8289]

Is the pollution bad? Is burning only in ubud?

[@BestBuysReviewed]

Living like a local is the key to success while living in Bali, or Vietnam, Philippines, etc.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Agreed!

[@CamilaGrotti]

Love the you mentioned the heat! Good to know, I too would struggle with humidity all day

[@ksurf5058]

Thank you so much for this honest video. I am moving to Bali later this year to teach and have gathered such great info to know that those 'colonized' areas of the island are not where I'll decide to stay. Enjoy your next adventure!

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Ah how exciting! great this video could help :)

[@caydan98]

Where are you teaching? What qualifications do you have?

[@mariabitirini8287]

Finally, an honest review about Bali! I visited last year and had a similar experience. I was supposed to stay in Canggu for a week but left on the first day (lol). I ended up spending more time in Uluwatu, but even then, I wouldn't go back if given the chance. The lack of local culture, the crazy traffic and the trash issue are alarming and it's surprising that very few people mention how this beautiful island is getting destroyed so rapidly. One amusing incident, especially as a digital nomad, was when I couldn't find a co-working space one day because they were all packed 😅. On a side note, I managed to avoid Bali belly despite eating and drinking everything, possibly because I was already six months into my journey in Asia and had built up some resistance I guess Thank you for shedding light on the real side of Bali!

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Right?! The competition for a decent space in coworking is fierce haha! And yeah, agree with you that it gets represented online as something different... what is your next digital nomad stop gonna be?

[@smoosmoosmoosmoosmoo]

Great video. I haven't heard anyone else mention the fires & smoke before. As someone with asthma, I need to be careful. Maybe no AirBnB in Ubud after all.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Glad this was helpful! And ubud is still doable if you’re not too close to rice fields

[@kutasimusic]

Great video. I watched this after Charlie Chang's "digital nomads" in Bali video. There is a huge contrast between the two and I didn't even believe for a second that Bali is all puppies and rainbows...

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

No place ever is, right? 💛

[@kutasimusic]

@@iamanastasiaushakova As long as there are human living there you won't see much difference between countries... 😄

[@shaunconyers]

Thank you for the honest conclusion at the end!!!!

[@mafiamuppets35]

Great Video Anastasia, thanks for sharing 🙏 I'm interested to know where else you might consider as a digital nomad ? Thanks, Andy.

[@CamilaGrotti]

Great video ! Personally I would also be very unfortunate with all the things that you mentioned. It was really helpful to calibrate our expectations and be prepared when visiting Bali. Thanks for sharing ❤

[@Gstyle-eg9vg]

Love your video and honest opinion. Keep going.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Glad you found this helpful!

[@mheynike]

Love how honest this was :)

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Yesss, that's what I was going for! Glad you found this helpful ❤

[@cjkell7174]

thanks for showing what its really like and not the sanitized filtered version

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

That was my intention! So glad you found this helpful ❤

[@colorbars8564]

You're so pretty and your skin is glowing!

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Aww, so sweet of you! 💖

[@carkawalakhatulistiwa]

3:07 ah yes turis plastic 😊 5:11 why is it so weak 10 years ago Europeans burned millions of tons of coal inside the house to heat their homes. Don't be a weak person just because of smoke

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

"don't be a weak person bc of smoke" - I think we just found a cure to asthma! yay!

[@emmashaye]

Hi! Can you buy packaged salads in the grocery store without risking bali belly?

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Good question! I didn't try to be honest, so not sure...

[@ogemici]

Just got back from a two-week trip to Bali this morning, and I was delighted to watch your video as I had a very similar experience. We spent a week in Ubud and another in Uluwatu. We opted out of Canggu due to the reasons you outlined in the video. Uluwatu particularly stood out to me because of its stunning views, beautiful beaches, great surfing, and overall vibe. Out of curiosity, where did you venture after Bali, and in your opinion, what's the ultimate destination for digital nomads?

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Uluwatu was my fave too! We went to South Africa after Bali and I have to say, it's now really high on the list of my digital nomad destinations. Also Thailand forever has my heart

[@brankelly1921]

Awesome! Thanks so much

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Happy I could help!

[@IndoDiaspora]

My wife and I both love going to Bali. In fact we go there for vacation every year. Even though I love spending time in Bali, I agree with most of the things you brought up. They are true, but some people don't like it when you bring up something negative about someplace that they like...hence all the negative posts you are getting. I went to Canggu before the pandemic and hated it. There were so many westerners that it did not feel like I was in Bali at all. It has basically turned into a digital nomad colony. Full disclosure: I love spending time in Bali because I stay at the many wonderful beautiful resorts that they have. I'm not a nomad on a limited budget.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

It's great to hear that you and your wife enjoy going to Bali! And completely agree - seeing the 'negative' side doesn't have to mean not liking the place altogether :)

[@IndoDiaspora]

@@iamanastasiaushakova The difficulty about being a digital nomad is almost always their limited budget. Because of this they understandably need to keep their overhead low and congregate in the more affordable areas. When word gets out about how affordable and nice a place is, it brings in a lot more people, which of course affects prices and the whole feel of the area. It is similiar to popular tourist places like Kyoto, Barcelona, etc that become so popular and congested that it becomes a less desirable place to go to. There are so many places in Bali that a Digital Nomad and tourists can go to that are quiet and peaceful but unfortunately the vast majority seem to all want to be in Canggu, so naturally it becomes overcroweded and unpleasant. I stayed at a hotel in the Keramas Beach area and the beach was deserted. Unlike at Canggu, Kuta, or the other popular beaches, there were no tourists, no peddlers, and virtually even almost no locals. It was that deserted and a wonderful experience. I was in Kyoto a few weeks ago at the peak of the Cherry Blossom season. The popular places were horrible, jam packed with wall to wall people. It was definitely not a good experience for everyone there. However I had a great time in Kyoto because we explored all the gardens, temples, and neighborhoods that were not well known and there was hardly anyone there. All the visitors went to the same places instead of spreading out.

[@konnen4518]

@@IndoDiaspora "I'm not a nomad on a limited budget" is such a weird flex

[@IndoDiaspora]

@@konnen4518 Sorry if it triggered you. It was not meant as a flex but to give context that those who stay at the nice resorts in Bali usually love it. The criticisms that people post are valid and I just wanted to point out that those who are not on a limited budget (like how many digital nomads are) usually love it here in Bali. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a limited budget. I've watched multiple videos of people leaving Bali and complaining about the trash, traffic, etc, and what they all have in common is that they stay in those types of areas. I avoid those areas and thus love coming here. There are many wonderful low cost options in the north and east sides of Bali. No reason to ever go to Canggu or Kuta, but for some reason so many people choose to do so. To each their own.

[@holahola4541]

where did you get your shirt from? it's dope!

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

It's from Cotton on - super comfy for hot weather too!

[@JakeIsotopes]

I went to Ubud back in 2016, and there was indeed LOTS of trash - everywhere. It really broke the vibe for me. I still enjoyed myself very much and would go back - but mostly because it is cheaper than Thailand.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Agree! It's a pity cause the nature is breathtaking 💖

[@elsienorback7689]

I thought Thailand was cheaper than Bali. It depends on whether you stayed in touristy areas and are at touristy restaurants. You will pay much higher prices than non-touristy areas. Bali prices has gone up quite a bit since Covid started there in 2020. They lost a lot of $$$ between 2020 - 2022 then jacked the housing rental prices in 2022 when tourists were able to return. Housing prices are certainly not the same as 2016 when you were there.

[@JakeIsotopes]

Oh! Interesting! @@elsienorback7689

[@overrated3733]

@@elsienorback7689 that's why we have a word called "INFLATION" LOL

[@KrystalEngerRoatanRealEstate]

Wow, I’m sorry you had such a bad experience. We’ve been on Bali for the last month and have had an amazing experience with delicious food, beautiful villas and great experiences from Ubud, Uluwatu, Sidemen, Amed, and Munduk! This post seems very negative with limited exposure to Canngu and such. We didn’t visit it there as it didn’t seem like a place we are interested in. I hope anyone wanting to visit Bali will give it a go as we have enjoyed everyday from sunshine to rain!

i agree, i always have good experience in bali, but not all people experience the same thing.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

It wasn't all bad, not at all! Just not over the top amazing. I tried to give it as realistic of a description as possible, which did have a lot of positives sprinkled in. And FULLY agree with you - everyone should decide for themselves 💛

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

yep, and that's what makes it interesting right!💛

[@mattclark6482]

Whoa, good info on the Bali Belly. I think I could role with most of the other things, but I'm a vegan and I can't imagine eating everything cooked, especially in a tropical climate. Great Video, Thanks

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

I mean as long as you peel it you should be good to go! But agree - all cooked everything is not doable for me either

[@elsienorback7689]

I agree about the foods in Bali. I pretty much thought it taste much the same. I’m not a huge rice eater but you have to become a rice eater because it’s always included with a dish. After a while I thought everything tasted the same. Others love it, but I just got tired of it. When I went to Thailand or Vietnam I welcomed new Cuisine. Yeah, they do not have water quality regulations preventing someone from getting sick from ‘dirty water’. Nor do they have sanitation pickup from neighborhoods, but besides that, when it rains all the trash in the gutters drain into the ocean. They do not have decent sidewalks to walk on either. You need to watch where you walk because you might fall into a huge hole on the walkway.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Yeah, so spot on; sadly. Such a beautiful island but unfortunately not very well taken care of :(

[@ToExploring]

Thank you for your honesty about Bali. We are looking for a place to stop for around a month on the way home to Australia from Europe (we've been traveling now for 7 months) and are looking into Bali as an option. Do you have any other recommendations for a good one month rest and relaxation stop? We've also looked into Vietnam, Spain and Turkey as options.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Ohhh how fun! Turkey is gorgeous and in my opinion really underrated - you just need to know how to avoid the tourist trap places, but their coastline from Oludeniz till Kas is absolutely breathtaking and if you go in September/October it will be off season so not as busy And Spain is beautiful too: I'm partial towards the Atlantic coast (next to Cadiz and Vejer de la Frontera), but don't care so much for the Mediterranean coast (I think French and Italian coast have more to offer) Can't say anything about Vietnam as I've never been - but if you're looking towards south-east Asia I LOVED, loved, lovvved Thailand

[@shanon72327]

I would also recommend the atlantic coast in Cadiz (Spain). Another good option would be Lanzarote or Fuerteventura in The Canary Islands (Spain).

[@thioshasawry8918]

Thank you for the insightful video & putting it in realistic perspective. We considering a holiday in Aug at the Ayana Resort Jimbaran. It looks beautiful and we mindful it is just a holiday... I'm worried about bali belly & d fever. Will look at taking something to help. Should we be concerned about bali belly at a resort?

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

How exciting! Honestly I'd say just steer clear of raw salads - they're always the biggest culprit!

[@JonathanColes-w1e]

About the food - you can expose yourself slowly over time and your stomach will get more used to it.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Good point! You can do that for sure just have to be careful :)

[@stephenmichael1641]

.. or it's always possible that food is dropped on dirty floor and just put in with everything else (saw this in a local morning market.. I pointed this out.. when they shrugged shoulder, I just said no.. never pay before you receive the food) .. also staff can go toilet and not wash hands.. even with number 2.. they're not wrong.. just have own local style and Kampung (village) influence.. I am just going through mild food poisoning.. plenty of water.. stay near toilet in room.. can be messy very suddenly.. hope you don't have to travel with it.. it would be memorable.. if you travel anywhere you have to let go of how you judge it should be.. you will find out how it is.. no guarantee of avoiding, I've tried over 30 years.. specialist in risk management career wise😂.. you will meet your karma.. try to surf through it easily as possible 🙏

[@sabrinafink3371]

That is exactly what I was feeling and thank you so much for pointing that out regarding the colonialism 2.0. That is something what holds me a bit back. I planning to work for three month abroad to experience new culture and have a great digital nomads community (plus save a little bit money). Everybody says Bali is great for the DN community. But to have this you should stay in Canggu or Ubud, right? And where is the Balinese culture there? I was also thinking of Capetwon. Have you been there? Or some other places to recommend? Your video is great and fun. Thanks for the authenticity.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

For sure I'd say Canggu has the biggest community, but you can find lots of digital nomads in Ubud too! And in Ubud I did feel like there was at least a little bit more balinese culture present - especially in city center; and it was a tad more chill then Canggu. Capetown is great - I've just come back from a month there! There's a hige community of digital nomads, if you work in CET timezone it's perfect; but... yeah you'll definitely be in a bubble still.

[@sabrinafink3371]

@@iamanastasiaushakova Thanks for that. Where did you stay in Capetown? In which businesses do the digital nomads mainly work? And did you feel safe there? I can imagine what you mean with "in a bubble still". That's too sad, that it's still like this. I thought it's more equal, but as I heard it's still not. That's why you stayed only 1 month?

[@ilvanAfrian77]

I hope you enjoy holiday in Bali, Anastasia I hope try traveling in Belitung island i live in Belitung island..🙏🙏🤍

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

💖

[@Nastya88578]

Disagree regarding food, Bali is the most comfortable place when it comes to food in Asia for European taste. Local cuisine is also amazing you just need to know the places that are not only on TripAdvisor. Fresh fruits&veggies you can always buy at the local market. Also never experienced Bali belly in 5 years, maybe I was lucky, washed my face and brushed my teeth as any ordinary person would do, using tap water 🙂 housing situation, traffic and greedy vibe after corona were the reasons I left, personally.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Yeah I guess food really comes down to preference!

[@SabdoBagusIngAti]

​@@iamanastasiaushakovajust because spice food is very incredible....thats is why colonesers came to bali.

[@Bapontarindonesia321]

Lets try come to gorontalo for while shark.... Its so fun...and can i learn english with you??

[@michelle-nm2jk]

BALI, INDONESIA 🇮🇩😍♥️🙏

[@elsienorback7689]

After making this vlog, when are you leaving Bali?

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

haha left it the next day ater filming

[@RedsandsMetals]

Berlin is hard to beat! Thanks for the review, I think I would also prefer a European country. It seems we get what we pay for, every time.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Every place has prods and cons honestly! Berlin in winter is not a vibe haha

[@kaiworleyphotography]

Agree with a lot of this, especially the food. Very average especially compared to other places in Asia.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Right?!

[@shelleytheunissen5979]

Excellent info...went to Bali 2019 (Leigan and Ubud) the traffic and rubbish were disappointing, but still good value overall #NZTraveller

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Glad you found this helpful 💖 and yes, Ubud jungly vibe is super nice

[@FDnestrianschii]

Hi @iamamanastasiaushakova can you tell me what mirophone youre using to vlog in this video :) Thank you!

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Rode wireless me - love it!

[@brunogiacomini442]

Thank you, i just decided to cancel my trip to Bali. hahahhha

enjoy thailand lol

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Hahahah nooo not really? 😅 This wasn't meant as Bali bashing, just a more realistic pic...

[@frankrizzo8918]

Can't keep you happy ! you would wake up and I would be gone. : )

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Lol 😂

[@justhanan_official]

I think you ate at the wrong places. Only in a local warung you can eat very nice. All these these overprized Western inspired restaurants and cafes offer you the same flat taste.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Right? That was my impression too

[@marionagel7066]

Totally agree! Support your local 😊

[@carkawalakhatulistiwa]

​​@@iamanastasiaushakova buy nasi Padang only 15 k 😊. Or nasi bungkus

[@SabdoBagusIngAti]

​@@iamanastasiaushakova yes definetely, u never try it ya? Ooooohh my....u should try it

[@jasonl3254]

Why are all of the digital nomads there white?

[@julianaperez5491]

Some constructive feedback 😊 sometimes you speak quite low and the background music is quite loud in your video. Consider adding subtitles if you do or be mindful of the audio levels!

[@julianaperez5491]

Other than that, amazing video, thank you soo much for all the info!

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

@@julianaperez5491 So glad you found this helpful! 💖

[@elsienorback7689]

Actually, places like Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam is cheaper than Bali…

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

Can't speak for Cambodia or Vietnam, but disagree for Thailand - seemed pretty similar to Bali prices to me. Except for accommodation which was a tad cheaper, but groceries and eating out and scooters were +- same

[@Kentmariasamgethgail]

Your bad experience in Bali with a terrible title turned out to be good for your vlog. of your 9 vlogs, only Bali is the best seller, the other 8 only got 200 - 300 viewers for 2 years LOL ...blessing in disguise.

[@tovalisha6991]

The music so loud makes it so hard to watch this.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

I'll keep this in mind for the next vid, thanks for the heads up 💛

[@the_om_project]

Sounds like LA - they need a sidewalk!

[@vanessawilliam9570]

You are crazy if you want to live in Jakarta. Jakarta is not nice at all. Even I hate living in Jakarta. The people are not nice at all. Most motorists use this big special muffler which they call brong muffler. This muffler will shoot black smokes to the face of the people who happen to be behind the motor.

[@johnparise418]

Bali sux

[@SabdoBagusIngAti]

This channel will never grow up if u share content like this about bali. U do wrong absolutely....been to all vlogger which do the same thing to BALI. U just unexperience n do not have a sense of adventure in ur life, i gyarsntee u never going abroad visit more than 5 countries in ur life . Just think with other way if u have negatif opinion..... 1st lesson as e newbie blogger pls do not share negative opinion , it will back fire to u. Bali is land of god, it has a mystical power giving blessing or unblessing to ppl with good or bad vibes to bali.

not all youtubers are there to get views and clicks and "grow", some just want to share information honestly. not all people are deceitful and talk about "positive" only you know, a lot of them like to be realistic and honest.

[@sabrinavessel6129]

I appreciate her honesty

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

ok? lol 😂 stranger who apparently knows everything about me

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

exxxxactly 💛

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

@@sabrinavessel6129 💛💛💛

[@shelleykeightley-lw5nz]

You seriously went to the wrong places. Your blog was depressing we come twice a year and never have that negativity. I feel sad for you. Unsubscribing now.

[@sabrinavessel6129]

Bye

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

hahah lol ok

[@joana44441]

"Even though these prices for these sorts of places are way out of the locals' price range, for digital nomads who are coming from all over the world, its still so much cheaper (...)" I wonder how on Earth one says something like this and does not come face to face with the perversity of the life they have chosen for themselves. Many people indulge in gentrification almost naively, completely unaware of the harmful impact of their lifestyles onto the local community. But the awareness with which you explained how you not only accept, but seem to relish living in a place where your mere presence EXCLUDES the participation of locals, is immoral and disgusting.

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

that point was LITERALLY the main one I critized in the video girl 💀😭 smh...

[@radenandriana5032]

I love u anastasia cantik❤

[@drippingout6154]

alay

[@radenandriana5032]

@@drippingout6154 bebas yg penting komen... Daripada bnyak protes

[@drippingout6154]

@@radenandriana5032 alay

[@Danielroams]

Digital nomad is a nice way of labeling someone who's an unemployed slacker. 💩

[@iamanastasiaushakova]

lol that's a way to show you're bitter

[@zekathyitaliandiary]

Digital nomad is - ENTREPRENEUR = FREEDOM!! EMPLOYMENT =slavery!!!