Recommended Locations for Buying a House to Live in Bali

It can be hard for newcomers in Bali to understand which area suits the most to their needs and expectations. Where to live in Bali? Depending on whether you are looking to be in a peaceful neighborhood or a lively one, near the beaches or rather near schools, the location won’t be the same. From East to West let’s describe the different areas of South Bali.

Seminyak is where most of Bali’s best restaurants are found. You will love the many designer boutiques and brand shops around. This is the place where bohemians and jet-setters cohabit, where the nightlife is the most developed, and numerous beach clubs can be found there. Seminyak Beach is the place where the local and expat communities gather every evening at sunset.

Petitenget was considered as the northern part of Seminyak in the recent past, but it evolved into a more peaceful independent location with its fascinating hangouts: entertainment, accommodations and relaxation cater to those holidaymakers who put comfort and style at the first place.

Located between Seminyak and Canggu, this next area is known as Kerobokan, which includes Umalas village and Banjar Semer; located conveniently close to Seminyak’s trendy restaurants and designer boutiques. It is promoted as the peaceful option because these flat plains still encompass acres of rice fields and distant mountain views. Development is happening fast and this group of rural villages is now home to numerous villa rental and private residences, with plenty of cheap ‘n cheerful Western-style cafes cropping up in the most unexpected of places, offering surprisingly good food.

Umalas is a peaceful area located between Petitenget and Berawa area. On this strategic location, you can easily reach the famous surf spot, Berawa Beach and also Petitenget beach within 10 minutes distance by motorbike. This quiet area is surrounded by nice rice fields and even though you will be close to Canggu, the traffic is not as high as in the rest of Denpasar surroundings.

Canggu is actually a small fishing village, but has become the collective name for a number of villages (including Berawa, Tegal Gundul, Tiying Tutul, Pererenan, Nelayan, Babakan). It is where surfers and tourists love to come for the beaches, the sunsets and all the places to eat.

Berawa is the quiet stretch of beach that lies before the busier Echo Beach in Canggu and it is the perfect spot for a relaxing early morning or sunset stroll. It has plenty of nice cafes and restaurants with a large diversity of western and Indonesian food.

Echo Beach is one of Bali’s most famous surf spots. The nickname overshadows its local name ‘Pantai Batu Mejan’, after a significant Balinese Hindu sea temple on site. This region of Canggu is a combination of rice fields landscapes and wave-riding haunts such as Echo Beach, Batu Bolong Beach and Nelayan Beach.

Pererenan is a coastal village and owns a 10 km beach on the south coast of Bali. This pleasant village in North Canggu is an area where one still finds that beautiful and traditional Balinese atmosphere which is more relaxing for dining, cultural and beach activities yet close enough to Seminyak to enjoy the hustle and bustle of that area.

A few kilometers away from Canggu, Tanah lot is famous for its temple on the sea, the beautiful rice field view and stunning sunsets which is the best time to visit Tanah Lot.