It was cheap, and easy to find.

But there are a few tricks to doing it right; here’s what I learned about finding apartments in Chiang Mai.

SEE ALSO: How to Book Monthly Digital Nomad Accommodation (alternatives to AirBnB)

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Chiang Mai Apartments: How to Find an Apartment in Chiang Mai

As I expounded on in another article, Chiang Mai is the Digital Nomad Centre of the Universe. More specifically, the Nimman area of Chiang Mai is the beating heart of this digital nomad headquarters. (See also: Chiang Mai’s Nimman: The Unapologetic Bubble)

Hundreds (if not thousands) of digital nomads descend upon Chiang Mai every year, often staying for months at a time. Many even come for a month or two, and fall in love with the culture/amenities/social scene/cost of living so much, they stay for much much longer. Similar to Bali, it’s one of those places that sucks you in and doesn’t always spit you back out.

The Thai people are very smart and incredibly entrepreneurial; instead of resisting the onslaught of visitors holding wads of Euros/Dollars and craving some modern comforts at affordable prices, they welcome them. As such, an entire industry of serviced apartments exists. These furnished apartments are available for monthly rentals, often with lower rates if you commit for six months or a year.

Here’s how to find an apartment in Chiang Mai, and get a good price while you’re at it.

Step One: Book Only Your First Few Nights Before Arriving

Although I had to lean into a lot of discomfort, I resisted the urge to book an apartment (through AirBnB) for the duration of my stay prior to arrival. Given what I knew of the cost of living in Chiang Mai, the online prices made no sense. I knew I could do better. So I just booked my first three nights, specifically at a place called The Dome, which is conveniently located within walking distance of both the old city and the heart of the Nimman district.

Not convinced The Dome is in the right area or will suit your needs? Check out some of the best deals for Chiang Mai accommodation here: 

Now. I found my apartment in half a day, so I didn’t even need three full nights in a hotel. But if you’re arriving in Chiang Mai during the peak season for digital nomads and tourists (typically December/January), you might not find an apartment as quickly. Depending on your budget and criteria, three nights may be more than enough. Or perhaps you’ll need a bit longer.

Step Two: Get a SIM Card

Although most of the apartments I looked at had staffed reception areas, apparently some just have noticeboards with phone numbers to call. Either way, you’ll need a phone number for the reservation and leasing process. SIM cards are cheap and cheerful in Thailand, with great data plans. I bought my SIM card in Bangkok airport while waiting for my luggage to arrive on the carousel.

(See also: Cell Phone Travel Basics: International Phone Plans, SIM Cards, and More)

Step Three: Take a Walk

The best place to find out where you want to live is to walk around. If you prefer, you can cover more ground on a bicycle or a scooter. (Me? I’m not inclined to rent scooters in foreign countries after suffering a near-fatal accident on one in the Caribbean, and especially not in big cities on arrival. But if you’re more comfortable with the idea, knock yourself out – figuratively speaking, that is).

Step Four: Find Apartment Buildings in Chiang Mai Neighborhoods

There are a few neighbourhoods that have groupings of condos that typically have an allotment of apartments for short/medium-term rentals. One of these neighbourhoods is just north of the Maya Lifestyle Shopping Centre. Green Hill is a popular complex, as is PromT and Moda. Further south are some other places, such as Hillside (which is near to a co-working space I quite enjoyed frequenting called Mana).

Keep your eyes peeled not only for buildings themselves, but if these don’t stick out at you, look for signs; anything from billboard ads to small handwritten signs at intersections will direct you to buildings where you can rent an apartment.

Perhaps you’d prefer to find a place outside of the Nimman area, closer to the old city, or the University, or the “mountain”. If you have a scooter, you’ll have more possibilities. Take a drive, and also, ask around. There are also a couple of websites that have listings for apartments, such as Perfect Homes and Faz Waz (Faz Waz being a tool you can use to find places all over Thailand), and you can always lurk one of the Facebook Groups dedicated to expats; I found the Chiang Mai Digital Nomads group to be useful on a variety of levels.

Step Five: Ask/Call

Like I said, many of these buildings are condominiums that have staffed reception areas. This makes it dead easy; simply walk in and ask if they have any vacancies. The pricing is usually standardized and the process simple. If there is a vacancy that suits your needs, ask to see the apartment (this should go without saying).

Other buildings may not have a reception area, but instead a notice board at the front where unit owners can post their own vacancies with a phone number to call. Have at ‘er.

Step Six: Confirm Fees

Before you commit, make sure you know what you’re getting into. Most apartments require one to two months’ rent as a security deposit, which will be refunded to you when you leave (assuming you haven’t trashed the place).

Rent varies, and is generally on the rise from year to year, as Chiang Mai (and more specifically the Nimman area) increases in popularity. The general rate for a one bedroom furnished apartment in 2017 was 10,000-15,000 Thai baht (about $300-450).

You’re also usually responsible for paying utilities. Find out what the rate is (the rate in my building was 5 baht per kw for electricity, and 35 baht per water unit – in the end it worked out to about 800 baht/month for (a very conservative use of) electricity and 200/month for water. On moving in, make sure you know what the starting meter readings are, and also where the meters are so you can monitor your usage (air conditioning is the killer). There are some horror stories of people being presented with outrageous utility bills on leaving that they couldn’t dispute because they didn’t have enough information nor time to sort it out (with a plane to catch or the like).

In my case, I was also informed that I’d be responsible for a 500 baht cleaning fee on vacating the apartment, and I was also promised that the apartment would be cleaned free of charge prior to moving in (and it was).

Step Seven: Pay a Deposit

To reserve your apartment for the move-in date (if you’re not moving in the same day), you’re going to have to put some cash on the line right away. (For my apartment it was 5,000 Thai Baht – about $150).

On move-in day, the 5,000 became a down payment for the refundable security deposit.

All my fees were payable in cash, so be prepared to make a trip to the ATM.

Step Eight: Move Into Your New Apartment!

…and enjoy! Although this system for how to find an apartment in Chiang Mai works really well in Chiang Mai, it may not work as well in other cities that aren’t as well equipped for short/medium-term renters (aka: digital nomads). More recently, I applied this process to finding an apartment in Hoi An (Vietnam), and I found a dedicated Facebook Group (Hoi An Expats Property – Buy and Rent) to be the most valuable.

Considering I’ve been on the road for over 11 years, you’d think I have more experience finding apartments around the world. Strangely, I don’t. That’s because the vast majority of the time, I have chosen my destinations based on a specific opportunity to go there, which, much of the time, involved free accommodation like house-sitting or volunteering. This made it exponentially easier to get my bearings; all I had to do was arrive and plug myself into whatever community/local neighbourhood awaited me. Not only did this save me a ton of money on accommodation, but it was incredibly rewarding. (See also: How to Get Free Accommodation Around the World)

Although, as I’ve discovered, there’s also something to be said for having your own space without the commitment of volunteering, nor the onus to care for somebody else’s home and pets (which often also restricts your time and movements). It’s all a trade-off, and depends on how you wish to live your life on the road.

Be sure to watch my video on how to find an apartment in Chiang Mai, including a tour of my sweet little pad!

You’ll Also Want to Check Out….

Chiang Mai, 10 Years Later: The Impossible Search

Chiang Mai’s Nimman: The Unapologetic Bubble

Things to do in Chiang Mai

This post How to Find an Apartment in Chiang Mai: A Step-by-Step Guide appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

Traveling through India on the Deccan Odyssey (the most luxurious train in the world) was akin to a dream come true for me. I’ve experienced (and written extensively about) long-distance train travel. But when I booked a mistake air fare to India on a whim, I had no idea I’d follow my cheap flight with such a decadent experience.

Because let’s get it right: I don’t exactly earn an income in keeping with a trip like the Deccan Odyssey, which is super-deluxe-luxury stuff. Although I’ve often said that financially sustainable travel is not synonymous with budget travel (some full-time travelers earn six figures; so they can spend accordingly), I’ll also admit that my current income is definitely not in keeping with this trip.

So it’s important to disclose that this trip was free for me, many thanks to Cox & Kings (India’s favourite tour company and the world’s longest-standing one) who actually owns the Deccan Odyssey train; some personal connections I made with the folks at Cox & Kings while speaking at a travel conference a few months prior paved the way to this experience.
2021 Update: Cox & Kings is out of business.

I may not earn a ton of money, but this job definitely has its perks.

Four Days on the Deccan Odyssey

My four days aboard the Deccan Odyssey train in India flew by. After boarding in Jaipur (halfway through it’s journey from Delhi to Mumbai), I spent the first day getting acquainted with the train’s many amenities while the passengers were out touring. The following day was a full one in Udaipur.

Unfortunately I awoke the following morning with a migraine so I missed the morning’s activities in Vadodara. Luckily everybody returned to the train for lunch and I was shipshape to join them for the afternoon visit to Laxmi Vilas Palace (the largest palace in India, and close to the largest in the world).

The following day, the morning was spent doing my absolute favourite thing to do on trains (lie in bed and watch the world go by); something I’d have liked a bit more of, but I’m in the minority in that club – most of the Deccan Odyssey passengers saw the train more as a means to tour around India’s destinations, rather than the train being the destination unto itself. (But I’m weird that way).

That afternoon, we visited Ellora Caves in Aurangabad; an extensive network of caves that have been hand-carved into temples of beauty, mythology, and acoustic grace. When we returned to the train for our collective last night on board the Deccan Odyssey, a surprise was awaiting each of us in our cabins: specially chosen traditional Indian outfits (saris for women) and a Bollywood party to attend! I’m not sure if my crazy Bollywood-esque moves impressed or horrified the guests and staff alike, but either way I was a great source of amusement for all.

Join me for my Last Two Days Aboard the Deccan Odyssey

This is the kind of trip that is best experienced through (moving) pictures, not words. Check out the video below to see the largest palace in India, catch me singing a song in one of the Ellora cave echo chambers, and kickin’ it Bollywood style to cap it all off!

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Just in Case You Missed It…

Acclimatizing to India, In Jaipur

Touring India’s Deccan Odyssey: Most Luxurious Train in the World!

Udaipur India, with the Deccan Odyssey Luxury Train

Heaven and Hell: Panchakarma as Reflected in (My Time In) India

This post Traveling on the Deccan Odyssey (Pt 3): Palaces, Caves, and Bollywood! appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

Traveling/Touring With the Deccan Odyssey

The Deccan Odyssey is much (much) more than a simple train ride. If you missed my post/video last week with a tour of the train, I highly recommend this opportunity to see what the most luxurious train in the world looks like.

But the Deccan Odyssey is more than just a super-luxurious train with an insane amount of amenities and attentive staff. It’s a way to see India. Each night before bed the following day’s itinerary is lovingly left on every pillow as part of the turn-down service. They’re full days of touring, often with early starts. It’s an all-inclusive and very easy way to see India, with everything laid out and a different local guide meeting passengers every morning to escort them on the day’s adventures, which often include some very exclusive experiences (lunch at palace in the middle of a lake? Why, thank you!).

A fellow passenger best described the Deccan Odyssey as being like a “cruise on rails”; all your needs are catered to on the boat (er….train), and each morning you arrive at a new destination that you have a chance to get a little taste of, before re-boarding and moving on to the next destination. So while a cruise (and likewise, a trip on the Deccan Odyssey train) isn’t a chance to dig too deep into local cultures, you’ll cover a lot of territory and figure out where you might like to return to, later in your trip, or later in life. Where the Deccan Odyssey has cruises beat hands-down (well, aside from the fact that it’s a train!), is that with such a small group of passengers and some very knowledgable staff, it’s a much more intimate experience allowing a more private audience with local experts for questions to be answered.

And, for the record, this experience on the Deccan Odyssey was free for me, courtesy of Cox & Kings, the longest-established travel company in the world, who also happens to own this train. They conceded me this treat because I wrote a book about trains (thus demonstrating my crazy love of trains). Oh yeah, and I begged, just a little.
2021 Update: Cox & Kings is out of business.

I joined the Deccan Odyssey halfway through its trip from Delhi to Mumbai, so passengers had already visited the Taj Mahal, done tiger safaris, visited Jaipur’s forts, and more. Given that Udaipur was my first full day on board the train, it was a pretty spectacular one.

Udaipur, India

Udaipur (everybody’s favourite city in India) is also known as the “city of Lakes” or even “Venice of the East”. Being in the state of Rajasthan which is known for palaces and forts and princely things, Udaipur is no exception.

My full day in Udaipur started off at the City Palace (a giant palace known for its detailed mosaics), continued with a boat ride to the Pleasure Palace for lunch (and if your mind just went to a dirty place, you’re not wrong; the Pleasure Palace was constructed in the middle of a lake for the prince at the time to take his flings and, well….fling). We continued on to an artist’s studio (Udaipur is known for it’s miniature art, which is pretty spectacular), and finished off with a stroll through the local fruit/veg/spice market (where I took about a million pictures).

Visit Udaipur With Me, on the Deccan Odyssey!

Enough descriptives and still images; watch this short video to get a taste of the day for yourself. It’s pretty divine.

Click to watch this video on YouTube

Just in Case You Missed It…

Acclimatizing to India, In Jaipur

Touring India’s Deccan Odyssey: Most Luxurious Train in the World!

And next up: The Deccan Odyssey, Part 3: Palaces, Caves, and Bollywood

This post Udaipur India, with the Deccan Odyssey Luxury Train appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

My Indian adventures thus far had already begun on a pretty divine note, at the Fairmont in Jaipur. Little did I know the fun had only begun. After a few days of getting my feet wet in “the real” Jaipur (the apres-Fairmont Jaipur, that is), I was whisked back off to luxury la-la-land aboard the Deccan Odyssey.

What Business do I Have on the Most Luxurious Train in the World, You Ask?

Great question. Let me tell you.

I’ll save you the speech about how financially sustainable travel is not synonymous with budget travel (even though it’s true), and how if I happened to be a bit more flush than I am, I could have paid my way. Cuz I didn’t pay my way.

The beautiful people at Cox & Kings paid my way; mostly because they heard me talk at a travel conference and they liked my style and wanted to work with me. Cox & Kings is the world’s oldest tour company, and they’re based in India (though they offer trips around the world). When I discovered they owned a train, it was game over.
Update 2021: Cox & Kings is apparently out of business.

Why was it game over? Because, if you didn’t already know, I have an evangelical love of long-distance train travel; to the point that I’ve done some epic (some may say epically stupid) train journeys around the world. I even wrote a book about it.

So as I was ironing out my initial few days in India, I realized I would be in Jaipur when the illustrious Deccan Odyssey would be pulling in, halfway through its journey from Delhi to Mumbai. I suggested if they happened to have some space, perhaps I could hop on? And they said yes.

And here I am. On the most luxurious train in the world: the Deccan Odyssey, in India.

What is the Most Luxurious Train in the World Like, You Ask?

Another great question.

It’s crazy.

Of the 21 train cars, there are just 16 passenger cabins. So for a very long train, it’s a pretty small number of guests. This leaves space for some gargantuan passenger cabins (by far the largest I’ve ever seen, with bathrooms that blew my mind – for a train). In addition, there are two restaurant cars, a bar car, a rec room/library, spa (!), gym (!!), and more.

Yes, there’s a spa, and a gym, on the Deccan Odyssey.

I know, right? Wow.

And then there’s the service. I believe the number of people working on the train actually outnumbered the number of guests, although it wasn’t totally full when I was on board; a full occupancy of guests would probably see close to a 1:1 employee/passenger ratio. So as you can imagine, the Deccan Odyssey’s wheels are well-greased.

I had my own valet/butler. Actually, that’s not true. I had to “rough it” by sharing him with another passenger cabin or two. Guests with Presidential Suites have dedicated valets. He not only cleaned my cabin daily and turned down the bed each night, but he provided wake-up calls with the drink of my choice. I also had a phone in my cabin with my valet on speed dial whenever I needed anything. When I first boarded the train, if I was leaving my room or coming back to my room, he would just pop up out of nowhere and insist on accompanying me. He even tried (unsuccessfully) to carry my purse!

The Deccan Odyssey’s hospitality on the whole was incredible. The guest manager had some outrageous stories to share with us each evening while prepping us for the day to come, as we sipped drinks in the bar car. The coordinators who came along with us on each day’s tours were enthusiastic and informative. We even had a dedicated paramedic quietly playing wallflower for whenever a guest needed anything from painkillers to bug bite treatment to whatever. And at meal-time on the train, the wait staff were tripping over each other to be of service.

Which brings me to the food. Earning a moniker like the most luxurious train in the world means the food is top-notch. With both an Indian and International menu on board, all tastes were catered to. The Indian menu changed daily according to the local cuisines where the train was at the moment, which was a nice touch. Anorexics, need not apply. The food on this train is just too good to pass up. (Though I will admit with some gratitude that the portions of the multi-course meals were small enough that I wasn’t over-stuffed at each meal).

Wanna See?

Pictures don’t do this experience justice. Come with me on this tour of the Deccan Odyssey. As you will see in the video, I’m pretty damn giddy about the experience.

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

The Fun has Just Begun!

The plushness of the Deccan Odyssey extends way beyond the train itself; it’s a full-meal-deal sort of experience. Check out two more posts and videos on my adventures aboard the Deccan Odyssey:

Udaipur India, with the Deccan Odyssey Luxury Train

Traveling on the Deccan Odyssey (Pt 3): Palaces, Caves, and Bollywood!

A Final Note About Semantics

Is the Deccan Odyssey really the most luxurious train in the world? Well, it’s debatable. It has received awards for being the best luxury train. The difference between “best luxury train” and “most luxurious train” could be semantics, or not.

When I look up most luxurious trains, Google shows me a bunch of trains I’ve ridden: The Ghan and The Indian Pacific (in Australia), the Canadian and the Rocky Mountaineer (Canada), the Trans-Siberian (Russia), and more. (Most of these trains are covered in my book. Just saying.)

Although I haven’t experienced other contenders like the Blue Train (South Africa) and the Maharaj’s Express (India), I can say that from the trains I’ve ridden, the Deccan Odyssey wins the prize for most luxurious train in the world – hands down – in my books.

Accommodation in India

Looking for a place to stay in India (perhaps before or after your Deccan Odyssey adventures)? You’re in luck! There’s something for everybody. Have a look: 

Things to do in India

To anybody who is visiting India for the first time, I strongly suggest taking (at least a few) organized tours. India can be an overwhelming place at the best of times, and it’s difficult to make the sorts of connections that allow you to learn about the place, as well as stay safe and ensure you’re not being ripped off or scammed. Check out some of the bestselling things to do in India below, and save yourself a whole lotta stress and aggravation! Also, check out my friend’s guide to taking trains, planes, and autos in India!

This post Touring India’s Deccan Odyssey: Most Luxurious Train in the World! appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content.

Preparing For India

Prior to arriving in India, I read The Shadow that Seeks the Sun; a new release written by a guy who spent a chunk of every year in Rishikesh for a while. The book tackles some ambitious spiritual topics, but refreshing ones that made me fall even harder in love with the idea of visiting Rishikesh and finding some friendly local stranger with whom I could have spiritual talks on the steps of the holy Ganges river. (Spoiler alert: I ended up in Rishikesh and received quite the punch-in-the-gut (Indian style) on arrival, before relaxing into the place (a bit) and being a hermit for a two-week detox. More on that in a later post.)

I also watched a movie called The Shack on the plane to Delhi, which although not based on India, featured some concepts that would serve me well, such as releasing my idea of judging what is good and bad.

And lastly, I watched the movie Lion, which is simply a gorgeous movie (based partly in India) that made me cry. A lot.

Oh yeah, and for the record, Shantaram (set in India) is one of my top three favourite books of all-time. (Though a friend of mine who is all about India says there are heaps of books about India that are far better!) 

Arriving in India

So I figured I was on the best possible footing to arrive in India. In the spirit of dichotomy (something India is famous for), I recorded an anxiety-ridden FB Live Video the day before I left, before embodying a bit of zen and surrendering to whatever the place would be.

It didn’t hurt that after a hectic arrival and near missed connection, my first four days in India were spent at The Fairmont in Jaipur – the best 5-star hotel in Jaipur. I met up with an old friend and travel writing colleague (Mariellen of BreatheDreamGo) and we lapped up the luxury for four days of Fairmont ecstasy.

The Fairmont was a blissful experience, and I’m not just saying that because they hosted Mariellen and I for free; it’s a destination unto itself, and if you’re looking to ease into – or out of – India (or need a rest in the middle), I highly recommend this splurge – a splurge, which, all things considered is well priced for what you get.

But let’s get it right. Staying within the confines of the Fairmont’s delightful embrace was hardly the India I was braced for.

Acclimatizing to India in Jaipur

My acclimatization started while staying in Jaipur city (the Fairmont being about 20kms outside of Jaipur). Again, I had it pretty easy. Mariellen being familiar with Jaipur, selected the Bani Park area for us to stay in, because it is a quiet residential area but still accessible to everywhere. I hopped on Booking.com and picked Om Niwas which was decent enough for the money.

Looking for accommodation in Jaipur? Check out these deals: 

A Note About the Cost of Accommodation/Living in India

One of my bigger initial surprises about India is the cost of things. I’d always been led to believe that everything in India is dirt cheap. Not so. (Like, at all).

Although India may be considered a developing country with some shocking amounts of poverty, it also has the world’s largest middle class, and it also has some of the world’s greatest wealth. The most expensive house in the world…is in India. The most luxurious train in the world…is in India (more on that next week). So, similar to Bali, India is a place where you can pay as much or as little for something as you wish.

Mariellen’s advice to me was to stick to accommodation in the 2,000-3,000 rupee/night range ($30-45); this was considerably higher than what I had expected to pay. Later in the trip I broke her rule a few times and didn’t suffer for it. But it’s wise to check out a place first (or book just the first couple of nights online so you can leave if it’s a dive); in many places I couldn’t find a particularly logical correlation between what you pay for and what you get.

Walking in Jaipur

On with my tale of acclimatizing to India. After a night in Jaipur together, Mariellen was on her merry way to Delhi, and I was left to my own devices in Jaipur. I didn’t cover off all the touristy sites as many people would do; instead, I went for a (very long) walk, to and through the Pink City.

You know what? It wasn’t so bad. The best way I could define the India (as I’d come to know it through a couple of days in Jaipur) is that it’s like all the little things you need to be aware of when you travel through other countries – like beggars, and touts, and scams, and crowds, and noise, and dirt – combined, and intensified.

If that doesn’t sound like a very good time, well, it’s not. But it does have a certain indescribable charm to it that’s probably responsible for the far-away dreamy look people get when they refer to their time in India. If anything, it’s exotic, and like nowhere you’ve ever traveled to before. That, I believe is the main allure for people who travel to and love India.

I’m going to cap my observations of India at this for the moment. I have much more to say, but all in good time. This story has an arc, and it must be followed. Stay tuned.

Walking in Jaipur, Vlog Ep. 29

Please enjoy this short film of my long walk through Jaipur, to get a feel for the place.

Click here to watch this Jaipur video on YouTube

Things to do in Jaipur

If you’re at all worried about traveling in India, then I highly recommend not only shelling out some decent cash for a nice place to stay, but also, to go on organized tours. You’ll learn a ton, and stay a million times safer. Check out what’s available to do in Jaipur below:

This post Acclimatizing to India, In Jaipur (Vlog Ep. 29) appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

I spent five weeks in Bali in total (I was meant to be there for eight weeks but I evacuated early), and all of that time I was based in Ubud. I don’t apologize for not staying on other parts of the island; in fact if anything, I apologize that I couldn’t get to know Ubud even better. When I do return to Bali, it will be to Ubud.

This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

That’s not to say that other parts of Bali aren’t equally (or perhaps more) deserving of my attention. My day trip into Kuta didn’t go so well, but I hear lovely things about many other parts of Bali, and when I return I expect to visit some waterfalls, climb some mountains, and relax on a beach or two.

The attraction to Bali (and specifically to Ubud) was of a spiritual nature, though I wasn’t on any particular quest, and I only took two yoga classes (much to the shock and surprise of many “spiritual” people in Ubud).

I went to Ubud because there are a few spots in the world that seem to attract spiritual pilgrims of all sorts:

• One is the Sacred Valley of Peru (a place I was lucky enough to call home for two years) and to a larger extent the Andes mountains of both Peru and Ecuador (where I also spent time doing “shaman-things”).
• Another is Ubud, the artistic and cultural hub of Bali, and also the spiritual centre of Balinese Hinduism; something that has attracted tourists and spiritual-seekers since the 1930’s.
• The third is India (DUH!) – where I’ve spent the last few weeks, and will be sharing all kinds of information with you about shortly.

This year will have seen me in all three locations; in a poetic and subtle exploration of what attracts people to these “spiritual” places.

Stumbling on a Cremation Ceremony Parade

I’ve written about the importance of ceremony and religion in Bali (see also: Canang Sari – The Ceremony of Life in Bali); it dictates daily life. And although stumbling on a cremation ceremony parade might not be a once in a lifetime opportunity, it’s still a very special event to witness….which you’ll see in the video below.

Ubud Mashup (Vlog, Ep. 28)

I’ve already published quite a few videos about Bali, which I encourage you to watch if you’re interested (you can find a list below). This Ubud Mashup is a simple collection of clips that create a flavour of the place, of driving and walking the roads, stumbling on ceremonial parades, enjoying nice meals, watching rice get planted, and listening to magical wind chimes. Enjoy!

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Other Bali Videos

Campuhan Ridge Walk in Ubud

Balinese Painting for the (not so) Artistically Inclined

Why I Evacuated from Bali

Ubud Market – How to Negotiate

My Monkey Forest Commute

Balinese Cooking 101

This post Ubud Mashup (Vlog Ep. 28) appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

While perusing the various local activities I could enjoy on the Withlocals website, I immediately gravitated towards taking a Balinese cooking class. (Lucky for me, Withlocals agreed to let me have it on the house – though I’d have spent the $35 for the half day course in a heartbeat).

Remember when I took a Balinese painting class with a super cool granddaddy artist named Putu? Well, I enjoyed hanging out with he and his family in their home so much, that I took the cooking class with his daughter and wife.

This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

I was also joined by a fellow student; a guy from Lebanon who was passing through the area and making the most of his two days in Ubud by taking multiple Withlocals tours. (I must say, if I were pressed for time, I’d likely do the same. I really like these “local tour” platforms; I used a similar one in Japan at Tsukiji Fish Market. 

Balinese Cooking Basics

Although there are many overlaps between Balinese and Indonesian cuisine, Bali has a few tricks up its sleeve with some intrinsically Balinese concoctions, built around a magical combination of spices found in most of their dishes.

The majority of the work is in the preparation; peeling, chopping, grinding, and such. After that, it all comes together pretty quickly. To make daily food preparation easier, a large amount of the spice mix (discussed below) is prepared and frozen in little baggies.

The Aromatics (Spices)

So what of these magical spices? I use combinations of many of these ingredients in much of my own cooking (which is usually of an Asian persuasion), but all together and done in the Balinese way, it produces a unique flavour. The mixture, which is usually ground into a pulp using a stone slab (a flat version of mortar and pestle) is made up of the following ingredients, the specific combination and amounts of which vary by family (everybody has their own “secret recipe”):

• turmeric
• shallots
• ginger
• spicy chili pepper
• red pepper (not spicy)
• coriander seeds
• ginger
• candlenut
• ginger flower
• lemongrass
• and finally, an ingredient that I’ve never seen before and that Yogi didn’t have an english name for, which was what I imagined would be born if a piece of galangal and lemongrass made love.

Mealtime in Bali: A Solo Affair

I grew up in a culture that values sharing meals together. However that’s not the way it’s done in Bali. The food for the day is prepared in the morning, and family members simply go into the kitchen and help themselves when hunger strikes. I found this a bit odd, given the emphasis that Asian culture in general puts on family. But indeed it seems to extend beyond Bali to other parts of Indonesia; I experienced a similar phenomenon while spending three weeks with some families in Jakarta.

Balinese Cooking: Not Just for Women

I was (pleasantly) surprised to discover that the men of Bali also cook. When there is a ceremony (which happens A LOT in Bali), the women are busy preparing the offerings, which means the men are responsible for preparing the food. It’s nice to know that Balinese men can whip up a nice meal as well, although I would guess that outside of ceremony days you won’t see them near the kitchen.

Balinese Cooking 101

Want to see all these magical ingredients come together to make soup, curry, salad, and satay? Then join me in taking this Balinese Cooking Class!

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

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This post Balinese Cooking 101, Withlocals (Vlog Ep. 27) appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

Personally, I prefer my monkeys at arm’s length. As far as I’m concerned, most people who think monkeys are cute haven’t actually seen or interacted with them in person. If they had, they’d know that monkeys get into everything, steal your food, carry disease, and as such can actually be dangerous. I’ve had them nip at my heels in Nepal, and steal my breakfast in South Africa. And when you steal my breakfast, you declare war.

But this is a cute monkey video, and here at the Monkey Forest it’s all happy happy, so we won’t talk about that. (Or, maybe we will, just a little).

This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

The Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud

Word on the street is that the Sacred Monkey Forest in Ubud was founded by an eccentric ol’ chap who loved monkeys (I couldn’t find anything online to substantiate that rumour).

What I do know is that it’s a big tourist attraction in Ubud, as well as home to three ancient sacred temples, parts of which outsiders can’t even visit unless they’re dressed accordingly and participating in the ceremony at hand.

The Forest is home to almost 700 Balinese long-tailed macaque (crab-eating macaque) monkeys, that live in troupes throughout the forest.

My Monkey Forest Commute

For my first month in Ubud, I stayed south of the Monkey Forest in a neighbourhood called Nyuh Kunung, which is lovely and quiet and a bit more “local”. In order to access the centre of Ubud, I had two options: walk along the roads for about an hour, or walk 20 minutes using a shortcut that runs beside the Monkey Forest. Of course, I took the Monkey Forest shortcut.

Given that I chose not to have a scooter in Bali, I did this journey on foot, along a narrow path that was mostly frequented by scooters. As such, it wasn’t the most enjoyable walk, although I must say, the monkeys were quite entertaining.

But people thought I was crazy for walking through the Monkey Forest like this. Rumour has it the monkeys have been acting up lately and have even attacked people, and outside of the forest there’s no keeper/attendant to keep them in line. (Even inside the forest, I recently read a social media posting by a girl who was bitten badly by one of the monkeys).

And although apparently all the monkeys are vaccinated against rabies and herpes, I don’t believe it’s failsafe, since the monkeys can come and go from the Monkey Forest Sanctuary as they like.

Ubud Monkey Forest Adventures (Vlog Ep. 26)

I’m pleased to report I fared my Monkey Forest commute without a hitch, and got nothing from them except some pretty cool pictures and videos. See for yourself! And if you enjoy this video, please do “like” it, and subscribe to my channel!

Click here to watch this video on YouTube.

Related Posts and Videos

How to Negotiate, in Ubud Market

Why I Evacuated From Bali

Balinese Painting for the (Not So) Artistically Inclined

Visiting Kuta in Bali (aka What Was I Thinking?!)

Campuhan Ridge Walk in Bali

This post My Monkey Forest Commute in Ubud (Vlog Ep. 26) appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

“I don’t know how you do it,” he says, referring to my recent negotiation.

“You gotta have fun with it. It’s a game!” I reply.

Lucky for me, I learned the art of negotiation early on in my travels, and although I was a bit rusty when I set foot in Ubud market in Bali, I pulled it together pretty quickly and embraced the experience.

This post was originally published in 2017. It has since been updated for accuracy of links and content. 

Where is Ubud Market? (and Market Negotiation Tip #1)

Ubud Central Market – also known as Ubud Bali Art Market – is opposite the Royal Palace, basically at the corner of Jalan Raya Ubud and Jalan Monkey Forest (though it’s important to note it isn’t actually near the Ubud monkey forest itself).  Here’s a map to confuse you some more. 

But rest assured, accessing the Ubud market place isn’t terribly difficult; it’s on every local map, and anybody in the area can point you in the right direction. 

Ubud market opening hours are from 8am-5pm, though Balinese holidays (which are frequent) can wreak a bit of havoc with that. Again, ask around for the best day to go, and you’ll get all the info you need. 

As with many markets in Asia, the best time to go is in the morning. Not only do you stand a chance of beating some of the rush, but one of the key tricks to bargaining in Bali comes into play at the start of the day; the first sale of the day is considered an omen of coming good luck for the vendor, and thus they may be willing to discount prices a bit deeper than they will at other times of the day.   

Shopping in Ubud Art Market – Tips

Like many street markets (and perhaps even more so with this one), the Bali Ubud Market is chaotic, crowded, and it sprawls. I regularly turned a corner, thinking surely I’d come to a perimeter, only to discover yet another avenue packed with vendors.  I wandered aimlessly for a few hours, and I suspect I only covered a fraction of this crazy market. 

Though it might not seem apparent at first glance, it’s loosely organized into a few different markets in Ubud; one for art and handicrafts, an Ubud silver market with silver and other jewelry, and a food market with spices and various forms of produce. To keep things interesting (and disorienting!), there’s some spillover betwixt these sections. 

How do you barter in Bali? My advice in a market like this, is to go more than once. The first time, just wander. Get a lay of the land. Figure out what’s for sale, and where, and how much of it there is (there’s a lot of the same stuff for sale at different stalls). 

It’s also good to get a basic idea of how much things cost. Ubud market prices are moving targets – at best.

The problem is, when you ask for a price, that’s a cue to the vendor to launch into a full negotiation. So the trick is to ask for the price – as non-committally as possible, acting very disinterested in the item! Then, walk away. Don’t engage. They’ll likely drop their price right away and/or ask you to give your price. Say you don’t have any money right now and keep walking. Your first trip into this Balinese market is for reconnaissance. 

Perfect example: when I was shopping at Ubud market, there were so many sarongs. And they were all beautiful! Towards the beginning of my market excursion, I bought one at what I thought was a great price after employing my best tips for how to barter in Bali…..only to turn a corner with my new sarong in hand and have another vendor open with a price lower than what I had just paid. (Here’s another bargaining tip: once you’ve bought your thing, stop looking at similar items and asking for prices; it only leads to heartache)!

Had I just wandered through the market to learn Ubud market prices first, I would have been able to establish a reasonable cost for a sarong and gotten a better deal. 

How to Bargain in Bali

One of the things I appreciate the most about the Ubud market (and shopping/negotiating in Bali in general), is the humour and fun with which business is conducted. Negotiating is truly a game. It goes kind of like this:

• “How much is this?” I ask.
• “X” they reply.
• My eyes widen and I feign some sort of comical exaggerated pain.
• They ask me to suggest a price.
• “My price is so low, I can’t tell you. You will be upset with me.”
• They laugh and urge me again to name my price.
• Depending on the item and what I think it’s worth (or am willing to pay), I name a ridiculously low price, usually about 25% of the asking price.
• Now it’s the vendor’s chance to widen their eyes and feign exaggerated pain.

With this, we both smile and laugh, and the game is on.

Back and forth we go, each stating our case. The vendor explains why it’s worth so much more than my offer. I explain why I simply can’t pay what they’re asking. Every time they inch down in price, I thank them for the wonderful deal they are giving me, but say that it is still too expensive for me. Every time I inch up in my offer they continue to tell me it’s not enough, but they respond with a further discount.

The trick is to express interest in the item at hand, but not to actually be too attached. Before the negotiations begin, set a price in your mind for what it’s worth to you. Start with a price well below that, and work your way up to your final price. If you both can’t agree on it, walk away. If the vendor chases after you with another “final” price, you’ll know they had more wiggle room. If they let you walk away, you know that your price was simply too low. You can decide if you’re willing to return later with a higher offer.

And remember, in a place like Ubud market, there’s probably another half a dozen stores where you can buy that exact same trinket. So if your negotiations fail the first time around, find another vendor with the same item and try again. It’s fun, and a cultural expectation.

An ethical note about negotiation:

In many cultures and societies, negotiation is part of the fabric of commerce. In places like Bali, just about everything is negotiable; negotiation is expected, and vendors inflate their asking prices accordingly.

If you, with your western sensibilities, come into a market and pay the asking prices (because it’s still a steal for you, or because you think you’re helping somebody by knowingly paying more), believe it or not, you could be playing a part in crippling that country’s entire economy. You might think you’re helping that person, but in fact, I believe you’re hurting the bigger picture.

Read this article for more on this idea: How Tourists Unwittingly Cripple Local Economies.

Watch the Ubud Markets in Action (and How to Haggle in Bali)

The central market in Ubud is near the Royal Palace and is a maze of vendors selling everything from keychains to clothes, sarongs to statues, carvings to kites.

Watch this video to get in on the action, including a nail-biting negotiation with one of the vendors, and lots of penises. Seriously. You gotta watch.

Click here to watch on YouTube.

Related Posts

Balinese Painting for the (Not So) Artistically Inclined
Visiting Kuta in Bali (aka What was I Thinking?!)
Campuhan Ridge Walk in Bali
Balinese Cooking 101

This post Ubud Market: How to Negotiate (Vlog Ep. 25) appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!

“So…how do you know Tony, again?” asked my hosts – and perfect strangers – John and Layla, who had generously given me a place to stay in their Jakarta home when I evacuated from Bali.

“Well….Tony [John’s best friend, who was out of town at the moment and had called on John for a favour to put me up] has a sister in Canada, Lesley. Lesley is married to Ian. Ian has a step-child, Maureen, from a previous marriage. She’s my friend.”

“So…you’re not related in any way.”

“Nope.” There were probably fewer degrees of separation between us and Kevin Bacon. This game of six degrees took a while for us all to wrap our heads around, but thankfully John and Layla took it all in stride and were very gracious interim hosts, until Tony and his family returned (Tony also being a perfect stranger but with one less degree of separation from me; at least he knew who all these people were).

Because after all, I was a refugee of sorts, evacuated from Bali.

I shot this video while taking a break from packing my bags after deciding it was time I evacuated from Bali. It was a tough decision, as you’ll see. Click here to watch on YouTube.

Why I Evacuated From Bali

A week after I returned to Bali from my Hong Kong trip, I evacuated. I didn’t have to. And I certainly didn’t want to. So here’s why I did.

Mount Agung is a huge volcano (“Agung” in Balinese means “big one”) that started going off the seismic charts the week I returned to Bali. Every day the caution levels increased, as did the number of people in the 12km radius who needed to be evacuated from their homes and relocated to shelters and community centres – over 70,000 in total. Although nobody could say for sure, it seemed to be not a matter of if the volcano would blow, but when.

I wasn’t in immediate life-threatening danger in Ubud 30km away, but there was sure to be ash fall, potentially of a significant nature. A friend of a friend who survived Mount Agung’s last eruption in 1963 (killing over 1,000 people) said over a foot of ash fell in Ubud.

Initially I wasn’t concerned about ash fall, until learned there could be over a foot of it, at which point I started researching. With the pervasiveness of smoke, volcanic ash gets everywhere, and is comprised of tiny jagged pieces of glass (pulverized lava), laced with sulphur and cyanide. All in all, it’s a toxic cocktail that is hard on both lungs and electronics. It grounds airplanes (for up to weeks at a time), and I had no idea what it would do to my computer and phone, but I wasn’t eager to find out.

An ash fall event requires you to stay indoors in a tightly sealed dwelling (virtually non-existent in Bali) for a few days. You get advance notice of minutes to hours from the moment of eruption to the beginning of the ash fall. So although I was relatively prepared in my (somewhat-but-not-really airtight) room with food and water and an air mask, there was no guarantee I’d be close enough to my room to get there when it started.

Then there would be the cleanup phase, which would surely stir the ash up again. If we would be lucky enough to get rain it would take the ash out of the air, but would also turn the fallen ash into the equivalent of cement, likely collapsing roofs.

All in all, it was not a pretty picture, and I wasn’t interested in learning through experience what the long-term health effects of surviving an ash fall were, much less putting my electronics at risk of being destroyed, and possibly missing my onward flights from Bali to India in a few weeks.

All this is to say nothing of the hundreds of daily earthquakes and tremors, which did nothing but escalate in the week leading up to when I evacuated from Bali. Although I didn’t fear the earthquakes per se, the constant tremors left me perpetually nauseous and off-centre.

Why Nobody Else I Knew Evacuated From Bali

Much as the picture above seems pretty grim, I wasn’t part of a mass exodus from the island. In fact, in Ubud, it was business as usual.

The locals were mildly concerned, but largely unfazed and I suspect in denial. These are the responses I got from locals:

“We are Balinese. This is our land. It will be what it will be.”

“I gave an offering this morning to Mount Agung. I am praying. It will be okay.”

“Have I prepared? No. What would I do?”

This last response was of particular concern to me. What to do? How about set yourself up with food and water? Perhaps buy a face mask to filter out ash? Fill up your car/scooter with gas? I dunno….something?

The expats I spoke to were mixed. Some were a bit panicky. Others were resolved.

“We don’t know if the volcano will erupt today, or tomorrow, or months from now. Or maybe never. I can’t uproot my life and be evacuated from Bali and spend all that money based on probabilities and unknowns.”

“The winds were blowing in a different direction in 1963. I think we’ll be fine; the stuff you’re reading is fear-mongering.”

“I’m scared. But I’ve done all I can do. Now I just wait.”

“Nobody else is leaving. The locals don’t seem concerned. I’m taking my lead from them.”

“I like to live dangerously.”

Tourism Continues Unabated

I didn’t speak to many tourists before I evacuated from Bali, but given that they were doing their touristy things, I surmised that they too, were unconcerned. This was in part due to the gargantuan efforts on the part of the Balinese Tourism Department to encourage tourists not to alter their plans. Because Bali derives the majority of its income from tourism, they simply can’t afford to shut down the island – an island with 70,000 refugees just outside of the tourist towns, mind you – based on a prediction that the volcano would blow at some undetermined point in time.

Sitting in Jakarta on Thursday September 28^th, two days after I evacuated from Bali, I read this article which shows the Bali Government Tourism Office in an almost desperate ploy to reassure the world that tourism to Bali is safe.

They show copies of letters issued by this office. In one letter, addressed “Dear People of the World”, dated Sept 27^th, the director mentions that Mount Agung is 32 km away from Ubud centre (which is the closest heavily-touristed town to the volcano). In another letter issued by the very same office on the very same day, they say Ubud is 51 km away (which is also technically correct if you take the indirect roads. But lava and ash don’t travel via the roads). To me, it reeks of downplaying, because Bali would be terribly hurt economically by a drop in tourism.

On September 29^th, despite nothing but increased volcanic activity, the director had the audacity to call for the volcano alert level to be lowered, due to concerns about tourism to Bali over the Christmas holidays.

This seems to me a very dangerous game of tourist-roulette to be playing. Perhaps they’re playing the odds? Or…

Perhaps I Overreacted.

I didn’t have to evacuate. But because I had friends of friends (of friends) near Jakarta who were willing to put me up, and because Jakarta was where I had to catch a flight to my next destination, I decided to bail.

I had nothing to prove in staying.

And I was living day to day and moment to moment, wondering if today would be the day, and trying not to be too far from my room just in case.

I was nauseous from the constant tremors.

I was nervous about keeping my electronics protected; a potential loss of thousands of dollars if they stopped working, much less a significant disruption in my work.

And with each day the volcano didn’t blow, it increased my chances of missing my onward trip to India with an eruption close to my departure date.

The stress of it all, along with the potential downsides of staying, made leaving a logical – but still difficult – decision.

I’ve survived a few natural disasters already in the last 11 years of world travel. I’d rather not add another to the mix.

It’s also worth noting that Bali has done everything they can to ensure tourists will be okay if/when the volcano erupts. Ferries are waiting to evacuate tourists to neighbouring islands to fly out. Bali has assured the world they will extend visas and provide accommodation should tourists be stranded on Bali.

2 Weeks Later….

Nothing has happened.

The volcano remains on the highest alert conditions, and could erupt at any minute. Bali continues to be in a state of emergency. This could honestly go on for months, or even years.

Of the 70,000+ people who are still evacuated and living in refugee camps, 10,000 are now sick.

Bali tourism is hurting.

I had an email conversation with an expat who continues to remain in Ubud. He couldn’t understand why I left, so I explained my understanding of the ash fall from 1963 (heck – ash fell as far away as Jakarta!!) and the general hazards of ash. He had no idea.

I wonder just how many other people have no idea….for better or worse.

Will I return to Bali? You betcha. In the coming weeks, please enjoy a series of articles and vlogs about my experiences there.

I cut short quite a few plans when I evacuated from Bali. I have unfinished business.

In the meantime, I pray for the people and the land of Bali, that they are safe at the foot of this big and powerful volcano.

This post Why I Evacuated From Bali (Vlog, Ep. 24) appeared first on The Professional Hobo. Please click through to read it in full!