I just returned from a short visit to Lombok.

Impressive, -  the roads are not as congested as in Bali and there also seems to be less rubbish. The palm lined beaches between Senggigi and the Gili Islands are truly beautiful. Look at the mighty Islamic Centre in Mataram. I guess that the Saudi Royalty who may have helped in financing get’s life-long free parking.

Also, the cost of living there are a little cheaper than in Bali, maybe because of lower wages and less ceremonies. So, let’s pack and move?
Maybe, but…   
(they say rightly so: everything before the word ’but’ in a sentence is bull dust). 

But…  Over a decade ago I have been living and doing business in Lombok for 4 years.  Then I started to see through life there, saw the light and moved to Bali.
Still last week I felt the underlying seriousness of the locals or got into an even slightly depressing mood which creeps under the skin in many places. It may be their upbringing.
To be fair however, this does not apply to the hotels and their open minded and friendly staff in the tourist areas. 

Compared to Bali, let alone the Ubud area, there are far less smiles and very few signs of the Sassak people wanting to go through life light hearted. 
I was happy, as always, to be back in Bali after those few days.  Not withstanding the nice tour we made and the wide and better maintained roads and option to get a car wash for only 12.000 Rp.

Let’s take a big step on the globe to look further:   A kraal in Kenia or an assembly of nomad tents in central Mongolia are certainly also unique.  However, many would agree that we live much better in or near Ubud, than in most of the other also special places on earth, which are mentioned in the travel guides.
Even today, given the increased traffic and plentiful businesses between Jalan Andong and Lodtunduh, there are still heaps of very valid reasons to appreciate what Ubud has to offer in it’s very own special way.

If I remember correctly, Author Christopher Hitchens wrote a graphic example like this:  
’If a Boeing 747 would be completely demolished into all of its over 7 Million parts and dumped on a scrapyard and if then a big storm came up and would put all back together into working order, this event would be the equivalent to finding another Ubud with you in it.

Let us appreciate- there cannot be and will not be a second Ubud anywhere ever. Not anywhere amongst the vast number of galaxies. Not ever.  And you are or want to be part of this!   
If that is not special, I don’t know what else qualifies.  There you have it.

Well, we don’t have a Bolshoi Ballet in Ubud palace, nor a Great Chinese Wall, the Sydney harbour or the view from The Peak in Hong Kong and  very likely you will be able to add your own ideas regarding the shortcomings of this or that, but - we humans tend to over- evaluate negatives. We feel loss more than we value gain.  Loosing your wallet with 1 Million Rp in it costs you a greater amount of happiness than the happiness you would feel, if I would give you the same money for free. The emotional factor of a loss ’weighs’ about double as much as a similar gain say psychologists.
This is why we also over-evaluate ’the intolerable traffic, the lack of parking in Ubud-center, the crowds of flag-following visitors, who bring little or no business to the locals’ and more similar issues.  In my book the list of likeable aspects of residing here is much longer. What about you?

I believe we are fairly much on the same page, - why else would you read until here and about something related to ’our’ unique town?
Now, what does this also say about you and the relatively few others, who were not born on Bali Island, but decided to make Ubud their home?  This surely must be a quite small and pretty exclusive circle of newcomers.

I usually ask our clients why they decided to settle here.  Many of them have travelled extensively and made their comparisons. Eventually most are here to look seriously at Ubud as best suitable destination for a fulfilling long term stay. 

The world out there is large.  There are great places of mystery, like Machu Picchu, beautiful Islands in the Carribean, those Alaska River Valleys for trout fishing, or places like the bitter-sweet Toscana in Italy. All have their very distinctive flair.

Just a combination of the rich variety of life’s options and range of experiences in Bali’s Ubud,  or about one hour from here - I have not heard of yet.

Here are just two real-life examples: 

A recent email to UbudProperty:

’Thanks Asti. Please do send me info on other places. I am retiring this June and I am seriously considering a move to Bali or Lombok. I worked in Indonesia for about 5 years between 1986 and 1991 and grew to love the country and people.  Looking for something under USD$250,000, Preferably under USD$200,000 and in the Ubud Gianyar areas. Maybe a bit up. Not interested in crazy Kuta, Sanur, Nusa Dua areas. Concerned about trying to buy Hak Milik, so probably looking for leasehold but with a longer lease.’ 

Returning friends:

There are these long-term friends, a Belgian couple, living near Ubud.  After years the travel bug bit them again and they decided to move on, “being too young (66/62) to settle for good”.  They started out for about one year in Malaysia, then packing up again, moving to the Algarve, Portugal’s 100 mile beach on the Mediterranean. 
Last December came their email: “coming back. Please check out a pretty place for us…”
I can certainly attest to them being of perfectly good mental health. If they come back, there must be some meaning… They have always travelled and the globe into which they stuck a needle for every place they have visited, looks like a porcupine, only left with small patches of bare skin on the very top and bottom.  
Their final verdict: ’Ubud is a beautiful place to settle, and has a very liberating way to live. We will in fact find it now very hard ever to leave again’.
The office made a list of similar comments. It became very long over the years. Come have a look.

Btw.  You know what shows when you have fully settled into the local ways?  

It is 28 degrees, and you are cold. 
You take your bike to the local warung, which is about 15 meters from your front door.
You don’t know how to set the alarm on your hand phone.
You keep two wallets on you. One, being the “fake” with Rp 50,000 in case of being pulled over by police, and the “real” you keep hidden in the storage compartment under the seat of the motorbike.
If one or two of the above lines apply to you, you know you are now a fixed part of the scenery.

If I would not have been under the impression that Bali is so much better to live in than Lombok, you would have been able to read something useful this month, maybe about property values in different areas, building issues or how to calculate net profit from accommodation business.

But I needed to get my love for Ubud off the chest.   So! Done!  Feeling better.

Hope to see you next month. 
Your Ubud friend.

Look, I’m smart, one of the smartest brains in the world.
Check out 122 Jalan Bisma, Ubud.
Melanie could swim in the oversized pool with all her friends or take a short walk to shops and cafes.
Barron can stream movies with free WIFI.
If I weren’t so busy, I would click on the ‘buy now’ button to check availability.
Look, you will be fired if you don’t holiday there.
A high IQ, I have a very high IQ.