If you can solve this...
You are well prepared to read on …
If you buy a horse  . . .

Well, let’s talk about such horse purchase in a moment. First I’d like to tell you about a very recent experience, which fit’s spot-on today’s theme.
Yesterday, late evening, the UbudProperty Team of 20 happy souls returned from a 3-day tour to
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Last year the team has worked hard, customers  and vendors in were happy and  this reward trip over the weekend did hardly interrupt the office’s work anyway, but it was fun and gave  some interesting new insights.

You see, 15 years ago I was in Malaysia for the first time.  I went per hire car all around the country and although interesting at the time, I was not particularly impressed by what I saw . Exception: The Cameron Highlands, well known for the tea production there.  All else to my memory was “so so”.  Was I in for a surprise!  This time being there was like moving into a different Country all together.Oodles of new high-tech developments, high rising housing blocks, hundreds of them, with stunning architectonical features, wide roads, the mighty twin towers, modern public transport systems above and below ground, wide streets, flowing traffic, few motorbikes, mostly late model clean cars, clean everything everywhere and  I could well go on for a while like this…  In summary – the rapidly advancing developments there leave Indonesia way behind in comparison.However, one observation was – all impressive and eye opening, but still there is something missing.Something which is not only important, but essential to get the good ‘vibes’ for any environment:The people there looked way less happy and outgoing than here in Bali.  How good to see the difference and being able to re-order the importance of what matters when judging a new environment. And it was not only myself, feeling like that. Within the team we discussed the experience and all said the same: ‘Great structural accomplishments there, biggest this, largest that, but now let’s go back home we still love Bali better’.

It seems that our observation is widely shared. There are many visitors to UbudProperty’s office, who made up their mind and told us why they chose to be in Ubud / Bali instead of elsewhere. Their reasons are ranging from “because it feels right for us, to: “Look, I did a near scientific approach to list the optional locations for us to live in, giving every place and aspect a specific value and at the bottom of the list showed up a PLUS for Ubud and this is why I’m here today.”

Of course it is heaps easier to just follow the heart and maybe advice of many established local expats who say: “because it feels good to stay here”.

But is that really good enough?

After all, imagine your ideal life style. Can it be realized elsewhere better?

Also, don’t forget the need to take proper care of your capital to invest and grow.

Therefore – no one should compromise or decide in the spur of the moment. Making the wrong decision and a part of your life quality, which cannot be replaced, may be gone.

We might look in every corner of the planet and not find perfect conditions anyway. Searching for the ‘next best’ is the right decision and to go well informed and motivated in the direction of your life-style plans.

I can’t tell you what to think. You do the research and draw your own conclusions. Here are simply some extra personal observations to add to your own thoughts.

I mean, every man who ever bought a horse, also did at least some basic checks: Age? He opens the mouth for a good look. All teeth are there and healthy? Which are the horse’s parents? Are they good natured or having a bit of a nervous movement in the left back leg? Can I walk around the horse without fear of getting bitten or a kick? Is the price fair?

That seems simple.

When selecting your life style and environment it is not unlike checking out a horse. It is not a risk-filled undertaking to look a bit further into why a certain environment would be right for you. It is a must.

There are people living on Greenland, Labuan Bajo on Flores, in Medellin, Colombia and in so many other places, strange and special and, no doubt, we can find everywhere many happy families, but adding the right ambiance to a balanced family life will lead to a higher level of happiness again.

It is surely the search for such happiness that makes many eyeing Bali and here especially the township or surroundings of Bud.

Why did Chiang Mai in Thailand, the French Alps, Bora Bora, Colorado Springs, Algarve in Portugal or Santo Domingo not make it to the top of the choices?

The answer is, that you are probably too smart to accept the advertisements regarding those places at their face value and can see the flipside of the coin, so to speak.

We have to think about health care, security, climate, expat community, environmental factors (presently a clear minus to Bali), well developed infrastructure, (don’t tell yourself you can live without the things you love), ease of getting there and to other metropoles nearby; is cyber-commuting supported by the local services, English spoken, what about immigration and tax issues?

Not even yet having mentioned your very own individual reasons why you would feel

‘just right, right here’.

Apparently you are for one reason or another at least playing in your mind with living the Ubud life-style; and for all of us already established as well; here comes a little bit less known or forgotten info regarding this very special place:

The name Ubud derives from the Balinese word ubad, which means medicine. Maybe because of the existence of a number of traditional healers, the theme has been picked up and today Ubud is not only the cultural center of Bali, but also the Mecca for health freaks and those more serious people seeking health and improvement of their being.

From sound healing and primal screaming to colonic irrigation and liver flushes, if you have heard of it – or more likely never dreamed of it – Ubud has it. 

The belief into the spiritual density here also shows up, when walking the streets. One in 5 tourists is said to be interested in ways to boost the wellbeing. The friendly attitude of the local Balinese residents naturally supports the overall feeling of relaxed atmosphere, openness and beneficial aura to just feel good.

According to an official estimate in 2015, about 2.100.000 teeth, belonging to the registered residents in Ubud, where munching on their daily nasi goreng here. To deal with manageable numbers, (unlike the Rupiah’s too many zeros), we divide this number by an estimated 28 teeth per each resident’s mouth. Which then gives us the number of residents, which is 75.000. (The ‘other one’s you meet, are the annual 3 million visitors to Ubud).

When we extrapolate from year 2015 to today, April 2020, the local dentists would have a hard time to check the total number of meanwhile 2.160.00 teeth in Ubud’s town perimeters.

You now understand and can tell your front office staff, the landlord or your neighbor, that their children will have a golden and glorious future, should they study dentistry here. It fills me daily with mild horror to see even adults sucking sugar water from plastic bags, bought from the warung on the corner.

Just want to say, in case of that you look sometimes at these monthly letters here, that these monthly lines are not by any means supposed to esemble a scientific excurse on Ubud and life here as such.

Having luckily escaped the Europe’s strict corporate structures, I enjoy the freedom of letting the mind wander and share with you what comes to mind … I hope we can simply be talking as likeminded friends here.

Because since you started reading you have not said one word, at least, that I could hear. Therefore there is no choice other than to continue to hold this as a monologue. Maybe, if it suits you, I am happy meet to hear about your views, experiences or critic on mine. I mean it. I am retired from permanent office work and sure can find the time for a drink and a chat. You tell me about your plans and maybe come up with some question. I would try to slip into your shoes and help, based on my years with hundreds of clients who came to our real estate office with their experiences hoping for some advice.

Back to ‘our’ Ubud:  A painful fact is, that those 74 thousand good local people plus you and me, don’t walk on foot like in the 1970’s anymore.  Now it is for you to decide, if you’d like the balance to tip more towards less traffic by encouraging more ‘no vehicle

roads’, or towards better cared-for infrastructure, adequately supported businesses, such as restaurants, clinics, etc., which unfortunately would add to the traffic again.

Sadly, nothing can be done about that in a township which cannot increase the width of the streets.

Look, there are 1.732 Ubud residents per square kilometer!

Since about 30 % of earth’s surface is land, this means that the total area of land is 0.3 x 515= 155 million square km, about half of which is habitable for humans.
With roughly 7 billion people alive today, we can conclude that there is 0.011 square km habitable land available per person.

It really looks like Ubud is massive overpopulated. Wait, the image is distorted. Areas in Khasakstan, Alaska, Australia, deserts and the tundra should not be put onto the other side of the balance and now we can calm down again. (Urbanised areas take anyway only 1.5% of the worlds surface).

Ubud is just a normal small town and there is no reason to fear that there will be no space to breathe any more as long as we and our children live. From 2030 on many cars and bikes will be electric, no need to hold the hand over the nose any more. Just live well, eat well - and wait it out!

Bali Police recorded a yearly 15.47 percent increase in traffic violations on the island in 2017, up 15.47 percent from 6.3 million violations to 7.42 million, but at least they noticed a reduction in traffic-related accidents.

Traffic violations are likely on the rise in Bud too. Imagine that you are standing for 13 minutes in front of the intersection at Pengosekan, (Fuel Station). The urge to sneak through left, right or shove in at any cost is hard to suppress.

There are still monthly over 3000 new motor registrations.

So many new faces to smile at in the standing traffic. How absolutely very wonderful.

In general, the police in Ubud is not stressed out, which is good to hear. Serious crime is almost unheard of. Yin and Yang, right?

(According to the perception of tourists)

On another subject: You may know, Ubud is the seat of one of the 10 Royal Balinese houses, the

Puri Saren Agung, successors of the Bali Kingdom.

People living close to Buckingham Palace in London pay over 1.5 Million Pounds Sterling for a small Apartment nearby.

The Expat, who is longing for a place near the Ubud Palace, can rent a villa on a shoestring budget in comparison. Really. Not exactly an accurate comparison, but then look at the rental rates and say for yourself - www.ubudproperty.com.

To find out a complete set of information on everything which goes on in Ubud, a good website to look at I found to be www.wikipedia.org/Ubud.

There would be more to say to contribute to the description of the nicest little town I ever came across.

However, you may think this is an advertising rant to give my brain child UbudProperty another

flower in the buttonhole. No it is the truth and nothing but…

I am aware of the shortcomings of the area’s administration, growing commerce and naïve governing amongst other small nuisances.

But I can also see that there is no place quite like Ubud anywhere, with this special charm, pleasant people, hundreds of restaurants, places to rejuvenate and relax beyond being countable and the option to leave and within 15 minutes exchange the towns bliss against nature and serenity… and you are free to add your points here, of which I believe there are many more.

As long as there are refreshments served (my shout), I challenge you to meet there and tell me where I may be wrong :o)

With kind regards,

Ray, for the team of UbudProperty