Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
Find out why Fabian is living his best life in Bali!
Currently, Asia Exchange student Fabian is really enjoying his time in Bali. Fabian studies International Tourism management, Economy & Business of South East Asia and Indonesian Language at Udayana University in Jimbaran. We had the chance to ask him some questions about his experiences.
So cool that you didn’t let COVID-19 stop your dreams to study abroad! How did you decide to go to Bali?
Back in 2018, I was studying Hotel Management and did a six-month internship in Bali. Those six months were by far the best months of my life. Since then, I’ve always had the urge to work or study in Bali again. At the beginning of 2021, I wasn’t sure about what to do; I had the chance to continue studying, but I also felt the urge to travel the world. I started searching for different possibilities online, and after I heard about Asia Exchange from a friend of mine who also studied in Bali, I realized that it was now or never – even though COVID-19 was still here. The choice was made very quickly, and the application process was super easy.
Wow great! After all the preparations, it was finally time to go. There was just one hurdle left: Quarantine in Jakarta… Can you tell us a bit about your experiences?
Actually, the quarantine was not that bad! Beforehand, I did a lot of research to find hotels with the best price-quality ratio. Most of the bad stories I heard about quarantine were about the food quality. Based on this, I decided to choose a hotel that had a lot of food options to choose from. For me, the entire quarantine process went very smoothly, and I haven’t experienced any problems at all.
Yeah, we understand that good food is very important 😉 What did you do during quarantine?
I’ve been in quarantine for five days and four nights. During those days, I watched a lot of Netflix and tried to exercise a bit. Unfortunately, there’s not much else you can do. An advantage of a quarantine period is that you can also use those days to get rid of the jetlag; this was actually quite nice. After all, I can say that my quarantine went by super fast!
You might also want to read “10 things I wish I knew before studying in Bali”
So, after a few days in Jakarta, it was finally time for you to fly to Bali! Do you feel safe in Bali at the moment?
I feel very safe in Bali. Especially when you compare the situation with other EU countries, things are way more relaxed here, and you barely notice anything about COVID-19. Everyone uses facemasks, and you have to show your vaccination certificate when you go to a mall, for example. Restaurants, bars, and clubs are all open, and there are plenty of parties on the island that are really fun. Nevertheless, I think it’s important to follow the government’s restrictions and always be careful.
Can you tell us a bit about your daily routine? The semester hasn’t started yet so what do you do in your free time?
Every day is a bit different here, but I start almost every with a gym visit. I love finding new lunch spots, so I often visit new places. Almost every day I meet up with friends and go to Uluwatu together, here are my favorite beaches in Bali. I like to end my day with a beach walk on double six beach, this is an amazing place to watch the sunset. What I do in the evenings, depends on my mood. Sometimes I go to the cinema, but I also like to go out for dinner or go to a party in Canggu with friends.
Are you interested to find out more about our two Universities in Bali? Click here!
Sounds amazing Fabian! Was it easy for you to meet new people?
I have already met many new people during my internship in 2018 here. Most of them still live in Bali, so I already had a group of friends before I came here for my semester through Asia Exchange. Recently I have been in contact with other students who will also join the exchange program. In my opinion, it’s very easy to make new friends here, almost everyone in Bali is open to new contacts. You really don’t have to worry about ending up alone here!
Read more:
COST OF LIVING IN INDONESIA FOR INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS
This all sounds very positive! Have you experienced some struggles too?
I haven’t actually had any problems at all. The only kind of struggle I had was arranging my visa. I applied for a visa when the county just went in lockdown at the end of last year. Because of this, it took a very long time before I finally got my visa. Therefore I would recommend future students to arrange their visa on time and not to be late with the renewal.
Thanks for the tip! Are there some other things you would like to share about your time in Bali with our future students?
I would tell them to travel around the Island as much as possible. There are so many beautiful places to go. Go soak up the Balinese culture, visit temples and try the local food; it’s delicious. Besides that, I would also recommend them to visit the Nusa Islands (Nusa Penida, Nusa Lembongan and Nusa Ceningan), the beaches are so beautiful and you have breathtaking viewpoints there. Last but not least, they have to keep in mind that there’s a rainy season and a dry season in Bali. During the rainy season, it can sometimes rain cats and dogs all day.
I see, luckily there are also activities which can be done inside, right? Do you have some activities on your bucket list for Bali?
I really want to do a hike on Mount Batur to see the sunrise. The hike will start at night, so you will arrive at the top of the mountain during sunrise. I’ve heard a lot about this, and it seems to be insanely beautiful.
Oh wow, nice plans! I have one final question: How would you describe your time in Bali in one sentence?
Living in paradise on earth, gaining life experience, and enjoying new adventures every day; I’m literally living my best life in Bali.
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