Big City Executives Opting For Bali Lifestyles
Many executives from AsiaÂ’s largest cities are utilizing Bali has their home base. Bali excellent year round weather, low cost of living, clean air and water, and friendly locals are encouraging them to settle their families in Bali and commute to their businesses in the big cities. They are finding not only is it 30% to 50% less expensive but a lot healthier and safer for the themselves and their families.
(PRWEB) October 12, 2004
I have just returned from a thought-provoking and somewhat disturbing business trip to Jakarta.
This past Monday morning began with plans to visit many shops that cater to the restaurant trade and we were relieved when we were informed that the first company on our list was only a few kilometers from our hotel.
Our first thought was that perhaps we would not have to endure the normal disastrous Jakarta traffic.
We arrived in a very popular residential area of Jakarta called Mentang.
It was obvious that this area catered to expatriates as the restaurants were upscale and focused on western foods. The area was home to at least four major art galleries specializing in expensive high quality works.
Driving out of this residential area was a major nightmare with traffic roadblocks everywhere, and depressing views of garbage dumps.
My first thought why would anyone choose to deal with this daily chaos and air pollution?
ItÂ’s estimated that there are around 15,000 expatriates living in Jakarta--down substantially from the 50,000 to 60,000 expatriates of the Suharto era.
I wondered if heads of expatriateÂ’s households living in these conditions were really giving sufficient thought to the heath, welfare, and safety of their loved ones.
Surely, I thought, many would like to move to a cleaner, less hectic, safer location.
I appreciate that the Expats are in the capital for financial reasons and they do have a westernized life-style.
They do not want to make a change for the better because of the fear of the unknown and the fear of change itself.
But sometimes in life we need a chaotic event to force us to move from our comfort zone to a higher quality life style.
The recent Jakarta bombings have already led to many families leaving for safer places such as Bali.
The bottom line, for me, as a Bali resident was that I wished
That I had simply stayed in Bali and dealt with our shopping over the Internet.
The next morning I was back in Bali and reflecting on my Jakarta trip.
As I enjoyed my traditional power walk on another crystal clear morning in Sanur, with visibility of 40 km, I thought about developing a marketing program which would be designed to attract expatriates living in the capital to purchase second or full - time homes in Bali.
The fact is that in this modern age it is possible for a Jakarta expatriate businessman or business women to locate their families in Bali full time, or at least part time.
One of our clients is doing just this.
Each Friday afternoon, instead of going home, he simply hops on an airplane at $35 and only 90 minutes later his driver is picking him up in Bali.
Another fifteen minutes he is at home with his wife and children having dinner at around 6.30 pm which would be the normal time he arrives home in Jakarta after a hour and one half drive in frustrating traffic.
The flight to Bali equates with his nightly nightmare on the road home. Instead of breathing the noxious fumes of Jakarta traffic he can be sitting back with a cool drink in the jet, perhaps meeting new business contacts on the way.
###
