Moving to Bali Alone: 5 Truths You Won’t Find on TikTok

It’s so easy to believe that moving to Bali just means living the dream, as it’s often sold on TikTok: working from the coolest cafés, eating incredibly well for a few dollars, and hopping on those dreamy Grab rides that give you a sense of freedom that few things in life ever do (by the way all of this is very real!)

They say Bali calls you — for one reason or another — and then, it tests you. Often, by awakening fears that might have stayed quiet back home, cushioned by your comfort zone.

After just one month here, I’ve already had to face many of those situations, and here’s what no one tells you on TikTok about moving to Bali alone (especially if you’re not an influencer or particularly wealthy). 

You won’t find logistics, visa advice, or what to pack — there are already plenty of posts about that. This is more of an inner preparation. Because if, like me, you’ve felt Bali calling… well, you’ll have to listen. However, not without understanding the emotional and spiritual shifts that may come with it.

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Why I Ended Up Moving to Bali Alone for Some Time?

Well, this blog is about life, travel, and Asia, so at some point, I realized that if I wanted to take it seriously, I needed to go back to living in Asia and explore more of this side of the world.

After living in China for a while and visiting Bali this past Christmas, it became clear — this was the place I wanted to be (or to start from at least). Low living costs, tropical climate, but most of all: a slower pace of life deeply connected to creativity, nature, movement, and spirituality. The ideal place for any creator, no matter what you create.

So I quit my corporate job, saved as much as I could, and moved, without a stable (or any) income source and no plan B. I couldn’t wait any longer.

And honestly, that’s exactly what I’d suggest if you’re thinking of moving here alone for a couple of months: come as a creator.

Come with an idea, a project you want to build — and ideally, a more stable income source than I had (if you can!). Because here, you’ll find the space, the energy, and the time to create. And that project will carry you forward.

Truth #1: Be Ready To Spend A Lot Of Time Alone

The truth about Bali is: everyone’s nice. Expats and locals. It’s easy to have a chat after a Pilates class or while ordering a matcha at a cute café. But finding connections that stick… that’s a whole different story.

Many people you meet are just passing through— they might be flying out the next day. Even many expats leave during the rainy season.

So yes, Bali teaches you to love your own company. It teaches you not to wait around for someone to join you, because you never know when someone will actually be down for that trip to Sidemen.

You’ll learn to take yourself out for dinner, to step outside your comfort zone alone, and to care for yourself during those lonely moments.

Truth #2: Bali Will Make You Wait (So Don’t Put Pressure on Yourself)

It’s so easy to come here thinking everything will magically fall into place: a stable routine, your go-to café to work from, a solid group of friends to explore with, and your project finally taking off. But it may not be this easy…especially if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t settle.

But if you’re not just here on holiday — if you’re trying to build a brand-new life from scratch — it takes time.

It takes time to feel the energy of the place, to understand who you want around, and what kind of life you want to build here. And if Bali is making you wait, maybe it’s because you’re being asked to find peace in the instability, and to trust the unknown.

I genuinely believe Bali calls to you (I had a dream of Ubud before I had ever been here). So if you’re feeling the pull, it’s not random, and you have to follow that call. But you need to come with patience, trust, and an open heart.

Try to read between the lines. Bali is always teaching you something.

Truth #3: Bali Will Test You

Unfortunately, I can’t tell you how Bali will test you, but I can share how it tested me.

I thought it would be about loneliness, or letting go… but no. Bali asked me: Can you feel at home, safe, in yourself and with yourself, on the other side of the world?

For me, feeling “safe” means feeling good in the physical space I live in. Maybe because when I lived in France, I found mice in my apartment. And I remember so clearly that feeling of not feeling at home, in what was supposed to be my safe space...and I had no choice but to stay there.

Here in Bali, the test came right away. In my first week, I found a huge spider in the bathroom. Got through that. But one night, I heard little feet on the wall. I opened my eyes—and there it was, the biggest cockroach I’ve ever seen. I killed it, sure (and had a clearing energy ritual the day after).

But something in me broke: I didn’t feel safe anymore in that space. Luckily, the next day, I moved to a new place. And funnily enough, that new place had a mosquito net surrounding the bed like it was there to protect me in my most vulnerable moment.

And that’s when I got it: Bali wasn’t going to send anyone to save me from the cockroaches in the night. I had to learn how to feel safe with myself, and it gifted me with a space that finally felt like home, on the other side of the world.

Truth #4: Be Ready To Give Before Receiving

Most people come to Bali hoping to find something, build something, or change something in their lives. And they think that by simply showing up and putting in the work, everything will magically fall into place. But since arriving, I’ve had the feeling that Bali (energetically) doesn’t work like that.

Yesterday, I had the confirmation.

I met the same woman, a Grab driver, twice. She was radiant, smiling, and singing as she drove me to the laundry. Her joy was contagious.

We sang together, and I was genuinely glad she took the longer route, because it meant more time in that beautiful energy. I tipped her, not because she did anything extraordinary, but because she lifted my spirit just by being herself.

Less than an hour later, I saw her again in front of my house. I asked her to take me to lunch. She thanked me for the tip and said something I won’t forget: “Here, it’s all about giving and receiving. That’s karma. If you give love, time, kindness — Bali gives it back to you.”

And I believe that’s another way Bali tests you. It checks if you’re ready to offer something — even a little bit of what you’re scared to lose — before it starts giving anything back.

Truth #5: Bali Will Make You Slow Down

Life on an island in the middle of Indonesia is unpredictable. And if you’re used to having a planned routine, it can be frustrating at times.

Imagine waking up one morning and discovering the monkeys had fun swinging on the electricity cables — cutting the Wi-Fi — and you had work to do. (And if you’re curious about the monkey situation “at home,” you can have fun watching this video)

Or one night, you order food, but it never comes because it’s pouring outside and the roads are flooded.

In those moments, Bali is not punishing you. Bali is redirecting you. It’s her way of saying, “Slow down“.

Go work from a cute café today. No dinner delivery? Find another solution (instant noodles from the minimarket will do).

And in those moments, having a safe place to stay and the possibility of finding another way feels like the greatest gift. A reminder that Bali gives you what you need, not what you want.

Because the deeper message is always the same: It’s not a big deal. Sit with the discomfort.
The rain will stop. The Wi-Fi will come back. A better apartment will show up. You’ll eat — and probably laugh about how soaked you got.

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So, there you go. Here’s the (spiritual) reality of moving to Bali alone (for me at least). And if you have any questions about the logistical aspect, drop me a comment.

I hope I didn’t discourage you, because despite the ups and downs, I don’t regret my choice. I’m learning how to sit in the discomfort and find home within myself… and honestly, it feels like a dream.

And just so you know, all these things happened to me. I’m not making anything up.
And if you’re wondering how I make it through Bali’s little tests and unexpected redirections — how I let go, surrender, learn, and keep moving — I write notes from the road for you (and for me).

Words of courage, faith, beauty, and chaos. Notes to remind you that you’re not alone in the messiness of becoming. Notes that will guide, comfort, and inspire you to build a life that looks like you, wherever that may be.

If you’re the kind of woman who’s ready to start choosing herself (and maybe even move to Bali alone), you’ll find the right message (and energy) here, right when you need it.

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