everyday insiders information

Hi everybody

My Name is Nicolai & Caroline (my wife)
We´ve been living in the philippines for 4 year now (from Denmark originally) we´ve travelled around asia as much as possible when work allowed us to (freelance lifestyle photographers).

We´re ready for a new adventure and will be moving to Bali within the next year hopefully.

Can you kindly share with us a few of the things you have learned along the way while learning to live in bali.



Here are some of the things that took us years to find out:
1. Getting a maid is a HUGE help!!! and it gives us space to be creative and is a great stress relief (3 hours a day 6 days a week) she´s her own weight worth in gold.
2. Do try and learn the local language, just a little
3. Manila had way more to offer then what we could find online, listen to people who have been here longer then you.
4. We´ve lived in 4 different areas of Manila and although this is a personality thing and a learning by doing which I´m all for We could have saved money and health (how long do you really want to live downtown?! with all that pollution)
5. Have expat friends as well as local friends.
6. Just get a car already!!! yeah its not an investment but the convenience is worth more then the time it can take to get a decent taxi.
7. Manila has several smaller VISA processing offices that has a much shorter line then the main office they all tell you to go to.
8. If no one uses MDF wood their might be a reason I´m a big handy man but 1st rainy season and most of the stuff I had build was growing with mold.....
9. Find out where the local fruit and veggie market is and do your shoppings there, or even better have you maid do it for you. We saved 15-30% and get products that are much fresher

hope this can help someone moving to the philippines