Moving to Bali, Meeting a Famous Rapper and the New Digital Nomad Visa for Indonesia - Nomad Notes | EP 5

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Ever wondered what a digital nomad's actual travel day looks like?

This Nomad Notes episode takes you along on Ryan's 30-hour journey from Virginia to Bali.

Join Ryan as he shares his first-hand experience with Delta One's luxury service, navigates Bali's new immigration system, and settles into his temporary beach bungalow.

For aspiring digital nomads curious about the reality of long-distance travel and those first few days abroad, this episode offers an authentic glimpse into both the highs and hiccups of starting life in paradise.

Listen and get a taste of what these Nomad Notes updates will offer - real-time insights into digital nomad life, from finding long-term housing to exploring coworking spaces. 

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DISCLAIMER:
Listening to stories of beachside zoom calls, mountainside work views, and island-hopping entrepreneurs may cause severe wanderlust and an irresistible urge to turn your laptop into a passport to freedom. Side effects include daydreaming about tropical coworking spaces, working with Ryan to learn how you can start working and traveling and buying a one-way ticket to Bali. Get ready to start living your dream life today!

Transcript

Ryan Mellon: [00:00:00] Hey guys, welcome to Digital Nomad Nation, ~the very first Snapcast. ~So in between episodes where I have a guest, I'm going to actually be doing a Snapcast from Bali, ~which is ~where I'll be living the next six months. Kind of giving you some real time updates on what's happening, what digital nomad lifestyles like, some of the ~Um, ~challenges and updates on what's happening here in Bali.

~And ~I'm in a little hotel bungalow, ~uh, ~by the pool, just, ~uh, ~hanging out. ~And, um, um, ~there is some construction going on as Bali is, being built ~somewhere. ~So hopefully it's nothing too crazy for you guys. A little bit of background noise. Maybe you saw here, there, ~and, uh, hopefully not too big of a deal, ~but that is digital nomad life.

So, ~uh, ~I just wanted to talk about the journey. So November 18th, I left from Norfolk, Virginia. ~Um, ~I had booked my flight three months earlier. It [00:01:00] was a Delta flight. ~Um, ~and I booked using all points as I always do. I'm a big travel hacker. ~I love it. I teach it. I enjoy it. So I, I, ~I got out here to Bali for free.

~Um, ~the flight one way was 965 us dollars. And I used 61, 000 chase points to book this flight for free. ~So that's pretty cool. ~That's not too bad of a deal, ~um, ~to use those points to get that free flight. ~Uh, and ~it was a pretty long flight. So I actually~ actually ~flew west instead of east from the east coast, which is kind of an unusual route to Bali.

Usually when I go to Bali, I'm going to stop off in the Middle East, somewhere, maybe Doha or Dubai and then head to Southeast Asia. But because I was flying Delta, ~um, ~I flew into Atlanta ~and, um, that, that's definitely ~Delta's hub. ~Uh, ~then I had a 16 hour flight to Seoul and ~then ~a seven hour flight to, ~um, ~Bali.

So two hours, 16 hours and seven hours. So quite a journey. ~Um, ~and I was, [00:02:00] Wanting to try out Delta ones product with which ~if you're not familiar, Delta one ~is the top ~and ~first class for long haul flights for Delta. And I was flying the ~eight.~ Airbus A350 ~for any of you aviation nerds like me. Um, it's ~a good plane.

It's ~a great Has ~a great layout for delta one suites. I've flown first class before but never flown delta one ~before Um, ~and so I wanted to try it, but of course I wasn't going to pay retail ~or book it straight up ~It would have been like a six thousand dollar ticket. ~It would have been crazy. ~So, ~um, I~ kept an eye out for a few weeks ~on the app ~on the Delta app.

~Um, for the first two months, every day I just log in, they would be selling comfort plus upgrades, they'd sell premium select upgrades, and they're always at a discount if you purchase after your original booking. So because I knew this, I kind of waited it out to see if there was going to be any Delta one suites available.~

And usually the last 30 days before that flight, that's when they're going to start selling off first class Delta one seats ~so that you can, ~so that they can fill the seats. They don't want any of the premium seats going empty because that's where they make their money. ~So. ~About 30 days out, I finally saw Delta One come up as an upgrade for the 16 hour flight ~only, ~which is all I cared about.

The other two flights, I flew economy, no worries. But I really wanted to ~to have my, ~have a bed ~and ~a door ~and ~a suite and [00:03:00] just my own space. I had two windows, a big TV, everything. So it was, It's just a really great experience ~to be able ~to fly Delta one suite. ~So, uh, ~when that popped up, it was about 75 percent off retail, which was a really good deal.

So I paid cash for that and was able to. To fly, ~um, ~Delta one for that 16 hour flight, which was great. ~So, uh, ~I had ~a, ~a small layover in Atlanta, ~um, ~got to use the, the lounge there for Delta, ~uh, ~when you fly with Delta one, ~uh, ~you get access to their lounge. ~So ~had a few mimosas, did some work and I was looking out the window at the tarmac and actually saw the Delta Porsche.

~Which is kind of something cool. Um, ~I have only known about the Delta Porsche, ~um, ~from watching ~like ~a behind the scenes documentary on Atlanta's airport ~before. And ~for those of you that don't know if you are someone that's like Delta Platinum, ~and you're spending big money, you're booking first class flights, and you're paying top dollar retail prices, you have a lot of status with Delta, and you come in on a short connection, and you need to get from your plane to the next plane in Atlanta, and you're running late,~ You can come out of the plane, go right down the stairs where they usually drop [00:04:00] bags.

Sometimes they will escort you to a Porsche and ~they will ~drive you to your next plane ~and you will be, you will never, ~never step foot in the airport ~and you're going to get out of that Porsche. ~And get right on ~the plane up the ladder or up the stairs and right into ~the plane so that ~you ~you don't miss your flight So that was really cool to see someone getting ~um ~transported in ~the ~the delta porsche ~on ~on the airport facilities I thought that was uh, pretty cool Pretty cool experience.

So, ~um, ~I got on the flight to Seoul. 16 hours. ~Um, really great experience. As I said, ~Delta 1's, ~um, ~cabin is just really amazing on the A350. I had two windows. ~I had ~a window seat and the aisle to my side. I had a door that closed. ~Uh, ~bed, Lays fully flat, a nice big TV mood lighting. It was really amazing. ~Um, ~you can book your meal beforehand ~five, uh, ~they would serve it in courses.

It was like a five course meal for dinner. I ended up opting into just getting my meal all at once so that I could eat and go to sleep. ~ ~I was pretty tired when I got on the plane, but then [00:05:00] I, uh, I noticed some guy just walked past me and, ~uh, ~I was like, man, ~that ~that guy looks really familiar. ~He's like, ~he's kind of dressed like vanilla ice.

~Like, ~that is really weird. And then he came back from the bathroom and, ~um, ~Looked at me and ~I was like, ~I was like, oh shit. ~That is vanilla It's like it's gotta be like ~it's crazy. ~Just ~he looks just like him. So he's actually sitting ~once he ~behind me I ~had ~took a couple looks and ~I looked his up ~looked up his recent photos ~on ~on the Internet and ~looked up ~his real name because I forgot what his real name was.

So I waited till the flight attendant came by, ~uh, ~and they always address you by your name and first class. So the flight flight attendant came by and said, Hey, ~miss, uh, you know, welcome, uh, ~Mr. Van Winkle, you know, what can I get you ~for drink ~for dinner ~or whatever? ~And so that's when I knew it was really vanilla ice.

So I was. super amped ~at that point, all excited, ~trying not to fanboy out. ~And, uh, ~I didn't, ~didn't, uh, ~say anything right away. I just, ~you know, kind of ~gave him ~a ~space, ~um, ~because I didn't want to make it awkward, especially at the beginning of a 16 hour flight. ~So, but, uh, I was all, I couldn't sleep then. ~So I ate my meal.

~Um, ~I watched a couple movies and, uh, got some sleep [00:06:00] and towards the end of the flight, ~um, he was walking up to the bathroom again and~ he walked past my suite ~and, um, ~I was like, Hey Ice. ~I was like, ~how's it going, man? And, ~uh, ~he said hello and he stopped and I said, you know, are you still in real estate?

He said, yeah, he's like i'm heading to soul. ~Um, ~i'm shooting some stuff out there We're doing some things out there ~And so ~we ~just ~chit chatted a little bit about real estate because i'm also in real estate, ~you know, um Uh ice had uh, ~vanilla ice had a show For over 10 years on flipping houses, ~uh, ~which I watched a lot, ~which is pretty cool.~

And I also~ also ~flip houses ~and ~so ~we had some ~we had a good conversation about ~Um, ~real estate. ~Um, ~I got a photo with him and, ~uh, yeah, ~that was a really cool experience. ~I just, ~I was not expecting to ~be able to a ~fly Delta one suites, which was always ~kind of ~a dream of mine and to do it at a very discounted rate.

And then also see vanilla ice on my way to Bali, ~which is. ~Which is one of my favorite places in the whole world. ~So ~very cool experience. ~Um, and so ~once I got into Seoul, ~I had, we, ~we got a late start out of Atlanta. So we showed up about an hour late Seoul. So I only had like 45 minutes [00:07:00] to get to my gate.

And boy, the security in Seoul was pretty tight. ~Um, just, we just had to go through, ~we didn't have to go through immigration because we were ~transitioning. just ~transiting, to Bali. ~But, uh, ~it was a layover, but ~yeah, ~my bags got rejected multiple times. They were digging all my stuff apart.

I only took two carry ons ~as I always do, ~but they were packed to the gills. ~So like ~once they took everything apart. It was ~like ~super hard to get everything back together and I'm like running to my gate with just like my two bags plus things in my hands that I couldn't fit in my bag and no belt on to get through security.

So it was a little bit of a venture, but ~uh, ~got on, ~um, ~Then we switched to Korean Air, which is Delta's partner, ~uh, ~flew the Korean Air flight, which was a new, A330, ~which was ~a cool plane. ~This is one that has, ~instead of ~the ~window shades that shut manually, ~it actually a window window. Um, ~it had a button.

~So ~you push the button and ~the, ~the glass tints electronically, ~um, ~to darken your window ~instead of it just being opened or closed or half open with the plastic thing you normally have. ~So I've never [00:08:00] seen that before. It was very comfy. ~Um, ~even though I was in row 57, no longer in first class for those last seven hours, ~um, ~super comfy jet, very nice layout.

I ~have my own row, which I had. Kind of ~positioned myself in the back for that reason. ~Um, and so ~I lucked out and, ~and did, ~did it just right to have my own row, which was nice. So I could lay down ~and, ~and nap on that seven hour flight. ~I got to, ~after about 30 hours of total, ~um, flight, ~flight time and layovers, I got to Bali and ~to ~DPS airport and it was about midnight local time. 

~And, um, ~I had my new E33G digital nomad visa, which I've never applied for before. I've always come in on tourist visas and stayed for 30 days, but because I'm staying for a year or six months here, ~um, ~I got the, Digital Nomad Visa, which is pretty cool. ~Um, ~it's multiple entry, I can come and go as I like.

~Um, and ~I only plan to use it for six months, but it is, ~uh, ~available for up to one year. ~And it was very easy to get, and ~and I will make a video about it. ~It was, it was and wasn't easy to get. ~I tried to do it on my own. It was a terrible experience. I [00:09:00] ended up ~having ~hiring an agent which made it 10 times easier.

~It was twice the price, but 10 times easier and got, it was so smooth. Um, but ~one of the cool things about ~that and ~having the e visa is ~once you got, ~once you get to the airport ~and ~you can do this with visa upon arrival, apply for it and pay for it before you get there, you'll get a barcode, a QR code, and you can actually go through ~automated.~

~Um, ~the new automated immigration, ~uh, which ~is pretty cool. ~So ~you don't have to see an officer, ~uh, ~per se. So you go up,~ you go through,~ you scan your passports, the gate opens, you go in, they take a photo of your face and you got to make sure you stand right on the footprints, ~just right. ~Take off your hat and get it just right.

Took me three tries, ~but, um. ~Once they recognize you and your passport, ~um, ~they know you're already in the system. You already have a visa and you're right through You need to fill out ~if you have any deck ~if you're declaring anything ~if you're bringing anything into the country that needs to be declared ~like large sums of money or ~um ~Expensive equipment ~and stuff like that.~

So once you fill that out, you get another barcode, you get that scan, run your bags through the scanner. And that's pretty [00:10:00] much it. ~You're ~you're in, ~uh, ~the airport. ~And, um, ~I have my driver there waiting ~for me ~to pick me up. ~So ~he took me to my hotel, which is the hotel that I'm in now, ~which is ~really cool little bungalows, ~um, here, um, ~with an amazing pool and some nature behind me.

~Um, ~it's a nice bed with a place to work and, ~uh, ~You go out the back door and there's outdoor shower and toilet and everything's outdoors, which is kind of cool. ~It's nice. ~It's always warm here. ~So that's kind of cool to, uh, to use, to have the outdoor bathroom. I really like it. I stayed here before~ and I'm currently looking for a more permanent place.

I've been talking with real estate agents and. ~ ~Property management companies and I really wanted to get here and feel everything out because I know how much things change I'm in Uluwatu. I love Uluwatu. It's gotten a lot busier over the years. ~So ~Even since I was here maybe a year and a half ago. Things have really gotten built up.

So It's good to get here and ~kind of ~figure out where I wanted to be ~first ~while I'm looking for ~More of ~an apartment that has a kitchen And I kind of have a long laundry list of things that I want So [00:11:00] i'm currently still looking for that. I need to move hotels because it is becoming ~peak season december ~peak season here ~Um, so ~i'll move to another place for a week And I hope to have a place ironed out where I have an apartment.

I have some extra space for friends and family ~So ~That will be cool, ~um, ~to get figured out very soon. ~Um, ~other than that, ~um, yeah, ~very first day I got sick. ~Um, ~I don't know what I ate or had, but, ~uh, ~it did not sit well with me. And I spent a day in the bathroom. ~Um, ~but it was just one day and I've been great since.

It happens. A lot of people get what they call Bali belly. ~Um, so ~it is what it is. ~Um, so yeah, ~this week, ~uh, ~I've been exploring beaches by ~a ~scooter, ~um, ~had a massage ~or, ~and, ~um, ~been eating some great ~food into ~Indonesian food is amazing here. ~Um, ~and today I'll go ~to ~check out one of the coworking spaces ~is ~close by ~and it's called.~

~ ~Uluwatu hub, so I'm hoping that's going to be a cool spot to work because I love co working spaces ~So i'm gonna ~i'll give you guys an update next time. ~Uh on the next snapchat on that and um ~Other than that, I've been balancing working [00:12:00] in the time zone pretty well. ~I'm like, ~it's been about five days since I've been here.

I've been getting up really early with the sun ~comes up ~and when the chickens and the dogs and the birds and everything is, ~um, ~getting awake all at the same time. So I've been getting up a lot earlier than I'm used to, but it's okay. ~It's not been a big deal. It's. ~It's a good time for me to start working and catching the end of the day in the States.

And then in the evenings, if I need to make some calls for talk to people in the morning, it's not that big of a deal. So it's been working out pretty good. ~Um, ~i'm looking forward to getting a villa or apartment where I can have a little bit more routine and have things Set in stone in a way as at least for routines go and next week, We have a new episode on Digital Nomad Nation where I interview Cepee Tabibian.

And she is, ~um, ~the founder of She Hit Refresh, which is a company who helps women over 30 move abroad. ~So, um, ~that's going to be a really good conversation and I know you guys are going to love it. So I just wanted to give you the ~Snapchat~ update on me [00:13:00] and the Digital Nomad life. ~That's happening ~here, ~now, ~in Bali.

~Um, ~it's beautiful ~here. It's amazing ~here. I love it. The people are awesome. The food is great. The weather's great. ~And, uh, yeah. So, ~I hope you guys have a great week. ~And, ~we'll see you next time. 

[00:14:00]