An Epic ATV Jungle Adventure, My First Co-living Experience, and Surviving Bali's Monkeys - Nomad Notes | Ep 21

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Hear about my exhilarating journey through the Balinese jungles on ATVs, a must-try experience for thrill-seekers and adventure enthusiasts. I enjoyed a day full of scenic beauty and challenging trails. 

Ubud, with its stunning rice fields and culture, a place where you see monkeys swinging freely. It’s also the home of my co-living, where I meet folks from across the world in shared spaces that offer co-working areas and a lively community.

As I prepare to leave Ubud for my next destination, I'm thrilled to announce the launch of group coaching and Q&A sessions, for those looking to transition into a location-independent lifestyle.

Listen and learn more about my adventures, insights, and cost breakdowns of my recent experiences. 

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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

[00:00:00] Ryan Mellon: you're overlooking the rice fields, and it's super amazing, and then all of a sudden, a monkey just jumps over the counter, runs in, and starts grabbing food, trying to grab people's laptops, just like total chaos. 

[00:00:13] Ryan Mellon: Hey guys, welcome to another episode of digital nomad nation Nomad notes edition where I give you a little peek into what's happening here living in bali So yesterday I went chasing waterfalls through the jungles of bali on atvs. It was a really cool experience I enjoyed every minute of it ~Um, ~so there's lots of atv tours here.

[00:00:34] Ryan Mellon: ~Um ~And if you're not familiar with that,~ um,~ like four wheelers are quads ~and you, uh, it was a group trip. So. ~I signed up through Airbnb experiences and for about 50 including transportation,~ uh,~ they picked me up here at my co living, took me to the spot,~ um,~ got you all equipped with helmets and boots and,~ um,~ Everything you needed to get on the ATV and ride with a group of people through [00:01:00] the jungle And it was a really good experience got to meet some other people That were traveling here as well, which was really nice.

[00:01:07] Ryan Mellon: I always suggest going on Group trips when you're traveling solo because it's really good way to meet and interact with other people But yeah, it was a really good time ~Um, ~it had rained heavy during the day. So once we got there, the rain had stopped, which was nice, ~but, um, it meant like they were,~ the jungle was full of waterfalls everywhere you go.

[00:01:27] Ryan Mellon: ~Um, ~you had a guide in front and we're all riding through the trails through the jungle. It's so green seeing all the wildlife and the monkeys. ~Um, ~there were parts of it where. You were in these really tight, like, tunnels that were,~ uh,~ cut through the mud of the jungle, taller than me. So that was cool. And it was pretty,~ um,~ pretty challenging riding,~ uh,~ at some parts going through the river and,~ um,~ up to a huge waterfall.

[00:01:53] Ryan Mellon: ~Uh, ~we went through a couple of tunnels and. Then once you come out of the jungle, you're in the middle of the [00:02:00] rice fields. And Bali has some of the most beautiful rice fields in the world. Uh, and these are actual working rice fields. You could see the locals out there working,~ um,~ and farming the rice and just stunning views and just amazing way to see some parts of Bali here in Ubud, which is mainly jungle and rice fields.

[00:02:19] Ryan Mellon: So, ~um. ~Definitely,~ uh,~ one of the funnest things I've done here and I really enjoy my time. ~Uh, ~and then at the end they,~ um,~ you go back to the center and turning your quad and,~ um,~ they have showers there for you because you're covered in mud from head to toe. And then there is a full buffet lunch, which is kind of cool.

[00:02:39] Ryan Mellon: ~Um, ~So all that included, and then your drivers waiting there to take you back to your hotel. ~Uh, ~it was just a really good experience and I really enjoyed it. So if you're here in Ubu, definitely do an ATV tour through the jungle. So cool. Really good experience. ~Um, ~and overall, overall, like being in a.

[00:02:56] Ryan Mellon: Ubud is a really cool place. I really enjoy it here. I've been [00:03:00] here multiple times. It's in the middle of Bali. There's no beaches around. It's mainly all jungle. ~Um, ~they have,~ uh,~ what's called the monkey sanctuary here, which is full of thousands and thousands of monkeys. And they're not,~ um,~ kept in cages or anything.

[00:03:15] Ryan Mellon: It's a fully open forest. It's a fenced in area. It's a very large area that's set aside as a sanctuary for them and they feed them and take care of them. But they also are allowed to come and go as they, they please. So they climb out of the sanctuary over the power lines into the streets and they're, they're everywhere.

[00:03:36] Ryan Mellon: So you see monkeys all, all over the place. ~Um, ~I remember the last time I was here, I was in a coworking called Hubud unfortunately that.~ Uh, ~co working is no longer existed.~ Um, COVID killed that one, unfortunately. unfortunately.~ ~ So,~ I remember the last time I was here, I was working on their outdoor area, and just sitting there with my laptop, and there's lots of people working, and there's an [00:04:00] outdoor cafe, and it's, you're overlooking the rice fields, and it's super amazing, and then all of a sudden, a monkey just jumps over the counter, runs in, and starts grabbing food, trying to grab people's laptops, just like total chaos.

[00:04:14] Ryan Mellon: And there was actually a guy there that was,~ um,~ there just to like, he had a slingshot and he had fake snakes and pull like a big bamboo stick to, to keep the monkeys at bay. ~Um, ~and I'm totally sad to see that. That coworking space is still shut down, but I'm in a co-living now and it was my first ~coli,~ co-living experiences.

[00:04:36] Ryan Mellon: There are a couple here in Ubud. This was more the pro more expensive one. It was about,~ uh,~ $675 for two weeks. So a little bit more than I like to pay, but ~um, ~has a lot of amenities. Really nice room with a couch and a balcony. bathroom in a mini bar. And then right outside, there's a beautiful pool. ~Um, ~there's [00:05:00] also some common areas for hanging out, lots of people working.

[00:05:04] Ryan Mellon: ~Uh, ~and then there's actual,~ um,~ places for private phone calls and the co working space. ~Um, ~they have a cafe here. They have air conditioned co working space. They have outside co working space and it was really good. For work, because there were lots of people working,~ um,~ everyone was very,~ um,~ there was probably at least 30 to 50 people working every day.

[00:05:26] Ryan Mellon: So just having that, that those people around you is really nice to, to get some work done because I've been working a lot lately and,~ um,~ On Friday, we had a lunch set up. So they just had a big spread of Balinese food,~ um,~ out for everyone, lots of different options, meat, vegetarian, vegan options, and.

[00:05:47] Ryan Mellon: ~Um, ~yeah, it was good. All I met several people sitting around me, one from France, one from Hungary, one from the Netherlands and one from Italy. So, ~um, ~meeting new people from different [00:06:00] countries and having that lunch was really nice, made some friends. ~Um, ~and overall the, the coworking space was, ~um. ~A really good experience.

[00:06:08] Ryan Mellon: I enjoyed it here. ~Um, ~and in walking distance,~ um,~ I found a really cool Mexican restaurant called La Luz, which means the light in Spanish. And it was just like really a small hole in the wall kind of,~ um, ~restaurant, but. Really cool design and they had a second floor with a bunch of bean bags and a projector And so they would have a movie on every night at like 6 p.

[00:06:34] Ryan Mellon: m And they had a big old sign out with the plastic letters of what the movie was gonna be So they're playing old movies and you Get some Mexican food and some,~ uh,~ drinks and just watch the movie for free. So I thought that was really cool. And it was really nice that you could just walk there from the co living space.

[00:06:52] Ryan Mellon: ~Um, ~the food was amazing. ~Um, I've been working a lot. Um, ~I've just launched a,~ uh,~ group coaching and Q and a sessions that I'll be doing every week. For people [00:07:00] that want to join,~ um,~ um, and just,~ uh,~ ask questions about becoming a digital nomad location independent also launched a Facebook group that's included in that.

[00:07:09] Ryan Mellon: So that's what I've been working on. I'm really excited to reach more people and help more people through that group. So if anyone's interested, just check out digital nomad nation. com. ~Uh, ~and then last night, yeah, I went with some friends,~ uh,~ that I met here in the coworking,~ um,~ to. Auto Cafe, which is about 15 minutes more in town in Ubud, and Ubud is known for,~ um,~ having really cool restaurants and bars with live music.

[00:07:37] Ryan Mellon: And this is one of them that I've always come back to every time I come to Ubud because the live music is really good here. And I'm always impressed by the,~ uh,~ Indonesian cover bands that are usually playing,~ uh,~ music,~ uh,~ like classic rock and blues and, and really cool. ~Um, ~music,~ um,~ a lot of American music, but,~ uh,~ all in English and done so well, [00:08:00] like they're so talented with,~ uh, um, ~the instruments and like the different types of music they're able to play.

[00:08:05] Ryan Mellon: I'm always so impressed. And so. It's just a really good last night here in Ubud as I'm heading to a new destination tomorrow. So yeah, I just wanted to give you guys this update we'll see you on the next one.
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