Bali Goes Silent, the World's Most Stunning Coastline, and Closing Property Deals in the US From Abroad - Nomad Notes | EP 25

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Did you know the most iconic Bali photos you've seen are actually from a different Island?

Ryan gives you a behind-the-scenes look at life in Bali. He shares his experience of Nyepi with the rhythmic Ogo Ogo parade and the serene Silent Day that follows. 

He takes you to stunning locations like Nusa Penida, with its iconic beaches such as Diamond Beach and Klinking Beach. 

Ryan also touches on the practicalities of being a digital nomad, including his recent real estate purchase from abroad, emphasizing that long-term wealth and serious business are possible on the road. 

Listen to get inspired and take the next step towards your own location-independent lifestyle!

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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: Hey guys. Welcome to another episode of Digital Nomad Nation, nomad Notes edition, ~uh, ~where I give you a little peek into what it's like living here in Bali while working and keeping my business running. So I recently watched 20 foot. Tall demons paraded through the streets of Bali, and the very next day, the entire island went completely silent.

[00:00:19] Ryan Mellon: No lights, no planes, no one outside. ~Um, ~the streets just exploded with rhythmic drumming as the locals paraded the ogo ogo, which is the term for the evil spirits that they make out a paper mache through the streets, under the moonlight. It was ~act. ~Absolutely epic experience. ~Uh, always a good time. ~My second Nyepi here, ~um, ~and really enjoyed the parade.

[00:00:41] Ryan Mellon: And at the end of the parade, you will never believe what happened, but they take all of the ogo, ogo, the spirits, ~um. ~And they throw them all in a pile in a field and they burn them, getting rid of all the evil spirits of the past year, starting a new year afresh. And then the very next day, it's [00:01:00] silent day.

[00:01:00] Ryan Mellon: ~Uh, ~no one's allowed to go outside, leave their hotel. ~Um. ~No lights are emitted. The airport is completely closed. Bali is just absolutely silent. And it,~ it, ~it was an interesting experience because it was in the hotel and we could use the common areas and be outside, like on balconies, but not in the streets.

[00:01:19] Ryan Mellon: ~Um, ~so it was just a good experience to kind of take the day offline. Really just read some books and just enjoy the silence as well as the stars at night, ~um, ~as there were no lights allowed to be. ~Uh. Emitted from any of the, um, hotels or streetlights or anything. ~No scooter traffic, no planes coming or going.

[00:01:35] Ryan Mellon: So it felt a little bit, ~uh, ~confining, ~um, ~for the day. But all in all, a very good experience. ~Uh, ~I really enjoyed it. ~Um, ~and my friend Ann had just flown in from, ~um. ~Germany ~for ~to hang out for about three weeks. ~Uh, ~it's been about a week and a half now and we've been doing some awesome stuff. So I've been showing her some of the best parts and my favorite parts of Bali.

[00:01:57] Ryan Mellon: ~Uh, ~we started off with, going to Nusa Penida, which [00:02:00] is an island off the coast of Bali. ~Um, it's most iconic beaches in the world. ~There are some most iconic beaches in the world there, like King Kling Beach and Diamond Beach. ~Uh, ~diamond Beach is my personal. Favorite beach in the world. It's just absolutely stunning.

[00:02:13] Ryan Mellon: The pitchers don't even do it justice. ~Um, but uh, ~from the top of the cliff side, you can see, ~um, ~these large diamond rocks jutting hundreds of feet in the air, ~uh, ~with beautiful white sand beach at the bottom. ~Uh, ~it takes about 15 to 20 minutes to get down as there's quite a bit of foot traffic to get down to the beach.

[00:02:31] Ryan Mellon: About a 500 ~uh, ~foot. Decline and ~it's on some very, ~Getting down to the beach is through a staircase that's been chiseled into the cliff side, and you have two-way traffic coming, going. Quite a lot of people, but it's definitely worth it. Once you get to the bottom, it's just an absolute pristine beach. There's no beach chairs, no umbrellas. It's just very natural and such a beautiful place.

[00:02:52] Ryan Mellon: We could see, ~uh, ~some of the large manta rays swimming in the water and just such a magical place. So it was really good to be able to show [00:03:00] my friend, ~um, ~that beach. We also checked out Klinking Beach, which, ~um, ~is known for its, ~um, ~iconic, ~uh, ~rock formation, ~uh, ~that looks like a giant T-Rex from above. So we checked that out as well.

[00:03:12] Ryan Mellon: ~Um, such a cool, um. A spot to see, uh, very to where sea, lots of people.~ We did not go down to the beach as it is a little bit treacherous. A lot of people have broken limbs and, ~um, ~had to have been, ~uh, ~medically evacuated from that climb down to the beach. It's not an easy one. I've done it once before ~and, uh.~

[00:03:26] Ryan Mellon: I don't think I'll ever do it again, but ~it, ~it is still amazing to be able to see that beach from the top, ~um, ~from the overlook. So that was really cool. And then we ended our eight hour day with a driver, ~um, ~for about 40 US dollars who took us all around the island at Crystal Bay, which is where the sun sets over the ocean.

[00:03:45] Ryan Mellon: ~Um, ~really good sunset spot in new. ~And, um, ~there's, ~uh, ~just boats floating out there and cool rock formations, people swimming, lots of locals hanging out, ~uh, ~playing some live music, ~um, ~on the guitar and sitting around a fire. ~Um, ~a couple of little stands down [00:04:00] there to buy, ~uh, ~beers and sodas and a little bit of some snacks.

[00:04:04] Ryan Mellon: So it was a really good day, ~uh, ~on Nita, ~uh, again, that. ~That island. You know, when you look up Bali, you see the photos of Clinking Beach and Diamond Beach, but it's really not on the coast. It's not on Bali Island itself. It's one hour away. ~ ~By boat to another island. So a lot of people don't realize that when they come to Bali, some of the most iconic beaches are actually on a different island.

[00:04:26] Ryan Mellon: So it was really good to get out there and check that out again. I think that was my fourth time there. ~Um, ~very quiet island. ~Um, ~getting more popular by the day. ~But, uh. ~Very, very good experience. ~Um, ~and so win for the week. one of the biggest myths about being a digital nomad is that you can't build long-term wealth or do serious business from the road, like real estate, which is what I have been doing for years and how I have built my, ~uh, ~passive income ~and, ~and active income for traveling the world.

[00:04:57] Ryan Mellon: ~Um, ~and I just bought some land back in Virginia that [00:05:00] came from. ~ ~A friend of mine, ~uh, ~who knew the seller. ~Uh, ~and yeah, I was able to close that transaction from my beautiful Airbnb here in Uluwatu. ~Um, ~it's gotten a lot easier over the years closing these type of transactions as now, ~um, ~you can use remote notaries where you get on a Zoom call and they, there's ways of them verifying who you are, ~um, ~and uploading the documents to know that you are the correct.

[00:05:25] Ryan Mellon: Buyer. But yes, just bought that land. Very excited. I'll be reselling that soon. ~Um, ~and yeah, right now we're in Uluwatu and we're exploring some of that. ~Um, ~I really enjoy Uluwatu. I keep coming back here. It's a surf mecca from the seventies, so very surf, surfer, back vibes, chill yoga vibes, ~um, ~and tons of beaches.

[00:05:48] Ryan Mellon: Great for surfing. ~Um. ~A lot of, it's a little bit more upscale than other parts of, ~um, ~Bali and getting built up a little bit, ~uh, ~more recently. So you have a lot of cool upscale restaurants, ~uh, ~beach [00:06:00] clubs and places to hang out as well as just take ~a mo ~a motorbike across the island is absolutely amazing, or this part of the island because, ~um, ~there's generally not too much traffic in a lot of the more natural areas by the beach.

[00:06:12] Ryan Mellon: So it's like really? Calming and, fun just driving the motorbike and going to explore new places. So, ~uh, ~I hope you guys enjoy your week and we'll see you on the next one.

[00:06:23] Ryan Mellon: Thanks for listening to another episode of Digital Nomad Nation. I hope today's stories have inspired you to take the next step towards location independence. If you've enjoyed the show, please share it with a friend and leave a review on Apple Podcasts or your favorite podcast app. Your support fuels our mission to inspire the digital nomad lifestyle.

[00:06:45] Ryan Mellon: Before you go, don't forget to grab your free copy of my guide, Seven Ways to Become a Digital Nomad. It's packed with practical tips to kickstart your nomadic journey. You can find the link in the episode description. And remember, the life you've always dreamed of is [00:07:00] just one bold decision away. Until next time, this is the Digital Nomad Coach, Ryan Mellon, signing off.