13 years ago, he quit his internship in anger and flew to Bali for a 5-day vacation. This changed his entire career plan.

Since Simon Plateau moved to Bali from Norway, 13 years have passed, and he clearly remembers his first visit to this Indonesian island. At that time, he was interning in Vietnam, and a group of Indonesian youth tourists who were staying with him inspired him to visit Bali. Captivated by their stories, Plateau decided that he absolutely had to see this island for himself. A week before his planned flight to Bali, Simon made the decision to leave his internship because he was completely dissatisfied with it. Once he boarded the flight, he didn't look back.

“This was before the era of social media, and I had no idea what Bali was. I had never seen any photos of it and didn’t know that Westerners lived here,” Plato shared with Business Insider. “But as soon as I realized it was possible, my entire perspective on life changed dramatically.”

The planned five-day vacation suddenly stretched into a full six months. After that, Simon returned to Norway to enroll in a master's program in finance, following his original plan. But after six months, he felt the pull of Bali again and no longer wanted to continue his studies. "I realized that I want to stay here in Bali," he added.

When Platou first moved to Bali in 2011, he lived in a communal house in Kuta, an area located in the south of the island. Kuta is famous for its surfing culture and was one of the first tourist destinations in Bali. "I had a fan and a shared bathroom with four other people," he said. He paid for the room1 million Indonesian rupiahwhat is equivalent to60 dollars a month.

In 2014, when other areas of Bali began to develop, Platou moved north to Kerobokan — a region between Seminyak and Canggu, where he still lives now with his wife and two children. His three-bedroom apartment is a leased property with a 20-year lease term. He initially rented a house for two years for170 million Indonesian rupiahand then extended the lease for another two years under the same conditions. Later, he increased the lease term by15 years— until2034 year— for370 million rupees every five yearsIn the end, this amounts to6.04 million rupeesor around370 dollars a month.

The two-story Platou villa is located on a quiet street next to three other villas owned by the same landlord. The first floor features an open space for the living and dining areas, a kitchen, and a home office. On the second floor, there is a TV room and two bedrooms. "One is meant for the kids, and the other for my wife and me, but now I sleep with my daughter, and my wife sleeps with our son," he explained.

The property was completely new when he moved in, but over the past few years, it has been renovated twice to meet the needs of their growing family.

Although Plato does not own this property, he has financed all the changes—from the water pump to the kitchen—out of his own pocket. "I find this quite acceptable because I spend a lot of time here, and since I locked in the rent so early, it's relatively cheap, so it's definitely worth it," he said. Although there is still time left until the end of the lease.10 yearsHe plans to build a new house for his family in a different location.

Platou has been involved in many different things in Bali, from creating his own clothing brand to marketing for insurance companies. In recent years, he has started investing in real estate and is currently finishing the construction of two resort villas in Pererenan, near Canggu. As an entrepreneur, Platou enjoys the flexibility that life in Bali offers. "I work for myself and can work at any time, but most importantly, others live that way too," he noted.

This is completely different from his life in Norway. "In Norway, with my work schedule, I don't have time to meet with friends," he said. "Even when I come in the summer, those friends who don't have vacation can't meet up because there's no time for us to coincide." But in Bali, everyone has similar schedules, which makes it easier to get together. Platou also easily finds new people with similar interests. "Moving to Bali as an adult shouldn't be difficult if you're a little open and willing to meet new people," he said. "I feel that here, if you want to meet people, you can."

Plato emphasized that the best aspect of life in Bali, without a doubt, is the wonderful people. "I always encounter people's willingness to help," he added. "When I first started my clothing manufacturing business, I knew nothing about production and design. But everyone I met was just incredibly responsive. They showed me factories, explained how everything works, and even allowed me to sell my products in their stores."

Nevertheless, Platou warns those who want to move to Bali that due to the rapid development of the island, it may look and feel different than they expected. "You need to approach your long-term plans carefully. Don't build a villa with a view of the rice fields, as it may disappear in just six months." In conclusion, he noted that the island has significantly more opportunities than just popular tourist spots like Canggu and Seminyak. "I think many people come here expecting a tropical lifestyle, but end up in a semi-industrial city," he said.

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