Buleleng is about four hours from the south, and almost everything about running a build there is different from Canggu. Fidé is building a resort in Buleleng at the moment, so what follows is what we are dealing with on site now rather than a general description of north Bali.
The differences are practical and they are real. There is no mains water on our site, so water is bought from a neighbour who has drilled a well. Permits are handled in person at the government office instead of through the online system. Logistics and access are different in kind, not just degree.
What the build is actually like
Distance governs everything. At roughly four hours from the southern supply chain, a delivery is a day rather than an hour, and the programme has to be built around that instead of absorbing it as it goes.
Utilities cannot be assumed. On our current site there is no mains water at all, and it is bought from a neighbour who drilled a well. That is a normal arrangement in the north and an unpleasant surprise to anyone who budgeted for a connection that does not exist.
The administrative process is done face to face. Permit submissions that would be made online in Badung are made by physically attending the government office, which is a scheduling reality rather than an obstacle.
The thing worth saying plainly: none of this needs to reach you. It changes how we plan and staff a job. It does not change what the client experiences, because absorbing it is the work you are paying for.
- Distance
- About four hours from the south
- Water
- No mains on our site. Bought from a local well
- Permits
- In person at the office, not online
- Fidé here now
- A resort under construction
Who builds in Buleleng, and why
The north is quiet, green and a long way from the crowds, with black sand beaches and a diving coast. It suits people who want something genuinely away from the southern scene, and projects with a thesis of their own rather than a standard rental villa.
It also suits larger sites. Land goes further out here, which is what makes something like a resort viable when it would not be in Badung.
Who Buleleng is not for
Buleleng is a serious commitment, and most people should not build here.
- If you want short-let occupancy driven by passing demand, that demand is in the south. There is much less of it here.
- If you want to visit the site regularly during the build, four hours each way will wear thin quickly.
- If you are not prepared for utilities to be a project in their own right, this is not the place to find that out.
Questions we get asked about Buleleng
- Is Fidé actually building in Buleleng?
- Yes, a resort, in progress now. That is why this page describes water supply and in-person permitting rather than generalities, because those are the things our team is handling there at the moment.
- How does the distance affect the cost?
- It affects logistics and scheduling, because materials travel from the south and a delivery is a day rather than an hour. We would rather price that openly at the start than let it emerge later as a variation. If you have the budget for something special and are less concerned with the hyped ROIs of Pererenan, this could be a good area to assess. Fantastic views of mountains, the ocean and Menjangan Island, a project here could be a masterpiece.
- Is there really no water?
- Not on our current site. It is bought from a neighbour who has drilled a well, which is a normal arrangement in the area. The point for anyone considering the north is that a mains connection cannot be assumed, and the position needs establishing before land is committed to.
What we do here
Other areas we build in