As I traveled to Bali early this year, I was lucky enough to be just a minute's walk away from Dojo Bali, a well-known co-working space. But Dojo is not just any regular coworking spot - it's hands down the best there is/was, with a strong focus on community. Not only can you work there, but you can also make valuable connections, learn new things, and be exposed to different cultures from all over the world. The true strength of Dojo lies in its vibrant community, and it's this aspect that sets it apart from other co-working spaces in Bali. Unfortunately, I recently learned that Dojo Bali is closing its doors for good. A friend who visited during its final days told me that the reason for its closure is the exorbitant rent that has become unsustainable. Dojo is located just a few minutes away from the world-famous Echo Beach, which is now surrounded by resorts and high-end hotels. The area was relatively vacant earlier this year, but with tourism returning to Bali, prices have been on the rise. It's a shame to see such a valuable co-working space and community hub closing down due to economic pressures.
I have many fond memories of Dojo Bali, and this post is my way of paying tribute to it. In my previous posts about my nomadic journey to Bali, I omitted the story of my time at Dojo, but now I feel it's time to share my experiences and the valuable lessons I learned there. I want the world to know about this incredible co-working space and to memorialize it in some way, by recording its legacy on the blockchain. As a final farewell, I want to share my gratitude for the community and experiences that Dojo provided.
I signed up for Dojo just a few days after arriving in Bali from Lombok. I'm generally shy and anti-social, so I didn't initially talk to anyone at the co-working space. But I eventually joined a dinner gathering and started chatting with others. It's always difficult for me to introduce myself, but people eventually knew me as "the crypto girl" because I was one of the few people at Dojo interested in cryptocurrencies. Some people even suggested that I was on the wrong side of the co-working space because there were other coworking spaces with more crypto enthusiasts. But to be honest, I didn't want to spend all my time talking about cryptocurrencies - I already had enough exposure to the world of crypto through HIVE, day trading, and crypto Twitter. It was nice to have a break from all that and just chat with people about other things.
Dojo Bali has been featured on many nomadic lifestyle websites, and it's a popular destination for indie makers from around the world. If you're into a nomadic lifestyle, you may have heard of Dojo at least once. The co-working space has several indoor and outdoor areas where you can work, with options for air-conditioning or a more open-air setting overlooking the pool. It's a fascinating environment to work from, with a vibrant community of people walking around and chatting. It's no surprise that Dojo has become a go-to destination for digital nomads. The internet at Dojo Bali was consistently reliable, and the co-working space had all the technical amenities one could need. Some people might complain about the comfort of the chairs, but I found them to be decent enough for working. Overall, Dojo had a great setup for productivity and comfort.
To be honest, one of my favorite things about Dojo Bali was also the free-flowing hot and cold water, as well as the instant coffee and fridge that was available for use. I also enjoyed the coffee from the co-working space cafe , which was as good as any cafe-made coffee. There was one time when I stayed overnight at Dojo because I was afraid to drive at night due to reports of mugging in the area, and it was raining heavily. I ended up sleeping on the comfortable, bed-like sofa on the second floor, surrounded by plenty of couches. In the morning, I woke up to the sound of people working downstairs and headed back to my own place around 6 AM. That experience made one of my top memorable experiences at Dojo Bali.
But I also will not forget to mention the people and the community at Dojo. It was vibrant and welcoming, and the staff were always helpful and friendly. It was a great environment to work from, and I will always remember my time there fondly.
The concierge at Dojo Bali, Dave, was super friendly and always fun to talk to. He was open to conversation and seemed to enjoy meeting new people, despite being somewhat introverted himself. Dave had a great vibe and made people feel comfortable around him, but he was not the only staff member who was fun to talk to - everyone at Dojo was amazing. Through my time at the co-working space, I made friends with a young day trader, a Japanese copywriter, and many people from tech startups. Some of them were older than me but were there to enjoy the community events and I had many great conversation. I even made friends with an Indonesian guy from Jakarta who worked in tech. We met during free Ruby workshop from lewagon.
One of the great things about Dojo was its free workshops, which anyone could join as long as they had an interest in learning something new. It was through one of these workshops that I rediscovered my passion for programming and decided to pursue it in school. The workshop reignited my long-lost dream and showed me the path I needed to follow.
I wanted to attend the school next year because I am waiting for my savings to be enough. I know people say that you donโt need to go to school to learn web development or data science but I think going to school will open me up to networking opportunities that otherwise I hardly have when I am only self learning like these days.
Dojo Bali felt like a second home to me during my time in Bali. I loved the Friday night events where we would explore bars, clubs, and other places to grab a beer and relax away from our laptops. Most people would be done with work by then, but since I was involved in the crypto, my work never really ended. I often found myself working late into the night, so I couldn't get too drunk. But despite that, I was incredibly productive during my time at Dojo because I was so inspired by the community and the lifestyle. It was the kind of life I had always dreamed of, and I'm grateful for the experiences and connections I made there.
Just when I was starting to think that I would stay in Bali longer, I received a message that my father had been hospitalized with a heart attack. It was a shock that made me prioritize my family above everything else, and I immediately made plans to leave Bali and return home to be with my father. I was sad to leave Dojo and the community there, but my father's health was my top concern. The night before I left the dojo, I had a great time drinking with some of the members and staff. It seems like a tradition for members who are leaving to have a night of drinking together. This is something I didn't have the opportunity to do back in Yogyakarta.On the day before my departure, I attended the lunch gathering at Dojo and treated everyone to snacks, and I also sent cookies to the staff and the people who had made my time there so enjoyable. It was a bittersweet moment, but I knew I had made the right decision
If I were to list all the wonderful things that happened to me while I was at Dojo Bali, it would be a very long list of memories. I may not have been the most talkative or social person there, but I truly cherish the moments when I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and felt more hopeful about my otherwise bleak future. Dojo was a place where I felt welcomed and supported, and I will always be grateful for the experiences and connections I made there.Dojo Bali helped me to realize my potential and boosted my confidence.
When I returned to Bali after my father's hospitalization, I was planning to go back to Dojo, but it was already too crowded. I was disappointed but still looking forward to returning to Bali in the future. But now that Dojo is closing, I feel like there's not much left for me to see or experience in Bali. It's a shame to see such a valuable co-working space and community hub shutting down, and it leaves me feeling a bit disappointed and uncertain about my future plans for Bali and going to programming school there.
I am truly grateful for the existence of Dojo Bali and deeply saddened to see it go. At least now, I have written down some of my memories and have a physical reminder of my time there in the form of a sticker. It's a bittersweet feeling, but I am glad to have had the opportunity to be a part of the Dojo community and to have made so many wonderful connections and experiences there.
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