When the alarm goes off each morning, most of us have dreamed of swapping the rat race for a more sedate way of life.
And for one family, that dream has become a reality.
Patrick and Hannah Canavan have taken their children Esmae, six, Eira, five and two -year-old Elfie from their home in Caterham to the idyllic island of Bali, where they say they can live comfortably on £1,000 a month.
The pair, who were renting in London and left last month with £5,000 savings, were inspired by a backpacking trip to Thailand they took 10 years ago and decided to ditch their 9-5 routine in the capital in search of a more relaxed lifestyle in Indonesia.
Patrick and Hannah Canavan (pictured) have taken their children Esmae (right), six, Eira (left), five and two -year-old Elfie (centre) from their home in Caterham to the idyllic island of Bali, where they say they can live comfortably on £1,000 a month
The pair, who were renting in London and left last month with £5,000 savings, were inspired by a backpacking trip to Thailand they took 10 years ago and decided to ditch their 9-5 routine in the capital in search of a more relaxed lifestyle in Indonesia
Mr Canavan, 31, quit his personal trainer job and his wife will support the family through freelance writing
Their three children were already home-schooled but Mrs Canavan, 28, believes travelling offers a better education than what was available in London.
Mr Canavan, 31, quit his personal trainer job and his wife will support the family through freelance writing, according to the Standard.
They also run a travel blog and YouTube channel.
Writing on her blog, Mrs Canavan said: ‘We have been dreaming of taking our kids on an adventure like this since before they were born.
‘In today’s hectic society it’s increasingly difficult to carve out quality time as a family, and I can’t think of anything more valuable to our girls than being able to have their dad to themselves for a year or so.
‘Without the distractions of the office, the “ping” of emails flying to our phones and endless housework, we’re hoping that we will be able to improve our relationships, make memories and benefit from a different perspective of the world.’
The family left London on October 3 on Elra’s fifth birthday.
Each morning, Ms Canavan will begin the day writing while her husband takes the three girls to the beach.
Their three children were already home-schooled but Mrs Canavan, 28, believes travelling offers a better education than what was available in London
The family left London on October 3 on Elra’s fifth birthday. Each morning, Ms Canavan will begin the day writing while her husband takes the three girls to the beach
Mrs Canavan believes many families do not realise how attainable escaping the city rat race for a more relaxed lifestyle abroad is
Their afternoons tend to be spent relaxing together or volunteering at charities.
And the family believe many families do not realise how attainable escaping the city rat race for a more relaxed lifestyle abroad is.
Mrs Canavan said: ‘People think you have to be super rich to do this but it actually costs a lot less to live and explore here than it does just to live in London.
‘Our rent here in Bali costs £300 per month and the house has a swimming pool and is five minutes from the beach.
‘We will have lived for £1000 for the whole month, by eating local food and cooking at home on our one small gas hob ring.
Patrick (right) and Hannah Canavan (centre) are travelling withtheir children Esmae (front, centre), six, Eira, five (left) and two -year-old Elfie (right) as well as Mrs Canavan’s mother Jayne Davies (left)
The family flew out to Bali last month and Mrs Canavan says they are living ‘comfortably’ on £1,000 a month
Mr Canavan, a personal trainer, quit his job so the family could spend their time travelling abroad
Mrs Canavan said they plan on assessing the situation in a year and claimed the only thing she misses about London is the people – but not the ‘house cleaning or the weather’
‘Lots of people could do this, but they don’t realise.’
The family are accompanied by Mrs Canavan’s mother, 55-year-old Jayne Davies, who joined for a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ opportunity after retiring.
They are unsure if they will ever return to the UK and in the next few weeks they plan on travelling to Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Sri Lanka.
Mrs Canavan said they plan on assessing the situation in a year and claimed the only thing she misses about London is the people – but not the ‘house cleaning or the weather’.
She added: ‘We are not special – if we can do this, lots of people can.’