Posted by Mitch on Sunday, 4. October 1998 at 12:03 Bali Time:
In Reply to: General questions - Money, jewellry etc. posted by Rebe on Friday, 2. October 1998 at 10:31 Bali Time:
Hi Rebe,
Don't worry about money. Hard cash will get you the best rates. Use your hotel safety deposit box to keep your AUD$ in. Only change enough money for a few days at a time. Always carry your own calculator to check the figures as some changers have reprogrammed theirs to skim off a few hundred rupiah each time. Take another person with you to hold your money after counting because if you put it back on the counter you may find the old switch made, 1,000 Rp notes instead of 10,000 Rp or 5,000 for 50,000. When you change say AUD$100, don't carry your wad of rupiah with you everywhere. Only carry as much as you need. After a few days you'll work out what this figure is. If you do happen to be robbed then you won't lose the lot, not that this is a frequent occurence. I've been going to Bali since the late 70's and haven't been robbed yet.
With regard to silver jewellery, organise a day in Denpasar at the art markets to buy all your souvenirs and go to Jalan Sulawesi which is the jewellery street. Your driver will wait while you shop and may even help you barter for things at the market. This works out the cheapest way to buy such things as t-shirts, shorts, sarongs etc as you will be buying in bulk. Tons of shops with all styles of jewellery including some fantastic pieces incorporating both silver and 22 carat gold. They charge by the current gold/silver price per gram.
Enjoy!!!!!
Mitch