Posted by Jennie on Saturday, 27. February 1999 at 06:59 Bali Time:
In Reply to: Suggestions on what to wear posted by Tim on Thursday, 25. February 1999 at 10:25 Bali Time:
Greetings, fellow Pittsburgher! (I grew up there and call this lovely city home)
What to wear: It was warm and a couple days it rained but not for long. My husband wore t-shirts and his bathing trunks most of the time and his waterproof Timberland sandals. He would wear long pants if we were going to a temple (otherwise you have to wear a sarong over your clothes). He also had a light windbreaker as it can get cool in the mountains. I wore short-sleeved shirts/t-shirts with either long shorts and skirts. Some days when I knew we would be getting very hot walking around with our bags (in transit) I wore by bathing suit and a sundress over it. Wear sunscreen as I got a decent tan even with SPF 30 to 46. I wore Teva-type shoes which were great because you can get wet then wash them and also wear them in the showers in the not-so-hygienic places as sometimes the water didn't drain so quickly.
Luggage: My husband brought a large backpack that he also could tie around his waist for support and I had my college backpack that was handy on day trips. We bought several cheap t-shirts at the Matahari department store to wear along the trip (the ones in the markets tended to be of porrer quality and the designs smeared). I packed medicines/ toiletries in small ziplock bags. We bought a leather bag that was fairly large for around 170,000 rupiahs ($20) because my husband liked it and it looked unique.
Currency: We saw US$1 = from 8550 to 8850 rupiahs in general with no commission. Count your money! And go to someone that charges no commission upfront.
Have a great trip!