In Reply to: Thks, Cliff.....but its like this.... posted by carlos501b on Monday, 1. November 2004 at 21:49 Bali Time:
And if you had 90 million Rupiahs, you'd probably need an extra suitcase to pack it in.
Is there any reason for you to not just leave the money in your bank account and withdraw from the ATM's as you need it? The fees for withdrawals are a pain, especially since many ATM's only allow 600,000rp per transaction. But I wouldn't recommend walking around with a fat wad of cash in Bali.
By converting to $US and then to Rupiahs, you'll be paying two conversion fees.
Paying by credit card is often the best option if it's possible... only one conversion fee, and no ATM fee (though for some cards in some places there's a surcharge if you use CCs).
So, unless you're planning on making some major purchases that must be paid in cash, I'd be inclined to just leave the money in the bank, and make sure there's enough credit on on your credit card to pay for hotels and other purchases. (But first check that your ATM card can be used in Bali, and find out what the withdrawal fees are.)
When are you going to Malaysia? I'll be there in about 2 1/2 weeks, travelling from Singapore through Melaka, then on to KL for a few days. (Then Thailand, back to KL, and on to Bandung... Oh, man, I cannot wait.) If we're in the same place at the same time, perhaps we can solve the mystery of whether Bintang is better than Tiger.