In Reply to: Just checking posted by miyo on Tuesday, 12. April 2005 at 13:05 Bali Time:
No, bribing usually isn't necessary if you follow the rules e.g. don't try and bring in more alcohol than allowed and make sure you follow immigration rules. In 10 visits to Bali and having driven all over Java, Lombok,Sumbawa we have only ever paid money to one immigration official at the port who was saying we had caused him much administration costs. We were keen to get out of there so we paid him the 25,000rps. We have been pulled up by police near Sanur who said we stopped at a roundabout! My husband argued with the policeman and they let us go without paying anything. Sometimes it may be expedient to give in but on our 10th trip last month we had no problems at all.