In Reply to: Its close, its easy, its fun, its cheap, posted by sherbert on Wednesday, 26. March 2008 at 12:07 Bali Time:
First things first!
Before you go to Bali
Get a Tan or get some fake tan now, as they will spot you a mile off, A fresh Sucker straight of the plane!
Get International Roaming on your Mobile Phone! A MUST!
Take spare underwear you perspire like a dog!
Any Clothes you need repaired or altered (about $2 per item)
A video camera ( If you buy one now 30 days before you leave you get the GST back at the airport, Ask the camera Shop)
Laptop for checking you bank balance! Most hotels have Net and Most cafes free wireless
Take an Empty Suit case, for all the carvings, fake designer watches, DVDs Clothes' Etc that you will Haul Back
Print out pictures in A4 of things you want on T-Shirts ( their designs are pretty limited, and most of it you wouldn't wear here).
Any jewelry you want duplicated in silver (Puzzle rings etc)
A list of all the DVDs you want inc TV Series
Buy a cheap DVD Player from Aldi $40 ( They work best with the Pirate DVDs)
Lanza suitcases $100 @ Erina hard plastic Skin with combo lock and Trolley wheels ( No drug planting) Taper proof.
Good news - You get thinner, Heat, great food and walking around. You comeback changed. No longer will you want to ever eat Mc Donalds or any thing frozen in a box ever again! Fruit Juice and Rice is everywhere.
Yes they have Mc Donlads, Kfc and Pizzahut, and the prices are exactly the same. But 2 People can Eat Dinner, with Juice and a Beer for $13. Good Healthly Stuff, So the old Micky Ds is Expensive, But If you get Macca it Tastes Fresher! 24 hours and delivery to your hotel!
With Café's, restaurants - western food they never get it quite right
I.e. the burgers are small without salad. Pizza is just Cheese and tomato. We had Indian Take away. Chicken Tika and Lamb Rogan Gosh. It came with no meat!
Its best to go for Traditional Indonisia food. I.e. Nasi Gorange
Buy your Beer @ Circle K @ $1.20 and stick it in your hotel mini bar, for drinking by the pool
Forget room service and in hotel massages this stuff adds up!
The money Indonesian Rupee (IRD)
The most common note is the 50,000 and The Largest 100,000 ($12.50)
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
The most common note is the 50,000 Indonesian Rupiah = 6.02423 Australian Dollar so roughly $6
The Smallest Note 1000 rupee is about 12c
And a 200 Indonesian Rupiah coin = 0.02410 or a quarter of a cent!
Converter http://www.oanda.com/convert/classic?free=1
Most Nokia Phones have a converter program USE IT!!! Change over about $500 before you leave Australia
When you arrive you will have to pay arrival tax About $40 usd when you leave its 150,000 rupee and don't buy too much because bags over 32kg will cost you $8 USD for every Kg over weight, if this happens ask for a discount.
In Bali everything is negotiable & there are no rules. Except keep left, and don't step on the food offerings to the mischievous sprits ( that are on the sidewalk). Brush up on your Hindu here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindu There are near 0 Christians in Bali. The 2 major Religions are Hindu and Muslim. So they have no concept of Xmas or Easter,
You don't have to wear a seat belt, you can drink drive, smoke anywhere, drink anywhere, buy Beer anywhere. But bottles must be recycled.
Wild life
Monkeys, Squirrels, Geckos, Goannas, tiny tiny little birds, frangipanis' and coconut palms everywhere
Water
These days Ice is ok its made by Danone ( the Yogurt mob).
Nobody, even the Locals Drink the water. You can buy bottled water everywhere for about 3000rp the most I Paid was 5000rp (60c)
Smokes cost about the same.60c Our government is stealing of you left right and center, Petrol is cheap too
Hazzards
Motor scooters won't stop at ped crossings. Most roads are 2 lane. Drivers use both! and the road shoulder, and don't stop for red lights. There is no such thing as give way, He who hesitates is lost!
Sidewalks- Don't step on the man holes. Most are poorly maintained with rusted supports, and the canals run under the sidewalks
You may get a sweat rash and or sunburn. Wear sunscreen! I didn't encounter many flies or Mosquitos, no where like Australia.
When you get off the plane men with 'Porter' written on their shirts will try and take you baggage off the conveyer, They do not work for the airport. They will charge you a baggage handling fee. If they grab you bags say 'NO' and take your bags.
Balinese are lovely friendly people, but most of them are poor. They make $15 a week at best. A lot of them will try to scam you. Don't trust the money changers, there are plenty of ATMs everywhere. Max withdraw is about 800,000 Rp ($101.26) So you may have to withdraw a few times. Each transaction with St George cost me $2 Au
A lot. 90% of the taxi drivers are dodgy, and most don't have a metre, this is because it cost the Driver $150,000 RP ($18) to take the taxi for a day. This is a week's pay in a day for them to use the Taxi. To rent a taxi for the day negotiate a price. A good price is 300,000Rp ($36) gets you 12 hours.
From the airport to the hotel should cost you 50,000Rp ($6)
Some Taxi drivers may LOCK you in the Taxi to extort more money going back on the agreed price. (this happened to me).
We found the most honest guy, he even took our clothes the Laundromat for us. His name is WAYAN (pron-‘why arn') Use him for everything ( I took him out partying with us and always bought him lunch, a few times)
You should Call WAYAN ( I Wayan Jelantik) on his Mobile 085 2377 64499 he knows where the best deals are and what's on and where. He will even bargain for you! Mention your Know 'Guy and Kristie the DJ's'
If your taxi gets stopped by the police, or your taxi is parked where they are. They, expect a bribe (1000- 10,000Rp).
Don't engage them, just let the Taxi Driver deal with it and re-emberse him after.
When someone wants you to buy something and you say 'I'll comeback tomorrow' they expect that you will come back tomorrow.
Make sure you buy a sarong 10-20,000rp before visiting temples, sacred places etc. Or they will charge you $10-$20 to rent one. Males and Females!
If asked by someone 'Would you like me to explain the culture about (temple, Volcano, cave etc), for a donation at the end, Agree on a price beforehand'
Don't Take scrachies off People, or go with them ( you could end up mugged or at some 3 our seminar on time share) Everyone wins the Camera, or The $500 US. They will try make you feel sorry they don't get their commission. If you get stuck listening to the Sales pitch Give them 1000 rp for a drink of water( 13c)
Shopping and doing Business
If you inquire about something, or examine something your expected to Buy. Its an Insult not to, if you find yourself stuck offer a stupid low price and walk away. Or State firmly that you just want to look only. They take things to heart and think that you don't like them if you don't buy.
Get out and walk around, it's the best way to discover awesome things. Don't shop at the first store near the hotel or around Kuta if your looking for insanely cheap. As you go north things get cheaper ( carvings of stone and wood, art, Batik etc).
Its an Insult not to Haggle. This Art Can Become quite heated. It's worth noting that its near on verbal argument. But after the price is agreed its followed by a smile, and a handshake .You will get your change!
Sometimes it best to go up in 5000 amounts, or just say 'too much' and walk away. Most times they call you back you and say 'Ok Boss'
If they Want to much Say 'I am Not American' ( Americans tend to be stupid with money) Tell them you say some Americans Down the road.
They will ask you ' First time in Bali?, Where are you staying?'
This is all to Ascertain How stupid or rich you are. So Lie. You have been here for 3 weeks and your staying at the Galaxy Motel Semiyak
If Buying on the beach, You Will be swamped by 3-8 people wanting you to buy stuff. People will walk into a café and try to sell you anything from Lighters to massage Oil. One Guy came in while I was having a Juice, and Said to me 'special massage oil for 100 000Rp'
I Said 'No thanks!'
He said 'Ok 50,000' and started massaging my neck with the Oil.
I Said 'No Go Away'
He Said 'Ok I give you 2 bottle'
I Said 'No'
So hes doing My Shoulders at this point and says 'OK 40,000 Last price.'
'NO!'
'30 OK'
NO!
So He says 'Ok you just give me 10,000 for massage'
I Said ' I didn't ask you to come in here, or Massage me, So Go Away'
Most of the time If you walk and not make eye contact you have no Problems. But at One stage, looking at the rice fields, 4people were trying to get in the taxi to sell me a cow bone carving!
What to see
Kintamani - Volcano
Ubud- Monkey forest
Elephant cave - Goa Gajah
Shaha Dewa Dance - Traditional Bali Dance Men and women A Virgin teen Girl Is Possessed, A man is possessed and jumps into a Haystack ( Coconut Husks) On Fire. At the end a Hindu Priest gets the Spirit out of him
Eating Cheap
These 2 where very ridiculously cheap and very honest
Terima kasih café
Say Hi to Harry Address Ji Camplung Tanduk 17 Dyana Pura ( Just say near Q Bar)
Bennys
Near Sofitel Seminyak
What to Pay
Scooter rental 40,000 Per Day ($5)
Bootleg DVDs are 12 for 100,000 ($12 or 2 of the blue notes) and you should get 2-4 thrown in 10% of these wont work on your expensive DVD player
Smokes (we found Pall mall Red to be close to Winfield Blue) 5000
Water 3000-5000
Beer - Bin Tang at Circle K $1.20 or 10,000Rp
Fake Designer Sun Glasses Gucci, Oakley, Ray Ban, 3 for $100,000
Leather Jackets $80
Sports Steering wheel and Boss Kit $40
Amazing Boat kite $8
Leather Prada Handbag $8
Massage 1 hour 50,000 ($6)
2 x Manicure, Pedicure, foot massage165,000 ($20) designs hand painted
Woodcarvings, Stone Small $6 ( Carving can take up to 1 month to make)
Fake Rolexes 200k- 250,000 Rp for a really good water proof automatic for Singapore ( They will quote you 1,000,000rp or $120, still very good considering a water proof automatic will cost you $300 in Australia. But Laugh at them when you hear 'One million Rupia'. So Offer them 100k and remind them it's not a real one)
Thongs ( believe me I hate thongs but at 33 deg and 70% humidity you will want some) 2 for $3 or 25,000Rp
T- Shirts 3 for 100,000 Funny Shirts 100,000 each $12 make sure you check sizes most of them are wrong like XXXL is a Small or S is an XL
Stuff like this happens all the time. Our Hotel Room had intriget carvings and wood work, Marble floor but the taps and the ceiling were not straight!
97% Silver ring with stone $6 0r 50,000 ( Would sell for $40 here).
A basket of Laundry ( Not using the hotel) $2. My Jeans Ripped and it was about the same to get it fixed
Make sure you Pick up some coffee beans, lemon tea, Coco, Eat Sweet fruit from the chocolate/ coffee Bean Tree, vanilla beans, ( get 10 for 40,000 about $5, don't tell em its $9 per Bean Here!) from SAI Land Plantation
Br Temen, Susut, Bangli (Jurusan Tampaksiring - Kintamani) Bali Ph Mobile 085 935 140
If you grab Coffee, and if you think this info is valuable pick me up some and I'll fix you up
I think that covers Most of it
Hope this Info helps
Handy Websites
http://www.baliguide.com/
Remember after the bombing and Chapelle tourism is at a big low, I walked past 100s of restaurants and cafes with no one in them 24/7
Bali is very Safe and Friendly, they need Us to Survive, there whole Business culture is made to favor Aussies, They want to know all about us. what we drink, eat, like in music, do for work etc. Just so they can cater to us and get customers. It broke my heart to leave. So share this with your friends.
I can't wait to get back :)