In Reply to: mobile phones in Bali posted by sunbuns on Wednesday, 13. August 2008 at 05:17 Bali Time:
phone is unlocked to your current provider, Optus. Once in Bali go to your nearest outlet selling sim cards, they are everywhere. Get a Pro XL sim card, real cheap with credit already on. Add more as you want. Use the prefix code and making calls and sms's is so cheap. The guy at the store will set it all up for you in English, all you need to do is sms all your friends and work and they will have your number. Take a list of the numbers you need in case your phone doesn't store them.
To use your mobile phone in Bali make sure it is unlocked from your carrier/provider here in Australia. To do this put someone else's sim card in the phone, make sure they are with a different carrier to you. If it works then your phone is unlocked. Get it unlocked if you can, some internet sites charge $25.00, can be done in Bali, not sure where though.
Once in Bali go to one of the many phone shops and get set up with a Bali sim card. Very very cheap to call Australia and even cheaper to sms. Use the below sim cards for ease.
XL Bebas Sim cards
To ring Australia from Bali
01000 then 61 (Aus country code) then drop the next zero then number
eg to ring Aus 03 9789 1122
you would need to ring 01000 61 3 9789 1122
or to ring a mobile eg 0418 999 888
01000 61 418 999 888
To ring Bali from Australia
You need to dial 0011 then country code, eg Bali = 62 then drop the next zero then number
Eg to ring mobile 0419 111 222
You would need to ring 0011 62 419 111 222
Simpati Sim Cards
If you have SIMPATI for mobile you need to dial 007 (not 001) then 61 (for Oz) and then drop the 0 off the STD or mobile code then dial the rest of the number.