Tips and things I have forgotten....
These are the tips and advice I picked up off this forum that worked for us anyway!
Raspberry Juice - bought the Cascade one and made whole family have 10ml every day for a week prior and first 4-5 days over there - then we totally forgot. None of us got anything like Bali Belly, hubbie got a bad cold and then I came home with it but cannot attribute that to drinking the water or lack of washing hands! However family we travelled with did nothing and one had diarrhoea for last week and didn't feel well, couldn't drink Bintang in the end even so who knows, could all be a fluke or not but I was happy to try. Only used bottled water for everything and bought dettol hand gel - once again used that twice I think and forgot. Now I have 4 little bottles of it LOL.
Adaptor & Power Board - took adaptor with us, read you can buy them there cheaper but didn't want to be arriving and having to look for one first thing. Also took a 4 point power board - best thing ever, our friends were jealous they didn't think of it, could charge phones/ipods and use my hair straightener all at once!!! Also took little ipod speakers that folded up and we could play our music.
MONEY - took $1300 cash in $100 bills and swapped about $300 at a time and also took Cash Passport card from post office....wouldn't bother with that again, taking cash was easy & had a safe in all rooms. Course it all run out and then had to use money from ANZ account, charged $5 per transaction but only used a couple of times. Only used credit card at what I hoped were reputable places - i.e. Hard Rock, Animale, Waterbom, Carefourr. Take a money belt, much easier to have hands free when shopping and not worrying about anyone grabbing your bag, not that even once we felt that would happen. Did not have any issues with money changers, made sure husband always came with me and we both counted it back same time, if we got ripped off we didn't realise so we can't worry about LOL.
VOA - purchased US$ at post office before going, not sure if it would have been slower if we didn't have that or not but it was all pretty quick, no other flights landing same time and we were in front of plane so first out and I knew to make a run for it.
Make sure you put 150,000 rupiah in your passport for departure tax in 1st day or so so you aren't looking for it on last day.
And got to meet the infamous Nicki at Hard Rock, always comforting to know your travel agent stays at place she recommended to you! Will use her next time too, she was fabulous and everything went like clockwork, special room requests etc.
SUMMARY
We loved Bali, not that keen on Kuta, would stay somewhere else and just do day shopping trips. My son hated Kuta, the traffic, noise, chaos and even getting constantly asked himself ‘boy, where you get Billabong'.... He hated walking around Kuta but Seminyak didn't worry him at all, no-one hassling you up there or asking if you want transport LOL. As someone else mentioned they wouldn't return at end of Ramadan and neither would we. Wasn't fussed on the beach with volcanic sand, daughter learnt to surf and loved it at Kuta but not so at Seminyak, said the beach was much rougher, dunno, I didn't get in past my knees! We are not beach people though, give me a pool anyday. Kids loves both types of accommodation and had trouble picking when I asked, loved Hard Rock for the pool and facilities and breakie and Villa for extra room, privacy and a separate tv room they could watch dvd's in! I liked having the different places but a day of moving sort of stuffs you up. We have been to Fiji 3 times prior to this, would return to Fiji tomorrow too but completely different holiday and more for kids to do in Bali. Thanks again to everyone for your advice and tips even if you don't know who you all are!