In Reply to: Always take cash posted by katy on Thursday, 14. January 2010 at 06:21 Bali Time:
Two comments: 1. Circumventing ATM limits and 2. Withdrwing cash from yur A/C at bank at homeland.
1. The ATMS have limits and your home bank will levy a charge e.g. foreign exchange conversion charges, on your transaction. I have heard that you can circumvent the limit by withdrawing in increments. For example, if an ATM has a limit of Rp.1.5 million or roughly US$150, you do the first withdrawal and then while the card is still in the ATM, do another withdrawal.
2. Withdrawing say US$500 from your account at home. What I had to do at a bank in Lombok is to take a copy of my passport and then give my card and they gave me Rps. equivalent to $500. My bank did levy a service charge but it was better than four $125 withdrawals from an ATM in Lombok.
The best option of course is to take $100 crisp bills, lock it in your Safe Deposit box and convert it at a reliable Money Changer.
The most expensive way is to use your credit card. The second is using ATMs.
Josi