In Reply to: Apologies in advance - newbie q's! posted by Meemoo on Thursday, 29. March 2012 at 18:58 Bali Time:
HINTS FOR FIRST TIMER TO BALI
TOURIST AREAS
Sanur: nice and quiet, if you like that sort of thing. Attractive promenade along the beach. Not much nightlife
Kuta: very busy and Aussie. Not really my scene, but popular with younger people or people who like bars, etc
Tuban: quieter than Kuta and more family oriented
Seminyak: upmarket shopping and restaurants
Legian: between Kuta and Seminyak, in every sense!
FLIGHTS / ARRIVAL
Travel insurance is a MUST. Some seem to have a better record of paying up. CoverMore seems to have a good reputation
You are meant to register with the Dept of Foreign Affairs when you go OS
Bring booze! Apart from beer, it's very expensive in Bali. Suggest spirits are a better use of allowance (1lt each) than wine.
You can change a small amount of money at the airport, but it's not a good rate, so don't go crazy
The immigration process is a bit of a palaver, you have to buy a visa before going through immigration.It's A$25 cash each
If the queue is very long and you have a crying baby/sick child or something, it's likely they'll let you in if you go to the front.
You can actually pay to get through quickly (VIP service). This can be arranged before you go. Sometimes it's offered on the spot.
You probably don't need a porter, but they are quite useful. They don't charge a lot. If you don't want one, be quite firm and don't let anyone grab your trolley.
There is a fixed-price taxi booth on the right as you come out. You'll need Rupia. It works pretty well in my experience.
COSTS
Bali is very cheap for most things
You can get a meal, with beer, for around $5. Very up market places might be more like $50, but you'll get a meal that would cost $150 at home!
If you want massages, shopping, activities, eating out for every meal, etc. you'll probably find you go through around $100 each per day, on top of accommodation
TIPPING
There is no real expectation of tips, but people obviously appreciate them because wages are low
o I usually give the taxi driver the change, say Rp2-5,000
o In restaurants, for good service, I usually leave 10% or just the change in casual places
o Nannies/house staff/cleaners/drivers: it depends on how much they've done for you. At least Rp50,000 I reckon
SHOPPING
Having glasses made up to a script is much cheaper than home. Discovery Mall has a lot of places
Having suits made is also very good value. We are big fans of Mr Ansor from Brisbane Tailor 081 557 60 850. He comes over on his bike with his assistant and fabrics and measures up in the hotel. He even mails suits to Australia. His work is fantastic
Some people have leather bags, jackets, shoes, etc made up and apparently that's very good value too
Other than that, I don't buy a lot. Interesting jewellery and clothes sometimes
Don't look at things you're not really interested in - you'll get hassled
Don't start haggling unless you're serious
State a price and walk away if they won't come down. If your price is reasonable, they'll call you back
Don't say 'maybe later' or 'I'll come back tomorrow' because they will hunt you down and hold you to it!
Avoid shopping in markets if you hate haggling (like I do!) There are plenty of fixed price souvenir warehouses like Geneva that have the same stuff that's at the markets
You can't haggle in nice shops, obviously
Avoid using your credit card if you don't have to (although I've never had any problems)
It can be good to stock up on drinks, snacks, etc from a supermarket. Good ones are Bintang and Bali Deli in Seminyak (I wouldn't go near Carreforre since the earth quake as it has huge cracks in it!) Bali Deli has an ATM near it and a lovely massage place over the road,Chill, but you usually need to book)
Cosmetics like Olay Regenerist can be a lot cheaper in Bali so it might be worth stocking up. Fancy brands aren't really cheaper
Don't be afraid to ask for a calculator to work out what you're spending in a shop (by converting back to dollars). Everyone does it!
You can ship things home (big things) but you have to really want them because with freight and customs charges at the Australian end, it's really expensive (think over $600 for shipping a square metre)
Fake DVDs are everywhere - sometimes they don't work
If you want massages or other beauty treatments, you generally get what you pay for. That said, even the more expensive places are less than ½ the price of home
CASH
If you use an ATM don't leave your card in it like I always do
Money changes are often dodgy - if the rate is really good, that's why. I tend to use ATMs to avoid the whole drama. If you do use a money changer, choose a reputable looking one and make sure you are the last one to count your money (they do all this slight-of-hand tricky stuff)
Try to get large amounts out at once, like 3 million. Look for nice ATMs in air-conditioned booths - these usually give out good amounts
You can use a hotel safe, but I find I end up spending so much I need to carry huge wads of cash around!
Don't walk along the street at night with a bag strung over your shoulder - people on motorbikes have been known to ride past and grab bags (apparently!)
Check your change - Circle Ks usually try to rip you off either by keying in wrong price or not giving you the right change
TRANSPORT
Blue Bird (with actual words Blue Bird on the side and not just a picture of a blue bird!) are the best
Don't stress though, most taxies are fine. Just ask them to use the meter if they don't turn it on
Sometimes private cars hang around outside restaurants or offer you transport on the street. They are always more expensive than taxies. If you are desperate or there are more than four of you, they might be an OK option, but be prepared to haggle. A short trip shouldn't cost more than Rp50,0000
If they go too fast and you don't feel safe, tell them you feel sick and they need to go slower (this always works!)
Ask them to turn on the air-con if you are hot
Taxi drivers are usually happy to wait outside a shop for you, so if you see a place you want to check out, just ask them to stop and wait
If the place you're staying in is tricky to find, carry a map with you to show taxi drivers
Take a minute to double check you have everything when you leave a taxi
If you find a driver you like - and they are everywhere! - you can usually keep using them for the whole trip. Sometimes they will send their brother' if they're not available
Day rate for a driver is around Rp450,000
Some people hire motorbikes, but I think it's a bit risky. There are a lot of accidents
You can catch a local minibus or motorbike taxi for a taste of the real Bali!
KIDS
Mosquito net for the portacot is a must
You can buy nappies and wipes there, also baby food
Take sunblock and mosquito repellant as easier than trying to find the kids' stuff there
Bathing them in a 20L bottle of water (these are cheap and you can usually get these delivered) heated in the sun is a good idea unless you want to have to disinfect the bath water with Milton tablets
Take some rehydration icy poles, Panadol, etc for emergencies - it isn't always easy to find a chemist
Wash bottles, clean teeth etc, in bottled water
I like to establish a routine from the start, but this isn't always easy. We usually do breakfast, morning playing in the pool, lunch, nap, nanny takes them for a walk in late afternoon when it's shadier, dinner, bed
You can hire almost any baby equipment you could need from Bali Baby Hire - they deliver stuff to your hotel and collect it
PHONES
It can be good to have a Balinese SIM card for contacting each other when you're over there (and cheap calls home)
I haven't been able to find SIM cards for my iphone. I tend to carry an old Nokia and use my iphone (on airplane mode) for surfing the net in cafes etc with WiFi
If you have an old Nokia, take that
The SIM card store will put the SIM card in for you and set it all up
You'll need a converter plug for your recharger, obviously
OTHER THOUGHTS
If you have an accident, you probably want to be taken BIMC - Bali International Medical Centre BIMC Hospital Bali Jl Bypass Ngurah Rai No. 100X Kuta 80361
The SOS medical centre is also OK, apparently
Beggars are a tricky one: I have heard that organised criminal gangs make them do it so I usually don't give them anything because it perpetuates the problem. If you want to do something meaningful, give to a reputable charity like Bali Kids
The villa staff / nannies are usually very keen to take any shampoo, clothes, mosquito spray etc you leave behind. Don't throw anything out when you're packing to leave - just mention to them that they're welcome to help themselves and they usually will
I also take over stuff for Balinese people I know, like clothes
Make sure you both have a copy of your passports and insurance docs in case something serious goes down
If you think you might want to come back and you have time, it can be worth checking out accommodation options for next time while you're there
Check out tripadvisor to get restaurant and spa recommendations near where you're staying
Check out the wonderful balitravelforum.com for general research!