Filo’s BALI travel FORUM SUMMARY.

(Mainly from travellers’ postings on http://www.balitravelforum.com/ added to our own experiences.)

Compiled to 18 September 2004.

I am often asked, “Is Bali safe?” This morning (Nov 2002) I was asked again and it made me pause to think again.

In the past I have always answered, “Bali is probably safer than your own home town.”

Following the events of October 12 I have given this question a lot more thought, particularly as I look forward to re-visiting Bali as soon as possible myself. I have listened closely to all of the advice, both spoken and written, and conclude that there is not much of my advice to change. I believe that terrorists are primarily seeking maximum worldwide publicity and impact and this would not be achieved by simply repeating what they have done before – particularly against Indonesian targets that now, more than ever, must be considered ‘easy meat’, although the security precautions being undertaken, with more promised might make them much tougher meat.

My answer to this mornings E-mail was that Bali is probably as safe as your own hometown, because the whole world, including your hometown, would seem to be a potential target.

Having said that, if you decide to visit, remember that not all of the people you will meet in Bali are Balinese. Amongst them may still be extremists (behavioural extremists as well as those who would rather be thought of as religious extremists) who are prepared to target westerners. Be alert and be cautious, but don’t be paranoid and ruin what should be an enjoyable holiday. If you don’t feel that you can do this then perhaps you should not go.

We returned in April ’03, staying in the southern tourist areas and travelling east to Candi Dasa and to the central north. Nowhere did we take special precautions and nowhere did we feel at all threatened. Again, in March-April 2004, we went to Legian, Kuta, Tuban, Seminyak, Sukawati, Ubud, Pacung, Singaraja, Lovina, Sererit and Gilimanuk. Nowhere did we find anything other than the famed friendly warmth of the Balinese people.

If you have concerns, or your family has concerns, you and they might feel better if you register your travel plans with the Australian Dept of Foreign Affairs and Trade, (DFAT), on https://www.orao.dfat.gov.au/orao/weborao.nsf/homepage?Openpage . It will take about 5 minutes for each person. Have your passport handy to refer to.

You might also like to check the latest travel information for your destination at www.smarttraveller.gov.au.

If you find yourself needing a new passport (remember it must have at least 6 months to go before expiry, no matter if you’re only staying for a long weekend) then you can fill in all the information required on line. Go to www.passports.gov.au , that’s if you’re in Australia of course but other countries might have a similar web site that will save you a visit to (and a wait) to your local government offices.

REMEMBER: There is now a ‘Visa On Arrival’ fee for most foreign travellers – US$10 for a maximum of 3 days and US$25 for a stay of up to 30 days. This visa fee must be paid on arrival at your first Indonesian airport and applies to all travellers, even children who may not have needed their own seat on the aircraft. I recommend that you get the US dollars required before you leave home. This fee is in addition to the Indonesian Departure Tax of Rp100,000 which must be paid at the airport when you depart and in the local currency, Rupiah.

Warning. – Just the General Information section (Part 2) of this file is nearly 50 pages long and the District Information section is over 50 pages long. Both are getting longer as more information is added and little is taken out.

You may want to select and print only those parts that really interest you.

For new readers I suggest that you print off the CONTENTS in Part 1 just below these boxes. You can then look at this closely and highlight any topics that immediately interest you. Return to the screen and go to those sections. If indeed they are material that you want then tick (check) the highlight on your printed list.

When you have finished this you will have economically made a list of sections to print. If the list is extensive it might be quicker to copy the file to the hard disc of your computer, open it and delete everything between your chosen sections then print what remains.

This information is compiled by filo(no-spam-please)@picknowl.com.au. Please send feedback, corrections, comments or additional information to this E-mail address, with the (no-spam-please) part taken out. It will be appreciated.

If you would like more information, advice, stories and photographs about Bali then start at our Home Page by clicking the link in blue type below, then select from the contents list which will be on the right hand side of the opening page.

http://geocities.com/filo_1au/index.html.

If you would like to read the story of our 2003 holiday which included Seminyak, Candi Dasa, Amed (briefly), Pacung and Bedugul, Tuban, Sanur and the Cultural Park on the slopes of the Bukit Peninsula, with photos and the story of our missed flight home then go to www.geocities.com/balifilo/ .

CONTENTS. (Parts 1 & 2,)

1 - General Information. –

The HEADINGS below are all hot links to take you directly to the section you select, as are the coloured words. Clicking on these will take you directly to that section or topic and save you the time-consuming task of scrolling through many pages and risking ‘mouse-button tendonitis.

To find a topic or area that interests you, scan down the headings printed in CAPITAL letters on the left hand margin. If you find it then a simple click will take you directly to the beginning of that section.

If you want to get closer to you topic look through the minor headings that follow the main ones and select from there, again by clicking with your mouse.

For example; if you are thinking of staying in Jimbaran Bay and want to know what there is to do there, then look down the left side until you find JIMBARAN BAY DISTRICT, then look across to the minor headings on the right hand side of the heading and find ‘Doing’. Click on the blue letters and you’re almost instantly there. In this instance you will have saved scrolling through 45 pages.

1.CONTACTS AND INFORMATION – including –

1. Airport porter rates – Airport Taxis – Airport Bag Storage – Airline contacts - Astronomy – Art – Allergies -

2. Bali Belly - Bargaining – Books – Book shops - For Blondes –

3. Camera Repairs – Cane Mites - Charities – Children – Computer Software – CD and DVD virus - Consulates (you can perhaps feel more secure if you register your travel plans at this link https://www.orao.dfat.gov.au/orao/weborao.nsf/homepage?Openpage ) -

4. Diseases & Injections – Doctors & Dentists etc. – Dogs – Donated gifts & goods – Drug risks in Bali -

5. Emergency numbers – Be a blood donor in Bali. – Electrical supply and connection adaptors. -

6. Furniture – Freight home - Golf – Gifts – Delicacies – Glasses – Fishing -

7. Health protection – Sex risks/HIV/AIDS - See also Cane Mites and allergies, above,, and Jellyfish stings, below. – Hygiene – a Bali First-Aid kit – Bali Healers -

8. Internet etc – see ‘Internet & mobile phones’, number 10, below.

9. Jellyfish stings – Jewellery and jewellery repairs -

10. Lawyer –

11. Maps - Mosquitos –

12. Orphanages and Charities; see also ‘Gifts’ in ‘Remember, Cultural things, below., -

13. Photography/cameras – Digital camera downloads – Hire laptops - Digital camera memorry virus. - Printing – Paper for gifts – Pottery – Prohibited imports from Bali – Pearls – Pets -

14. Self transport – Sex – Sunscreen – Shoes – Spectacles and contacts – Shipping. – Swimming safety. – Surfing -

15. Tattoos, permanent & temporary – Toilets –

16. VCDs, DVDs, MP3s, CDs etc. – DVD virus alert -

17. Travel Agents – Travel Insurance; Don’t leave home without it! – Traditional healers; ‘Balians’ -

18. Vegetarian food.

19. Weddings. World Heritage Sites – Wine -

2.MONEY. - Including –

1. Rupiah coins, notes and ‘candy change’ –

2. Money Changing - Safe money changing – As-new notes only – Don’t change at home – Airport changing –

3. Tipping – an account to help friends in Bali -

4. Money Scams - and a crook moneychangers list –

5. Passport security – Bag snatchers – Credit card security – Cash to get home – Check in for Garuda to secure your seat. -

6. Keep a perspective when bargaining – School fees and donations to charities.

3.REMEMBER – Cultural things including;

1. Balinese Castes and Names, - Gifts, - Wrapping papers and stationery - Do’s and Don’ts - Personal Dress, - Stay in control, remain calm! – Flags and decorated fronds - Street offerings near shops and homes- Cremations.

2. Orphanages, (Opens in a separate web page). See also ‘CHARITIES’ in the ‘CONTACTS AND INFORMATION’, above.

3. Art, in all forms, is a large part of Balinese life.

4. World Heritage sites.

5. Nyepi Day (the day of silence) and Ogoh-ogoh – Odalan and ‘Full Moon’ parties. -

4.SAYING – Everyday Language prompts that will make you doubly welcome in Bali.

5.SHOPPING - Including –

1. Supermarkets – Opening hours – Children’s food – Children’s clothes – Orchids – Clothing size conversion tables -

2. Fashion hand bags – Fashion for pets -

3. Gold & Jewelery – Wood ware, pests and Customs -

4. Software (computer, games, CDs, VCRs etc) –

5. Buttons, Sequins & Beads – Craft supplies - Temple umbrellas and flags (‘Umble umbles’) -

6. Some prices (2000 to 2002) –

7. Spectacles –

8. Flea Market - Fishing stores -

6. EATING – Enjoyably and with safety. – Including -

1. Personal hygiene – Who’s Cooking Tonight? – Vegetarian – Vegemite -

2. Wine, both local and imported and purchasing it in Bali – Tax, service charges and commissions –

3. The Bali Travel Forum and other locally assembled restaurant guides– Steak – Bread -

4. Vegetarian. One of the notable vegetarian restaurants is ‘Aromas’, in Kuta.

5. Local fruits are highly recommended – Balinese names for foods – Desserts – Kaki Lima (food carts) –

6. Delicacies -

7. Donations to Gloria’s Crisis Care Centre. See also ‘Charities’.

7. DRINKING – It’s a delight when it’s done for pleasure, but in the tropics it must also be done for your safety.

1. Sammi and Sussi’s Forum “Bar” at Legian Beach.

2. Water, cool drinks, straws and ice –

3. Beers -

4. Taking alcohol into Bali –

5. Local wines and outlets.

8. VISITING – Some recommended ‘hot spots’.

9. THINGS TO DO - Some common some exotic. Including River Rafting – read a local Newspaper - Helicopter fligghts – see a Movie – take an ocean cruise by day or night – play at WaterBom Park (now known as ‘Water Park’) – go to the dances at Batubulan. Try the One of the best collection of birds anywhere. Over 1500 birds covering over 250 species at Taman Burung near Ubud. 40 min by taxi from Kuta. Look at www.alphalink.com.au/~grum/bali/birdpark/ .
If you’re on the western side of the island, that is Jimbaran, Tuban, Kuta, Legian, Seminyak, Tanah Lot and all the way around to the Java ferry terminal at Gillimanuk, even in Singaraja and Lovina, you’ll see those fabulous, tropical, romantic sunsets of glowing colours across the sea. No doubt you’ll have a drink or two in the best of company (yourself at least) and hope to see the iridescent green cap on top of the sun as the last of it disappears below the horizon. If you’re very lucky however, and you’re staying on the eastern side (Nusa Dua, Benoa, Sanur, Candi Dasa, Amed), you’ll be ideally situated to see the even more romantic and spectacular sunrise. Because you have to get up before dawn, of course, these are nowhere near as popular or as commonly appreciated as the sunsets but, in the company of spouse, friend, lover, or all three, and a bottle of cool champagne, you will always cherish the memories as you watch Bali come to life.
Other activities, such as the popular snorkelling or diving, are in the District sections. Snorkelling gear can be hired for Rp20,000 per day per person, or for much more if you’re not good at bargaining.
If you’ve ever despaired at the amount of waste plastic flooding Bali and would like to help in an occasional cleanup look at the web site of the Environmental Education Centre, Bali. (P P L H). www.pplhbali.or.id.
Play golf – if you’ve a healthy bank balance. There are some magnificent courses along the coast and in the mountains but the fees are high. Contact John Clarke at Bali Discount Golf (www.golfbali.com) for the best advice and prices.
If you’re really crazy you can hire a motor bike, even large 1200cc ones (and up to a Harley if you own one of these back home). You’ll need an international licence. PT Ogi Motor, Jl Bypass Ngurah Rai 27X Tuban ph 766 101 or 766 102.
Kites are a constant feature of the Bali skies. There is a huge international festival of kites around July each year. Kids (big and small) will be dumbfounded at the sight.
Visit the new (ish) Monument to the Balinese People’s Struggle. It sounds a bit communistic but it’s really a well presented history of Bali from 1945 to independence. In the Niti Mandala Park, Renon District, Denpasar.
Take Surfing lessons. Blue Ocean Surf School on Legian Beach by Jayakarta Hotel/Jl Double 6/ Benny’s Restaurant etc. About 10 am. E-mail Slim at baliwaves.com. He will give you current info. Check out www.schoolofsurf.com/locations.html . An alternative might be Shane Horan’s School of Surfing on the beach near Benny’s Café,Legian. Your first lesson will be until you can stand up – no matter how long it takes. Very well supervised.
WARNING: Watch the rips along Kuta-Legian-Sebinyak beaches. Tourists regularly drown here.
Surfers new to the island should check www.baliwaves.com for locations, conditions and recent reports. Other sites include www.surftheearth.com.au. Which has accommodation tips as well.
If you’re into Adventure Trekking in pristine Jungles, get in touch with Bali Bluey at www.wonderfulbali.com/kutilang/albums/index.htm .
Go to Java, but be a little cautious. Jogya is close and has a more tolerant reputation than larger centres. See the old palace, the water garden, art galleries that will take your mind back through centuries. There are fascinating temples at Prambanan and Borobudur – fascinating even if you think that you’re ‘all templed out’. There are very ancient ruins steeped in history on the plateau of Dieng. Pantris beach is the blueprint for all other tropical beaches. See Mount Merapi. Appreciate the friendliness of the country peoples, the honesty of the traders and the peaceful, quieter, more relaxing atmosphere. There is white-water rafting on the Citarik River and more exotic starts such as off-road adventuring, rafting, jungle trekking, even paintball wars if you’re that way inclined.
Bike tours, mainly downhill thak goodness, are arranged by the Ayung River Rafting Company. There are three tours to choose from beginning at either the Kintamani volcano rim, from Batuaru mountain or from Sangeh village through the monkey forest.
Bali Budaya Tours also has a cycling option. Contact them at bulanindah@dps.centrin.net.id.
Sobek, the well known Tour group can be contacted at www.sobekbali.com or sales@sobek.co.id.
There are a Reptile and Bird Parks side by side in Singapadu, a village near Batubulan. Joint entry tickets are cheaper than two singles. The main feedings are early in the morning and a secondary one at 11 am.

10. INTERNET / MOBILE PHONES.

11. TOILETS, LOOS AND DUNNIES ! – A ‘convenient’ list for your comfort and to avoid additional distress.

12. DRIVERS. - Including –

1. Taxis - public and hire transportt – Fares – Hire – Bemos and Shuttle Bus –

2. Tourists driving – Hiring motor bikes -

3. Recommended drivers and the general costs of getting around.

4. Travel times and distances between common destinations

13. Accommodation – General information lists with some comments if available.
For recent reviews of hotels, restaurants, shops etc, with pictures to make informed choices try Mic’s Bali – http://balimic.tripod.com .

14. Recommended places but of unknown location.

2 - SPECIFIC DISTRICT INFORMATION.

These entries include information, covering Shopping, Eating, Drinking, Visiting, Doing, Drivers, People and Accommodation (both standard and cheap) for each district.

Generally the latest recommendations are at the end of each list in the District section but long-standing, out standing and/or regular recommendations tend to move towards the top of each list.

# 1 – TUBAN and KUTA DISTRICT SECTION. –

1. Shopping - (Leather / Tailors / Silver / Jewelery / Watches / CDs / fishing etc ) –

2. Eating – There are over 80 entries here and there are probably another 80 that could be entered.

3. Drinking –

4. Visiting –

5. Doing –

6. People –

7. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap).

# 2 – LEGIAN and SEMINYAK DISTRICT SECTION –
including recent information on Canggu and Kerobokan, an emerging tourist area north of Seminyak.

1. Shopping - (Leather / Tailors / Silver / Jewelery / Pearls / Watches / CDs / -pets - etc ) –

2. Eating – There are over 60 entries here.

3. Drinking – Sammi and Sussi’s “BaliTravelForum Bar”.

4. Visiting –

5. Doing -

6. People –

7. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap).

# 3 - JIMBARAN BEACH DISTRICT SECTION. –

1. Shopping

2. Eating –

3. Drinking –

4. Visiting –

5. Doing –

6. People –

7. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap).

# 4 – NUSA, BENOA and BUALU DISTRICT SECTION. –

1. Shopping -

2. Eating – Although are nearly 20 entries here, there are certainly many more in the district.

3. Drinking –

4. Visiting –

5. Doing –

6. People –

7. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap).

# 5 – SANUR, DENPASAR & LEMBONGAN ISLAND DISTRICT SECTIONS. –

1. Shopping – Money changers / Leather / Tailors / Wholesale Watches / Spectacles / Gold / VCDs, CDs, software etc. / Markets / Fabrics and curtains including Silks / Fishing Tackle / Camera Repairs / Perfume –

2. Eating – There are over 40 restaurants listed here, mainly in Sanur.

3. Drinking –

4. Visiting –

5. Doing –

6. People –

7. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap and NOT cheap!).

# 6 - UBUD DISTRICT SECTION. –

1. Shopping - including Markets,, Silver & Jewelery – Crafts – Galleries – Tailor – Home ware shops -

2. Eating – There are over 40 choices here.

3. Visiting –

4. Doing –

5. Drivers –

6. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap).

# 7 - BEDUGUL DISTRICT SECTION. –

1. Shopping – Produce.

2. Eating –

3. Visiting –

4. Doing –

5. People –

6. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap).

# 8 – LOVINA and SINGARAJA DISTRICT SECTION. – Singaraja was known as Buleleng, and is still sometimes referred to in this way by older Balinese.

1. Shopping -

2. Eating –

3. Drinking –

4. Visiting –

5. Doing –

6. People –

7. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap) – and to the east of Singaraja towards Candi Dasa -

# 9 - CANDI DASA DISTRICT SECTION. Also includes Amed. – Padang Bai and Tulumben.

1. Shopping -

2. Eating –

3. Visiting –

4. Doing –

5. People –

6. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap). Our experiences at Amed suggest that there is no cheap accommodation if you want a few luxuries more than 2* places will offer.'

# 10 – WESTERN BALI SECTION. It’s at most 3 hours from Kuta to Gillimanuk in the far west, with not a lot to see along the way unless you happen to be in Negara when the bull races are on. From Gillimanuk along the north coast to Lovina is another leisurely 3 hours with a lot more to see and do along the way.

1. Shopping -

2. Eating –

3. Visiting –

4. Doing –

5. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap).

# 11 - LOMBOK DISTRICT SECTION. – How will you get there?

6. Shopping - Pearls –

7. Eating –

8. Visiting –

9. Doing –

10. Accommodation – (Standard and Cheap).

GENERAL INFORMATION – Part 2.

.

CONTACTS AND INFORMATION –

.

Bali is The Island of the Gods, The Island of Smiles, Paradise Island, and many other wonderful, laudable things – but it is also a ‘third world’ country and if something goes wrong and you need help then you need to know where to go.
It’s been said that some of the following information might be better placed at the end of this file where it’s not so ‘in your face’, but I have come to the conclusion that that’s where it will not be seen and therefore it might as well not be in the file at all.
It’s here where you can find it in case you need it, it’s not here to put you off travelling to Bali, which is probably safer than travelling in many ‘first world’ countries. Be cautious as you would normally be – but don’t spoil your holiday by unnecessary worry.
If you want to check on the latest information about shots recommended before undertaking travel in Bali (or elsewhere) log onto http://www.tmvc.com.au/ in Oz. Other countries will doubtless have similar sites.

1. If you get sick your hotel will call a reputable doctor to come and see you.
Don’t delay and risk ruining your holiday. It might cost you over A$100 but you’ve got insurance – use it and save your $1000’s holiday.

2. PHONE NUMBERS –
* Police 110
* Fire 113
* Ambulance 118
* Search & Rescue 111 / 115 / 151
* Hospitals, Dentists, Blood Service and other professional services – see the following lists.
* If you’re overseas and want to find out if your risk situation has changed call the Australian Consular Emergency Service for current information on ‘+’ 61 26 261 3305. From Indonesia (Bali) the ‘+’ is either 001 801 (via Indosat) or 008 801 (via SatelIndo). The Telephone Codes pages in the back (usually) of your local phone book will give you the codes for other countries.

3. Bali International Medical Centre. On the airport By Pass road opposite Matahari Tuban Plaza in Tuban (not Kuta). Ph 761 263. Only 5 mins by taxi from Kuta BMIC employs expatriate western staff from around the world. Only local doctors are allowed to practise in Indonesia. BIMC has full emergency/ambulance & diagnostic equipment, radiology department and on-line medical consultation services via video conferencing. International Travel Insurance policies accept BMIC. http://www.bimcbali.com/ .

4. International SOS Medika Klinik Bali, (764 515 or 755 768), Jl By Pass Ngurah Rai 24X, KUTA. Almost directly across from BMIC (see above). Ph 764 556. The 24 hour alarm centre, Ph 756 768. Global HQ is in Singapore. They have a branch in Sydney (Aust) at 4 Martin Place, Ph 9372 2400.

5. Merdeka Medical Centre (MMC), Jl Merdeka, /2 Renon, Denpasar. 24-hour clinic and chemist. A number of specialists, laboratory, x-ray equipment.

6. Bali Sanglah General Hospital (RSUP Sanglah) began a CT Scan facility mid 2002.

7. Ubud Clinic – (24 hour service) Jl Raya Ubud No 36, Camphuan. 974 911.

8. Bali Blood Bank. Run by Red Cross, ‘safe, modern, skilful and efficient’ says an Aussie nurse. Severe shortages of negative blood as Indonesians are virtually all positive. Help yourself and other tourists. DONATE! Ph 227224 or 247 739 in Bali. Mobile service comes to you!
Be a show-off – donate by the pool.
There is a blood transfusion service unit in Denpasar (ph 227 224) or call Freddy Subianto of Rotary if you have language difficulties – daytime 751 687 or 765 884 or night time at the Kura Kura Bar & Grill in Seminyak, 730 445. They’ll pick up a group of you from your hotel in a mini ambulance! Now there’s something to talk about.
Supported by Bali Rotary clubs. Only sterile, disposable needles are used. Australian health professionals who have investigated and used the service praise it highly.

9. Doctor – Dr Coney, GP, Jl Bypass Sanur. 288 128.
- Dr Conny Pangkahila, Jl Bypass Ngurah Rai 25X, Sanur, near Ritra Carco depot.
- Dr AA Made Djelantik, Jl Hayam Waruk Denpasar.

10. Dentist – Ritjie Rihartinah, Jl Pratama No 81, Nusa Dua. 771 324.
Also Sucipto, near the Bali Bank in Jl Diponogoro, 150 A32/34, Denpasar. Ph 222 541. Very good dentist with up-to-date equipment and quite cheap but in a very scruffy looking shopping area. Appointments required and work guaranteed! E-mail sucipito-angga@yahoo.com.
Also Bali911 Dental Clinic, Jl Patimura No 9. Ph 249 749. Go past the Bird Market on Jl Veteran & turn right at the end. You should see it on the left side. It’s a couple of doors away from the BMIC, see note 3 above. This clinic is open from noon to 3 pm. No appointment is required. English is spoken - clearly. The equipment is as you would expect to find in the best practice in your home town.
Rudyard Salindeho practices a few doors from the medical clinic opposite the Galleria Duty Free at the roundabout, Kuta. First class equipment. Recommended by BMIC. www.balidentalclinic.com or look for their advertisement in the Bali Yellow Pages.

11. Chiropractor – Dr J Taylor, Jl Kajeng No35, Ubud. 974 393.
- Tony Dawson – western trained. Kuta Poleng Centre near Dijon deli at the roundabout Sanur-Kuta.
- Don’t overlook the locals. (Not the beach massagers but the village practitioners.) Some are amazing with great skills developed over years of hands-on experience.

12. Paediatrician – Dr Sugita, Jl Tuban, Kuta. 751 301.

13. Eye Clinic – John Fawcett – Jl Pengembak No 14 Banjar Blanjong Sanur. Also collects your old glasses for treatment of locals who cannot afford others. rmcc@dps.mega.net.id . Ph (0361) 287 707 or 270 812.

14. Midwife – Kim (also works at BMIC on Tuesdays – see above) 0811 386 256 or (0361) 289 913. balikim@hotmail.com .The sign ‘BIDAN” indicates the midwifes clinic. There is a maternity Hospital, Kasih Ibu, near Denpasar. Local drivers know how to get there. There is also a Birthing Clinic next to the orphanage in the village of Palasari in West Bali.

15. Nurse. Australian trained. Kim P. 0811 386 256 for advice if all else fails.

16. Deep Tissue Therapy massage. 3 qualified, blind men work at the Bumi Ayu Bungalows in Sanur. Ph 289 101.

17. CONSULATES:
Australia, Canada & New Zealand. Jl Prof Yamin No 4, Renon, Denpasar. Ph (62-361) 235 092, Fax (62-361) 231 990. E-Mail ausconbali@denpasar.wasantara.net.id . Aussies who can’t go on holidays without taking their sports baggage with them should check with www.homesick,com.au/index.html for all the latest info.
British – Jl Mertassi N0 2 Sanur. Ph 235 092.
Dutch – Jl H R Resuna Said Kav, S-3, 12950 Kuningan, Jakarta. Ph (021) 525 1515.
French – Bypass Road No 35X, Sanur. 285 485.
German – Jl Pantai Karang No 17 Sanur. 288 535.
Japan – Jl Raya Puputan, Renon. 227 628.
Swiss & Austria – John P Zurcher, Komplex Istana Galleria, Blok Valet No 12, Jl Patih Jelantik, Kuta. Ph (+62-(0)0361 - 751 735, Fax +62-(0)361 – 754-457..
Sweden & Finland – Jl Segara Ayu, Sanur. 288 407.
USA – Jl Hayam Waruk No 188, Denpasar. 233 605.

18. Avoid Wayan and Melody Fullmoon if you’re after business advice or assistance.

19. LAWYER – Peter Johnson, LL.B. Called a ‘Legal Consultant’ in Bali. Australian married to Balinese. Ph 759 722, Mobile 081 2380 2550. E-mail johnsonp@denpasar.wasantara.net.id.

20. NOTARIES. Not the same as lawyers but authorised by the Indonesian government to legalise a range of official documents and papers. For foreign recognition of a Notary’s verification the notary must hold accreditation from the foreign country. A particular level of Notary, known as a ‘PPAT’ must be used for property matters. Kurnia at the Bali Immigration and Advisory Service in Jl Batu Belig in Seminyak is a Notary. There are many with street-front shops who are reliable but for O/S travellers finding one with your language skills might be a problem.

21. VETS – Dr Dharma. Used by Bali Society for the Protection of Animals. Jl Raya Sesetan, 338 Pesanggaran, Denpasar. Ph/fax 726 856.
Dr Listriani. Has a foundation to care for street animals. Very caring, compassionate. She also makes house calls in Bali. Ph 081 239 03756 and 264067.

22. Airline contact numbers and office addresses as well as timetables at Ngurah Rai airport in Bali can be found at www.bali-thepages.com/airlines.shtml .

23. ‘Bali Belly’ is a pain in the - - - -, for at least 24 hours.
There are many recommended remedies but its best not to get it in the first place. Personal hygiene needs to be watched more carefully than at home, particularly hand washing. You’ll know that you’ve got it about 3-4 hours after you get it – the bug that is. You might not want to believe it at first but a couple of hours later there’ll be no denying it.
DO NOT DRINK THE WATER FROM THE TAPS!
Be especially careful of this when your guard is down – in your hotel shower and when cleaning your teeth. Keep bottled water in your bathroom at all times. Purchase your own if you are in a cheaper hotel that does not supply it. You must however drink adequate water or you will dangerously dehydrate in the tropical climate. Safe, bottled water is cheap and readily available virtually all over the island. You know you’re on a good thing when you see the locals doing it! Guys (and Gals?) if you use a blade razor to shave do not rinse it under the tap. Rinse it in bottled water also or you might break out in a rash that is not nice in sensitive areas.
Wash your hands after visiting the toilet or handling money particularly. See ‘HEALTH PROTECTION’ below.
Don’t drink using straws as they are washed and re-used in some places.
Don’t buy bottled drinks that are kept cool in ice/water slurry cold chests. Purchase only from refrigerated cabinets.
Ice in the tourist areas is made under government control and should be safe in drinks.
Imodium is a common clinical remedy (A$2.00 app; take 2 tablets straight away and 1 next morning).
Some say this is only a ‘stop gap’ (is that a good choice of words?) for situations where you must travel as it can interfere with the bodily functions and inhibit the flushing out the bacteria and toxins. These antagonists would say that Pepto-bismol is a better way to go. 8 tablets a day, every day, all at once or spread out thro’ the day. Changes the acidity of your gut and drives the bugs out so they don’t multiply faster than your system can handle them.
Loperomide usually works within 1 hour. Others recommend daily Acidophilous tablets as a preventative to ward off the bugs.
Cipro or Ciproxin is a common prescription cure-all anti biotic.
Another remedy is Norrit, little black activated charcoal tablets available at Matahari Supermarkets and many other places in Bali for Rp6700 for 40 tablets. 6 to 9 tablets three times a day.
Some travellers swear by lots of Entrostop charcoal tablets from a local ‘Apotic’ (chemist or drugstore). They should not be used with other medication – or at least not within 4 hours as the beneficial effects of both may be cancelled out.
Locals reputedly use SG Tablets from their local ‘Apotic’ (chemist). They are not easy to find and you may be told that they are no longer made. Keep searching.
A recently recommended preventative with solid (no pun intended) support is Raspberry juice cordial – with at least 30%, preferably more, real juice in the cordial. Mix it strong – 25% cordial: 75% bottled water. Ellagic acid is the ingredient that makes the difference! Some people have a neat swig every morning before breakfast, about 10 mil of 100%, 20 mil for 50% etc. Good for kids.
In Oz, some Coles Supermarkets stock Sunraysia Premium Raspberry Delight – 80% - A$7.99 for 375 ml. It is a warehouse itemm and can be ordered in by any Coles manager. Also available from many supermarkets in Bali, including Circle K shops.
100% natural Garden Fresh raspberry fruit syrup is available at the Pasadena Foodland in South Oz, A$5.50 for 750 ml bottle, also Golden Grove Village. Other Foodland managers can get stock in for you with a little persuasion. Contains only sugar, raspberry juice and citric acid. Used for drink flavouring and dessert toppings.
Also raspberry syrup available at Gaganis Bros just off South Road at the intersection with Grange Road. 1.5 litres for A$4.95.
Anchor Cordial is available from Dewsons and Supa Valu in the northern Perth suburbs. Check the concentration of raspberry.
Cascade Raspberry Fruit Juice Syrup is also good. Ph Freecall 1800 641 647 for stockists in your (Oz) area.
Dick Smith and Golden Circle (in Oz) both have raspberry cordial with 40% juice.
Get the good oil from this web address - http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/s263898.htm .
100% concentrate is available from Bramble Farm in Langwarrin, Victoria, Australia from Di Benson who will post you a supply COD – Di Benson at brambleb@bigpond.com. Ph 03 9776 7018. Take 10 mils undiluted twice a day. Tastes good, berry flavour, not sickly sweet. Also from Shepparton at www.berrysweet.com.au.
Some travellers also recommend a daily ’Yakult’ yoghurt drink. Similar anti-bacterial agents are available in tablet forms. One is Megadophalus from health food store or chemist. Start taking a daily dose up to a month before you leave.
If you want to go the natural way be prepared to start up to 3 months before you leave as the body is slow to adapt to a new regime and develop the required resistances to invading bugs.
Another natural way to ward off the bug is Acidophilus Capsules from Health Food stores. Somewhat similar to Yakult. Best to start well before you go.
The Bali International Medical Clinic has dietary recommendations if you’re unlucky (or careless) enough to get it.
AVOID – greasy fried foods, soft drinks, alcohol, coffe, dairy foods except plain natural yoghurt, spicy foods, excessive smoking and any food or drink that is either very hot or very cold.
RECOMMENDED – Isotonic sports drinks such as Gatorade, pocari, sweat etc, apples, bananas, plain rice or porridge, oats and semolina custard, clear soups, herbal teas, natural yoghurt and acidophilus/ biphodophilis supplements, ginger and peppermint oils in lollies or teas, small quantities of fluids regularly. Babies and young children may become temporarily intolerant to cows milk but should be able to handle soy milk.
It is always best to discuss these things with your doctor before you go of course (and if you are travelling with children be sure about child-size doses too), but if you get ‘caught short’ then try something that has provided relief or protection to others rather than do nothing.
If you get it (the dreaded ‘BB’ that is), drinking lots of water, light teas, perhaps a little boiled rice will do no harm. Most would agree that if you are feverish and vomiting with stomach cramps and the squirts get a doctor and have a shot in the bum, and no arguments. (You do have travel insurance – don’t you!) If you vomit after having prescribed tablets cut them in half and take the lighter dose twice as often. See also ‘Eating’ and ‘Drinking in Safety’ below.
Don’t confuse the body’s normal reaction to a sudden change of diet, especially a diet with heaps of fresh fruit in it, with Bali Belly. Change your diet slowly, working from your normal foods to more exotic ones in easy stages and small doses. Within a few days you will be safely ready for anything that exotic Bali can provide for you – except the reticulated water!
Whilst it is prudent to be cautious and use common (or un-common) sense do not let senseless paranoia ruin your holiday.

24. Carry toilet paper with you everywhere in Bali even if you don’t have Bali Belly. The chance of you finding a good, clean, comfortable, useable, flush toilet when you’re out-and-about in Bali is slim. The chances of you finding good, clean, comfortable, useable toilet paper in public places away from your hotel, even in reasonable restaurants, is almost zero! You might like to look at ‘Toilets, Loos and Dunnies’, below.

25. HEALTH PROTECTION.
Be wary but not paranoid to the point where you ruin your holiday. The vast majority of travellers never catch anything, but most are prepared and take simple precautions whilst on holiday.
You should consult with your medical advisor about your possible need for the following shots before visiting some parts of Bali, Lombok and other Indonesian islands:
Have a look at the Q & A section of the Better Health website to find some valuable facts rather than listen to helpful but probably ill-informed friends.
** Diptheria/tetanus – up-dating with booster shots strongly advised, even if you’re not going to travel.
** Polio. A good idea to be current with your protection anywhere in the world – even at home.
** Hepatitis A. Many doctors will advise it. A follow-up shot after 6 months will give you the best lifetime protection that’s available at the moment. Don’t forget it if you intend to travel in the future.
**Hepatitis B. Do you live a bit on the wild side? – take a few risks? – Then certainly get this shot.
* Typhoid. Particularly advised for some areas.
* Malaria is particular risk in Lombok and other islands and only somewhat less so in Bali.
You should be a bit concerned that malaria is reportedly on the rise in Bali despite conflicting claims that the island is malaria free. In the southern tourist areas alone there were 688 cases reported within the first quarter of 2002. The whole of 2001 for this area saw only 753 cases with 8 deaths. Protection is wise. Dress to cover legs and arms from sundown on. Use skin repellents liberally and ask for a mozzie coil to be placed under your table when dining.
* Dengue Fever is another mosquito borne disease which can sneak up on you anywhere in the tropics. The mozzie is smaller, quieter, less painful and active during the day, which of course increases the risk of being bitten. It pays to use repellent all the time. If you suddenly develop a fever with a rash, call a doctor. Some travellers suggest that vitamin B1, started 2 weeks before you go and continued while you are there makes the skin unattractive to the Dengue mosquito.
If your travels are going to take you further north the risk situation would be worse.
4 to 6 weeks before travel consult your doctor for CURRENT medical advice and preventative medicines (be very careful in maintaining the dose schedule) rather than relying on out-of-date travel books or past freedom from infection.
Precautions are simple to take. Doryx is a commonly prescribed anti-malarial.
Anti typhoid might also be wise.
Have a look at http://www.cdc.gov/travel/seasia.htm.
DO CONSULT YOUR DOCTOR FOR CURRENT ADVICE.
When in Bali wear clothes that cover bare skin around the hours of sundown - when mozzies are particularly active – to dawn. Use personal repellents and aerosol sprays. Ask for a mozzie coil to be lit under your restaurant table. Mozzie nets might be advisable for sleeping in northern areas where there might be no window screens. Some travellers even dip them in insecticide. They are not all that common in the shops in Bali but there is a shop in the small street that runs between Jls Melasti and Padma. Also further along Jl Legian towards Seminyak there are some other shops. Another shop is in Jl Sahadewa (also known as Garlic Lane) towards the end nearest Melasti Street where the Taman Legian Gardens Restaurant is on the corner. Shops which sell cushions also seem to have them frequently.
The Oz Army uses Johnsons Baby Clear Lotion Anti Mosquito (with a light green cap in 2002) in tropical jungle work. Has no DEET so good for those with sensitivities. - - - “ . . it worked for us too!”.
Aquaear for tropical fungus ear infection prevention.
Dermasoft and/or Dermaclean Lotion, disinfectant, instant dry for hands or a waterless antibacterial hand wash, available in the Matahari supermarket in Kuta. Has moisturiser and is self-drying. 100 ml tube. Use it before eating especially if you’ve been handling money – which you will ALWAYS be doing, I guarantee!
Aqium Gel. Waterless hand wash. Not sticky. 70 & 375 ml containers. $3.95 and $6.95 from pharmacies in Oz. Pump pack and purse pack. Cheaper than hand wipes and nothing to throw away afterwards.
Wet Ones Anti-bacterial Wipes. Check supermarkets for Johnsons in baby section. Also Dettol Wipes are in a green and white pack, a bit stronger than baby wipes perhaps.
Antis, a waterless hand gel, is available from some supermarkets in Bali.

26. If you’re travelling with kids take (or purchase there) a half litre, trigger operated, plastic spray bottle and fill it with (bottled) water. Spray the kids, or let them spray themselves when they (and you) get hot. You might also find interesting information about travelling with children at http://www.geocities.com/filo1_au/BaliWithKidz.html.

27. The traditional healers of Bali have enviable reputations for diagnosing and treating long suffering tourists. One such is Tjokorda Gede Rai in Sukawati. Get your hotel reception people to phone him and make an appointment for you. Another is the Surya Dharma clinic in Ubud. Its on the western end of the main Ubud road, Ph (361) 976 123.

28. Beware Cane mites or Wood Lice and midges from chairs bars etc if allergic. Some people bang the chairs sharply on the floor and look for white or reddish dust which is actually the mites. Amongst others, the Bali Aroma has caught at least one unfortunate sufferer. Use Autin (pink) liberally. Avoid perfume and make-up as much as possible that seems to attract them. Use moisturiser at bedtime to compensate. Spray your room liberally several times a week as you go out for the day. If you have cane furniture you can spray it with Baygon. It also oils squeaky doors and toilet seats but take care with it and don’t get it on the floor as it’s slippery. Try Phenergan cream (anti histamine ingredient) if all your avoidance tactics fail. If you have hive type symptoms take Telfast tablets from home. If all else fails call the hotel doctor and get a shot of cortisone or take cortisone and/or anti-histamine tablets from your home doctor if you know from experience that you’ll have a problem. Locals recommend a lemon juice rub down to neutralize the toxins and allergic reaction followed by the local product Tiger Balm (some claim that Silver Clove is a better product) ointment or Balsem (balm) or liquid Minyak Angin in a green bottle from local Apotics to ease the rash and itch. Try not to wear short shorts or dresses and don’t rely on sarongs to protect your legs and butt. Also watch out if you are in the habit of resting your elbows or chest on the bar – and the bar has a cane edge. Very painful and embarrassing.
Frequent traveller ‘Chezz’ has written of her experiences and suggestions at www.ourbali.org/canemites.htm .

29. Similarly beware of jellyfish stings. An immediate treatment is lots of vinegar poured over the site followed by an anti-histamine injection as soon as possible. Adrenalin injections also work but only if anti-histamines are not available.

30. Beware of temporary tattoos. Many people have severe reactions to the chemical cocktail called PDD which is used instead of real henna, and which is toxic and can cause liver and kidney problems. Most severe in children. Refer to http://www.hennapage.com/henna/warnings.html, or http://sphosting/reverendbunny/mediappd.htm or http://www.expat.or.id/medical/blackhennareactions.html . Cortisone cream applied regularly gives some relief. Researchers in Germany have also uncovered a link between temporary tattoos and permanent, lifelong dermatitis. (3D World Magazine issue #569). Sufferers remain allergic to some metals, detergents and foods.
Be even more careful of permanent Tattoos. Ensure that you un-seal any sterile equipment and that you see the gun sterilised before use. Insist on new ink/dyes as these can also transmit Hep C.

31. Do not risk unprotected sex in Bali. AIDS/HIV are at declared ‘concentrated epidemic levels’ (Kuta Conference 2004) in Indonesia, and Bali is a part of Indonesia with a high level of comparatively wealthy travellers and consequently a high level of sex workers and ‘incidental’ sexual activity. The 2004 conference detailed 90-130,000 known cases of infected people.
Evidence suggests that one third of cases result from shared needles in drug use and the remainder mainly from sexual activity. Drug use, possession and sale in Indonesia is a very risky business with incarceration in some of the worst third world gaols being only part of the risk.
Condoms are available. Many travellers recommend bringing your own.
The most active brothels are in Jl Danau Poso, Sanur.
There are no compulsory medical checks of sex workers in Indonesia.

32. Cuts and scratches. TREAT THEM! Try local Teih Ta Yao Gin Chinese medicine as dressing. If you want to take something with you try ‘Savlon". Locals love to get the remainder in the tube when you leave.

33. Mosquitos. Cover up at dusk. Baygon electric repellent dispensers at night. Cheap in Bali.

34. ‘Autan’ insect repellent is available in Bali at Matahari stores or ‘Apotics". Pink tube or lotion in pink bottle. Smells better to humans than Aerogard.
Ask restaurants to light a mosquito coil and put it under your dinner table.
Carry a stick of dry ‘Repel’ in your bum bag. (ps. Put a small flash light in there too, just for the normal power failures and for walking home in poorly lit streets with un-even surfaces.)
Dusk and dawn are the bad times for mozzies.
RID and OFF are also good.
‘Skin-So-Soft’ by Avon also works for some.
Generally repellents containing DEET (NOT RECOMMENDED for young children nor for frequent, generous application to adults – see the ‘NO DEET’ note under ‘Health’, above.) are good although some smell so bad that humans are repelled also. Body chemistry seems to react differently to different products.
If you are bitten despite all your precautions then use ‘Soov’ gel, Australian made by Ego Pharmaceutical, with antiseptic and anaesthetic properties, its magic! Also recommended is a local product (Yes, the locals also get bitten) called Tiger Balm. Rp6,000 for a small jar with a yellow screw top. Stings like crazy for a second when applied to fresh bites but then the itching is all gone.
There are also lotions available that combine sunscreen and insect repellent. Ask at your pharmacy or check in your local Army Surplus Store.

35. Ultra Swim shampoo, or Aloe Rid (by Nexus), for getting pool chlorine out of your hair thereby keeping blondes the way their menfolk prefer them. Hair Conditioner is sometimes called Hair Cream.

36. SUNSCREEN – If believe you can’t be sunburnt you’ve never been to Bali. Most brands of sunscreen are available, but not cheaply, in Bali supermarkets. Use nothing less than 15+ - 30+ and more as necessary. It should be re-applied frequently on any bare skin. Really it’s best not to have any bare skin. Take a look at the burnt boobs on Kuta beach any day. How nightly activities are pleasurable is beyond comprehension. Farmland 15+ in pump pack is good. Includes moisturiser. Also good for massages, particularly with a little of the local Tiger Balm or Silver Clove ointments. Most local massage oils are just coconut bastes for cooking flesh and are difficult to wash off.
Absolute Magic, Bingo, also Rid+ with anti-mosquito agent for sand fly infested evenings. Similar combination preparations are also available at Army Surplus Stores.

37. A BALI FIRST-AID KIT.
One traveller took more than the usual precautions that might be of interest to others -
Antibiotic ointment (Betadene) or similar),
Antibiotic tablets,
Antifungal cream/powder,
Panadol, in suspension if for children,
Antihistamine (Clarantyne),
Band-aids,
Calamine lotion – Stingose gel,
Gauze bandage,
Electrolyte replacement tablets to replace lost fluids, Hydrolyte can be frozen like an iceblock stick for children,
Imodium for adults, Donnagel for kids,
Insect repellent, with or without DEET, RID roll-on is handy to carry in your bum bag,
Personal medications as required – with prescriptions in case you are questioned in Customs,
Safety pins and scissors – (not in your hand luggage),
Soap, sunscreen and Aloe Vera for sun burn,
Non-mercury thermometer,
Ti Tree Oil antiseptic,
Toilet paper and hand/nose tissues and ‘Wet Ones’,
Tweezers.
Carrying this pack will surely keep you fit and well!
If you have an allergy that requires medication from time to time, take the medication with you as it may not be available in Bali. Also have a letter from your doctor that clears your prescription through any Customs inspections. Indonesian authorities are (rightly in some cases) suspicious of tablet, capsule and injectable medicines.

38. ELECTRICITY; The Indonesian supply is 220 volts at 50 cycles or Hertz. Multipoint adaptors (to connect the world’s various plugs to the Indonesian socket which has 2 round plugs) are provided by most hotels if you phone Room Service or Housekeeping. Speak clearly and with an explanation when you ask for an adaptor or you’ll get a doctor, as friends of ours once did. These adaptors can also be purchased at the department stores in Bali for about Rp20,000 which is a bit over US$2.

39. SHIPPING: Freight & duty to and in Oz will be about the same as the cost of the goods in Bali, ie the cost of the goods landed in Australia will at least double their price in Bali. Keep your receipts.
Note that Duty Free only applies to goods that actually accompany you on your trip home. If you post stuff you will have to pay duty, if you ever get items posted from Bali that is!
Don’t try to bring banana products into Oz. Many other plant materials will either cause you hassles or lots of money to have fumigated.
Try to arrange your requirements with a freight-forwarder at home if you can find one with experience of Bali shipping. Later questions/problems can more easily be answered at home by a local agent.
* Furniture to Oz –Buy Bali Direct. Harry Kellerman, Collaroy NSW, balidrec@ans.com.au .
* Mari – 0361 759 980 – furniture to Australia.
* Freight office at the entrance to Bumi Ayu Hotel in Sanur, across the road from Besakih.
* Pt Twin Mandala Indocargo, Seminyak. E-mail twin@dps.centrin.net.id or contact Dewa Parwita – dewaparwita@hotmail.com.
* Robin Furniture, Kerobokan. Quality teak. 6 seater dining table, Rp1,500,000; 6 chairs to match Rp269,000. Transport A$300/cubic metre to Sydney. Add 10% import duty and 10% GST.
* Oka Sari Cargo. Ibu Agung speaks fluent English. ‘Been using them for years to Oz. Highest recommendation’.
* Fullmoon Exports – Petitenget Road, KEROKOBAN, Kuta, Bali. Indonesia 80361. Ph 62 361 731 262, Fax 62 361 733 123. E-mail info@fullmoonexport.bizland.com.
* Melody Kariata (ex-pat Aussie) and husband Wayan. Recommended by Shar˄kie. Melody Kariata, purnamabali@hotmail.com.
* Balioky International Cargo. Ph + 62 (361) 755 156 Fax + 62 361 755 154.
* Ritra Cargo. Managed by Sari. Her E-mail is sari@ritra.com.
* ASAS International Cargo. 62 361 465-601. See Arta or Agus.
* Budi Prasetyo, WUS Cargo, 728 335, Mob 081 238 463 22. “4 years no problem service.”
* PT Abriadi Utama Kargo for shipping freight. In Monkey Forest Road, Ubud, just around the corner opposite the markets. They will carefully pack for you. About 10 weeks from Ubud to Melbourne Australia.
* Karya Cargo in Sanur did a goog job but Aus Customs would not accept the fumigation certificate and insisted on doing the job again at a cost of A$250.00. Probably a good idea to e-mail Customs while you are in Bali and make sure that they will accept fumigation certificates from any agent you want to use.
* Sapta Prima Cargo. Excellent documentation for Aus Customs. Good packing. Reasonably quick delivery too.

40. Golden Bali (Adelaide office in South Australia but will quote anywhere) is run by ‘Putu’ Les Williams and David Pascoe, Ph 8227 1522, Fax 8359 2589. They are specialists in Bali and seem to know it backwards and in all directions. They have a Bali office to solve your problems if any arise over there at (361 62) 244 509 (talk to Pak Gede, as in ‘G’day’). (361 62) and their travelguide and companion if need be is Gusti at3387 40496. www.goldenbali.com , E-mail admin@goldenbali.com.

41. Internet Travel.
* Halo-bali.com ,
* baliroomfinder.net ,
* asiatravel.com (**),
* baliwww.com/bali-villas/index3.htm.
* ABL Tours not recommended.

42. South Yarra Travel has its adherents and detractors. Claims of unreliable and unfriendly service as well as deceit arose in ’03.

43. BestFlights seem to be getting a reputation for advertising cheap packages that ‘disappear’ just before you rang but there are always others available at a higher cost. They get a bit agro if you query the sales people too! (2003). Try ‘Bali Packages’. http://www.bestflights,au/cgi-bin/5/flights?mainlist . Ph 1300 767 757.

44. There have been cases of credit card mis-use when booking hotels through indo.com. Complaints seem to fall on deaf ears.

45. Bali Villas – the Bali Travel Forum hosts – http://balitravelforum.com/ – Guarantee cheapest hotel accommodation but no discount air fares, except by Singapore Airways from US. An Australian service is due ‘soon’.

46. Travel Insurance can only be highly recommended. Medical costs are enough to ruin your holiday and quite a bit of your life thereafter if you’re not covered. A single doctor’s visit to your hotel to give you a shot for Bali Belly will cost you A$120 (2003). Most decent travel insurance policies will ensure that you get a full refund on your return home.
The insurance obtained through Golden Bali Travel in Adelaide is very good and not expensive.
’Cover More’, through Flight Center agencies refunds expenses without deducting any excess.

47. Qantas "Attendants" (?) are regularly reported to be inattentive if not rude and aggressive! The 747’s are real cattle trucks. Garuda are using new aircraft from Australia and have the most favourable reputation at the moment (2001) as well as being the cheapest carrier.

BOOKS:
* “At Cost Bali” – easy to carry/refer-to book. Ideal for first time travellers.
* "The Knopf Guides to Bali", travel book.
* "BaliPlus Guide Book", free in Bali.
* "Bali, A Paradise Created" Balinese recent history by Australian Adrian Vickers. Periplus editions after 1996 are second printings. ISBN 0-945971-28-1. Perhaps the first book to read if you’re serious about discovering the roots of the Balinese and their culture. It’s very easy to read for what could be called a modern history text.
* "Bali From the Air", Lloyd and Yogerst, R Ian Lloyd productions. Spectacular aerial views of the Bali countryside and shores, each with short location/explanation text.
* The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok. Recent, very accurate easy to carry. http://www.travel.roughguides.com .
* “The Other Side of Morning” is Australian Ron Tassell’s tale of the supernatural aspects of Bali’s village culture experienced over two decades.
* “The Art and Culture of Bali”, U Ramseyer edited by Schwabe and Basel. ISBN 3-7965-1886-9 1977 A large and detailed work with lots of pictures to illustrate the points made in the text.
* “The Island of Bali”. Miguel Covarrubias. One of the earliest books to describe Bali, and consequently seen as something of a classic in the history anthology list. A good perspective of the impact of tourism from the very beginning, detailed descriptions of life and everts and a host of interesting old photos.
* “Bali; Living in Two Worlds. A Critical self-portrait”. Edited by Urs Ramsayer and published by the Museum der Kulturen in Basel. Mainly Balinese writers and photos byacclaimed photographer Rama Surya. Available in Bali.
* “Jakarta Shadows” is a fairly new fiction and has remarkable insights into local history and culture covering Bali and Java. It is available in Bali at Ganesha Books in Ubud.
* ”Patch of Paradise” is Gaia Grant’s story of her family establishing a (now successful) business in Bali. Good reading and will strike a chord in those a bit familiar with Bali.
* ”A Little Bit One O’Clock – Living with a Balinese Family” by W Ingram is the factual recounting of the lives of a Americam couple and their daily lives in Bali and their interactions with a Balinese family. Easy reading. ISBN 979-95322-0-5.
* Our Hotel in Kuta – Louise & Bob Koke. The story of the establishment of the first hotel in Kuta in the 1930s. Humerous in places and illustrated with period photos. Easy to read and entertaining.
* Bali, Sekala and Niskala. F B Eiseman. ISBN 0-945971-03-6 Three volumes of the deepest investigations of Bali and its cultural cosmos. ‘Sekala’ is the physical, visible side of Bali and Niskala’ is the hidden and mysterious spiritual Bali.
* “Bali Moon – A Spiritual Odyssey” Odyle Knight. Give it a miss if titles such as this foretell of things not in your style. Historical/cultural information not well wrapped in a story line. ISBN 1-86505-138-1.
The following three reviews come from Sandra Alexander, with her recommendations -

* "Fragrant Rice" by Janet de Neefe, published 2003 by Harper Collins/Flamingo. Readily available now. Janet and her husband Ketut Suardana run the Casa Luna and Indus restaurants in Ubud, the Honeymoon Guesthouse and the Casa Luna Homewares Emporium. Janet also runs the very (and deservedly) popular Casa Luna Cooking School. The book is a memoir and a cookbook. Janet's lived in Bali for 14 years, and reflects on her time and her life on the island. Excellent background and smashing recipes.

* "Island of Bali" by Miguel Covarrubias. Originally published in the 1930's, now published by Oxford. A classic and wonderful account of Balinese life. Extraordinary. Covarrubias was a Mexican-born artist and cartoonist who lived in the USA. He was a fine artist and as well a cartoonist for "Vanity Fair” - he was really well connected in the show business circles of his day. He and his wife spent quite some time in Bali in the 1930's, and the book is the result of their experiences. Beautifully written with superb illustrations - by Covarrubias of course. Still amazingly current.

* "A House in Bali" by Colin McPhee, originally published 1944, re-published 2002, Victor Gollancz. McPhee was a composer who lived for a long time in Bali in the 1930's. The new edition has an informative preface by James Murdoch. The book is as much about Balinese music as about 'a house'.
* In The Arms Of Angels is a recent book by Kim Patras (an ex-pat, nurse and mother) which deals with the recent bombing in graphic detail. Highly recommended if you want to either settle or stir the demons within.

* A Short History of Bali. A very recent book (2004) which traces the history of Bali from Neolithic times to the present, including the infamous Kuta bombing. (Aus$30.) The author draws from a host of sources (all carefully documented) and provides a book that is an excellent first reader for those becoming interested in the history and development of Bali from the bronze/iron age to the recent Kuta bombing, including pre-tourist life, the Indian influence (ever wondered why the country is called ‘Indonesia’?) the Dutch and Japanese occupations, Hinduism/Islam and modern tourism.
* The Butterflies of Bali.
DICTIONARIES:
* Bali Pocket Dictionary is a three-way dictionary (English, Indonesian and three levels of Balinese) usually stocked in the book departments of Tiara Dewata and Matahari stores in Denpasar. It is published by Yayasan Swastiasu. It makes a good ‘Oleh oleh’ (gift) for some Balinese families.
* Other dictionaries are ‘Kamus Indonesia Inggris’ – John M Echols and ‘English Indonesian Dictionary’ – Hassan Shadily. Many such books are fairly easily obtained in Bali but not so easy in your home country perhaps.
* Periplus ‘Practical Balinese’ (they do a good fold out map of Bali too) written by Gunter Spritzing has basic Balinese (Note: not Bahasa Indonesia but Balinese, which is little used these days.) and the Aksara script and common travellers phrases.
* On the Web try www.ewgate.com/ewtranslite.html (Chinese and Malaysian also), The Risanda page has a basic translation option, www.e-rice.com/dictionary.asp.
MAPS: Maps of Bali are really difficult to get if you are looking for something special. I use the Bali map from Periplus Travel Map of Indonesia in the Regional series, ISBN 0-945971-49-4 that costs about Aus$8. Others recommend Bali Pathfinder that has some hiking and biking routes as well as the road network. Can be obtained from the Alas Arum supermarket in Sanur. Maps on the net are either very vague or of a scale that obscures the detail you want if you’re interested in a map. Try www.balipathfinder.com or do a general search “Bali+maps”.
Periplus now have a Bali Street Atlas which covers an astonishing amount of Bali in great detail. 3 different scales used according to size of town/village. Not real cheap at Rp165,000 (Aus$33) in Periplus stores in Bali Galleria, Warung Made (Seminyak), the airport and Gramadedia in Matahari’s, but invaluable if you’re a regular adventurer in Bali.

48. Book shops. Books ae fairly expensive to buy in Bali but there are some swap and used book outlets for that holiday read
New book shops – At Periplus in the Galeria complex near the airport road roundabout, on the ground floor. On the first floor is Gramedia. Periplus are also in Legian Street, Seminyak, near Made’s Warung. In Ubud on Jl Raya near Ary’s Warung. In the basement of Mataharis – mainly in Indonesian but some in English. A variety of comics here also as well as some classy foreign magazines. Charisma above the KFC store next to the petrol station on Jl Raya Kuta is mainly a Christian and educational outlet but some general stock also. The Bintang Market inSeminyak.
Used and swap shops – Many hotels have a small library of books that guests can borrow. You can also add to these collections for future guests and to maintain the stock levels as some inevitably go off to travel with guests who leave. At shops ask for the return price before you buy. It should be about half of the cost but it will be next to nothing if you don’t clarify the issue first.
At Garuda in Ubud, near the post office. In Poppies Lane II in Kuta, next to the fish and chip shop. The books here are repaired by the owner and sold with justifiable pride by the owner. English, Dutch, German and French languages abound. Prices from Rp80,000. In Candi Dasa on the hills side of the main road there are two bookshops. Near Bemo Corner in Kuta, turn left from Legian Street and go towards Denpasar. Look for a Circle K and a hairdresser. On Padma Utara near the Melasti Beach Hotel. Nirwana is near Bemo corner in Kuta.

49. Astronomy your thing? The southern sky is visible in Bali and northern hemisphere visitors find this exciting and strange. To get a fore-taste of what you’ll see go to www.heavens-above.com , enter ‘Denpasar’, the date(s) of your holiday, select ‘Whole Sky Chart’ and enjoy the view. Print off a copy to take with you as a reference. You’ll see the famous (in Australa and neighbours at least) Southern Cross (or Crux). An avid amateur star-gazerin Bali is ‘Balibent’. If you contact him by posting on the Bali Travel Forum he can perhaps arrange a telescopic session for you.
Speaking of stars the Bahasa Indomesia word is ‘Bintang’ which is also the name of the local beer that you’re sure to enjoy while it’s helping avoid your dehydration.

50. DOGS in Bali are often near starvation but they don’t have rabies. They are generally not pets and should be treated at least with respect if not caution. The Balinese traditionally regard them as reincarnations and evil spirits, consequently they try not to see them, or at least ignore them, although when they cannot do so they treat them with gentleness and respect (or is it just caution?). There are some signs that this is slowly changing as a result of an educational and care campaign carried out in recent years. More and more dogs are actually appearing to be healthy – but still don’t treat them as pets.
I recall the time a very mangey beach dog with pups insisted on sleeping under the sun lounges near a hotel pool. This obviously could not be accepted and eventually it was the pool attendant who accepted the responsibility of doing something about her. Armed with nothing more than a paper serviette he talked softly and gently to the dog, with no obvious threats or intimidating sounds and the dog responded by slowly raising herself from a comfortable repose with the pups and ambling off back to the beach.
The guests applauded the pool attendant, as much for his gentle approach I think as for his bravery in doing something no one else had the courage to try.
There are currently two organisations in Bali dedicated to helping sick and injured animals of all types. Desexing is an essential part of their service. The long-established Yudisthura, ‘Bali Street Dogs Foundation’, has been at work for a number of years and now has a fully equipped mobile clinic. Look at http://www.balistreetdogs.org.au/ . or www.yamp.com/balidogs.
The’ Bali Society for the Protection of Animals’ is a more recent assembly of carers who have established a shelter with a full time caretaker to tend sick animals. All involved are volunteers giving time when necessary to picking up and caring for sick animals. Their shelter number is 728 719. The Carer number is 287 816 (Sarita or Reski). Sarita’s mobile is 081 236 57927. The address of the shelter is Jl Graha Wisata No!A, Sidakarya, Denpasar Selatan.
Donations of dry food (expensive to buy in Bali – airlines will often grant passage to overweight baggage if prior approvals are obtained from local offices), clean bedding, medicines etc, are welcomed by both groups. Vets travelling to Bali might consider giving a day of their professional services.
* There is a growing awareness of dogs as pets both within the ex-pat community and the Balinese themselves. In ’03 we noticed a number of pet shops appearing. There is one opposite the Supernova (I think) in Kuta which has a wide range of products but which regrettably keeps dogs for sale in appaling conditions. One which is becoming well known for dog and cat clothing is the Dogs Tail on Jl Raya Seminyak 4C, Seminyak. Ph 731 111. Its next to Mades Warung. ‘Expensive but cute.’ There is even a dog trainer and consultancy offering obedience training, behaviour therapy, socialisation and boarding. Phone R Christine on 081 238 139 28. Two shops are to be found close together in Legian street between Padma and Seminyak proper.

51. FURNITURE – See also Shipping – above. Beware of any banana material if returning to Australia.
Mari of Mari’s Gallery, Melasti Street. Ph 759980 or 0811 388 697. Her English is excellent and she is honest.
Kenny, Seminyak. Most drivers know where to find him.
Made Patra. E-mail tamukami@indosat.net.id which is a hotel run by Made’s wife, Miss Mudiasih.
Beware Jimbaran Rattan, run by Susie & Yoga Iswara at 38X on the By Pass road at Jimbaran.
Geneva Handcrafts and Geneva Furniture, Jl Raya Kerobokan, No 100. Ph (62 361) 733 571. About Rp10,000 cab fare from Legian.

52. Storage of goods and bags is available at Ngurah Rai Airport. Turn to the left as you leave the arrivals hall. Or is it right since the renovations? Anyway it’s behind McDonalds towards the end of the buildings. Charges are Rp5,500 per item per day. It appears well organised and reliable - under the sign, "Titipan Barang".

53. Official rate for luggage handling by porters at the airport is Rp1,500/item. (Approx Aus 35 cents.) The Chief of the Airport Authority requests that porters demanding more be reported to him. However, this is perhaps not the best time to be technically correct but mean spirited.

54. Taxi voucher desk is on the right as you leave airport reception. It’s about 25 paces from the exit door. Look for the glass window, probably at the head of a long queue. See also the DRIVERS section below.
Advertised fares are:
- to Kuta Rp20,000, Legian Rp25,000, Seminyyak35,000, Oberoi 45,000, Kerobokan 50,000, Jimbaran 8,500, Four Seasons 50,000, Nusa Dua 15,000, Sanur 45,000, Denpasar 55,000.

55. Cheaper VCD’s are mainly terrible copies or filmed from the theatre screen priced at Rp25,000. Originals (or copies of) priced at Rp54-75,000 are fairly good. Test them if you can – reject them if you can’t.

56. DVD’s are a good buy. Rp50,000 at Ramayane and other large department stores. Rp60,000 around Kuta.

57. DVD virus first appeared in ’04. Check by putting your DVD’s in a computer that has a good virus checker.
To open got to My Computer, right click on the DVD drive icon. Click Search. To All or part of the file name enter this string - *.hex;*.bin – Enter. (Note the semi-colon.) If there are any hex or bin files do not use that disc in a stand-alone DVD player or it will freeze up. It is OK to view on the computer which is not affected.
Similar virus’ have also been reported on photo CD’s.

58. Music CD’s Rp60-80,000. Double albums Rp140,000. PC CD games Rp 35,000.

59. MP3’s Rp35,000 with 200 tracks.

60. PHOTOGRAPHY – Buy normal photographic films and have them processed in the normal way (negatives and prints) but ask for digitised processing as well. All your images are digitised on a CD ROM for $12 extra. "Who needs a digital camera?".
Frontech FOTO will develop digital images onto normal photographic paper. They are in Jl Raya Kuta.
Sanur Dewata Foto Digital Studio 60, in Jl Danau Buyan (just near the traffic lights), will download digital pictures onto CDs from your camera or from flash cards. Their charge is Rp70,000 per CD, with as many images as will fit onto the disc. Prints can also be made at prices up to Rp45,000 for the largest. There are a growing number of stores that will now do the same thing. Mid ’04 prices were Rp1600/postcard size print – about 30 cents Aust. To Rp9,700 (about $1.85 Aust) for a 10” x 8” enlargement. Your memory device goes into their computer and you select the shots you want.
Fuji Pantai Digital Foto Centre in Jl Legian 204, Kuta, is also recommended
Beware of virus infections in your memory devices. One outlet to pass on a virus is at the intersection of PoppiesII and Legian another the Kodak shop in front of the Dynasty. They were cheap and proved to be dirty too. Your download computer, with a good virus program, will quarantine the file and will clean it up.
If you want to do your own downloads laptop computers can be hired in Bali but the age and quality of the machines is not known in ’04. Try Dhidli at dhidhi143@yahoo.com.
Buy the most memory that you can afford for your camera. Bali will bedazzle you with photo opportunities. Download onto CD’s which will hold about 60 pics, depending on the resolution you choose of course. Take your own top quality CD’s as some shops will download onto junk CD’s.
A wide range of memory devices can be downloaded at Legian Cyber in Sahadewa street Legian. Rp25,000 on their CD’s or Rp15,000 on your own. Internet facilities there also.
Get you good shots enlarged in Bali – it’s very cheap and the quality is quite reasonable.
Get an extra print as a present for your Balinese friends. See point 5 under ‘Remember – cultural things’ below.
If you are planning to go snorkelling get a disposable underwater camera. Cheaper in Oz ($14) than in Bali. Big-W, K-mart etc often have them on special, very cheap.

61. Photography is commonly accepted in Bali, even in temples during most ceremonies. Some beach rats will ask you for payment after you’ve snapped them. Ask, "Bisa ambil foto?" (Can I take a Photo?) if in doubt.

62. Camera repairs. Call Mr ‘Iwan’, (Ivan?) Ph (0361) 486 961 or 081 2397 7974. Address registered in Bali Traveller Guide. Terminal Tegal Sari 27, Jalan Imam Bonjol, Denpasar. In business for over 20 years.

63. Common 35mm films are readily available throughout Bali but for a range of special and better quality films (up to professional), see Pak Leo at Bali Fotografi, Jl Raya Kuta 57X, Kuta. He’s a good man to talk to about any questions you may have on tropical photography. Ph 361-751 329 or 361-755 827.
Film is very slightly affected by airport x-rays. You’re not likely to notice the changes unless you’re very fussy and are using higher than standard quality films. If you’re worried, then ask for it to be inspected manually rather than going through the scanner.
Try Kodak ‘Royal Gold’ film for denser colours in your landscapes. ISO 100 has very fine grain giving sharper negatives that results in better enlargements. It also comes in ISO 200 & 400. It’s a ‘top-of-the-range’ amateur’s film, and bit dearer than the very common Kodak Gold but you might appreciate the colours and quality on a special trip. Kodak Professional ProImage 100 is the next step up into a professional film, even dearer than Royal Gold and perhaps requiring more exposure accuracy than many amateurs will care to give it. Don’t waste your money on this film if you’re using a ‘pocket camera’ as it requires a reasonable quality SLR to show its capabilities.
AgfaColour HDC Plus Negative film is similar in quality to Kodak Royal Gold and comes in 100, 200 &400 ISO. AgfaColour Optima II Prestige Negative professional film (ISO 100,200 & 400) is about the best if you want big enlargements of your photos but like Kodak ProImage you need to take a little more care when using it. The prices of these films increase like the Kodak ones.
FujiColour Superia Reala is their top amateur film and recommended by many travellers as it has dense greens and browns making it ideal for portrait and landscape photography in Bali. Fujicolour Professional NPC is the next step up and is particularly good for portrait shots but like the other pro-grade films needs a bit more care with the camera work to show it’s value. Again, you’ll find price structures like the Kodak examples above.
If you are going to use films of above the normal standard it might be better to purchase them from a specialty phopographic shop at home before you go. They are likely to be fresher and have probably been stored in cool refrigerators. Films of these qualities, on the other hand, tend to sit on hot shop shelves for a long time in Bali – if indeed you can find them at all.
If you keep your film in the bar fridge in Bali be very careful to let it slowly come up to room temperature before you seal it up in your camera where condensation can do terrible things to both the film and the camera.
If you are looking for better than normal developing/printing go to ‘Bali Fotografi’ and ask for Pak Leo. He will do professional standard work for you. His shop is in Kuta opposite the Nova Supermarket. Any taxi driver worth his fare can take you there. He might also stock better quality films than the local street-side shops.
If you are interested in taking photos for slides (shown on a screen or wall using a projector) you will be getting very fine grain film with dense and brilliant colours. These slides can be scanned and converted to superb photos and web pages to stun your family and e-mail contacts – but the process is not cheap.

64. Days with sea breezes are better as the tropical haze is blown away a bit. The light seems softer than in Aus. US, Europe, perhaps because of the usual fires, humidity etc and some people recommend film with saturated emulsion such as ‘Velvia’.

65. APS films are commonly processed in Bali. Some shops do not make the index (contact) sheet of miniatures. Ask first. Look for the APS triangle/circle logo. Prices app 2/3 of Aus costs.

66. A piece of advice I can offer is the use of those very small and cheap tripods with springy wire legs that will fit fairly comfortably into a 'bum bag' if you don't have a camera bag.
They can be screwed onto the bottom of most small cameras and the legs spread to rest the camera on a car bonnet or a wall or fencepost or up-turned box, anything that will keep the camera steady. (Do make sure that the car engine is turned off if you're using the bonnet, and that the kids are not about to jump in and have a fight.)
Adjust the bend of the legs to point the thing in the required direction. Use the delayed shutter release mode of the camera, you know, the one that lets you press the button and then gives you time to run around the front and get into the picture yourself. This way you take the shot without any risk of the camera shaking in your hands as you press the button. Without doubt this camera movement causes the ruination of most shots, and the new crop of small pocket cameras with zoom lenses do, of course, greatly emphasise the smallest of shakes.

67. Digital photos can be processed in Bali, the number of shops offering the service is increasing. One well established shop is Legian Cyber. They are in Sahadewa Street. Also a cyber café/internet shop. Try Frontec Photo, Jl Raya Kuta N0 104 Blok D, Ph 751 222. Download your memory card to Cd - Rp50,000 on your own Cd or Rp 70,000 on a new CD. Prints Rp1800 each.

68. COMPUTER SOFTWARE – See the shopping section in the Denpasar District lists below and the Legian/Seminyak section.

69. Printing: business cards (incl. plastic), stickers, T-shirts. ‘Keyhole Print Shop’, Jl Padma, app 60 mts on right from Jl Legian. Ask for Tarka.
Also ‘Indographs’, graphic and art offset printing of all types. Off Jl Legian near a leather shop called ‘Merinos’.

70. Printing. Bags with corporate logos etc. Scale Grafika in Padma Street behind OKA Cargo. See Agus.

71. .WEDDINGS. Weddings are popular in Bali and there are several companies specialising in arrangements. One to avoid is Silvies ‘baliwedding.com’. Do not confuse this company with Bali Weddings International, which is frequently recommended. A Certificate of No Impediment is required from the Australian Consulate.
Check the Bali Romantic Weddings web site at http://romantic-weddings.com , E-mail info@romantic-weddings.com .

72. Rama Shinta Weddings, Deden Kung and staff, has also been recommended.

73. GETTING ABOUT. Taxis are very cheap, hiring a driver and car is also very cheap. The traffic in Bali has to be seen to be believed. I can NOT recommend driving yourself or riding yourself but if you’re determined or part of the invincible youth then hiring vehicles is quite easy if you have an international licence, A$15 plus passport photo. You can also get a temporary Bali licence in about 20 min at a local Polisi station. Cost Rp200,000.Make sure you get insurance when you hire and that your traveller’s insurance will also cover you. Try C V Jaya Mertha II, Ph 756 204, US$925 for a Suzuki Katana Jimny for 10 days. Be sure of the time for vehicle return and anything else that is ‘No worry Boss. She be OK’, and it is until you tryto deviate and then all hell breaks loose – and your wallet with it. Wary hirers always take photos of themselves and the four sides of the vehicle at the front of the shop before they drive off. Make sure all dents and scratches are visible. Kijangs cost about Rp100,000 for a day, Jimny about Rp80,000.
Quote from the Bali Travel Forum -
If you have not been to Bali before (and even if you have) I would strongly recommend against driving yourself.
Traffic conditions and patterns are often described as 'chaotic' by first timers and, although they're not really if you are used to them, they are different.
Think of the poor driver who has to negotiate the apparent mayhem! He or she will not see anything of the sights, nor will whoever is trying to navigate through the one-way streets, the short cuts and maps that can only be described as just slightly related to the actual position and names of roads.
On top of this you might add insurance concerns even if you don't have a real accident. Others before you have lamented that they had not taken numerous photos of the hired vehicle (with the smiling salesman in each photo) before they even stepped into it to help prove on their return that those dents and scratches really were not their fault.
Breakdown scams are numerous, police checks at which you will feel obliged to buy tickets to the Policemans Ball (or else!), parking fees at tourist rates and fraud at the infrequent fuel pumps might be other worries.
Compare this with the cheapness and peace of mind of hiring a vehicle and driver on any street in the island almost. A driver and local guide all rolled into one. Hire for an 8 hour day should cost you no more than Rp300,000. Convert that into your home currency and see the value.

74. Sports shoes are popular buys in Bali but many are very poor quality and, unless you’re looking for a cheap pair, caution is required. If you are in a position to compare various offerings try gripping the toe and heel and twist the sole. Better shoes will not twist very easily. Another test is to try pushing the heel (at the finger loop) in towards the sole at the instep. If it gives then the heel support is paper or cardboard rather the rigid plastic and the shoes are not genuine ones from a name brand – no matter what the words or symbols show.
Don’t believe that well-known names in the shoe retail business will only sell the genuine article either!
Watch out for ‘Rebok’ brand and’ Niike’ or similar names.
Hand made to measure, leather shoes, are not as popular in the buying stakes but probably represent better value than sports shoes. Guys can get shoes in common styles in black, brown, grey, green etc and for the ladies what better than a coloured leather coat or pants with an exactly matching pair of fashionable shoes. Take a picture of your favourite style or rely on the leather shops’ catalogues.

75. BARGAINING. An American tourist offers these hard-nosed suggestions about getting the best possible value for your money when bargaining in Bali.

FINDING OUT WHAT THINGS REALLY COST – or ‘The Impossible Dream.’

Most important; you've got to be willing to walk away. You'll never get the lowest price standing in one spot and discussing it. Nine times out of ten, the seller’s price will drop closer to your last offer if you walk away.

Method 1: Try and try again.

Pick something that is common throughout markets and set yourself a very low target price. Try to bargain for it. Fail? Raise your price a little and try somewhere else. Do it again, until someone agrees. It's good practice, but remember that if the seller accepts your offer convention dictates that you must buy at that price.

Method 2: Eavesdrop on other tourists.

Listen to them bargain, and find out what they paid. Often, the shopkeeper will sell you the same thing for the same price but try to go a bit lower. This really works best with two friends; it’s less effective but still possible with two strangers.

Method 3: Go on a day tour, and observe the hawkers at all the stops made on the tour.

You will find that these tour sellers are among the hardest on all of Bali (except perhaps those at Kintamani). Here's where you'll get the "Ten thousand! Ten thousand!" sarong price offers right off the bat. What they shout at you as you walk away, or the prices they quote while they're wedging their shoulder into your car door and preventing you from closing your door are often the lowest prices that the item can be had for anywhere.

Method 4: Go to a fixed price store (like Matahari in Kuta) and have a look around. Set your target for similar goods in the markets at 30-50% off of those prices. This is a way of at least getting within the ballpark range of a "real" price, especially if you have no idea whether something should cost Rp10,000 or 100,000.

Some things the vendor will nearly always do to unsettle you:
1) - Laugh outrageously at your starting price
2) - Invoke peer pressure, either by telling other shopkeepers what you've offered and having them laugh, or saying "but your friend paid . . ."
3) - Say "Ten thousand? No, this quality (picks up other object) ten thousand.” They'll always drag in other cheaper examples of what you're trying to buy, to try to make your intended purchase look like the higher quality version and worthy of the price they want.
4) - Never drop close to their lowest price until you start to walk away. When come back you can haggle some more from a new starting point.

Things you should always do:
1) - have a good idea of what an item should cost if it's a common item or - or what you're willing to pay if it's a harder-to-find item.
2) - Calculate a goal somewhere between 20 and 50% of the shopkeeper's starting price (if you have no idea what it costs).
3) - Start BELOW that price and come up only in small increments (like 5000, or even 1000 at a time, depending on the price).
4) - Allow yourself four or five rounds of negotiation.
5) - Say, "Ah, no thank you, too expensive.” Then WALK AWAY. If they're willing to keep going, they'll say "OK OK" and wave you back. Then they'll drop a little more, but not necessarily yet to the price you want. It can still go several rounds after walking away.

Things that are handy:
1) - Having exact change. If you're tired of the transaction and you know you're offering a fair price, you can take out your money and say "Yhis is all I have" or "Here, yes, 30,000" to speed the deal.
2) Keep a couple extra thousand on hand, to sweeten the deal if necessary. Do not show these to the vendor, or they'll try to incorporate them in the final price.

Things you should not do:
1) - Get angry or shout. It's just business, and the Balinese like to conduct it in a friendly, easygoing, "You funny! What a JOKE your price is!" sort of way.
2) - Say how much you paid for something. It will give away your knowledge of prices and what you're willing to pay.

3) – Refuse to buy (or continue to try to bargain lower) when your last offer has been accepted.

Finally, keep the value of the money involved in some sort of perspective. If you find yourself refusing a deal because of a difference of a few hundred rupiah then stop and work out just how insignificant such a sum really is to you. Then stop and think of how valuable this sum is to the seller.

76.

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MONEY. Yahoo has a great Currency converter with a graph of recent rates wich give you some indication of whether to jump in and change a lot straight away (if the trend is downwards) or change only what you need immediately and perhaps get a better rate tomorrow (rising graph). It will also allow you to convert rupiah back into your home currency so that you can answer the question, “How much did I pay for that?” It is at http://finance.yahoo.com/m3?u.

Carry your money in a ‘bum bag’ but keep it under your shirt if it contains a lot. Exposed bum bag straps can be easily cut and the offender away on the pillion of a passing motorbike before you can blink. (Before you condemn the Balinese for this sort of criminal activity just ask yourself if it could or couldn’t happen in your home town.) If you have large amounts keep it in several different places. I use a skin coloured cloth money pouch which hangs around my neck under the shirt as a less obvious and more secure device.

1. The local money is the Indonesian rupiah – (Rp.).
   * Coins are Rp1,000 – 500 – 100 – 50 and 25. Supermarkets use lollies as small changefor less than 25 rupiah.
   * Notes are Rp100,000 (Ask for these when changing money as they’re easy to count for you and not easy for the tricky money changers to mis-count.) - 50,000 – 20,000 – 10,000 – 5,000 (About A$1.00 / US$0.50.) – 1,000 – 500 – 100.
   * Take care that you don’t get Rp10,000 notes passed to you in the middle of a stack of Rp100,000 notes, or 5,000s in a stack of 50,000s and so on.
   * THE SAFEST MONEY CHANGERS ARE AT THE WARTELS (Government teklephoning shops) WHICH OFTEN HAVE AUTHORISED MONEY CHANGING OFFICES ALSO. The changers will be PTBali Valas or Bali Masprint or something similar. Their rates are the same as PT Central. Most importantly they will change Travellers Cheques with a photo copy of your passport ID page. I DO NOT RECOMMEND ‘PT CENTRAL’ AGENCIES IN THE KODAK SHOPS (or in the larger Department stores) AS THEY NOW REQUIRE YOUR ORIGINAL PASSPORT TO CHANGE TRAVELLERS CHEQUES. I will not take my passport out of the hotel safe until I’m ready to go home – then I know I can get home without days of hassle. If your passport is stolen on the streets your holiday will be ruined and it will take days to get it replaced.
   * Take care also if you’re tempted to do business with any moneychanger who is offering a better than usual exchange rate. The only way he will make up the difference between the official rate (at which they all buy their money) and the higher rate that he is offering is to cheat you.
   If there is a LEGITIMATE Security Guard in the shop it may be better than some of the others.
   * Take care also that NO-ONE touches the money after you have counted it, even to simply to pick it up from the table and pass it to you. If this happens you should count it again - and I’ll bet you’re short! If you’re quick enough you might find the missing notes on the floor behind the desk, or remember hearing the drawer closing over them as they were dropped over the edge of the desk.
   * Don’t believe the totals which might appear on anyones calculator but your own and then only after YOU have entered the numbers.
   The new Rp100,000 notes are made of plastic using established Australian technology.
   As forgeries seem to abound in Indonesia moneychangers are reluctant to change different sorts of tender at different times. The most recent concern was over Travellers cheques (June ’02) and as a consequence an original Passport was required (rather than the much safer photocopy) for a while. Cash notes are always suspect unless they is in ‘as-new’ condition. The best bet is not to rely on only one form of money.
   The small notes in local rupiah are very old and very sick looking, and certainly encourage hand disinfecting after handling, but they are essential for things like local bemo fares where the collectors never seems to have any change at all.
   The banks and often traders will not accept dirty or damaged notes – or at least say they won’t. This will surprise you when you see the quality of the local notes that they regularly handle – but it’s all to do with the regular attempts at passing forged, high-value, foreign currency. The latest forgeries were American $100 bills dated 1996 and it was impossible to change them anywhere in Indonesia, even the banks played safe and would not touch them. This scare seems to have passed now (October 2002) but the risk remains for any notes that appear to have been ‘roughed up’ to remove their new appearance.
   Occasionally, when someone has passed a forged or stolen travellers Cheque, and the money changer has been left ‘holding the empty bag’, the word gets around the money changers and for a while they won’t change that particular type of cheque. Early in ’03 Thomas Cook TC’s were being refused but Amex has had its turn also.
   If you would like to see pictures of the Rupiah notes (face and reverse sides) go to www.balimic.tripod.com/bali/id16.html . You’ll find a lot of other good info there too, especially clear photos of many popular hotels in Bali.
2. South African currency (ZAR) is one of the very few world currencies that cannot be changed in Bali. Best to convert to US$ TCs or notes, or Aus$ or British pounds – even Euros - before you leave.
3. Don’t purchase rupiah at you local home bank, as your exchange rate will be terrible. Wait until you get to Bali. If you intend to take cash then take your own currency. You can change virtually any currency to rupiah in Bali. If in doubt simply post the question on the Bali Travel Forum, http://www.balitravelforum.com/. Changing it into something else only loses a bit each time. You can change just about any world currency into rupiahs in Bali.
4. When you arrive at the airport change about A$20 with the moneychangers there. You will find them after the Immigration check, along the wall of the baggage collection area facing the carousels, before you get to the Customs area. Their rates are not the best but this will be enough to pay for a taxi to your hotel, buy a Bintang and a bottle of water to clean your teeth.
5. Money exchange is both an art and a con in Bali. You can exchange virtually any world currency via cash (large denomination, new notes are best – marked or damaged notes may be rejected – for US travellers the best rate is for pristine $100 bills but not ones dated 1996 just left of center at the bottom of the face side), or traveller’s cheques (the rate will be less than for cash, but insignificantly so) and at the growing number of ATM’s. The maximum amount that can be withdrawn at ATM’s (usually Rp1.25K if you hit the ‘Other Amount’ key on those machines which have it) makes them a bit dearer due to the multiple user fee applied by most banks, commonly $4-5 per transaction. Some stores also add a surcharge to the bill if you pay with a credit card. Some ATM’s have been known to accept your transaction but not deliver the money. Go to a bank straight away if this happens.
6. Don’t take your passport onto the street to change Travellers Cheques. Use a photocopy of the first (identification) page for this. If you find an occasional moneychanger who won’t accept your photocopy then leave and go to the next one who won’t be far away. Make at least one copy for each week that you will be in Bali as paper deteriorates rapidly in the humidity.
7. Beware of bag snatchers on motorbike pillions. Carry your bag on the side away from the roadway. Don’t carry a lot of money in your bag, and never your passport. Use a body belt or chest bag strung around your neck. Don’t leave your bags in a vehicle unless you are very sure that the driver is reliable and that the vehicle can be securely locked – not just locked. To have your bags stolen with all of your documentation in them must be a traveller’s greatest nightmare, and it happens not only in Bali but in Sydney and London and New York and - - - - .
8. Hotels generally have the poorest exchange rates on the whole island. The best rates are in the southern tourist areas.
9. A safe place to exchange cash is at ‘PT Central’ on Bemo Corner near Kuta Square or at any of their agencies in Kodak shops (which are very common in the south and southeast tourist areas) and at the larger department stores. They will not now, however, change TC’s without seeing you real passport and it is highly recommended that you DO NOT take your passport onto the street for any reason. Use a government Wartel (phone shop) to change TC’s. Their rates are as good as PT abd they are as honest. You will get a printed receipt from the computerised service.!
   For a map showing the locations of Pt Central agencies go to http://www.central-kuta.com/location.html.
10. Some ‘wartels’ (post and phone shops) are also bank agencies. As such they are also reliable money changers and recommended for changing travellers cheques. There are many Wartels in districts all over Bali.
11. There are honest street changers I am told, who offer slightly higher rates, but beware and be warned – many, if not most, will not only try to cheat you but will succeed! Even career bank tellers report that they have been done over! These street moneychangers are the experts in all of the tricks ever dreamed up anywhere in the world, including re-wired calculators and super slippery fingers. You are just the most recent in a very long line of suckers. Dodgy money changing is their life and you are their lifeblood. Always count your money without being distracted by an accomplice at your shoulder and always be the last to touch the money. If someone else picks it up, even if only to hand it to you, then sit down and count it again! Chances are you will be amazed. A neat reversal of this con is to give you the right amount but when you hand over your 4 x $50 bills (which you’ve been smart enough to hang on to tightly until this time) he will find that you’re one short and you’ve only given him three. The other one has been dropped on the floor at his feet or into his open money drawer which he smoothly closes wih his thighs as he stands up.
12. Watch out for the ‘power of 10’ scam. It relies on your confusion about so many zeros in the sums. You wind up getting only a tenth of the correct amount when a zero falls off the end of the total, or you get 5,000 Rp notes instead of 50,000Rp or 1,000’s instead of 10,000’s.
13. If you need to send money to Bali it can be an expensive exercise if done on a regular basis with most banks charging A$25 per transfer. Telegraphic transfers attract a better exchange rate than a bank draft. A better way might be a second credit card with separate PIN (risky and app $5 per withdrawal) or best of all a separate savings account with a single card (which you send to your Bali friend) and into which you deposit a known amount.
14. KNOWN CROOK MONEY CHANGERS. Immediately suspect any street changer who offers a better exchange rate than the really authorised changers such as the local Wartel (the government telephoning shops), PT Central, generally found in supermarkets and Kodak shops. Be aware that these slick merchants will move from location to location on a regular basis as their dishonesty becomes known locally.
    * Beware of the moneychangers in Rose Tailor, opposite the Bali Aussie. A well documented rip-off centre. All of the tricks in the book will be tried and if you pick them all the supply of money will be ‘all gone’ and you’ll be intimidated and shown the door. If you manage to change some money you’ll know you’ve been cheated but you wont know how.
    * Avoid the moneychangers at – Jl Dhyana near Bestest Café and the one across the street in a post office type shop also. Stick with the Kodak guys further towards the beach.
    * Also avoid the moneychangers near the Aston Bali Hotel. Great dropper of money into his lap, claims it is ‘commission’ if caught even though his sign clearly claims ‘No Commis.’.
    * On Legian Street, in the alley between Mammas German Restaurant and the Fuji Film shop. A first class note shuffler.
    * Opposite the Restu in Legian. Small notes (Rp5,000) in the middle of a stack of Rp50,000’s.
    * Not quite a crook moneychanger but in the Bintang store in Legian do your own adding up to arrive at your total bill and calculate and check your change carefully unless you can afford to lose $10 in a 100.
    * The changer next to Billy’s Bar on Jl Sahadewa is ‘a scumbag’.
    * In Legian avoid the moneychanger opposite the Puri Raja in Jl Padma Utara. He is in the centre one of three small shops, right in the back.
    * Kids Zone (a children’s clothing shop near Timezone and Mataharis) in Legian and also a changer just opposite Kids Zone in Jl Legian.
    * A deadly variation on the game of chance is played by a moneychanger on Legian street opposite the end of Poppies LaneI. He will try to cheat you in the usual way and if you catch him he will, begrudgingly, give you back your $100 (or whatever) bills. You will stomp out in high dugeon, not realising that he has NOT given you back YOUR notes, but has given you at least one quite good forgery. If you go back to complain later he will argue that you must have got them somewhere else – and how con you convincingly argue otherwise?
    * On Melasti Street near Top Ten and Leong DVD is a unique cheat who actually keeps a written record of how much he’s cheated you. If you get done for Rp300,000 and try to say it was Rp500,000 he will pull out his book and correct you. He will also cheat you again when he gives you the refund!!
    * On the corner of Poppies 2 and Jl Legian, at the back of a photo printing shop.
15. * On Jl Melasti about 30 paces from Jl Legian on the corner of a narrow lane there is an advertisement for ‘no commis’ and very good rates. If something appears too good to be true you can bet that it’s not – and particularly if you choose to dice with this money changer you’ll learn that the hard way.
16. If you use plastic Credit Cards for purchases do not let it out of your sight or you risk having it swiped a second time onto an open account slip, and personally destroy the carbon copy of the impression or watch it done in front of you. Do not trust it being tossed into the waste paper basket. Fearful stories abound in S E Asia of credit card scams. Some banks will set up a traveller’s account with a specific and limited sum of money available in it. If the card is then stolen or scammed the losses are minimised. A number of single-use cards can also be made, each with a different account number and even smaller maximum withdrawal sums. The Master Card version is called ‘Shop Safe’ and can be accessed from their web site. http://www.mbnashopsafe.com/ and follow the prompts. Some travellers set up a new card account and put in it only the amount of money they intend to spend during the holiday. If this card is used fraudulently the losses are not as bad as they would be if all of your savings were open to the card scammers.
17. Watch out for ATM’s which hold onto your card until the very last minute and then require a key entry to release it. It is very easy to forget it while you’re counting your money and leave it in the machine for the next customer to use without the need for your PIN to be re-entered.
18. ATM rates are not quite as good as Wartels and Pt Central offers, maybe Rp 100 less per dollar and there is a home bank fee of about A$5 for every withdrawal to be reckoned with also.
19. Some stores add a surcharge when items are paid for with credit cards.
20. If you are heading north (or east or west) be aware that the best exchange rates are offered in the southern tourist areas and get worse as you go out, even only as far as Ubud but certainly Bedugul and beyond.
21. Keep Rp100,000 in local money for your departure tax to be paid at the airport. Children occupying a seat are required to pay. This raises around Rp 400 billion each year – all of which goes to the Indonesian Government in Java – none at all for Bali improvements.
    Make sure you don’t loose the white immigration slip you get when you arrive. Keep it with your passport and keep that in your hotel safe at all times.
    You don’t need to take your passport onto the street for anything, including changing traveller’s cheques that you can do with a photocopy of the first ID page.
    Also don’t forget to confirm your departure with the airline as required, and get to the airport with a couple of hours to spare to ensure you get your baggage checked in and seat allocation completed in time. If you’re flying Garuda you can do your check-in and get your boarding pass (thus ensuring that you don’t get ‘bumped off’ the flight because of overbookings) by going to their offices the day before your flight. They can be found in Denpasar and at the Hotel Sanur Beach or the Kuta Paradiso. Also, if you do this ‘City Check In’ you wont be required at the airport until an hour before your flight.
22. When bargaining for goods keep a balanced perspective on what you are bargaining over. An extra Rp1,000 or Rp 5,000 is really just small change in your home currency. Don’t risk high blood pressure to beat the last cent or pfennig out of someone who is just trying to make a living after all. Late in ’02 a kilo of rice cost about Rp3,000. This would be enough to feed an extended family for a day – that is about 60 cents Oz or 30 cents US. You wont miss this much but it is enough to keep them alive. Please think about it!
    A Shoppers Aid or bargaining Cheat Sheet covering many currency exchange rates is available at www.geocities.com/filo_1au/CheatSheet.html.
23. TIPPING. Balinese do not generally expect tips but generosity is appreciated. It is sometimes difficult to tip an individual person, in a restaurant for example, as a tip included in the bill often simply goes into the open-ended bucket along with the “Service Charge” that you’ll find on almost every bill. If you want to single out and show appreciation to a particular waiter then ask them to come back after the bill has been quite finalised, then give them something, ‘For you’. On the other hand it’s very easy to round up the fare to the next 1000 or 5000 rupiah and thereby give a taxi driver a reward for his (otherwise very cheap) services.
    Monetary donations to families are usually spent on family priorities rather than things that might be special to the individual you wished to reward.
    Women will inevitably spend extra money or their families rather than on themselves, which is why some practical gifts of appreciation, or 'oleh olehs' (gifts), become very personal and are appreciated so much.
    A well known ex-pat who admits to being generous but claims to be rewarded for it, recommends as follows – food and drink, 15% of pre tax bill; cabs – 10%; hotel staff Rp15,000; other services 10% if you’re happy with the service.
24. If you have friends in Bali and you would like to provide some financial help to them between visits, but still be in control, set up a low fee or free account with your bank or credit union with an ATM Cashcard (not a Credit Card). Give your friends in Bali the card and the PIN number. Make sure that they are aware of the need to keep the card and the number in different (secure) places. If they need money or you want to give them some simply deposit it in the account at home and they can draw it at any of the many ATM’s in Bali.
    A more expensive alternative and not so convenient is Western Union or Moneygram. Western Union cash must be picked up from a bank and Moneygram has only a few offices in the southern tourist area of Bali.
    DON”T SEND MONEY THROUGH THE POST! It will almost certainly be ‘lost’.
25. School fees are expensive by the standards we normally associate with Bali costs. This is largely because the Government does not embrace the concept of free and universal education. The charges are most crippling for orphanages. Childrens education can be sponsored by care agencies for about Aus$70/year. This includes fees, part equipment costs, a pair of those precious uniforms (I’m sure you will never forget the first time you see a group of Balinese children going to or returning home from school.), a bag for books and a pair of special school shoes. Gifts of books and magazines that could be educational are welcomed at most schools or E-mail Gaye at alohabali@yahoo.com and she will collect them from your hotel. See ‘Charities’ also.