Hints & Tips
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by Michael Toplovac
- The local language (a very brief guide!)
- Food & dining out in Bali
- Visa news - latest update Sept 2005
- Airport Tax
- Airports and your luggage
- Money
- Tipping
- Getting around
- Excess baggage charges
- Currency Converter
- Electricity
- Health
- Clothing
- Gifts to bring
topVisa Requirements
From February 1st 2004 tourists entering Indonesia will be allowed a none extendable 1 month visa allowance on entry. It should be noted that the fee of US$25 is to be paid on arrival (or at the embassy / consulate to pick up a tourist visa depending upon the country where of origin) this is not applicable to social or business visas.
For a longer stay tourists have to apply for a visa well before your departure, this will also allow a much quicker immigration process! On arrival you will only be allowed 30days.
For further help or advise with regards to visa requirements contact your nearest Embassy or Consulate.
Irian Jaya and a few other area's are now only open if tourists have the a Surat Jalan which is basically a Tourist Pass into these area's. Have an agent or operator arrange this for you well in advance.
Payable visa on arrival is issued to the list of countries below:
USA, Australia, South Africa, Argentina, Brazilia, Denmark, Arab Emirats, Finland,
Hungaria, England, Italy, Japan, German, Canada, South Korea, Norway, France,
Poland, Swiss, New Zealand, Taiwan.
FREE Visa on arrival is issued to the list of countries below:
Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Philippine, Hongkong, Macao, Chili, Morocco,
Peru, Vietnam.
Important Note: If you are from a country not listed here, you will need to apply for a visa before your arrival!
Airports and your Luggage
There have been lots of changes to the way airports handle your luggage. As
divers we come across more than average checks due to the gear we take with
us. A few hints here on what to do, especially if you use camera's and film.
Your film is often checked, to make the process as quick and painless as
possible, best take the film out of the plastic canisters and place them
in see through plastic bags, so airport officials can easily see them if
required (usually there is no big issue with film over here). Your luggage
will be checked whether you see it or not. There have been times when locked
luggage has been forced open, usually on incoming flights. To save taking
along lots of locks to replace any broken ones, best use cable ties (tie
wraps, zip ties) as these can be easily replaced.
Arrive earlier than you would on normal flights, those where you would not have dive luggage with you. You may be held up a little longer to check your baggage.
Excess baggage charges
On most airlines in Indonesia now you get only 20kg of allowable check on luggage, the amount of bags makes no difference at all here! The excess charges vary with different airlines, from Rp.7.500-Rp.38,000 per extra kg of weight more than your allowed 20kg.NOTE: This may be payable on each leg of your journey if there are multiple airlines within your routing. We do our best to limit these charges with our connections though please make sure you bring enough Rupiah to pay for your excess baggage charges, remember that your destination may not have efficient money changers or even banks. Email us for more about excess luggage charges!
On certain Diving 4 Images private charters we can arrange to include excess luggage into the package price, ask for more details.
Airport Tax
The present amount for exiting Indonesia is 150,000 Rupiah, this amount has to be paid in local currency, if you have any other currency you will be asked to exchange it first. It is always best to have some small change on you at all times, locals often have no change of larger bills. Internal airport taxes are always required best to have small Rupiah change handy at all times, Rp.10,000 notes work bets no need for to carry a few smaller notes Rp.1,000 & Rp.5,000 notes. If you are taking multiple flights then there may be small charges along the way for different airport taxes, please make sure you have plenty of small Rupiah bills with you to pay for any small taxes that may be incurred along your route.
Money
At the moment in Indonesia it is difficult to exchange US dollar bills that are older than 1997. The bills you bring with you must be in very good condition, no tears, no writing and no stamp marks, like the ones banks sometimes add as ID. If you have bills like this, many places even banks and money changers may not accept them. It is much better go to your US bank and ask for new unmarked bills before leaving. Try not to bring bills with series numbers starting with C, there have been many forgeries and many money changers may not accept these bills.
NOTE: The latest news on which bills are acceptable is changing so much with fraudulent US$ bills in Indonesia that it is very hard for us to keep you up to date. Please email us for the latest news on the bills that are accepted here.
Irian Jaya and a few other regions now have their own rules and regulations, it seems they have been very fussy with changing dollar bills, best to take lots of rupiah with you. The rates further away from Bali and Jakarta are always much lower.
Travellers checks are accepted though some smaller places may refuse to take them. Remember in Indonesia the smaller the bill the lower the rate of exchange. Credit cards are accepted though charges can vary from place to place. ATM machines are found all over Bali though not in the more rural areas such as around northern Bali like Secret Bay.
Always best to carry plenty of small rupiah for any small purchases many local shops will struggle changing the larger bills.
Click Currency Converter for the latest rates of exchange.
Tipping
On arrival in Bali you can have the porters help you, the general rates for porters should be Rp 2,000 per bag, if you have huge bags, then maybe more.
Many restaurants include service in Bali, make sure you check the bill to see if you were charged for service. I personally tip if service is excellent, even if service included. some restaurants and even hotels have been known to not give service to their staff, if you are concerned just ask the staff if they receive tip money from management!
While out on liveaboard dive boats there is a general saying that 10% of your trip cost should be given as a tip. My attitude is that tips are only giving a tip for the service you were given. If the service is no good, then why tip at all, simply tell someone, best to tell the cruise director that you thought the service was not up to standard and mention why! I usually recommend between 5-10% of the trip cost depending on how well you thought the crew looked after you!
Getting around
Even though renting cars can be cheap, it can be a big hassle if you have an accident here. The best way is to utilise local knowledge and expertise on the roads when travelling any distances. The locals can take you to places that you would never find on your own. We can recommend a few drivers who can take you around Bali, some may tell you some interesting facts about Bali too.Short distances are best by local Taxi, make sure the driver uses the meter, if he does not want to use it wait for another or make a price before you get in, this saves any arguments over the price later. Taxi services we recommend are the Blue Bird Taxi Group, ask your hotel to call Blue Bird Taxi for you!
Electricity
Nearly everywhere in Indonesia runs on 220 Volt electricity that like the rates of exchange does fluctuate. Make sure if you want to charge your batteries that your chargers are multi voltage or you have a 110 Volt converter with you. Most dive boats and resorts usually have 110 Volt converters. If you have lots of things to charge it may be an idea to bring an extra socket extension.
Health
Bali is generally a safe place as long as you follow a few simple rules. Always treat the smallest of wounds, even scratches to prevent any infection. To prevent bites use repellents especially at dawn and dusk. There are rarely cases of Malaria here in Bali. I personally do not know anybody who has contracted Malaria while in Bali. Some anti-malaria medicines may cause some side effects and are not recommended for diving. If you have not been into Asia before it may a good idea to go consult a good, knowledgeable doctor. The tap water all throughout Indonesia should not be drunk, even the locals do not drink tap water without boiling it first.
Should there be any medical issue whilst in Bali, we highly recommend SOS medical centre. this is located on the main road between Kuta and Sanur, any taxi or driver will know this location. They have excellent English speaking doctors and at times there are western staff in the office here...
Clothing
Bali is known for being a very casual place, it is best to bring very light
and casual clothing. If you may be entering any area's where there will
be Muslims it is always more respectful to dress appropriately. Ladies should
cover their shoulders and knees, while gents should wear clothing that is
not too revealing such as small swimming trunks. Bali is very cheap for
summer clothes, you may even consider taking a day or so for shopping and
buying what you need here, instead of bringing too much with you.
Gifts to Bring
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by Michael topolovac ©
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