Bits and Bobs Everyone wished they knew!

The conversion rate that we used while we were there was:

(give or take a few pennies!)

RPH10,000-AUS$1

RPH11,500- US$1

RPH18,000- UK£1

            I’m sure that the currency exchanges have all changed since we were last there but that should give you a rough estimate. The best currency converter website we recommend is http://www.xe.com/currencyconverter/ . When changing money there are signs saying they exchange all over, but your best bet is to exchange in a bank or a money exchange business. I would avoid using a street converter with a hand written sign out front, as they tend to add a rather generous ‘service charge’ to their rates. However the establishments with the fixed sign outside are usually dependable.  The airport also has currency exchange services, or you can even ask your bank at home before you leave. USD and AUD is not commonly accepted especially outside of the major tourist areas.  RPH with tears in it is not accepted by many businesses so watch out for that. In small villages the owners may not have change… we found this especially true in the north, you can still buy their stuff but you will be giving them a tip every time. I recommend that you carry small notes unless you don’t mind paying extra (sometimes double)!

            Other bits and bobs… you can buy sunblock at stores but it is very expensive, so bring your own if you have the opportunity. Aloe Vera and any after sun treatments were expensive. Lotions, shampoos, and conditioners were expensive as well.

            Razor heads, hair removal cream, nail polish, make up, getting pampered, massages, and haircuts were all cheap though. *WARNING* a $3 ladies haircut is going to look like a $3 ladies haircut!

            If you smoke you will be pleasantly surprised by the prices, its $1.50-$2.00 per pack and you can find most popular brands. Smoking in bars and restaurants is not permitted. If you smoke rolling tobacco, bring filter tips; they are nowhere to be found on the island, although papers and rolling tobacco are sold in mini marts.

            Whilst out Wining and Dining, be aware of the 10% service charge and tax, some places include it in the price listed whilst some add it to the final bill. If you a person that leaves a tip, this 10% is sufficient, it will not be seen as rude if you don’t leave more.

            When entering Bali, they have strict policies on medicine and drugs. There have been a lot of stories recently of people being charged with bringing narcotics into the country; my advice is it is not worth it. Look at the sentencing’s that have been handed out, they range from the firing squad or life in prison to simple 10 year convictions- they are very strict on the matter. Over the counter medicine is ok as with prescriptions, although you might save a headache if you bring your doctors note.

            Check the up to date laws on the quantities of regulated items brought into the country before you travel.

            I would advise looking up any rules and regulations before entering the country, no matter where you go and try to use a government website, not just a travel website. We’ll try to keep this blog updated with these as much as we can.
             There is also a exit fee at the airport... RPH150,000 so don't spend all your money before you leave!

  

Extending your tourist Visa in Bali

             When you enter Bali you must pay a fee for a one-month tourist visa at the airport. It costs US$25. That gives you 30 days upon entry; if you decide to stay you can extend without leaving the island. We thought that this would be difficult but found it very easy. 

           The Office you want to extend your Visa is on Jl. By Pass Ngurah Rai in between Kuta and the airport on the west side and next to a gas station (we are looking for the address as we spent a long time looking for the wrong place! Sorry for the vague instructions!) On the first day you show up to the immigration office, be sure to bring your passport. You will also need to make copies of the page that your passport was stamped in on and also the photo page of your passport. They have a photocopying place next door to the office though so don’t be worried if you can’t find somewhere to go. You will also need to fill out some paperwork. The paperwork is easy enough, the only thing that might trip you up is that it asks for your sponsor, this section doesn’t need to be filled out if you are extending just one month. The only other thing that you must bring is copies of your departure tickets, these are easy to get as you can just book the flights without actually paying for them and printing off the booking page. 

           So once all of these things are done you take a ticket number, and wait in line! Once your number is called, you go to the desk and hand in the folder they have given you and they replace it with a receipt and a date for you to return. Usually it is 3 days later. At the end of your first day you will have turned in your passport, copies of your passport and onward journey, and a basic questionnaire.

            When you return the next time, you must sit in the waiting area until your number is called again. At that point you go to the little window and pay your extension fee, RPH250,000. They only accept cash so make sure you have some. Once this is done you will be handed another receipt with another date to come back and collect your passport. We were told to come back in 3 working days. On the next visit you come back to wait in the line again until you are called, you then collect your passport and are free to go with your new 30 day visa. We were told that it can be expedited but we were never given that option. There are also Travel/Tour agencies that will do this whole show for you but they will charge you an extortionate amount on top and it still takes the same amount of time, but is less hassle for the traveller who has the money to do so. We extended only once but we heard that you could extend it a few times, however we read that it could only be done that one time.    

A small town on the East Coast-Sanur

          Sanur is located on the east side of Denpasar. It is on the coast and maybe twenty minutes away from the airport if there is no traffic. If you are a backpacker and don’t know where to stay or go get dropped off at the McDonalds on the main intersection. Once there you are on the main road to the beach and also where the “Homestays” are. Mc D’s also has the internet so you can get an idea of some of the places that you want to look at. Remember to bargain when going to the Homestays’, most of them will give good deals if you are staying a few nights or even better if you stay a week or more. Lily Pond was a very nice place to stay; it has a pool with rooms that have A/C or fans. If you want a budget room there it’s advised to book ahead of time since it is a popular place.  We stayed at Bali Sweet Homestay, we were charged RPH120,000 and were served coffee and a light breakfast each morning. The room was very nice with private shower and television. They also had free wireless Internet.

Sanur is much more laid back than Kuta but it still has the street vendors, restaurants, and lodgings. The beach is pleasant but you wont find much surfing so stick to sunbathing and beach volleyball. As mentioned before, there are some wonderful places to eat, and always-reasonable prices. The local Warungs each had there own specialties but we recommend The Bali Pub, Warung Kembang, and Mona Lisa. There is a Hardy’s on the main street in Sanur, there you can buy anything that you need. We got tired of the same food all the time so we would get stuff to make salads and sandwiches. You can also check out the night market, they have food, trinkets and DVD’s there; I wasn’t really that impressed. Especially when on a few occasions we got the same food as a local and were charged more than them!

           

             The beaches are nice to relax on but if you are tired of the sand and salt water there are pools all along the beachfront. The resorts own them but you can go in and get a few beers and relax by the pool... 

We spent many of our days doing this! 

            If you want to go diving I recommend going and staying in the north for a few days, kind of breaking up your vacation. The dive shops in the south drive up to the north to do a lot of their diving and it takes a few hours to get there. We thought that Sanur was a good middle place for day trips-it’s close to Kuta, Ubud, and not too far from the north.       

Keep following the un-travelled path Nor-East...

The North: After a month in the south of Bali we decided to move north.  We found a private car that took us up there for RPH300,000.  The ride in total took us about 3 hours.  It went from Sanur to Amed.  If you are thinking of going to Tulamben, where the diving is…don’t! Go to Amed and stay there… Then take a dive shop lift, moped or taxi to go diving. The drive itself follows the coast, very nice and worth the trip.  You also pass the monkeys in the mountains, they are pretty fun!  Amlapura is the last main city that you come across before going into the north.  Go there for food and other necessities; they have big stores before you go through the mountains to the north coast.  Going into Amed is awesome, you travel along windy roads through the hills with rice terraces on either side.  Stop and take photos, enjoy the sites, it’s spectacular. 

            At the crossroad town of Culik you can either go straight or take a right, a right takes you to Amed and straight follows the coast to Tulamben and Singaraja. I recommend going right and heading to Amed.  We stayed at Kadek Homestay.  Go to them if you are on a budget, they were great.  The son, Kadek, speaks English and can help you get around with a moped, food, or directions.  Oceanfront rooms cost RPH100,000 a night.  It was fantastic; we stayed for a month and will do it again if we head to the area.  Breakfast was included along with Balinese coffee.  If you want to keep going along the paved road there are numerous lodgings to choose from.  In fact there are a few more small towns that you can stay in we just chose this one due to its proximity to the dive shop. Another we can recommend is

            As divers we wanted to rent tanks and go diving on our own, which is exactly what we did.  You pay a few dollars for a tank then $0.75 for porter fees.  There are dive sites in Tulamben and Amed.  Tulamben has shore dives and a famous wreck called ‘The USS Liberty’ that are fun and easy.  In front of Amed there are a few more currents but more creatures and features to see.  We chose to dive with Baruna in Amed; they are run by a colorful Frenchman named Antoine and have instructors and dive students that are fun and knowledgeable. If you’re a diver I recommend them.  The diving it self is average, the water temp is plenty warm, there is stuff to see, but there is not any huge attractions.  That being said, if you are there go and dive the Liberty and some of the drift dives, there are some pearls hidden in the water. As divers you will know what to look for and what to expect.

            Food in the north is subpar.  It’s very basic, probably due to the dry climate.  I said earlier in the writing that I found the best fried chicken outside of Alabama but I stand corrected…there is a man on the corner of Culik that sells “Frend Chicken”. Its top notch, it was RPH5,000 a piece, if you are in the area go eat it, FANTASTIC! Better than KFC and every other fried piece of chicken. He speaks very little English but he’ll understand how many fingers you hold up, he is on the main road towards Amed in Culik, ask around, everyone knows him. We ate there many a time and kept on coming back for more.

            If you want to feel pampered on a budget follow the road a few miles till you get to a bar/homestay called ‘Wawa Wiwa’, it’s on a bend over looking the ocean.  You can get rooms there for $30 or just get a beer and enjoy the infinity pool overlooking the ocean.  It is one of those places that makes you appreciate working hard and saving for your vacation.

Wawa Wiwa

            If you want to go for a drive there are some waterfalls about an hour past Tulamben that we went to, and if you keep on going there are many more to venture to. We found that we preferred to go for a dive than relax.  If you’re a diver you will get bored quickly.  The sand is pebble and black sand, which isn’t pleasant, but if you want to get away go to the north.  Overall it’s much different but very quiet.  One thing to check out is Arak, its similar to moonshine, with a twist!  It’s sold in water bottles for RPH15,000-60,000.  It is a rice wine; you need to check it out! The drink itself can be dangerous but is sold by the locals and drank by the locals. Most of the men sit around drinking this at night and conversing.  We recommend to drink it with honey, lemonade and lime, but please….drink with caution and a pack of cards!!!