Healthy Traveling
Bali is getting better in terms of hygiene and medical facilities but it still has a way to go. You do not want to have a medical emergency here. Play safe and make sure you have medical insurance before you come. Best to have insurance that will evacuate you if you get terribly sick or have a serious injury and need airlifted to Singapore or home. Here are a couple of other common sense points that should keep you in good shape and enjoying your visit.

Drink plenty of fluids (water and fruit juices) to avoid dehydration. Drink bottled water ONLY - ice in drinks, however, is not a problem. Use common sense when choosing a place to eat. Eat in established restaurants that are clean and well patronized. If you are dead set on trying the hawkers in the street stick to those not serving meats unless your system is already well adjusted.

If you are using prescription drugs bring a sufficient supply. Pharmacies (Apotiks) often can fill a prescription but the dosage may not be quite the same as your doctor has prescribed. Also, while traveling keep your vital medication with you or in your carry on - in case your luggage is lost.

Take prompt care of any cuts or burns - do not risk infection in this heat and humidity. If you are sleeping in the open air, use mosquito repellent and a mosquito net. Malaria is not a problem in Bali. For additional information there's a list of hospitals and clinics in the Emergency Info section. Additional information on health matters may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention. Telephone the CDC international travelers hotline at (404) 332-4559 or visit the CDC home page on the Internet at http://www.cdc.gov

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Getting Around
If you are coming here for a week or so, you might be tempted to rent a car and go out driving yourself around to explore Bali. Our advice: DON'T - especially if you are coming from a country where driving on the right is the norm. When you put together pedestrians, bicycles, tour buses, trucks, livestock and assorted immovable objects in the middle of roads that are not well marked with traffic controls are often ignored and little - if any - enforcement of rules that may exist - you have yourself one of the most creative driving environments imaginable.

First, forget about getting lost, that's the least of your concerns. If you have an accident and there is an injury to a local person you will not be able to leave until the matter is cleared up. Better to hire a car with a driver, enjoy the scenery and arrive at your destination relaxed. It usually costs only about US$ 10.00 more per day to hire a driver with your rental vehicle than without - so you be the judge.

If we have not convinced you and for some reason you still want to drive yourself, you will need to have either an International Driving License (see your local automobile club) or a Tourist Driving License. A Tourist Driving License can be obtained Jl. Cokorde Agung Tresna 14, Renon. You will need to bring a copy of your passport and the driving license from your home country. Cost is Rp. 100.000 and the license is valid for 30 days. The office is open Monday - Saturday 8.00am - 3.00pm. Tel. 243939.

For shorter trips, i.e. back and forth between Kuta and Nusa Dua, metered taxis are available. The best is BlueBird Taxi - the BLUE cabs. Clean, reliable, safe and honest with working fare meters. Flag fall is Rp. 5,000.- for the first kilometre with each additional kilometre charged Rp. 4,500.- (fares updated Jan. 2009). To book or call a Bluebird Taxi call the number below (no booking fee).

If you are out on the street and can't get a Bluebird taxi, each area has its own cooperative some with meters and some without meters. For example in Nusa Dua taxi service is provided by Kowinu (brown metallic cabs with meters) that also clean, reliable, and safe but fares are a bit (5-10%) higher whilst in Kuta the taxi cooperative is Bali Taxi (white cabs without meters). As well some cabs have meters that "don't work". If you find yourself in an un-metered taxi and choose to stay, negotiate the fare first before starting the journey (the key words here are: Negotiate and First).

As well, the really adventurous visitor may want to explore Bali by motorcycle. Again we do not advise first time and short term visitors renting motorcycles for all the reasons listed above but if you do, be advised that you will need a motorcycle driver's license. You may get a Temporary Permit - valid for 6 months on Bali only - a simple enough procedeure but make sure to take 3 passport size photos, your passport, and a valid driver's license to the Police station in Denpasar - and by law you need to wear a helmet. Check the condition of the machine before you pay.

Another interesting way to discover Bali is by Bemo, the small covered carry vans careening about. No better way to mix with the locals and very, very cheap (ask the driver the fare before you get in, a little negotiating is possible but only on routes that are busy) but there's no air-conditioning and the bemos can get very crowded.

Last but not least are 'dokars' (2 wheeled horse drawn buggies). More a tourist ride in Kuta at night but a still a popular mode of transportation for locals in Denpasar during the day.

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Money Matters
You can exchange most major world currencies (cash or travelers checks) easily into the local currency, the Indonesian Rupiah. Hotels generally give less favorable exchange rates (the price of convenience). Or - and this our choice - go to a branch office of one of the local banks. However that being said, there are a squillion "authorized" money changers available.

If you choose to deal with an money changer BE CAREFUL - The number of stories we hear about people being cheated is shameful and the authorities are seemingly helpless to shut these despicable characters down. Nonetheless here are a couple of points worth remembering (see sidebar). First, the rate posted on the door usually is for amounts in notes of US $100. - lesser denominated notes (i.e. $20.00) will be given a less favorable rate. Next verify the exchange calculation (ask to use the calculator or - better yet - bring your own or use the calculator on your handphone ) and count your change before you leave the window.

Also, be prepared, if you are cashing travelers checks you will need to present your passport for identification. Also be aware that many money changers do not accept cash notes that have been even slightly defaced - or are in less than near mint condition. The official exchange rate is posted daily in all major newspapers. Last but not least if you see a posted rate that is 'too good to be true' it probably is and a good reason to steer clear.

Rupiahs come in paper and coins. Paper denominations are 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000 and 100,000; coin denominations are 10, 25, 50, 100, 500, and 1,000. Just a word of caution; there are many styles of the same denomination and some different denominations have similar colours that together with all the "zeroes" (i.e. the current 100,000 and 10,000 notes) even we who live here become confused sometimes.

ATMs are quite common and the ones with VISA / Cirrus logos dispense local currency at the bank's then current exchange rate. Some have the rate on the screen. Considering the probability of being short changed using an ATM could be better than going to a money changer for a few hundred dollars however the fees could make it too expensive for small amounts. A note of caution though - you must be absolutely sure to take your card - if not and the card remains in some machines additional withdrawals may be made WITHOUT having to re-enter the PIN!

Credit cards are accepted at better restaurants and retailers. But be aware most retailers add an extra 3-5% on your bill for the privilege of using plastic. You're not going to get anywhere arguing with the shopkeeper but if you want to try and get this back make sure the retailer or restaurant writes this surcharge down as an extra charge for using the card and then claim it from your month end billing. That said and fwiw, we notice that a lot of international cards are now charging their customers directly 3% for any purchase made outside the issuing bank's home country.

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Tipping
Tipping is relatively new in Bali. Most large hotels and restaurants will automatically add a service charge of between 5 & 10 percent to your bill which is quite sufficient. In such instances the service charged is added then tax is assessed on the total bill plus service charge.

However smaller restaurants generally don't add anything extra for service but considering that the waiter's wage may well be less than $2.00 a day - a tip of 5-10 percent is very much appreciated.

Other. Bellmen generally get Rp.3,000 for a small carry-on sized luggage, Rp.5,000 for larger bags and Rp.10,000 for extra heavy luggage and for those house trailers some people lug around. For taxi drivers, rounding up to the nearest Rp.5,000 or depending on the length of trip is the norm. If you hire a car for an entire day it is good form to give the driver Rp.5,000 - 10,000 for each meal and tip (say Rp.20,000) at the end of the day. With tour guides and the like tipping is up to you - just remember that chances are your driver/guide has most likely already received a commission from anything you purchased during the day.

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Telephone / Internet
All telephone numbers listed on BaliHotels.com website are local numbers. To reach any number in Bali from outside Indonesia dial: your international access code + 62 + 361+ (local number). Wherein "62" is Indonesia country code and "361" is the most common area code for Bali. Be advised that most Bali telephone numbers are 6 digits though some are still 5 digits. Cellular service in Indonesia is GSM. If you bring your own GSM handphone you may purchase a prepaid calling chip from any number of vendors (kiosks are everywhere) and it is much cheaper than using your home country service.

Telecommunication capabilities have improved greatly over the last few years but patience is still the keyword when trying to dial overseas from Indonesia - especially during office hours. Most high end hotels offer International Direct Dialing (IDD) and Home Country Direct (HCD) services. Overseas calls can also be made at state-run telephone offices known as a wartel (warung telephone).

Need to get online? Surprisingly it is very easy and cheap to get on-line in Bali today (even easier more convenient than Singapore believe it or not !) as most and cafes and some restaurants offer 'free' internet access with minimum purchase of say a cup of coffee or beer. Usually the cafe offers between 30-60 minutes of access when you buy a drink but it's not strictly metered. Bring your laptop or 3G phone for VOIP, get the password and Bob's your uncle. The only draw back is the connection speed is not all that fast (around 128kbps). If you can't find a free hotspot there are any number of internet cafes with prices are next to nothing (i.e. charges are about Rp.10,000.- (1USD) for the first hour with discounts for longer periods.

As well, most five star hotels and deluxe boutique hotels will have wireless broadband access in public areas or business centre. For those not staying in smaller hotels or in remote areas there are any number of warnet (warung internet) with inexpensive connections that are suitable for voip i.e. skype (hint... if we wanted to use skype we would bring and use our own headset).

A few wifi hotspots in Bali....

• Echo Beach Cafe - Canggu Beach, Canggu
• SOL Cafe - Canggu Beach, Canggu
• Breeze - Jl. Laksmana, Seminyak
• Black Canyon Coffee - Seminyak Square, Seminyak
• Casa Gourmet - Seminyak Square, Seminyak
• Chat Cafe - Corner Jl. Kunti and Sunset Road, Seminyak
• Fresh - Jl. Laksmana, Seminyak
• Lazumba - Jl. Laksmana, Seminyak
• Cube - Jl. Sunset (Near Imam Bonjol), Kuta
• JCO Coffee and Donuts - Galleria Matahari, Simpang Siur, Kuta
• Le Bake - Simpang Siur, Kuta
• Gloria Jeans - Kuta Galleria, Kuta
• Kopi Pot - Jl. Legian, Kuta
• Street Cafe - Jl. Danau Tamblingan, Sanur
• Flava - Pengosekan, Ubud

If you know of any other cafe hotspots in Bali (not in a hotel), send us an email stay@balihotels.com and we'll add it to the list.

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Business Hours
Bali’s famous temple ceremonies can wreak havoc on retail and banking hours. Though most shops in the major tourist areas are open from 10 am till 8 p.m., six days a week (seven in shopping centers and hotels) - sometimes a shop is closed for no apparent reason BUT there is a reason, the shopkeeper has a ceremony to attend. Restaurants start serving from 7 a.m. or so until 11.00pm or midnight.

Government offices and banks operate from 8 a.m. till 3 p.m., Monday to Thursday, and 8 a.m. till 12 p.m. on Fridays. That said though, Government offices and banks are closed on public holidays and sometimes the public holiday is 'extended' to allow for a long weekend. I.e. if a public holiday falls on a Thursday, often government offices and banks will be closed Thursday-Sunday. At Christmas and New Year, banks will be closed for 10-12 days depending on the actual holiday days.

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Bargaining
Difficult for many first timers but once you get the hang of it you’ll never pay retail again! However, not everybody wants to bargain anymore. Many of Bali's finer retailers now refuse (price tags generally signify a fixed price) but bargaining is still the norm in the art markets, trinket and T-shirt shops. But don’t get cheesy. Nothing is more irritating nowadays than watching a well clad tourist trying to squeeze the last 1,000 Rupiah (about 10 US cents) out of a shopkeeper. Just remember how much it cost to get to Bali. So what is the value in not taking home that beautiful wood statue? Negotiate a good price and take home a good story.

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Street Wise
The Balinese have a reputation as extremely honest people. Unfortunately, not everyone on Bali is Balinese and there has been an increase in petty crimes - especially in Kuta. Nonetheless Bali is still far, far safer than most large cities in this world.

Pickpockets, car break-ins and drive by bag snatching seem to be the most common complaints. To reduce your risk, use plain common sense and take the same basic precautions you would if you were visiting any big city; keep a tight grip on your purse or camera, Never leave any bags (whether valuable or not) unattended in your car, on the beach or by the pool, use the hotel safety deposit box, don’t go down dark deserted gangs (alleys) and don’t count money in the open. Not so hard...

On the flip side don't even think of committing a crime in Indonesia. You are a long way from home with far fewer rights than you think. Behave yourself and be a gracious guest.

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Outward Bound
On the way out of the hotel, keep a little extra money handy. All tourists leaving Indonesia from Ngurah Rai International Airport are required to pay an airport tax of Rp. 150,000. That said be advised that it is against the law to leave Indonesia with more than Rp.10,000,000. Departure for domestic travel is also taxed (Rp. 30,000) occasionally this has already been included in the ticket price - but usually you will need to pay this before you can enter the security area at the departure lounge. And if you have any spare change you can always make a donation to the local Red Cross or charity du jour at the airport or your hotel before you leave.

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