Infos Bali

General

Bali, being part of the Indonesian archipelago, is also a province of the Republic of Indonesia. It belongs to the Lesser Sunda Islands (the four larger ones are Java, Sumatra, Kalimantan (Borneo) and Sulawesi, ex Celebes) and is situated south of the equator at approximately 8S 115E.

The whole of Indonesia consists of roughly 17.000 islands and spans 1/8 of the Earth’s circumference.

While Balinese Hinduism prevails in Bali, Indonesia with it’s 240 million inhabitants is the world’s most populous Muslim country.

All of the world’s important religions are present here in Bali and live together in peace and mutual respect.

Climate

Bali’s climate is pleasantly tropical, i.e. lacking extremes. Maximum temperatures usually vary by a mere +/- 2 degrees. Expect daytime highs around 30 and nightly lows around 26 degrees.

There is a dry season (normally mid of May until mid of November) and a rainy season (mid of November until mid of May)

The rainy season is the warmer one while the dry season often comes with some wind and therefore waves too.

You will very seldom experience rain all day long, though it might happen once or twice around the peak of the rainy season. But most of the time there will only be short but heavy rain-showers, frequently around 5 am and 5 pm or during the night. After some 30 minutes the show might be over and another 30 minutes later streets might have dried up and nothing will tell it has been raining. Temperatures stay the same anyway.

Best travel and dive season:

High Season due to European and Australian holidays is mid of July until mid of September and around Christmas/New Year. Hotels and flights may be more expensive and more difficult to book.

Best time for travelling Bali and/or diving here will therefore be mid of May until mid of July and mid of September until mid of November.

Peak Mola-Mola time (see here) is usually in August and September.

So don’t hesitate to come to Bali at any time convenient for you. Remember: a bad day diving is still better than a good day at the office 😉

Getting here

Some options ex Europe mainly for my friends from D-A-CH. If you are from UK, France etc. London or Paris might offer many more choices but while this list focuses on Frankfurt, Zurich and Vienna it might still give you an idea which airlines to look for.

Singapore Airlines ex Frankfurt or Zurich via Singapore

Malaysia Airlines ex Frankfurt or Zurich via Kuala Lumpur

Qatar Airways ex Vienna via Doha and Singapore

China Airlines ex Vienna via Taipeh

Emirates ex Vienna via Dubai

Etihad ex Vienna via Abu Dhabi and Singapore

Austrian Airlines and Thai Airways ex Vienna via Bangkok

KLM ex Vienna via Amsterdam and Singapore

and many more …

Sometimes you can grab a bargain starting around 650 Euro, while during peak season you will have to pay up to twice as much !

Immigration:

Your passport has to be valid for at least another 6 months.

IMPORTANT: check with the relevant Indonesian Embassy (Kedutaan Besar Republik Indonesia or KBRI) responsible for your country regarding visa requirements well in advance ! You might have to apply at your local KBRI or Indonesian Consulate.
Citizens of many European countries are eligible for ‘Visa-on-arrival’, which means you buy your Visa at the airport when you arrive here in Bali. It will be 25 USD for 30 days or 10 USD for 7 days (subject to change), you can pay in Euro or GBP as well.

EVEN MORE IMPORTANT – though it should not be an issue with divers at all – drug trafficking carries the death penalty ! So beware of doing someone a favor carrying luggage or accepting ‘presents’ of which’s content you are not 100% sure.

SUMMARY: DON’T MESS WITH INDONESIAN IMMIGRATION AND CUSTOMS !

For up-to-date information best see your country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ web site !

Departure

After checking in your luggage and before you pass Immigration towards the boarding gates you will have to pay an airport fee of currently 150.000 IDR in cash (no foreign currency accepted).

Language(s)

The artificially created official language is Bahasa Indonesia, it derives mainly from the old Malayan language, widely used by seafaring merchants. Beyond that Indonesia has about 365 local languages (mere dialects not counted !). Javanese and Balinese are the most widely spoken ones, but they are complex and not so easy to master !

In the more touristic areas you will get along well with English, elderly people might still have some Dutch or might on that basis even understand a few words of German !

Currency

Local currency throughout Indonesia is the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), locals like to abbreviate it with Rp. Instead of IDR.

Currently (Jan. 2012) 1 Euro = approx. 12.000 IDR, 1 USD = approx. 9000 IDR. Find up-to-date conversion rates e.g. here.

Best way to withdraw cash money (IDR) is using ATMs, but not all of them accept every kind of card, check for signs and stickers like Maestro or Cirrus, depending of what your ATM or Credit Card requires.

A sticker on the teller machine will tell you which denomination of bank notes you can get – 50.000 Rp. or 100.000 Rp. (IDR)

Depending not only on the bank operating but also the individual ATM or location you will be confronted with a transaction limit, usually either 1,200.000 Rp. or 2,000.000 Rp. per transaction. But you can exceed it by performing several subsequent transactions on the same day. The daily limit will be equivalent to the one defined by your bank (usually around 400 Euro) but might be different for transactions abroad for security reasons, so better check with your home bank in advance of your journey.

Health Care

There is a well developed health care system in place – if you can afford it.. Not that it would be expensive – but be aware that you have to pay, there are no international social insurance agreements in place. At least in the greater Denpasar area like in Kuta or Sanur you will find plenty of Doctors (general practitioners, specialized physicians, dentists, chiropractics etc.) and even European standard Hospitals.

Doctors will ask for cash, but make sure you have your credit card with you if you have to check in at a Hospital.

Denpasar’s General Hospital (RSU Sanglah) features a hyperbaric chamber (recompression chamber) for diving accidents – see important phone numbers !

Physicians in touristic areas generally speak at least some English, some of them even German or other European languages (again see important phone numbers).

….. (t.b.c.)