GENERAL INFORMATION ON BALI WAAG 2016 Conference Attendees BALI Area: 5620 km2 Population: 3551000 Timezone: GMT +8 Languages Spoken: English, Indonesian Currency: Indonesian Rupiah; Code: IDR Symbol: Rp Country Code: +62 Bali Weather Minimum average 23C. Maximum average 31C. 60% humidity. August is usually dry. The Conference Meetings Rooms are air-conditioned (may even be cold so bring a wrap or jacket just in case). GETTING THERE Jetstar: Virgin: AirAsia: Garuda: www.jetstar.com www.virginaustralia.com www.airasia.com.au www.garuda-indonesia.com Please ensure that your passport has 6 months or longer of validity or you will not be allowed to enter Indonesia. They are very strict about this. TRAVEL INSURANCE It is highly recommended that you purchase travel insurance for all travellers in your party. SECURITY Register with DFAT (Foreign Affairs and Trade in Australia) or your country's equivalent so that if there is trouble they know where you are, and can email you alerts. No news is good news, and if you do get an alert, you have time to decide what to do. ARRIVAL On arrival at Denpasar's Ngurah Rai Airport head to the immigration hall. Once there, you will find the Visa on Arrival (VOA) booths as you walk in. Your Visa On Arrival (VOA) will cost US$35 per person for a stay of up to 30 days. Children are not exempt from having to have a VOA. Credit cards are
NOT accepted so you must have the cash on you in US dollars. They may also take Australian currency, depends how busy it is. With your visa in hand proceed to the next bank of booths and when asked to come forward present your passport and VOA. Proceed from here into the baggage claim area. There are porters (they will be wearing shirts that say porter ) available to hire in this area and they may try to grab your bags for you. They are not just being helpful, they do expect to be paid on a per case basis, as this is their livelihood. If you don t want to use a porter, a firm, but polite No, thank you will suffice. With your luggage, proceed through the customs area with your customs card (given out on the plane as well) ready for inspection. CATCHING A TAXI FROM THE AIRPORT Before you exit the terminal you will find the taxi booth. All taxi fares out of the airport are set price, posted on a notice board inside the booth. Tell the staff behind the counter where you are going, pay them in Rupiah and you will be given a slip of paper. Within a matter of seconds, your taxi driver will find you, help you with your luggage and take you to his taxi. Alternatively arrange a pick-up by The Laguna, please contact the hotel direct to arrange this and quote your hotel confirmation number. Prices start from US$30 one way payable directly to the hotel. Conference Venue InterContinental Bali Resort Jalan Uluwatu 45 Jimbaran, Bali, 80361 Indonesia http://bali.intercontinental.com/ MONEY Currency (Rupiah) Bank Notes: 100, 500, 1,000, 2,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000, 50,000, 100,000. Coins: 25, 50, 100, 500, 1000. Credit Cards Major credit cards are acceptable in most hotels along with American dollar traveller s cheques. EXCHANGE Money Changing & ATMs At the airport: You have two easy options for getting local currency at the airport: a) there are several ATM machines before you head outside b) money changers also just before you get out the doors. Some are bank-sponsored, and they are competitive.
Money Changers: Commercial banks are always safest Second best are registered money changers in sole-purpose shops or booths. Keep exchange rates in perspective! Before you spend a half day and taxi fares shopping around to get absolutely the best rate, remember that a rate that gives you another 10 rupiah per dollar means you will get an additional Rp1,000 on a $100 exchange -- only about 10 cents. What's your time worth? Always take care when changing money. It is easy to be tricked when you aren't used to working in hundreds of thousands and millions! Many people also get the 100,000 and 10,000 Rupiah mixed up as they are hard to differentiate so pay attention. Note that if you are changing Australia bank notes, banks and money changers are VERY PARTICULAR about the quality of the bills. $100 bills will get you the best rate (usually posted), and smaller bills will trade at a discount (not posted). Bills must be in PERFECT condition, with no rips, tears, marks or creases, and must be printed no earlier than 2007. If the bank won't take a bill because it's not perfect, a money changer might but will certainly try to extract a discount. ATMS: If you take money out of your account by ATM, beware of the charges. So check with your bank before you go. ATMs dispense rupiah only, and it comes in either Rp 50,000 or 100,000 notes: it will say on the outside of the machine. For Rp 100,000 machines, the maximum amount per transaction is usually 2 (or rarely, 3) million -- it's limited by how many bills can physically be pushed through the dispenser. If you put a non-indonesian card in an ATM, it will automatically ask you if you want instructions in Indonesian or English. Also be aware that the money typically comes out BEFORE the card. Many an unwary traveller has left their card behind. Some ATMs in Bali experienced problems with cameras and skimmers back in 2009, so it's good practice to cover your hand when you enter your PIN. After the last round of thefts, most banks installed shields over key pads to make filming PINs more difficult. If you are concerned about security, it's always safer to use an ATM that is physically located at a bank branch rather than a free-standing ATM machine in a booth. There is an ATM at The InterContinental Bali Resort CUSTOMS REGULATIONS: You may bring a maximum of 200 cigarettes, 50 cigars or 100 grams of tobacco and a reasonable amount of perfume per adult. One litre of alcoholic beverage may be brought in per person 18 years of age or over. Personal goods up to a value of USD 250 per passenger or USD 1,000 per family may be brought into the country. Any person bringing cash into or taking cash out of the country in the amount of Rp.100,000,000.00 (one hundred million rupiah) or more, or other currency in equivalent amount, must declare same to Customs. Indonesian law forbids visitors from bringing weapons, illegal drugs or pornography into the country. Penalties can be severe and include death for weapons or drugs. Alcohol in excess of 1 litre per person 18 years or over is also forbidden to be imported.
Electronic goods and photographic equipment must be declared to Customs upon entry and must be re-exported. Visitors must surrender a signed customs declaration in order to clear customs inspection upon arrival. The export of certain products, such as tortoise shell, crocodile skin, and ivory is prohibited. VOLTAGE Bali s electricity power supply operates at 220volts / 50Hz (hertz/cycles), this is the same as Australia and many European countries that operate 220-240v / 50Hz. You can purchase power plug adaptors at department stores in Bali for about Rp20,000 which is about AU$2. If you are taking several electrical appliances from home to Bali it might be worth considering buying just the one adaptor plug and having it fitted to a home power board of 4 outlets so you have available more convenient multiple power outlets to charge and power your appliances. MEDICAL There is a BIMC Hospital situated in Nusa Dua with a 24hr Accident and Emergency Centre plus a full range of medical and dental services. For more comprehensive information please visit: http://www.bimcbali.com/bimc-hospital-nusa-dua T:(+62 361) 3000 911 HINTS N TIPS CHILD MINDING & BABYSITTING The hotel can provide you with babysitters if you need and there are a number of services for child minding. Last year we tried Bali Baby Hire with excellent results. Check out its website where you can book a nanny, hire toys, walkers, pool flotation supports and so on: www.balibaby.com TAXI Getting around by taxi is cheap on Bali, this information may be helpful. You should insist that the taxi driver switch on the meter at the beginning of the ride. Some of the drivers "tend to forget" which could lead to possible negotiations that can be avoided from the start. Transport Be aware of being asked if you need transport by a range of people on the road and outside the hotel. They are unlicensed and may not even be the driver of the vehicle. If you are tempted, ask to see the vehicle and then, if it meets your standards and needs, negotiate the best price. Sometimes it s nice to have your own car and driver for the day at your disposal but buyer beware.
TELEPHONE We suggest you turn Data Roaming off on your phone if you don t want to get a shock when you open your bill at home. If you need to make calls then consider using Viber or Skype. Or check with your phone provider before you leave, they may have a good deal or helpful suggestions for you. For example Optus has a Prepaid Travel Pack. WATER Do not drink the tap water or brush your teeth in it. The InterContinental and Le Meridien hotels will provide bottles of water in your room and filtered tap water which is safe to drink in restaurants, and ice in the hotel is also safe. Most 3-5 star hotels have their own filtration system. Be wary of roadside or beachside restaurants, best to stick with bottled water at all times and no ice. Mineral water including major imported brands is readily available from supermarkets and convenience stores at a very low price. We highly recommend you buy these and stock up in your room. Use bottled water to clean your teeth and to fill the kettle in your room. Be sensible when buying cocktails or other mixed drinks. There have been instances of some bars and restaurants using methanol or ethanol to cut costs. CLOTHING Conference Sessions: smart casual Social Events: smart casual, informal. Dressy if you prefer. Light, airy, casual clothes are the most practical and you'll find natural fibres like cotton or linen are the most comfortable in Bali's often humid conditions. SECURITY All the rooms at both recommended hotels have an in room safe. We suggest you place all valuables, passports and cash in there for safekeeping. ETIQUETTE Several tips to keep in respect for Balinese customs, rituals and sensibilities: Don t take a picture of anyone or something without first obtaining permission. Don t enter a temple unless you re completely covered knees to shoulders; you can buy a traditional sarong or sash around the temple or get one free to use, provided at some temples in Bali. Don t enter a temple or other holy places during menstruation, rather ask the local people about those places without necessarily entering the grounds. Don t touch anyone s head or point at someone. Don t give or receive an object with your left hand. Insect Repellent We suggest you bring insect repellent with you to ward off mosquitoes.
Sun Screen Bring plenty with you for you and your family. It is cheaper to buy good quality sun screen at home than in Bali. SHOPPING There is great shopping about 25 minutes from Jimbaran in Seminyak and Kuta but you will need transport to get there. Taxi is recommended and is usually a reasonable cost. If you prefer the local market shops, then you need to know that most shopping here is done by the barter system (with the exception of the major shopping malls and department stores). The shop keeper will give you a starting price and then you barter the price down to something that you both are happy with. Updated 20112015