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I want to know if i can purchase a sim card locally in bali if i take my ordinary nokia with me so that I can sms overseas to my family - uk and Australia.

Hello Gill!
Yes you can buy a local SIM card to put on your phone, unless your phone is ‘blocked’ and can only be used by your home providers SIM card. There are several Indonesian mobile phone providers, I use Mentari. The SIM card only costs ca. 25 000 Rp, and then you have to buy credit which comes in different dominations (25.000, 50.000, 100.000)

Another question for anyone who knows: Which satellite TV providers are there in Bali? We had Indovision around today but they could not get a good signal at our house. I called Kabelvision but they only provide TV for large hotels in Bali and not private residencies. Are there any others - which ones and how much do they charge?

Any help appreciated!

I want to bring my son from Canada for a visit and I am not interested in a ‘ package’ deal I’d rather book hotel etc separately. As this is a first trip to Bali (my parents were both born in Indonesia)I want to experience the ‘real’ Bali. Any thoughts for a location/hotel? I have been pouring over maps/locales and am no further to a decision. Also, what will likely be the weather at the begnning of March?
many thnx

Does anyone know how to weave bantens? I would like to make one for my son’s school presentation he is doing on Bali. Thanks!

hi, i am flying into Bali at 1:50 and am hoping to start my holiday in Ubud, any ideas on the best and easiest way to get to ubud at that time of night? Cheers

Just wondering has anyone seen the Fugly Bali web site and what they think of it ?

For Nick:
I am in town installing a tide gage for a tsunami warning network in Indonesia. The gage is near the lighthouse in Benoa. If you want to check it out and write about it drop me a line. I am working with 3 Indonesian guys from Java.

ziggy

thanks again Nick for your advice and outlook on things here in bali. you gave me a different way of seeing things and how the locals see us. i will be in thailand for a couple of weeks and contact you along the way. be back soon. great site and best of luck with all things. humbleness is a virtue. ben

I have seen the fugly bali site. that was the one about what is negative with the system in bali, right? about corruption, the police etc. to be honest it freaked me out because the second time i were there i got busted my a police officer. he wanted me to pay 6 mill rp but i got away with 1. i think you should be precauses in bali, but dont believe everything that they write on that web site. they managed to make bali look bad which it isnt.

Shit the Australian Government doesn’t need to issue any more travel warnings to Indonesia…they just need to direct people to the fugly site. What a crock o shit. that’s my opinion

hi there, i will be in Bali in june for a couple of weeks and thought of visiting a french guy in the bali jail, who was jailed for life 6 years ago. first of all, is it safe for me to go there by myself? if so, what’s the best things to bring with me, to make sure he will actually get for sure. money? food? books?
me: french girl 26.
thanks

Hey I love your site….I’m sitting here in London at 4.40am after just finishing work on a freezing cold night. Just looking at this site gives me hope that theres only a few more months to go before I’ll be back in Bali. Cheers!!

I will be in Bali Feb 28 and was thinking about taking my mountain bike. I understand that this is the rainy season and was wondering if I should even bother bringing my bike.

I need details of a honda or suzuki
scooter dealer in bali so i can prepurchase a new scooter before july 2006. contact Evan mddx_jhn@yahoo.com.au

Hi
just wondered what the weather is like in Denpasar at the moment? Im coming to bali end of march and am a bit worried about the weather. The weather was in march a few years back!

thanks
vicx

I have been reading baliBlog lately. I found it very interesting and a recommened site for people who want to know or plan to visit Bali. I myself was born and grew up there half of my life. It seems that Nick knows a whole lot more about Bali than me. I have left Bali for over 20 years, and reside in East Coast of USA for more than 11 years. Got chance visiting Bali last year in Summer for whole month. Keep a good job Nick. I am proud of you. Can’t wait for Spring to come.

hi nick. i’ve been following your blog for a while :). i do have a couple of questions. i’ve been to bali many times, i’m thinking about going back to bali and stay for a few months. but because of the much longer stay, i need to bring my yellow lab along. i’m thinking about renting a villa for maybe 3 months. do most villas accept dogs? and does he have to be quarantine before entering indonesia/bali? thanks for your help. ivy.

Hi Nick I am interested to know what the exchange rate is over there at the moment. ANZ in Melbourne will give me about 6500 INDRPH for I Aussie Dollar. Could you just give me a rough idea if its better to wait and exchange in Bali. Thankyou for your ace website i read it all the time, its my Bali Bible.

Jodie, fercrissakes haven’t you heard of Google, the financial pages in your local paper, or currency converter sites??!?!

Oh, be sure to bring toilet paper, Indonesia doesn’t have any.

Hi Nick, I have followed your website for a long time and love to read your daily storys, being married to a balinese girl and having a young child also your stories are close to my heart, a few questions, what is the large bali wedding like the opinion and attitude of the locals scare me but is also no worrys because im doing it for my wife nobody else, why did you choose to live in bali and not return to the usa with your wife, maybe if i could have i would have stayed too. do you work for foreign website in bali as a job in bali must be hard. how do you speak to your little one , my daughter is 2 and can already speak a little indonesian, understands her mums questions better then me, when i return to bali in 3 weeks my best friend is travelling too for our wedding i would like to go for a drink in kuta but my wife still considers kuta dangerous, what do you feel when you drive or ride through kuta with your new family, and after 5 years how do you stop a bali girl being jealous , best wishes stuart — scotland–

Yes and Jodie they have run out of water too..You will no doubt wanna bring that with you too.

Jimbaran Bay - When is everybody going to wake to the fact that the commisions of up to 40% and more that are paid by Jimbaran Bay restaurants to taxi drivers and some travel agents, are passed onto the consumer in menu prices? Sure the beach-side ambiance is delightful but, for my money, seafood at Kuta’s Mini or Legian’s Glory is in my view much better value. And, for that special occasion, Glory’s seafood platter is stunning - I suggest you have a look at their web site.

Richard: the difference between sitting practically on the water and under the stars at Jimbaran vs. being cooked by Kuta heat (and devoured by mosquitos) at Mini’s makes an outing to Jimbaran well worth it; and 40% higher at someplace in Bali is still cheap by western standards!

Craig: I have noticed the fugly bali site and i freaked out myself. I havent been there yet, but i amplanning to do so. I invite any comments from the rest of the group.

Could you tell me how to go about placing an ad in the classified section in the popular publication in Bali? Which is the most read publication anyway? Am looking to hire a couple of young certified therapist to work in our established spa in Singapore, hence the ad. Cheers!

i find a e-mail addres of krakatoa busines center in seminiak..will you helpe me?
thanks..and see you soon in bali

Does anyone have any old articles on the water pollution at Legian, Seminyak, Canngu or anywhere else. I am a regular visitor from Singapore and just want to get some idea of the better places to surf. I was there last weekend and the water at Seminyak looked pretty bad.

Hello Nick-
I am sitting next to Josh at work in San Diego and we just read your latest article. I wish I was in Bali. Hopefully Ill get there before the end of the year. Anyway, I just wanted to say hello and hope you are doing well. Keep in touch.
Camille

australians with gov support are now offering $1m for the death of abu bakar bashir and about time.

Hey Nick

Ben and Yeane here

Like to catch up with you

Does anyone have the address or contact details of the Girl Guides in Bali? My daughter needs to do a guide project and we will be visiting Bali this year.

Hello i recently visited Bali and visited a number of bars, MBarGo, Double6, La Vida Loca and Bar Obsession more ofen than no. The atmosphere was great the live band which played were cool and the place generally had a good vibe. I think the owner was a cool French dude… i have been trying to get hold of some contact details for Bar Obsession, by way of email, post or telephone and was wondering if u could offer any assistance or point me in the right direction… any help would be greatly apreciated
Thanking u in advance
Zoots, Manchester, UK

seen the fugly website, its insane , you can make a crazy website about any place in this world if you wanted.. This website is a scare tactic, I have been to Bali 12 times and never had any issues. To travel there helps many, the people in the fields, the people who drive you, the people who clean your room, that is tourism, and that is what Bali needs. Other places around Bali want to scare you from giving this place money… Is it safe? I think so, be careful and respectfula nd you will all fall in love with Bali like so many have…