Cell phones in Bali

Cell phones are all the rage in Bali just like most other places in the world. My sister-in-law Ningrum, loves chatting to her friends and I get the feeling that between her, Ika and and brother Awang, they have better communication than the CIA. Whenever I bbq on the spur of the moment, out of nowhere they appear. That’s actually okay with me, since I like to share.

Getting a phone in Bali is easy. You might start by checking out phones and prices at Bintang supermarket in Seminyak. If you see one you like you can get set up with a SIM card and pulsa from outside the supermarket entrance. I but 100,000rp credits, which last a long time. I bought my Nokia 2 years ago, second hand fore 350,000rp including 50,000rp of pulsa. Its one of the older phones and has 10 digits. Newer phones have more digits.

If you come to Bali and do get a phone, do us all a favor and turn the ringer down. Also, if you get a call in a cafe or restaurant, either talk normally or step outside. I step outside anytime I’m at an internet cafe, when possible. Some of the people who live here and have nothing to do all day, start off with “HI GIRLFRIEND, OH LET ME TELL YOU WHAT I DID LAST NIGHT.”

Most phones here have 2 dictionaries, English and Indonesian. In the past I have let someone use my phone and for the next couple of days couldn’t figure out why the phone didn’t recognize the words I typed. Everyone uses SMS here so get familiar.