Immigration
The Kantor Imigrasi (Immigration Office) is in the Renon Complex,
Niti Mandala, Denpasar, tel. (0361) 227828; another office is near the
airport on Jl. Ngurah Rai, Tuban, tel. (0361) 751038. Both are open Mon.-Thurs.
0700-1300, Friday 0700-1100, Saturday 0700-1200. Follow the dress code
chart on the wall. If you don't dress properly, these bureaucrats won't
even talk to you. T-shirts, halter tops, and bathing suits don't cut it.
Always apply for an extension three or four
days prior to the expiration of your entry stamp or else you'll be held
up at the airport and may even miss your flight. This applies even if you're
one day over your two-month allowable period. Valid reasons for going over
are a medical emergency, a missed flight, or a flight or ship you must
board just a few days away. A letter or ticket confirming your departure
date makes the extension easier to get.
Legal Services
There are now several, private, one-stop visa services on Bali that
do the legal paperwork necessary for visa extensions and renewals: CV
Jasa Bali, Jl. Legian Kaja 486 (tel./fax 0361-757008), and Wayan's
CV Jasa Werda Dwi Karya, Biro Jasa (tel. 0361-975599). Wayan's office
is just 100 meters from his Siti Homestay in Peliatan (near Ubud) in Gianyar.
They both can help you obtain a social/cultural/business visa as well as
provide legal services and notary assistance.
Business Services
The best business services on Bali for sending and receiving faxes,
making international phone calls (IDD), for secretarial service, translations,
courier service, and even real estate are: Ary's Wisata Travel Service
on Ubud's main street; Cafe Krakatoa (tel. 0361-752849) in Legian;
and Ra Business and Communication Center (tel. 0361-281253) in Sanur.
Police Stations
Badung, Jl. Diponegoro 10 (tel. 0361-234928) and Jl. A. Yani,
Denpasar (tel. 0361-225456); Bangli, Jl. Nusantara, Bangli (tel.
0366-971072); Bualu, Jl. Bypass Nusa Dua (tel. 0361-772110); Buleleng,
Jl. Pramuka, Singaraja (tel. 0362-241510); Gianyar, Jl. Ngurah Rai,
Gianyar Town (tel. 0361-973110); Jembrana, Jl. Pahlawan, Negara
(tel. 0365-110); Karangasem, Jl. Bhayangkara (tel. 0366-110); Klungkung,
Jl. Untung Surapati (tel. 0366-221115); Kuta, Jl. Bypass Tuban,
Tuban (tel. 0361-751598); Sanur, Jl. Bypass Ngruah Rai, Sanur (tel.
0361-288597).
Emergency Numbers
Ambulance, tel. 118; police, tel. 110; fire, tel.
113; Search and Rescue, tel. (0361) 751111.
Foreign Consulates in Bali
Netherlands, Jl. Imam Bonjol 599, Denpasar (tel. 0361-751904
or 751497, fax 752777); France, Jl. Raya Sesetan 46 D, Banjar Pesanggaran,
Denpasar (tel. 0361-233555); Japan, Jl. Moh. Yamin 9, Renon, Denpasar
(tel. 0361-231308 or 234808); Germany, Jl. Pantai Karang 17, Sanur
(tel. 0361-288535); Italy, Jl. Padang Galak, Sanur (tel. 0361-288996
or 288896).
Switzerland/Austria, c/o Swiss Restaurant,
Jl. Pura Bagus Taruna, Legian (tel. 0361-751735); Sweden/Finland,
Segara Village Hotel, Sanur (tel. 0361-288407 or 288408); U.S.A.,
Jl. Sanur Ayu 5, Sanur (tel. 0361-288478); Denmark/Norway, Jl. Jayagiri,
Gang VIII/10, Denpasar (tel. 0361-235098 or 233053); Australia,
Jl. Prof. Moh. Yamin Kav. 51, P.O. Box 243, Renon, Denpasar (tel. 0361-235092
or 235093, fax 231990).
Alcoholics Anonymous Meetings
Ten to 20% of the traveling public may appreciate learning that AA
Meetings are held in Legian at the Dhyana Pura Hotel Coffee Shop (tel.
0361-751442 or 751443) on Tuesday at 0800, Wednesday at 2000, and Friday
at 1800. In Ubud, meetings are held at Mumbul's Restaurant on Thursday
at 2000. In Gianyar, meetings are held on Sunday at 1630 in the Waterfall
Restaurant en route to Gianyar town.
Religious Services
Most churches and mosques are in the Denpasar area: Catholic Church,
Jl. Kepundung; Protestant Maranatha, Jl. Surapati; Seventh Day Adventist,
Jl. Surapati; Evangelical Church, Jl. Melati; Raya Mosque, Jl. Hasanudin;
Annur Mosque, Jl. Diponegoro; Taqwa Mosque, Jl. Supratman; Al-Hassan Mosque,
Bali Beach Hotel, Sanur.
Catholic Mass: Bali Beach Hotel on
Saturday at 0500-0600 (Legong Room); Bali Hyatt Hotel, Saturday at 1800-1900
(Hibiscus Room); Church of St. Francis Xavier, Kuta/Tuban, Sunday at 0800;
Bali Solo Hotel, Sunday 1700 (Conference Hall I); Nusa Dua Beach Hotel,
Sunday at 1800 (Garuda Room).
Protestant Service: Bali Beach Hotel
in Sanur on Sunday 1830-1930. Inter-denominational Service: Nusa Dua Beach
Hotel (Garuda Room) at 1730 in Nusa Dua.
Ecclesiastical Service: Jl. Raya Tuban,
Sunday at 1830-1930, in Tuban; Legian Church on Gang Menuh (off Jl. Legian),
Sunday at 1700 in Kuta; Bali Beach Hotel, Sanur, Sunday at 1830-1930.
Pentecostal: Jl. Kresna 19, Denpasar,
Sunday at 2000; Jl. Raya Kuta, Sunday at 1800 and 2000 (tel. 0361-751504);
Bali Sol (Conference Hall) in Nusa Dua at 1700.
Marriage Services
Some hotels in south Bali specialize in marrying Westerners for about
US$1000, which includes the priest for the ceremony, blessings, witnesses,
lunch and dinner for four, traditional Balinese wedding attire (pakaian
adat), travel to Tanah Lot for photographs, other photo ops, a photo
album, and champagne. Bolare Beach Bungalows (P.O. Box 256, Denpasar
80001, tel./fax 0361-35464) next to the Dewata Beach Resort in Petitingit
is only one of many hotels offering this unique service which some have
unkindly dubbed "masquerade tourism."
Laundry
Laundry is twice as cheap as in the West. Your accommodations will
almost always offer a laundry service. There are no laundromats on Bali.
In a homestay or losmen, there is often an ibu or one of
the houseboys who does the washing. The charge depends on the article.
Sometimes they don't even charge, but in those cases give a tip. Guests
may also wash their clothes in the sinks or in the courtyard's mandi.
Buy laundry soap, Rp400 per packet, at any grocery. An inexpensive nylon
clothesline or length of rope, plus a few clothes pegs, are smart items
to take to Indonesia.
If you're staying in an upmarket hotel, try
to find a laundry service outside your hotel as starred hotels could easily
charge you US$15-20 to wash and press an average load of laundry. The tax
alone may account for a fifth of the cost. In Kuta, Poppies Lane II has
several laundries that wash your clothes at a much more reasonable rate:
Rp1000 for a shirt, Rp500 for a T-shirt, Rp2000 for a pair of pants, Rp500
for a pair of socks.
Big hotels offer drycleaning; every room has
a price list. Don't ever put valuable garments, such as an expensive silk
shirt, into the hands of any laundry service—they may ruin it. If
it's a small, budget hotel doing your laundry, you need at least one good
sunny day for them to complete the job. Better allow two or three days.
Bigger, more expensive hotels have laundry facilities and can even offer
12-hour express laundry service for a surcharge.
Babysitting
Though a housegirl receives a wage of about Rp35,000 per month, you
have to give more for a babysitter who is trained in first aid and childcare.
Informally ask her. Expect to pay around Rp85,000 per month for a full-time
babysitter, and even more if she's able to speak English. For more on babysitting,
see the special topic "Traveling with Children."
Sending Letters
In the post office, go to the window with a scale first; your letter
has to be weighed and given a stamp value. Sometimes you then have to take
it to another window for stamps. Go up to the clump of people and push
your letter as far as possible through the barred window to gain the attention
of the postal clerk. Then try to squeeze your money into some gap between
all the other hands. These are acceptable manners at Indonesian post offices.
The glue on Indonesian stamps is weak. After
getting stamps, take them over to the glue stands and reglue them. Stamps
can also be purchased at shops selling postcards, and most of the larger
hotels sell stamps and collect letters for mailing, as well as handle faxes.
For international mail, always use the express
service (kilat), which takes only five to seven days to the Americas,
Europe, or Australia. Airmail costs for postcards are Rp1000 to the U.S.,
Rp800 to Europe, and Rp800 to Australia. An airmail letter costs Rp1550
to the U.S., but handy and fast aerograms are only Rp750.
Bring strong envelopes with you to Bali to
make sure your exposed film or letter arrives safely. Register anything
of value. The charge for registering a letter (surat tercatat) is
about equal to postage, but the chances will greatly improve—though not
be guaranteed—that your letter will reach its destination. Letters bound
for overseas or domestic delivery may be registered at any post office
branch.
Shipping Companies
Bali has specialized air express companies at Kuta, Legian, Seminyak,
Sanur, and Ngurah Rai International Airport, so if you're buying crafts
in the Outer Islands wait until you get to Bali to air or sea freight them.
Some companies are more competent than others, and different companies
can charge wildly varying prices. Look around and query every exporter
you meet. Dealers can't be trusted to recommend reliable shippers as they
invariably send you to their brother-in-laws (nepotism is rampant in Bali).
In any case, be patient. Don't be surprised if it takes longer than they
promised. The shipper will tell you what you want to hear.
These companies take care of everything: domestic
and international air cargo, freight forwarding, container and warehouse
service, packing and surface shipping, insurance, customs clearance, DHL
(door to door) worldwide express service, postal agent. Shipping is expensive,
charging for one square meter a total of US$270, which includes US$35 for
packing (crating), US$25 for documents, US$25 for handling, US$20 for transport.
Everything is trucked overland first to Surabaya. A 20-cubic-foot container
costs US$2000-3000 to ship anywhere in the world.
If you pack it yourself, you might get the
price down. Also, check on the "unaccompanied baggage" rates on your flight
home, which may be cheaper than air freight. Some airlines only allow you
20 kg of "free" luggage. Garuda usually won't let you check in more than
two large pieces of luggage; for a third piece you'll be charged. For example,
it costs US$110 for an extra bag from Denpasar to Los Angeles. Have them
paste "fragile" stickers on any parcels containing breakables.
Several good shippers in Ubud: CV. Ary's
Jasa Wisata (Ary's tourist Service Centre), Jl. Raya Ubud 80571 (tel.
0361-975162 or 975523, fax 975162); PT Bali Purnama Cargo, Jl. Jembawan
(tel. 0361-975033), near the post office. Quality problems? PT Bali
Surya Agung Cargo & Buying Agents (tel. 0361-975547, fax 974361)
can help you find it, buy it, get the right quality, and get it shipped.
Wir sprechen Deutsch.
Other cargo agents: C.V. Bali Great, Jl. Raya
Kuta 93, Kuta (tel. 0361-755649, fax 756761); Alpha Sigma CV, Jl. Raya
Imam Bonjol 98, Denpasar 80361 (tel. 0361-227768 or 227760); Bali Delta
Express CV, Jl. Kartini 58, Denpasar 80112 (tel. 0361-223340 or 224430);
Bali International Cargo CV, Jl. Raya Sanur 2, Sanur (tel. 0361-288563).
PT Bayu Pesona Cargo, Tegehe, Batubulan,
Gianyar (tel./fax 0361-298067), just up the road from the bemo terminal,
offers worldwide packing and shipping service by air, sea, or land, international
air and sea freight, domestic door-to-door service, household and office
moving, and exhibition freight forwarding. Prices are very competitive.
Also receiving good reports for reliability
are PT Golden Bali Express, Jl. Hayam Wuruk 162 A, Denpasar (tel.
0361-238174, fax 235303), with branch offices in Kuta (tel. 0361-751771)
and at the airport (tel. 0361-751011, ext. 4114); and PT Orient Pacific
Express, Jl. Diponegoro 155, Denpasar (tel. 0361-234791, fax 234366).
Aero Sea Cargo, Jl. Dhyana Pura 2, Seminyak (tel. 0361-753531),
offers two safe ways of packing. Their hanging system, with each item hung
on a frame before going into the container, is the best way to pack ready-to-wear
garments. Their cardbox system is suitable for more durable goods like
furniture and garments.
UPS, Jl. Raya Sesetan 118, Denpasar
(tel. 0361-232720), offers package and document delivery with electronic
tracking capability to over 180 countries. Rates: 15 kg to San Francisco
costs US$312, five kg to San Francisco US$170, 15 kg to Copenhagen US$356,
five kg to Copengagen US$195, letter to New Zealand US$20, letter to Frankfurt
US$24, letter to Sydney US$26.
Another nifty service is VIP—"Very
Important Package"—offering same-day door-to-door service or overnight
door-to-door service anywhere in Indonesia. You can easily check the location
and status of your package anytime. VIP will pick up your package until
1900, or you can drop it off at their office at Jl. Diponegoro 196 (tel.
0361-240033, 231329, or 756879, fax 756879) until 2200.
Paket Pos
Seamail or surface post (paket pos) is the cheapest way of all
to send goods home. It will cost you a trip into Denpasar, two hours of
your time, and average out to about US$3 per kilo. The most efficient paket
pos (parcel post) office is in Denpasar where overseas-bound packages
may be posted, insured, and registered. Customs inspectors will open the
parcel to make sure you're not smuggling out antiquities, so don't bother
sealing it up.
Packers will be on hand to package your goods
securely for Rp5000-6000. Get there as soon as it opens at 0800 because
the postal inspectors, who must inspect every parcel, may go home at 1300.
Sample seamail rates from Bali to U.S.: up
to one kg, Rp7250; over one kg but less than three, Rp12,350; over three
kg but less than five, Rp17,550; over five kg but less than 10, Rp28,900.
To Europe: up to one kg, Rp8000; over one kg but less than three, Rp10,250;
over three kg but less than five, Rp13,050; over five kg but less than
10, Rp17,750.
When sending packages, always max out your
parcel to 10 kg because you're paying for the five- to 10-kg rate anyway.
Likewise, on the three- to five-kg rate, max out to five kilos. In case
of loss or damage, put your name and address on a slip of paper inside
the parcel as well as outside. International seamail can take up to six
months, but it usually takes six to eight weeks.
If you have a lot to send back, try surface
instead of a more expensive shipping company. The postal agent on Jl. Legian
on Kuta offers parcel service with the same rates as official government
rates, but they charge Rp10,000-15,000 for packaging. Kuta's main post
office does not have paket pos service for parcels over one kilo.
International Telecommunications
International calls are handled by Indosat, a state-owned enterprise
that uses an international satellite and microwave system linked with 127
countries. Since the early '90s, Bali has experienced an explosion in sophisticated
communications technology which has brought the world much closer. Nowadays
Balinese aren't as likely to gather in the balai banjar; they'll
just call up their friends and chat. Now if your phone doesn't work and
you call the telephone company, somebody actually comes to fix it. Sound
quality has improved considerably, too.
Presently foreign visitors may avail themselves
of a wide network of Warung Telekomunikasi (Wartel), or privately
owned telephone offices, some technically more together than others. Sometimes
only two of four booths operate properly, and out of 45 minutes spent in
one, six of eight Westerners trying to make calls may have initial difficulties.
Though the person in charge may repeatedly ask if you want to cancel, it
pays to persevere.
For International Direct Dialing (IDD), do
it from your hotel room or go to one of Bali's many Wartel. Dial the country
code (U.S. 01, Australia 61, etc.), then the area code and the local number.
You'll be charged according to the country zone you dial. To get AT&T
service on a call to the U.S.A., dial first the access code 0080110, then
give your telephone credit card number, then the telephone number you want.
When you get back home, the charge will appear on your telephone bill.
Although it's a thrill dialing direct in minutes
to a friend in New York from your Nusa Dua hotel room overlooking the pool,
hotels routinely levy preposterous surcharges for in-room international
calls—as much as Rp35,000 for a three minute call. It'll cost US$2.50 for
the calling card service charge, plus US$4.07 for the first minute, then
US$1.63 for each additional minute. In other words, a 15 minute call to
New York will cost around US$26.89 (14 x 1.63 + 4.07 = 26.89). Calls to
the U.K. can be made for Rp31,000 for three minutes.
Instead, take a bemo to the nearest
Wartel, some open 24 hours a day seven days a week. There's a Wartel within
five minutes walk from the Ngurah Rai Airport's domestic terminal building,
going toward the road where you get bemo to Kuta. In Kuta, a Wartel,
open til 2100, is on Jl. Bakung Sari on the top floor of a two-story building
which also has a Korean restaurant on the top floor. This office is about
10 minute's walk from the corner of Jl. Ngurah Rai.
In Ubud, a Wartel is on the main road between
the pasar and the Kantor Pos, open til 2000. Another is near Nomad's
Restaurant. There's also an office in Padangbai, open til 2000, and a 24-hour,
seven days a week Wartel in Amlapura. Bemo going into Amlapura drive
past it on the way to the pasar/terminal, but not on leaving the
town.
Collect (reverse-charge) calls are only accepted
now between Indonesia and Europe, America, and Australia. Remember it's
at least 10% cheaper to dial direct than to have an operator assist you.
Person-to-person calls are almost twice as expensive as station-to-station
calls, with reduced rates on Sunday. The collect call fee for a long-distance
call is Rp2500, and the cancellation fee is Rp1000.
Home Country Direct is a service whereby
you merely lift the receiver on a special phone, press a button next to
the country you want to dial (20 different countries participating), and
speak directly to an operator in your home country. One phone is outside
the airport's international terminal, others are found in Kuta, Ubud, and
in Sanur's Bali Beach Hotel. It's marvelous to be able to talk to a U.S.,
British, or German operator, give her your credit card number, and be connected
in 30 seconds.
Other High-Tech Services
Shops offering photocopies at Rp20 per copy are found in Denpasar,
Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Singaraja, Lovina, and Candidasa. Telegrams can be sent
from Bali's kantor telekomunikasi (telephone offices) run by the
government's telephone system monopoly, Permuntel. Fax machines are available
in major hotels which boast "business centers" like the Kartika Plaza in
Kuta and the Bali Hyatt in Sanur. Wartel centers also send faxes for Rp10,000
or receive faxes for Rp1000. Computers are popping up everywhere in Bali
now. Your hotel may offer computer connected services.
Business Hours
Business hours are flexible, depending on numerous variables. The workweek
on Bali can seem convoluted because of the country's attempt to accommodate
two separate religious schemes, meshing the Islamic calendar with the Gregorian.
Consequently, banks, offices, and schools close early on Friday for the
Islamic Sabbath, but Sunday is also observed as a day of rest. Saturday,
meanwhile, is a partial work day, so the Balinese workweek consists of
four full days and two partial days. During major Islamic holidays such
as the monthlong Muslim fast, restaurants on overwhelmingly Hindu Bali
are unaffected.
Always get an early start for bureaucratic
offices, before the lines get long and the day grows hot. Generally speaking,
government offices open at 0800 Mon.-Sat., closing at 1500 or 1600 Mon.-Thurs.,
1100 or 1130 on Friday, and 1400 on Saturday. Banks are open Mon.-Fri.
0800-1200, Saturday 0800-1100. Bank branches in hotels often remain open
into the afternoon, and moneychangers in the tourist centers and the bank
windows at the airport stay open until up to 2100.
Shops operate from 0900 to 1800 or later,
six days a week. Shopping arcades and the new Balinese "supermarkets" frequently
remain open until 2100. Expect businesses to take midday lunch breaks of
an hour or more, during which time no one answers the phone, even in Denpasar.
Equipment
For recreational photography, leave your cumbersome changeable-lens,
35mm SLRs at home. If you're struggling with two bags full of photo equipment,
you'll only worry about your gear. Instead, take a new generation, 35mm,
fully automatic subcompact.
For camera repair, try Prima Photo
on Jl. Thamrin in Denpasar. Camera Service & Repair, Pertokoan
Terminal Tegal Sari No. 27 (no telephone), on Jl. Imam Bonjol, has a better
reputation—at prices much lower than in the West. This shop is in the same
complex/terminal where you catch bemo to Kuta.
Film
Color film on Bali is cheaper than in Europe or North America and is
widely available. With the suffocatingly humid climate, make sure it has
been stored in an air-conditioned environment. The most popular 35mm brand
is Fuji, in a full range of ASA/DIN ratings. Although a 36-exposure Kodachrome
64 slide film is for sale at a cost of around Rp15,000 for film and processing,
the processing is unreliable unless it is sent to Jakarta or Australia.
By contrast, a 36-exposure roll of Fujicolor
print film (100 ASA) costs around Rp7000, 200 ASA is Rp8000. Batteries
are also less expensive here: a six-volt lithium battery is Rp25,000, while
in the U.S.A. it's US$17. You'll find good selections of film at dozens
of photo shops on Kuta, Legian, Sanur, and Denpasar, and at most of the
high-priced hotels.
Bali Foto Centre (Jl. Raya Kuta 121,
tel. 0361-751329 or 751373) in Kuta carries more than 50 film brands, kept
in an air-conditioned showcase, including such leading world brands as
Agfa, Polaroid, a range of black-and-white films, as well as film in larger
formats (9mm), Super 8 movie film, and videotapes. Prices tend to be higher
than back home.
Printing
Any one of the dozens of photo shops in Kuta, Legian, Nusa Dua, Sanur,
or Denpasar can develop and print color film in just two hours or less.
Slide film takes five to seven days, movie film seven. The quality is generally
good. At around Rp350 per print, color print costs are lower than in most
Western countries. This equals to about Rp8500 for 24 exposures, Rp12,600
for 35 exposures. Most of the hotels of south Bali offer Kodak and Fuji
film development and printing service. If reception calls, someone from
a photo shop comes around and picks up your film and then delivers your
prints three hours later in a mini-album. Most hotels sell film too.
An alternative to printing on Bali is to just
store your exposed film, which can keep up to two months before processing
if kept in a cool, dark place, or send your exposed film via airmail to
processing centers back home. Kodak mailers sell for around US$10-13 for
both film and mailer in U.S. camera shops or through the mail-order houses
of New York. By using mailers, all your processed slide film will be waiting
for you when you get back home.
Etiquette for Photographers
The Balinese are polite, congenial, and usually willing to have you
record them and their ceremonies on film. Although there are no religious
prohibitions against taking photos of people in prayer, it's extremely
impolite to photograph people bathing in streams or bathing places.
As a courtesy before taking a photo, first
ask permission with the word permisi or an expressive hand gesture
making your intention clear. Please respect refusals. Being pushy will
make it not only unpleasant for you but also for photographers who follow.
The discreet use of a telephoto lens obviates having to ask permission.
Be aware of the sacredness of many of the
ceremonies you may witness; act accordingly when using a flash or maneuvering
for shots. Although a powerful flash is sometimes the only means by which
to capture the nighttime dances of Bali, it is distracting to the audience
and mars the performance.
Unless there happens to be a festival taking
place inside, ask first before photographing the interiors of temples.
It's highly unlikely that permission will be refused. A modest fee may
be charged for a camera and a higher one for a movie or video camera. This
fee may apply to the exterior, interior, and even surrounding grounds.
Museums
One of the first things you should do is visit the Bali Museum
at Puputan Square, Denpasar, for an introduction to the archaeology, crafts,
building styles, and the folk, traditional, modern, and theatrical arts
of Bali. Museum Puri Lukisan in Ubud houses a collection of modern
Balinese paintings and some sculptures from the 1920s. The Neka Museum
(also a gallery) in Campuan (near Ubud) houses a collection of some of
Bali's best contemporary paintings.
Also visit the Museum Le Mayeur in
Sanur, which contains the works of the Belgian painter Le Mayeur, who arrived
on Bali in 1932 and lived there for 26 years. The Pejeng Archaeological
Museum, one km north of Bedulu on the road to Tampaksiring, contains
megalithic and Bronze Age artifacts found on Bali.
The Agung Rai Museum of Art (tel. 0361-974228,
fax 974229, e-mail armaubud@denpasar.wasantara.net.id) in Peliatan, near
Ubud in Gianyar District, is a dynamic new enterprise consisting of a whole
complex of ventures including a hotel, restaurant, conference venue, cafe/nightclub,
galleries, a painting school, gamelan orchestra, and a bookshop
well-stocked with books on Balinese arts and culture. ARMA is also in the
process of establishing a reference library of published works, unpublished
manuscripts, and audio-video materials. It will not be a lending library
but function more as a reading room.
In the Netherlands, the Royal Tropical
Institute (Koninklijk Instituut Voor de Tropen) occupies a large, beautiful
old building at 63 Mauritskade, Amsterdam 1092 (tel. 020-924949). Specializing
in the tropical areas of the world, this institute is involved in economic-development
programs in Indonesia. They often have special exhibits on Bali. The best
museum in Indonesia for Baliana, besides the Bali Museum in Denpasar, is
the National Museum in Jakarta.
Libraries
Pusat Dokumentasi Kebudayaan Bali (PUSDOK), on Jl. Ir. Juanda
(tel. 0361-228593) near the Governor's office in Renon, Denpasar, collects
and preserves documentation in any form that concerns Bali and the Balinese.
The Gedong Kirtya in Singaraja is incorporated within the Pusat Dokumentasi.
Their collection of thousands of lontar, transcriptions of lontar,
and books is especially valuable. A printed bibliography is available,
but no card catalog.
The Mitchell Library in Sydney, Australia,
has one of the world's largest collections of books on Indonesia, while
Melbourne (Australia) has The Centre for Southeast Asian Studies
at Monash University. The library at Australian National University, GPO
Box 4, Canberra ACT 2601 Australia (fax 06-249-0734), actively acquires
material on or about Indonesia and Bali.
The Wason Collection of the Olin Library
(Room 107) on the campus of Cornell University in Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.,
is the finest and largest library of Indonesiana in the world. Cornell
University also publishes studies, bibliographies, and dictionaries. Their
Indonesia magazine is an outstanding journal for scholars of Indonesian
culture and history with at least one article in every issue devoted to
Bali. Write Southeast Asia Program Publications, Distribution Office, Cornell
University, East Hill Plaza, Ithaca, NY 14850, tel. (607) 255-8038.
In the Netherlands, the Koninklijk Instituut
Voor de Tropen (Royal Tropical Institute), 63 Mauritskade, 1092 AD
Amsterdam (tel. 20-5688-711, fax 20-6654-423), has a very fine and very
large collection of books and old photos on Indonesia and Bali. Another
huge, famous prewar collection of books and periodicals on Indonesia and
Bali is housed at the University of Leiden (Witte Singel) in the Koninklijk
Instituut voor Taal-, Land-en Volkenkunde (KITLV).
Newspapers and Magazines
The Bali Post is a twice-monthly newspaper with a 20,000
circulation. It features columns about Balinese culture and schedules of
events happening all over the island. If you can read Indonesian, Bali's
oldest existing newspaper is an excellent source of information covering
local happenings in literally hundreds of isolated hamlets. Since it relies
on amateur news-gatherers in the villages themselves, the lead stories
have a charming local flavor: reports on village awards, competitions,
personalities, enterprises. The Bali Post is also an interpreter
of the ongoing dialogue between tourists and the Balinese. Buy it at any
bookstore and in the gift shops and news agencies of the big hotels. It
used to have a one- or two-page "English Corner," but this was eliminated
in 1994.
Bali Echo Visitor's Guide, published
six times yearly by PT Wijaya Grandmedia (Jl. Hayam Wuruk 173, Denpasar,
tel. 0361-228333 or 228888, fax 228888), is a slick, very readable, tourist-oriented
magazine for sale in hotels, bookstores, and restaurants for Rp5000. It
contains the latest "in" spots, restaurants, ex-pat events; its articles
are well written, opinionated, and practical. Even the infomercials and
ads—aimed mostly to upscale visitors—are informative and useful.
English-language dailies published in Jakarta
include The Indonesian Times (morning), The Indonesian
Observer (afternoon), the Jakarta Post, and the English-language
Surabaya Post (published in East Java). All are available
on Bali, cost around Rp600, have limited, one-sided world coverage, and
contain occasional articles on Bali. Newsstands at the large hotels sell
overseas editions of the Asian Wall Street Journal, London Times, Bangkok
Post, Singapore's Straits Times, and Time and Newsweek
magazines (Rp5000). Tragia Supermarket in Galleria Nusa Dua is a great
place to pick up foreign newspapers and magazines.
The best daily newspaper for bringing international
news from the leading news organizations, with regular business, financial,
and sports features, is the International Herald Tribune
available in the tourist centers of Bali for Rp4500. For a 12-month subscription
(Rp843,150) delivered to your address on Bali, write NV Indoprom Co. Ltd.,
Arthaloka Bldg., Ground Floor, Jl. Jend. Sudirman, Jakarta Pusat (tel.
62-21-809-1928, fax 62-21-809-2679).
Specialty Publications
Specialized magazines for the business community are the weeklies Review
Indonesia and Asiaweek. Both magazines are excellent
sources of the latest news highlights from Indonesia, with an emphasis
on the economy, and both are available for around Rp5000 from newsstands
in the metropolitan and tourist areas of Indonesia.
If you're looking for a job or want to rent
or sell your house or land, one of the best advertising vehicles is Bali
Advertiser, Jl. Tanjung Mekar 28 D, Kuta (tel./fax 0361-755392).
Distributed in Kuta-Legian, Denpasar, Nusa Dua, Sanur, Ubud, Lovina, and
Candidasa, they publish personal ads and notices for all clubs, groups,
and other nonprofit organizations free. For commercial ads brought into
their office a 25% discount and faster service is offered.
Bali Pathfinder is a walking
guide and map for sale for Rp10,000 in hotels and newsstands, particularly
around the Ubud area. The guiding philosophy of this 166-page booklet is
that tourists should be treated like guests in the hopes that they'll act
like guests. A new feature of the booklet is vouchers which can be redeemed
at photo shops, restaurants, and swimming pools (Rp1000 instead of Rp2500),
so you can quickly recoup its purchase price in savings.
Inside Indonesia is a hard-hitting,
incisive, illustrated, independent magazine published in Australia containing
brilliant insights into Indonesian politics, lifestyles, culture, new technologies,
environment, foreign policy, human rights, dissent, and the business community,
as well as book reviews and listings of new resources. Equally valuable
to the traveler and to the scholar, Inside Indonesia monitors Indonesia's
political landscape like no other publication. Every issue has at least
two stories about Bali, usually addressing the powerful impact of tourism
on the island. For a subscription (28 issues for AUS$50 in Australia, AUS$78
overseas), write Box 190, Northcote, Victoria 3070, Australia, tel. (03)
481-1581, fax 416-2746.
An extremely informative periodical for Balinists,
scholars, and artists is the Bali Arts & Culture News
edited by the renowned scholar Fredrik E. DeBoer. This newsletter is aimed
at facilitating the free flow of news and information among those interested
in the arts and culture of Bali. Though a subscription is free (write to
BACN, Wesleyan University, Middletown, CT 06457 U.S.A., tel. 203-347-3417,
fax 343-3965), those receiving it are expected to report news of interest
to readers from time to time or else contribute toward the cost of postage
and handling. For those with access to the Internet, the address is fdeboer@eagle.wesleyan.edu.
John MacDougall is the publisher of Indonesia
Publications which sponsors a number of periodicals such as the
Indonesia News Service, which digests current news stories
about Indonesia and Bali from leading magazines and newspapers. Subscriptions
to this 12-page bulletin, issued four times a year, cost US$6 in the U.S.,
US$9 in Europe, and US$10 in Asia and Africa. John is also the publisher
of Antara Kita, the quarterly official English-language bulletin
of the Indonesian Studies Committee of the Association for Asian Studies.
The subscription is US$6 surface in the U.S.A. and Canada, US$8 elsewhere
in the Western Hemisphere, US$9 in Europe, and US$10 in Asia. E-mail subscriptions
are available for US$5, anywhere. Address: 7538 Newberry Lane, Lanham-Seabrook,
MD 20706, tel. (301) 552-3251, fax 552-4465, e-mail apakabar@access.digex.net.
American Gamelan Institute, Box 1052,
Lebanon, NH 03766 U.S.A. (tel./fax 603-448-8837), produces cassettes and
CDs of Balinese music. Their "Bali Cassette Collection" is an essential
survey for teachers, students, and enthusiasts, representing many major
styles of Balinese music. Ten cassettes: US$75. They also publish the periodical
Balungan on Indonesian performing arts and their international counterparts
for US$15 for two issues, US$20 for overseas, US$30 for institutions. Vol.
4, No. 2 is a special issue on Bali: US$7.50.
Leading Book and Guidebook Publishers
Refer to the backmatter for a definitive reading list of books on Bali.
One of the most prolific and inspired publishers of books on the society,
culture, art, ancient history, language, and natural history of the whole
Malay Archipelago is Periplus Editions, 1655 Scenic Ave., Berkeley,
CA 94709, tel. (510) 540-0146, fax 540-1057. Distributed in the U.S. by
Passport Books/NTC, 4255 W. Tougy Ave., Lincolnwood (Chicago), IL 60646.
Their Singapore office is at Periplus Pte Ltd, Farrer Road, P.O. Box 115,
Singapore 9128. Periplus has published a number of excellent reference
books on or about Bali.
The most active publisher of both reprints
and new titles on Indonesia is Oxford University Press (Walton St.,
Oxford OX2 6DP, London, England; their American office is at 16-00 Pollitt
Dr., Fair Lawn, NJ 07410 U.S.A.). OUP carries at least 40 titles on Indonesia
in its famous, well-written, and attractive "Oxford in Asia" series.
Of a more scholarly persuasion are the publications
of the Cornell Modern Indonesia Project (102 West Ave., Ithaca,
NY 14850). Ask for a complete list of publications. Another estimable publishing
house occasionally publishing books on Bali is the University of Hawaii
Press (2840 Kolowalu St., Honolulu, HI 96822).
E.J. Brill (Postbus 9000, 2300 PA Leiden,
the Netherlands, Holland, tel. 071-312624) publishes Dutch-, English-,
German-, and French-language reprints of old out-of-print classics on Indonesia
and Bali.
The KITLV Press, Royal Institute of
Linguistics and Anthropology, Reuvensplaats 2, P.O. Box 9515, 2300 RA Leiden,
The Netherlands (tel. 071-27-23-72, fax 31-71-27-26-38), also publishes
some intriguing titles on Bali. Ask for a copy of their latest catalog.
AMS Press, Inc. (56 East 13th St.,
New York, NY 10003) publishes a fascinating selection of reprints of arcane
classics on Indonesia and Bali. Ask for their Southeast Asia mail-order
catalog. In Australia, a publisher to keep your eye on for material on
or about Bali is Allen & Unwin, P.O. Box 8500, St. Leonards,
New South Wales 2065, tel. (02) 901-4088, fax 906-2218.
The Instituut Indoneisische Cursussen
(Rappenburg 8-10, 2311 EV Leiden, The Netherlands) has issued a catalog
of interest to readers interested in purchasing books relating to Bali.
Antiquarian Booksellers Gemilang, P.O. Box 47, 1120 AA Landsmeer,
The Netherlands, and Tamarind Books, P.O. Box 49217, Greensboro,
NC 27419, U.S.A. (tel. 910-852-1905, fax 852-0750), also sell many items
of interest to Balinists in English, Dutch, and Indonesian in their mail-order
catalog.
Bookstores
On the road in Asia you'll always meet people with books to trade,
so bring some of your best paperbacks and hard-to-get magazines for trading.
On Bali, prices for imported books, paperbacks, and magazines are high.
Kuta Beach Road and Jl. Legian in Kuta, as well as Jl. D. Tamblingan in
Sanur, have some of the island's best new and used bookstores where you'll
find ample reading material.
Denpasar's supermarkets are the best place
to buy new foreign-language publications on Bali. Probably the best selection
of new books is in Gramedia Bookstore in the basement of the Matahari
Shopping Center, and Gunung Agung Bookstore in Libi. Hotel bookshops
also have newsstands with surprisingly good selections. Prices are high:
Wildlife of Indonesia, by Elizabeth MacKinnon, published in Indonesia,
costs Rp84,500.
Many small hotels have an informal policy
allowing guests to take a book if they donate a book to the hotel library,
and nonguests may take a book if they donate two books. In non-hotel bookshops
along Jl. Legian, most of what's available are used, dog-eared paperbacks.
The cheapest, which could be five years old, run about US$1; most are about
US$1.50-2, but some cost up to Rp7000-8000. However, the system does work
for the buyer to some degree. Once the book is finished, it can be returned
and half the purchase price either returned or deducted from the cost of
the next book.
In Singapore, Select Books Pte. Ltd.,
19 Tanglin Rd. No. 03-15, Tanglin Shopping Centre, third floor, Singapore
1024 (tel. 65-732-1515, fax 736-0855), is a bookseller, library supplier,
distributor, and publisher with one of the world's largest retail selections
of books on Southeast Asia currently in print. They always have books on
Bali.
Also in Singapore, the huge Toppan Bookstore
in the Orchard Plaza Shopping Centre on Orchard Road, and MPH Bookstore
at 71-77 Stanford Rd. both have very respectable Indonesiana collections
as well. These big Singaporean chain bookstores may very well have a wider
selection of books on Indonesia than many bookshops in Indonesia itself.
Ge Nabrink Antiquarian Booksellers,
Korte Korsjespoortsteeg 8, 1012 TC Amsterdam, The Netherlands (tel. 020-622-3058,
fax 31-20-62457), has a huge stock of 100,000 used books, pamphlets, wonderful
old b/w prints, photographs, and folios on Indonesia and Bali on four floors
near the center of Amsterdam. This Indonesiana store is divided into different
categories, such as scientific, literary, and anthropology. Prices and
quality are high.
Film
Ring of Fire documents an extraordinary 10-year voyage
of two British filmmakers, brothers Lorne and Lawrence Blair. As much a
spiritual travelogue as a harrowing physical journey, this avant-garde
series is made up of four volumes, each an hour long. The volume called
"East of Krakatoa" is about Bali and contains some mesmerizing footage
on the Balinese kris dance. The set is available for US$99.50 from
Mystic Fire Video, Inc., 225 Lafayette St., Suite 1206, New York, NY 10012,
tel. (800) 727-8433 (credit card orders). Total running time: 232 minutes.
These videos describe a Bali of 25 years ago. They have also produced Lempad
of Bali (color, 60 minutes, 1979, US$29.95), which portrays the great
Balinese painter known throughout Europe for his remarkable religious and
erotic art.
The paradise myth of Bali is exposed in the
blistering Australian film Done Bali. While there have been
many films which expound the Western image of Bali as an idyllic, creative,
tropical holiday destination, this film looks behind the myth—to the island's
traumatic past and its current, fragile state as it moves into the future.
Using rare archival film footage and interviews with locals, anthropologists,
historians, business leaders, and academics, Done Bali examines
a range of social and historical tragedies that have rocked the island
"paradise" and her inhabitants. For more information, contact SBS, tel.
(02) 430-3783.
Mitra Tourism Development Division,
Jl. Ciputat Raya 64, Pondok Pinang, Jakarta 12310, tel. 769-6004, produces
videos on such popular tourist performances and attractions as "Bali,"
"The Topeng," "The Kecak," "The Barong & Kris Dance," "Drama Gong,"
"The Bedugal Tour," "The Besakih Tour," "The Legong Dance," and "The Baris
and Rejang Dance." Tapes sell at the Ngurah Airport for Rp50,000 apiece.
Documentary Educational Resources,
1001 Morse St., Watertown, MA 02172 U.S.A., sells films and videos on Bali
such as films on the trance dances of the late Jero Tapakan. Write for
their new price list.
Film on Indonesia, a catalog, has been
compiled by Toby Alice Volkman; send US$5 (which includes shipping). Write
to Yale Southeast Asia Studies, Yale University, P.O. Box 208206, New Haven,
CT 06520-8206. This is a valuable, informative, and very readable resource
for teachers and students of Indonesian studies, anthropology, ethnographic
film.
Anthropological film archives at universities
in the States or in Australia may have copies of Margaret Mead's Island
of Bali; the strong, primitive feeling of this 1930s film no longer
exists on Bali.
The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts
in New York has a very fine collection of books, manuscripts, and artifacts
on Asian dance, including audio recordings of Javanese and Balinese dance
masters, photos, and other documents provided by the Claire Holt Collection
on Indonesian dance.
Music
Recordings of Balinese music have been made since 1928 when some 78s
were produced by the Odeon and Beka companies from Europe. In the backmatter
of the visually sumptuous large-format book Bali: The Ultimate Island
by Lueras and Lloyd (1987) you'll find an exhaustive discography and cassetography
compiled by Andy Toth of postwar LP records and cassettes, as well as a
Bali Filmography (1926-1986) compiled by John Darling.
The American Gamelan Institute (tel./fax
603-448-8837, Box 5036, Hanover, NH 03755) produces a journal as well as
videos, cassettes, and CDs featuring Indonesian music. Recent productions
include four CDs for US$50.
Trans Asian Press (Hoffmannlaan 641,
5011 VP Tilburg, The Netherlands, tel./fax 013-555994) is a multi-media
company specializing in Southeast Asia with an accent on Indonesia; inquire
about their delightful "Bali: Eternal Circle 1" music tape. Their office
in Indonesia is at Jl. H. Agus Salim 67 A, Yogyakarta, tel. (0274) 74876.
Consultants
MAP International (Box 56, Nusa Dua, Bali 80361) provides traditional
dancers, both locally and abroad, for embassies or cultural events. They
also help TV crews with permits, locations, and other similar needs. Contact
the Entertainment Division, Box 63532, 2502 JM Den Haag, Netherlands, tel./fax
31-70-3694416.
Maps
The best folded maps available of Bali are produced by Nelles Verlag
GmbH, Schleibheimer Str. 371 b, D 80935 Munich 45, Germany, tel. (089)
351-5084 or 351-5085, fax 354-2544. This beautiful map features vivid color
printing, topographic features in realistic relief, and major city plans
in margin inserts. Widely available in bookstores with good travel sections
in the U.S. for US$7.95, they're cheaper in Indonesia (around Rp12,000).
Periplus Editions (address above) also publishes a map to Bali.
Another high-quality folded map of Bali is
put out by APA Maps (scale 1:180,000) and is available for Rp8000
at any well-stocked bookstore or gift shop on Bali. In the U.S. it's distributed
by Prentice-Hall, but you can buy it for US$6.95 at any travel bookstore
or general bookstore with a good travel section. This beautiful map has
color printing, topographic features in realistic relief, and major town
plans—Denpasar, Sanur, Kuta, and Ubud—in close-up margin inserts, as well
as a special map of southern Bali. The map is almost too detailed, with
place-names labeled so small they are difficult to read.
Tourist offices in Bali sometimes stock maps
of Indonesia and Bali, but you can't always rely on their accuracy or up-to-dateness.
Airline offices, travel agencies, and hotels display big wall maps—the
best local area maps available. Small hotels frequently even publish their
own maps so their guests won't get lost and will also be able to find their
way to the owner's sister's restaurant, prominently labeled on the map.
PT Pembina (Jl. Pajaitan 45, Jakarta,
tel. 813886) publishes a regional map of Bali, complete with distance chart,
found at most bookstores. The most extensive stock of Southeast Asia maps
for sale in Australia are at Angus and Robertsons, 107 Elizabeth
St., Melbourne; Sydney's Angus and Robertsons on Pitt St.; Dymock's
on George St., Sydney.