MONEY

Bills
The Indonesian monetary unit is called the rupiah, issued in notes of Rp100, Rp500, Rp1000, Rp5000, Rp10,000, Rp20,000, and a new Rp50,000 hologram note, which will help eliminate the huge stacks of Rp10,000 bills it used to take to pay for large purchases. The demand for these is heavy.
     Bills are all roughly the same size but different colors. Be careful with the old Rp10,000 notes which still circulate; they are maddeningly similar to current Rp5000 notes. If you don't recognize the difference, this is a real quick way to lose a couple of bucks. The new Rp10,000 note is cobalt, so no problem there. Likewise, the new Rp50,000 note looks deceptively like the Rp1000 note-same color and almost the same size. Put these in a different place.
     If heading into the countryside of Bali, take small denomination notes (Rp10,000 or less) because it's nearly impossible for rural people to make change for Rp10,000 notes or higher. Keep on hand lots of small denominational rupiah notes because taxi drivers and small vendors will invariably be "out of change" and you'll need small change for public WCs and snacks.

Coins
Different-sized coins are valued at Rp25, Rp50, and Rp100. A Rp500 coin also exists, but it's not frequently seen; it's useful for some public phones. Study the coins until you're familiar with them. You'll sometimes see worthless Rp5 and Rp10 coins. Just keep them as souvenirs.

Attitudes
To swagger with your money in Bali is against your best interest. To the man in the street, a dollar's worth of rupiah has the same emotional impact as US$10 has to us; US$2000 is enough to sustain a rural Balinese family of four for a year.
     In Indonesia a price is put on everything "extra"-a better seat on the minibus, a fan in your room, an egg on top of your nasi goreng, an application form at a government office. Someone who carries a 7-UP halfway up a mountain on their head will sell it for twice the price you can buy it cold in the city.

EXPENSES

First Rule: Don't ask how much Indonesian currency is worth in "real money" (your home-country money). It's just as real as German or Australian currency. Don't make the mistake of always translating Indonesian prices into U.S. or European currency, then feeling relieved and grateful for the cheap price. Instead, think in rupiah. It doesn't cost "just" 50 American cents, it costs a thousand damn rupiah!
     Second Rule: It's not even worth going to Bali if you're constantly obsessed with getting the cheapest price. Bali is cheap by any foreign standard, but instead of paying Rp3500 for a great meal many travelers pay Rp500-1000 at the same restaurant for a simple plate of fried rice. Why travel and save US$50 if you only eat rice the whole time?
     Third Rule: A common practice of hotels is to give their prices in U.S. dollars, and they expect you to pay with U.S. dollar traveler's checks. However, because the dollar is consistently climbing against the rupiah, the price in rupiah is nearly always considerably lower.
For example, a hotel might ask US$50 d per night. At the exchange rate of Rp2300 per US$1, you will pay the equivalent Rp115,000 if you pay in dollars. Yet the price in rupiah may be only Rp95,000! Always compute the hotel's dollar price in rupiah before deciding which currency to pay your bills in.
     Fourth Rule: Always carry enough small change and bills to pay bemo drivers and market sellers. You could settle with a driver on a price of Rp4000 for the charter of a bemo, but if you pay with a Rp10,000 note he could very well give you back less money than he owes you. If you complain, he might give you another Rp1000, then drive away quickly. Similarly, people might try to give you less than the correct change at restaurants, moneychangers, and some hotels.
 
With a hole in the middle and worn thin by many years of trading, bronze or lead Chinese kepeng are commonly used in offerings, cremations, and ceremonies. During Dutch times, it took 700 of them to make a ringgit and 10,000 kepeng equaled one timbang or "weight". If a man had to pay two timbang in tax, he had to set aside enough husked rice to balance 20,000 kepeng on a scale. Be careful: fake kepeng are being mass-produced.
Daily Expenses
How much money you spend per day depends upon your tastes, the level of comfort you desire, where you want to go, how you get there, and what season you're traveling in. There are two tourist seasons: Balinese winter (July and August) and the Christmas holidays. Prices go up a little bit in December, but it's a short season-only two weeks. The peak tourist season lasts from around 15 July to 15 August when prices really escalate. Budget accommodations sometimes double their tariffs this time.
     Bali was once the cheapest place to eat and sleep comfortably in Asia. Since the Gulf War in 1991, however, prices have risen significantly. Budget accommodations shot up from Rp10,000 d to Rp20,000 d, and petrol prices also rose steeply. Many of the expensive hotels had to charge extra because they paid so much in advertising during the "Visit Indonesia Year 1991" and all the smaller hotels followed suit. They also had to compensate for the tremendous downturn in tourism because of the war during the first quarter of 1991.
     Though Yogyakarta is cheaper than Bali for budget traveling, Bali is still very much a bargain. If you stick to such budget traveler's resorts as Lovina, Padangbai, and Lalang Linggah, prices for food and accommodations are unbelievably cheap due to the intense competition. On the other hand, if you're on the move around the island, buying tickets on shuttle buses and using taxis, count on living on at least US$15-20 per day.
     Roadside foodstalls all over the area charge only around 50 U.S. cents or less for a very filling vegetarian meal, as little as US$2 for comfortable rooms, and around Rp75 per kilometer for bemo rides. As far as tourist resorts go, Candidasa has the lowest prices, but even in a swank restaurant like Poppies in Kuta, you'd be making an absolute glutton of yourself if you spent over US$15 for two.
     Although there are hundreds of villages where you can live for US$5 per day or less, you are discouraged from doing so by local authorities because you'd be taking business away from hotels and restaurants. Most tourists and travelers stay within the Sanur-Denpasar-Kuta axis, where prices are blown out of proportion. The rest of the island is less expensive.
     The most expensive places to stay are the tourist resorts of Sanur and Nusa Dua, where prices for food and accommodations are the highest on the island. In Sanur, you'll need US$30-40 per day minimum; in Nusa Dua, more on the order of US$90-120. Yet you can save lots simply by leaving your hotel grounds. Within a kilometer of Nusa Dua in Bualu you're able to enjoy a decent warung meal for only 50 cents.

Entrance Fees
Guards (penjaga) and attendants (juru kunci) frequently make you pay a fee of around Rp550 to enter an historical site, temple, or museum, plus another Rp200-500 to enter the parking lot and another Rp500-1000 for your camera. At numerous high-traffic tourist sites like Goa Gajah, Besakih, and Tanah Lot, a video camera has to pay an entrance fee too.
     Gatekeepers may also ask for an additional fee for renting a scarf each time you enter a temple, so it's best just to buy your own for Rp1000-1500 at almost any clothing boutique or market, such as Pasar Sukawati. It will pay for itself very quickly. Sometimes the scarf is included in the entry charge. To enter the Bali Barat National Park of West Bali, you're required to pay an insurance premium of Rp50 on top of the admission price.
     Don't pay an entrance or parking fee without getting an official receipt, unless only a "donation" is requested; then around Rp200 is appropriate. If you can spare it, give something-in many cases the attendants make their living from tourists. If you spend a whole day at an odalan, give Rp5000 when a donation is asked for. It's a trifle when you consider what you get, yet very acceptable and appreciated.
     If the juru kunci shows you the visitor's book with sums like Rp10,000 after people's names, someone has ingeniously written in some extra zeros. Don't fall for this trick. Put a dash after your contribution so zeros can't be added. When viewing a family compound, always give the money donation to the oldest woman because the oldest man will gamble it away and the young men will squander it.

Tipping
A few annoying Western customs, like tipping, have caught on. Never tip waiters in restaurants, bartenders, reception people in small hotels, hairdressers, medical personnel, or tailors. Only tip taxi drivers and porters for unusually good service or extra-heavy bags.
     Don't contribute to this cancer! Tipping in the Western sense is not part of Balinese culture. When you do give a tip-for your houseboy or cook-it is always unexpected and thus has more impact. Save tipping only for those instances when it's really deserved.
     In the places where you're supposed to tip for individual services, a 10% service charge (plus 11% government tax) is added to your bill. Expect these charges to be added in the big tourist hotels of Nusa Dua, Sanur, and Kuta. As in Europe, only high-priced hotels and leading restaurants add the charge. Airport porters expect a payment (not a tip) of Rp500 per bag; this is posted.
     Hired drivers (sopir) and guides (petunjuk) may be tipped Rp5000-10,000 per day-but only if you're pleased with their performance. Although bribery in the civil bureaucracy exists, it's unlikely that travelers or tourists will ever need to resort to it. In most cases you won't even know if you've just paid a bribe because it's deftly institutionalized and masked behind some official fee or charge.

CHANGING MONEY

United States dollars, accepted all over Indonesia since WW II, are still the most useful foreign currency to carry through these islands. The dollar has the most fixed rate of exchange because the rupiah is based on it. Though the dollar will probably have the most favorable exchange rate, it's possible to cash other well-known currencies like Australian dollars, German marks, Netherlands florins, French and Swiss francs. Canadian and New Zealand dollars are a bit more difficult.

Cash
Traveler's checks and cash in U.S. currency can be changed at almost any moneychanger or bank, although changing other currencies can sometimes pose a problem. The smaller towns of Bali may not have banks or, if they do, they may not accept your particular currency. They may turn their noses up at the good old British pound, but they'll usually accept crisp US$100 bills. No passport is usually required to change cash.
     Change money in Kuta's or Denpasar's banks, which offer the best rates. Large denomination U.S. notes or traveler's checks (100-dollar bills as opposed to twenties) fetch a higher rate of exchange. Obviously, this only really matters if you're going to be changing large amounts.
     Indonesian banks, even on Bali, refuse to touch foreign banknotes which are soiled, worn, or physically damaged. If you do a good job taping them with transparent tape, you'll probably get away with passing damaged notes off. Banks also won't exchange foreign coins.
     Indonesian paper currency tends to stay in circulation longer, so Indonesian banknotes start to take on the appearance of filthy scraps of torn cloth. This worn money won't be accepted, so don't allow it to be passed on to you. If it is, the only place you can change it is at a bank.

Exchange Rates
Exchange rates depend on the bank and even on the branch of the bank. In some cases, the headquarters bank changes money but their city branches do not. You'll need your passport and tourist entry card for each transaction.
     In order to encourage tourism and because of the intense competition between moneychangers, the best rates on Bali are in the tourist areas. In the far reaches of the island, such as Amlapura and Gilimanuk, the exchange rates tend not to be as good or there could be no banks at all.
     Avoid, if you can, exchanging money at hotel front desks, where you'll get at least 10% below the rate offered by state banks. The more expensive the hotel, the worse the rate. The three moneychangers at Bali's Ngurah Rai Airport offer very competitive rates. So good in fact that you might as well change several hundred dollars as soon as you land on Bali, to save you time and trouble changing money later.

Moneychangers
Moneychangers generally do not charge a fee for their services, so you can change money as often as you want without it costing you. Anyplace tourists congregate will be choked with moneychangers. Though their rates vary, they offer quicker service and usually give a better exchange rate than banks. They also don't open as early but stay open much later than banks. Banks seldom post exchange rates, but moneychangers always do.
     Rates fluctuate daily. Check out more than one moneychanger and compare the rates of the currency you have. Rates may differ by Rp5 or so, i.e., 25 cents on US$100. You could try for a better rate, but you could wear out several cents' worth of shoe soles finding it. Pay more attention to finding a place where they don't try to forget the last Rp300 or give you Rp500 instead of Rp5000 and see if you notice.
     Count your money to see if it's correct.

Reconversion
Technically, when leaving the country a limit of Rp50,000 may be exchanged for foreign currencies. Reconvert before you clear security at the airport as once past the security check you can't go back. The rate is quite acceptable. The shops and coffee shops beyond the security point sometimes accept dollars at so-so rates. Early on, keep your international departure tax (Rp20,000) tucked away for use when exiting Bali.
     When entering Indonesia, you're also supposed to carry no more than Rp50,000. But actually, you needn't bring any Indonesian money to Bali since there are several moneychangers at Bali airport. You'll pay more than three times as much for rupiah in Germany than you would have paid when changing traveler's checks upon arrival.

TRAVELER'S CHECKS AND CREDIT CARDS

There's no black market in Indonesia, so for safety's sake bring only a portion of your funds in cash. Though rates are often better for traveler's checks than for cash, always carry some US$5, US$10, and US$20 dollar bills in case you need quick money and banks or moneychangers are closed.
      The bulk of your traveling funds should be in the form of a widely accepted brand of traveler's checks. American Express (Amex), Bank of America, First National City Bank, Barclays, Wells Fargo, and Thomas Cook Traveler's Checks are accepted all over Indonesia.
    All the above companies have branches in Bali in case you lose your checks. Amex, the most popular traveler's checks, has an office c/o Pacto (tel. 0361-288449) in the Jabaan Shopping Arcade of the Bali Beach Hotel in Sanur. Open Mon.-Fri. 0800-1600, Saturday 0800-1200, closed Sunday. This office sells traveler's checks, has a poste restante service, emergency card and traveler's check replacement service (within 24 hours), but does not do travel/tour services. Another Amex representative is c/o Pan Indonesia Bank, Jl. Legian, Kuta (tel. 0361-751058).
     Bank Bumi Daya, Bank Expor Impor, Bank Rakyat Indonesia, and Bank Negara Indonesia (BNI) take most Australian and the better-known traveler's checks. Use the Indonesian phrase trapel cek for traveler's checks. Cek jalanan turis is also widely understood.
     Upon presentation of your passport, it usually takes no more than 20 minutes to cash traveler's checks at a bank. If clerks in a bank won't accept your brand of checks, it might help to ask for the bank manager. Major hotels, department stores, and many pricey shops will also take traveler's checks, though at lousy rates.

Credit Cards
Indonesia is still very much a cash-oriented society, so Visa, MasterCard, and Amex credit cards can only be utilized in Bali's major tourist and business centers equipped to process a charge. Middle-range to upscale hotels, tourist-oriented souvenir shops, the big art shops along the tourist corridor, domestic and international airlines offices, and the more expensive restaurants will accept them. As a general rule, most air-conditioned businesses with glass windows will accept plastic.
     Travel agencies will usually accept them, which is convenient because you can pay for a car rental or a tour through them. Not all retail outlets accept the American Express card, but Garuda now accepts it. The Amex representative on Bali is in Galleria Nusa Dua, Shop A 5 Unit 1-3-5, Nusa Dua (tel. 0361-773334).
     Diner's Club (c/o Bank BDNI, Jl. Diponegoro 45, Denpasar, tel. 0361-238041 or 238042) is gaining strength. If you have problems with your Visa card, contact the "Card Centre," Lippo Bank, B/R Ketut Winaya, Jl. Thamrin 77, Denpasar (tel. 0361-422176).
     Most merchants can't authorize your limit; you can only purchase goods equal to a total value of Rp250,000. Also, it's common for Indonesians to add a two to five percent "commission" if you use your credit card. Try to bargain this commission away. Your passport and your credit card are needed for all transactions. Be sure to verify the total amount charged.
     Ask the retailer or service provider to convert the total amount into dollars and cents, then write the amount on the charge slip. This way, in spite of currency ups and downs, you'll know exactly what is owed your credit card company. Take a list of your credit card numbers and phone numbers to call so you can cancel your credit cards if you lose them. Leave a duplicate list with a friend back home.
     Always keep the customer copy because charge slips could be altered and used to defraud you by adding extra zeros. Don't discard the slips until the charges have been paid. Later, if you discover that you have been cheated by a merchant who switched or misrepresented merchandise, write your credit card company, which may be able to satisfactorily resolve the problem. Always keep your credit cards within sight when making a purchase.

Cash Advances Against Credit Cards
You can also use your Visa, MasterCard, or Amex (but not Diner's Club) cards to get cash advances (normally up to US$500) from moneychangers, but they charge a steep six percent commission. Banks that give cash advances against credit cards vary widely in their commission. Make sure you know the rate of commission before you make the transaction. Bank Duta-perhaps the best bank in Indonesia-is always prompt and hassle free; in other banks the clerks may suffer apoplexy if you hand over your Visa card for cash.

Dutch PostChecks
Dutch tourists or people with a Dutch giro-account at the state Postbank are lucky because they may use PostChecks to get up to Rp200,000 per check at most Indonesian post offices. It takes about a month for the money to be deducted from their accounts.
     PostChecks are cheaper than traveler's checks. Because there's no such thing as a Dutch guilder traveler's check, the Dutch have to change guilders to dollars, buy traveler's checks, then cash them. That's three transactions, which comes out to more than a five percent commission.
     PostChecks are insured against loss, and are also usable in Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, and Japan. The Dutch may also use their Postgiro credit cards (the same cards they use in Holland) to draw cash, but these can only be used at the main post office of a city or town.

Wire Transfers/Remittance Orders
Take enough money with you in the first place (US$2000 for two to five months of budget travel should suffice) so you won't have to go through the trouble of having money wired, a service which costs up to US$15. Additionally, you might be charged another US$25 per wire on the L.A. end! Cash against your credit card is a faster, less expensive way to go-even after paying the six percent charge.
     Travelers caught short have also found that it may take several weeks to get money remitted by wire from Australia, North America, or Europe. If you're really stuck, an Amex "Moneygram" or telex is a faster way to transfer money than ordinary telegrams. Before you go, get your bank's telex number. A slower way is to wire home and ask for an international money order.

BARGAINING

Bargaining is a long-established custom in Indonesia, so always be ready to bargain-even for drugstore medicine, hospitalization, entrance charges to small museums or temple sites (unless fees are posted)-no matter what type of establishment it is, even "fixed-price" shops. Bargaining is most critical in open markets, with anyone who quotes you a ridiculous price, and with beach or street vendors of tourist souvenirs that natives themselves seldom buy.
     Bargaining is not the rule at foodstalls or restaurants, but always ask for a lower rate for your hotel room-no matter what class hotel-especially if it has many empty rooms or if it's the off-tourist-season. Bargain for transportation on bemo and buses only if you know you're being overcharged. Prices for tailors and hairdressers are standardized and fixed, but bargain with your mechanic, tire-fixer, or with someone who gives you a lift on the back of a motorcycle.
     Buying and bargaining in Indonesia can be good-humored or it can be infuriating. At its best, it can be a social vehicle by which one requests and receives favors, a method by which one solidifies one's status in the local economy. It's a game won by technique and strategy, not by anger or threats. It's an invaluable skill developed through getting burned many times.
     The price is always made in consideration of the merchant's need on that day, his assessment of the potential buyer, how much he or she likes you, plus the sporting spirit of the exchange. An item in fact has many prices, each reflecting the correct price for a particular customer from the tukang's (shopkeeper's) point of view.
     It's really challenging to try to get the same price as the locals. There's a second (higher) price for out-of-town Indonesians, and still a third and higher price for Chinese, orang besar ("big man"), Jakartans, Indonesians from other islands, and foreigners like you. The Japanese tourist, thought to be the most ignorant and richest of all, gets overcharged constantly. You pay according to your station in life. If you say you're poor, they laugh. If you're so poor, how come you're on Bali?
     Admittedly, being overcharged gets very tiresome after a while. Though it's only a matter of pennies, the practice eventually manages to annoy every Westerner, as a matter of principle. The best bargaining is done with your feet, by going back to the good places. The Chinese are seasoned businesspeople and will probably be the easiest to deal with. They are knowledgeable about what they sell, can quickly make offers, give accurate shipping information, and make sound business decisions.
     Bargaining isn't a one-way process at all. Balinese enjoy it and respect you more if you bargain. It's a pleasurable way merchants have to relate to you. It should be leisurely, lighthearted, and friendly. It's a theatrical event in which you play the role of "the buyer." Never get angry, and don't feel bad about offering less than what they ask.
     Bargaining can be a prolonged exchange lasting days and even weeks. Take your time; the more patient you are, the less you're likely to pay. Get to know the seller and his family, build a personal relationship, go back again and again, have tea, and keep it civil. He or she might be in a better mood or need the money more in a few hours, days, or weeks.
     Finally, never pass up an item you really want-even if you have to pay an inflated price for it-because chances are you will not run across the same item again, or will be unable to obtain it. When you get back home, the money you spent will seem a paltry amount anyway.

Fixed Price
Shops only offering fixed prices (harga pas) are a growing trend now and offer a shopping environment where Western shoppers will feel immediately comfortable. In these shops, the price is unbargainable with no discounts or reductions. This is most often the case in high-priced hotels and tourist shops. It is always the case in supermarkets and department stores.
     If you see a price posted or attached to an item, it's a fixed-price shop. If no "fixed price" sign is posted or prices are not attached to merchandise, there's room to haggle. All the verbally stated prices are merely starting points from which you should receive anything from a 10 to 60% discount.