Documents
You'll need a passport to enter Bali, exchange traveler's checks, pick
up mail at poste restante or at American Express, to sign in at a hotel,
or whenever police ask to see it, which they hardly ever do. Take extra
passport photos with you, then have 30-40 more printed cheaply from the
negative on Bali. These are useful when filling out applications, applying
for a surat jalan, and to give out as mementos.
It's advisable to travel with a copy of both
your birth certificate and passport. These should be kept separate from
the originals in case you lose your passport or for repatriation purposes.
If you're traveling with your spouse, a copy of your marriage license is
necessary if you have to enter a hospital or undergo some legal or immigration
difficulties. Also make a list of your passport number, traveler's check
numbers, credit card numbers, vital contact addresses, and any other pertinent
information. Make two copies; carry one with your luggage, leave the other
with a friend or family member back home. It would also be wise to jot
down your plane ticket numbers, place and date of issue, and type of payment.
This information is invaluable if your ticket is lost or stolen, and could
save you enormous hassles. Bring a credit card in case you need cash, which
you can get at some banks at a six percent commission.
If you wear glasses or contacts or take medication
on a regular basis, carry a copy of the prescription. Have your doctor
make out prescriptions using scientific names that are understood internationally.
Bausch and Lomb and Barnes Hind contact lenses along with cleaning solutions
are sold by competent optometrists in larger cities and major tourist areas.
Unless you are entering Indonesia from an infected area, you won't be asked
for your International World Health Certificate.
Indonesia only has a few official youth hostels
so you really don't need an International Youth Hostel Association (IYHA)
card here. If you want to stay in a hostel, just pay the few dollars extra.
However, an International Student Identification Card (ISIC) could be useful
for getting discounts of up to 25% on rail and flight tickets out of Bali,
as well as discounts on entrance fees to museums. Counterfeit ones sell
in touristy places in Southeast Asia, but be careful of poor forgeries.
Indonesian officials wary of fakes. They may require additional identification
and that you are no older than 26 before giving you a discount. To apply,
write: CIEE Student Travel, 205 East 42nd St., New York, NY 10017, tel.
(212) 661-1414. Make sure to include your date of birth, citizenship, and
name of school or university where you are a full-time student.
Do obtain an International Driver's License,
valid for a year, from your local automobile association. You never know
when you'll want to rent a car or van. An Indonesian license on Bali costs
Rp52,000 whereas an IDL in the States costs only US$8. Get an IDL with
a motorcyle endorsement if you plan to rent a motorcycle on Bali.
Don't leave home without a small electronic
organizer or conventional address book in which to record the names of
new friends and to refer to when you write home. Your business card or
name card is highly prized by Indonesians. Bringing a stack of them will
save you from continually writing out your address. However, be prepared
to receive mail asking for money, favors, and gifts.
Packing
A top-loading duffel bag with a strong shoulder strap is very convenient
and will expand to hold a vast amount of gear. Choose a sturdy, well-designed
duffel or backpack with heavy-duty zippers, noncorrosive Fastex, and Dacron
thread. If it's a backpack, make sure it has a hip belt and semi-rigid
frame so it's more comfortable.
Fill your pack only one-half or two-thirds
full; you'll find yourself gradually replacing all your drab Western clothes
with the colorful, fashionable garments sold in the boutiques of Kuta,
Legian, Sanur, and Ubud. Ideally, wear one set of clothes on the plane
and buy locally made clothes after you arrive. In truth, you don't need
to take anything but money. All the tourist resorts of this prosperous,
crowded island boast transport companies, travel agencies, restaurants,
air-conditioned hotels, laser disc bars, photo shops, pharmacies, supermarkets,
and grocery stores that cater to Bali's growing affluent middle class.
Be sure to include an empty, fold-up canvas bag to carry home extra things
you buy.
Garuda allows you to check in two pieces
of luggage, but will charge you extra for a third. Always put an identifying
badge or mark on your luggage; this will prevent someone from picking it
up and will also keep you from picking up someone else's. It's also wise
to put an identifying badge inside each piece of your luggage in case the
ones on the outside get lost.
If you want to camp in Bali Barat National
Park, pack a light tent, compass, inflatable pillow, poncho, and portable
one-burner kerosene stove (kerosene is available). All other camping gear
you can buy in Denpasar and is of acceptable quality. Local outfitters
also rent tents, sleeping bags, and other equipment, or these may be supplied
by your guide (see Bali Barat section of "Buleleng" chapter).
Keep in mind Bali is generally too hot for your standard sleeping bag.
If you're going to be staying in budget accommodations or doing some hard
traveling, bring a sleeping bag liner or make a light sleeping bag by running
a seam down a folded cotton bedsheet. It's a more attractive alternative
to sleeping on grimy mattresses and mats.
Men's Clothing
Take only clothes that are lightweight, easily rinsed, brushed, and renovated.
In a tropical climate, cotton is very comfortable (nylon doesn't breathe
in the heat) and dries quickly in the humidity. However, 100% cotton needs
ironing, so bring along a few half-cotton, half-synthetic (rayon is good),
wrinkle-free garments for special occasions and visits to bureaucratic
offices. Denim is too hot for Indonesia and takes too long to dry; perhaps
bring one pair if you're going to do high-altitude trekking or cycling.
Looser corduroys or light summer trousers are better suited for this climate.
It's generally considered inappropriate for men to wear short shorts for
anything except the roughest manual work, long-distance cycling, hash runs,
or for going to and from the bathroom or beach.
Bali is too hot for Western-style sportcoats.
Buy a light batik sportcoat or an attractive long-sleeved batik
shirt for dressing up-quite acceptable and very chic in Indonesia. Choose
patterned or dark-colored fabrics that won't show wear or soil as quickly.
Take along a light sweater or sweatshirt for the cool of the evenings or
for higher elevations such as Kintamani and Bedugul. These also serve as
protection against sunburn and insects. Also take a water-resistant, wind-proof
jacket. It packs light and keeps you warm when worn over a sweater. Keep
in mind the temperature drops about 3° F for every 325 meters in elevation,
and heavy cloud cover at Bali's mountain climes can bring on an even a
sharper fall in temperature.
Also recommended is a cloth baseball cap
or khaki fisherman-style hat with a brim, deep enough to stay on your head
in heavy winds, and to protect you from rain or the intensity of the sun.
Don't forget to spray it with water repellent. It may be frumpy looking,
but it will do the job. A helmet is a life-saving investment for cyclists
and motorcyclists; choose one with a plastic shield to protect your face
from rain, sleet, and insects. Bring one with you; the ones available on
Bali are dangerously flimsy.
Women's Clothing
Women should take a few long-sleeved blouses and longish skirts. Skimpy
clothing, backless dresses, and shorts can be offensive in Bali's small
back-road villages, on formal occasions, and particularly if worn in the
island's temples or to religious festivals. Your bikini is acceptable provided
it's worn only at the swimming pool or to the beach. Take one wrinkle-proof
dress that is easy to wash and dress up or down with. Dresses of double-knit
cotton T-shirt material are excellent. If you prefer to complete your travel
wardrobe on arrival, the clothes shops and boutiques of Kuta and Legian
have a wide selection of contemporary and economically priced dresses,
jackets, skirts, blouses, pants, and beachwear. Always closely scrutinize
the quality of the fabric and workmanship.
As an alternative to possibly poorly sewn
ready-made clothes, commission one of Bali's hundreds of seamstresses to
sew a dress (Rp15,000-30,000) or skirt (Rp7500-10,000). Your hotel or a
clothes shop can recommend a dressmaker. Just give them one of your best-fitting
garments or a photograph from which they will make a paper pattern.
If you lighten your hair, bring enough lightener
with you to last your entire trip. Only black and a few brown shades can
be found on Bali. Also bring deodorant and antiperspirant. The only decent
products here are FA or Purol powder; the rest are ineffective.
Footwear
A good pair of hiking or walking shoes can add hours of sightseeing or
hiking to your day. However, don't leave home with brand-new footwear;
they should already be broken-in and comfortable. Change frayed laces before
leaving so you don't have to take a spare set along. Also very useful is
a pair of Teva sandals or a good quality imitation. You can wear them anywhere-for
everyday traveling, hiking, to the beach, for snorkeling, coral walking,
dancing, motorcycle riding, or even to the immigration office. Perfect
for Indonesia! Teva-type sandals are sold all over Kuta Beach at lower
prices than the West, but they're not as well made. Dress shoes come in
handy for weddings, meetings with officials, formal visits, but are not
recommended for the average traveler. Rubber sandals (flip flops) almost
always come with your hotel or homestay room, but they are invariably too
small for Westerners, so bring your own.
Don't expect to buy footwear on Bali. Good-quality
European-sized footwear is not so easy to find. The international chain,
Bata, in Denpasar sells inexpensive shoes in leather, canvas, or plastic,
but a U.S. men's 12 and a women's 9 are about the largest sizes they make.
Gifts
Small trinkets from home make great gifts for a foreign host. Colorful
foreign stamps are the least expensive, simplest, and lightest gifts to
carry and tell a lot about your country. Indonesian kids love coins, stickers,
balloons, and soap bubbles. Rather than candy, give pens, pencils, notebooks
(schoolkids often have to pay for their own school supplies). Small boxes
of raisins are also appreciated. Teenagers love designer T-shirts, or ones
with imaginative, artistic, screenprinted designs and mottoes. One of the
best gifts for older kids is a soccerball or volleyball. These sports are
very popular; most villages have set-up goalposts and a net of sorts. They
also enjoy tapes of music from your country.
For adults, big fluffy heavy-duty cotton
towels, as well as wool headcoverings for babies, are much appreciated
by the Balinese. For a young boy or man, a stainless steel pocketknife
is an excellent way of saying "thank you." Avoid giving cigars;
most Indonesians don't like them. Small items such as cigarette lighters,
tiny camper's can openers, gift catalogs (like Sears), large safety pins,
multicolored paper clips, and packaged flower seeds also make interesting
gifts. Postcards of your country or hometown, your business card, color
photographs of yourself, your family, and especially of your children are
highly prized. Balinese also delight in photos of your home and kitchen.