A GREAT Time to Come to Indonesia

Of course, that applies to real money (such as the British pound) as well.

A quid is at a little over 20,000 rupiah, but you'll get a little less when you exchange.
The money changers have to make a living.

"Of course, that applies to real money (such as the British pound) as well."

OMG Fred, you almost sound like a tourist..."how much is that in real money?"

For we Indonesians, and us living here, the IDR is very much "real money" don't you think? 

Or did I misread your comment and that you were suggesting that the US dollar isn't "real money?"

Merry Christmas ole friend!     And cheers too!   

Just a subtle dig at the colonial lot

Have a good Christmas.

Hah!   

After bailing you guys out of two world wars, just who is it these days that's the "colonial lot?"   

No worries mate, I have several "redcoat" expat friends, so I have lots of practice with this sort of friendly barbing about.   

A Christmas present suggestion for you to give your better half and two wee ones...get some health insurance my friend.   

The British turn up for wars on time.

Must get around to the other. That baby cost me a ruddy fortune (30 million).

Ubudian wrote:

For those folks who don't regularly follow the Indonesian rupiah, you might like to know that as of today it is at the lowest rate it has been to the US dollar since August, 1999…just over 15 years ago!

Today's rate is 13182.49/US$ or 17488.56/Sterling, meaning Indonesia is still a great bet for US or British tourists looking for a tropical holiday.
Your post is old, but just as valid today as it was when you posted it.

I posted the update as a timely reminder to possible holidaymakers and a little encouragement to potential expats worried about living costs.

Don't forget that the visa on arrival is also now free for many countries but be aware that the 30 day visa starts the day you are stamped in. So make sure you count your days properly. It's 300k for every day over stay and a chance to meet some stern looking immigration men.

Also places like shoes or booking.com offer fantastic discounts on hotels here.

lukereg wrote:

Don't forget that the visa on arrival is also now free for many countries but be aware that the 30 day visa starts the day you are stamped in. So make sure you count your days properly. It's 300k for every day over stay and a chance to meet some stern looking immigration men.

Also places like shoes or booking.com offer fantastic discounts on hotels here.

Well reminded.

The 30 days INCLUDES the arrival date, something that trips a good few up.
A one day overstay generally means a small fine and an equally small reminder to watch the days, not a lot more.

Indonesia, as I understand it, is welcoming a lot more tourists since the free visa was introduced - an excellent move.

"Indonesia, as I understand it, is welcoming a lot more tourists since the free visa was introduced - an excellent move."

But not a good move for Bali.  The "quality" of recent tourists has dropped considerably.  It's so bad that in the last four months we've had TWO Bali policemen killed by tourists, and just recently we went after a German who was caught begging on the streets!

In Bali, we need to push QUALITY tourists, not more of them.

Ubudian wrote:

But not a good move for Bali.  The "quality" of recent tourists has dropped considerably.  It's so bad that in the last four months we've had TWO Bali policemen killed by tourists, and just recently we went after a German who was caught begging on the streets!

In Bali, we need to push QUALITY tourists, not more of them.

Agreed, but really hard to do as Bali has a terrible reputation as a drunk's paradise on some island continents.
However, I can see how promoting quality tourism such as eco tourism or aiming at people looking to find out about the real Bali would be a good thing.
I wish you all the best in that one, but it's going to be really hard work dumping the bad rep a couple of areas on your island have given the whole place at the moment.
As for really bad tourists and expats, I fully see how them buggering off for ever would be good news for everyone but the poor buggers in the place they went.
My condolences to the murdered coppers' families.
As for the killers, Bali can do whatever they like to them, preferably as they did with that murdering French bloke a few months ago.

I have some nice news for you regarding policing there, but I'll have to PM that when it's confirmed as it's unsuitable for the open forums.

I am sure if alcohol gets banned the rowdy tourists disappear as will the establishments that house them.

lukereg wrote:

I am sure if alcohol gets banned the rowdy tourists disappear as will the establishments that house them.

An alcohol ban on Bali is less than likely. Apart from the locals getting really stroppy about it, the cash from the tourist trade would dry up as fast as booze.

I agree but if the ban goes ahead nationally then there will be concerns for all  connected to the tourist trade and it is receiving a fair amount of coverage in the press already which won't help people choose Indonesia.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/09 … n-in-bali/

Whilst an alcohol ban in places like Java would hardly bother many people, doing so on Bali would murder the tourist trade and a lot of wallets.
I suppose much of this will depend on who owns the wallets concerned.
As the piece you quoted says, the deaths are mostly from illegal alcohol, not the real thing.
However, the last policeman murdered seems to have been alcohol related and that will play into the hands of those who want it banned.
That and the mess that we see in a couple of areas of Bali where getting smashed out of your head and doing stupid things seems to be compulsory for many Australian and British tourists.

Roy's opinion seems to go along the lines of the island would be generally better off without them, but I'll bet he'd miss his nightcap if a ban happened.

I can't really understand a mentality where booze is essential; even when I drank freely I could stop anytime I wanted and/or when required. I hardly drank at all for several years as I drove a car every day and that would have been seriously dangerous in many ways.

Maybe Roy has a valid point about the drunks - If they can't give up pop for a week, they're probably trouble anyway.

Enjoying a few beers and getting wasted are two completely different things and if the ban comes into place it's just another couple of hours to Thailand where i am sure more tourists would be welcome.
However the traditional one size fits all approach here often focuses on the right things in the wrong way. For me if Indonesia has a blanket ban on alcohol then I would consider whether I would want to visit Bali or Lombok, not because I need to drink to enjoy myself but for the same price I can fly out of Indonesia to somewhere where i can choose to or not.

I am sure the ban won't happen but then I won't be surprised if it does.

I'm assured all of Bali outside the tourist areas are pretty great, and can  attest from personal experience how fantastic Lombok is.

I don't drink so this would be of no personal concern, but I disagree with forcing others not to drink (in moderation) if they want to.
I do object to drunks.

By opening to free visa on arrival to tourists, the couchsurfing travellers who we attracted.  No offence, but they don't help economy grow as they stay in, hostels etc.  Good for then that they can do that in Indonesia but something has to be done where quality tourists in terms of bringing the money to the country are attracted.

That's a fair point but the amount of couch surfers in Indonesia is very small and the impact would have to very small. I know few people who have done this. One that did stayed in Jogja and he was treated to an amazing time by the host and the host wanted nothing in return. My friend paid for the hosts fuel and food while he was taken around and all that money he paid went into the local economy not some major international clothing store or restaurant so in that way the local economy benefitted. From there having a positive experience led to him returning to Jogja this time staying in hotels and spending more, which clearly would make everyone happy.

The old paid VOA was always a top reason where tourists avoided Indonesia, and the one commonly moaned about in KL's tourist bars.
Removing it was always going to increase quantity, but did nothing for quality.

"That's a fair point but the amount of couch surfers in Indonesia is very small.."

Not in Bali my friend.  On your next trip over here I'll show you lots of them. 

"Removing it was always going to increase quantity, but did nothing for quality."

Exactly.  And that's why here in Bali we need to get back to paid VOA's.

Ubudian wrote:

Exactly.  And that's why here in Bali we need to get back to paid VOA's.

That's all down to how the powers that be define success; the 'powers' being the people who make a fat sack of cash thus have political influence.
That simply means sales, cash, filthy lucre (Thanks, Timothy), or sacks of notes the taxman may or may not be aware of, but still buys a very nice house in Singapore.

Suck is to draw something into your mouth - 'Cess' is something you dig a pit for.
Sorry, Roy, but drunken oz tourists are going to outnumber and outspend the rest every time, and that means profit, so the 'cess' will continue being sucked into Bali for the foreseeable future.

Time will tell what is decided about the VOA here in Bali, Fred.  Radar Bali just carried a front page article on this very subject yesterday.  The “scum” quality of many “tourist” arrivals post free VOA is driving Immigration nuts.  They can't keep up with the cases of illegal workers, and the police can't keep up with the increase in crime.

My brother in law (he being in the DPR) and I talked about this for a few hours a couple of days ago before Kuningan and agrees that for Bali, the VOA shouldn't be free.  Moreover, he agreed with me that it should be increased to $30.00, if not more. 

It won't take much more before something is done.  Cops being murdered by tourists and illegal Yoga instructors invading Bali will have its impact sooner than later.

^
0 out of ten for subtle, but probably accurate.
Bali has very different needs and problems to Jakarta, so I can see the point.

Drunken louts spend cash, but destroy the place when they do it.
I showed your post to someone who has a house there, them immediately telling me how they have to clear beer bottles and vomit when they get home.
I got the idea they'd like to see a $1,000 VOA.

A thousand might be a bit of a stretch, but the need for some reasonable charge is obvious.

The whole reason for this free VOA program is to stimulate tourism in the new tourism growth areas that the government wants to push.  And, the tourism minister still operates under the misguided opinion that tourist arrivals are a better indicator of tourism growth than tourism revenue.  While the problems in accurately gauging tourism revenue are self apparent, pushing for more tourist arrivals in an already highly developed tourism destination like Bali is utter insanity.

This could be welcome news for Roy.

http://www.thejakartapost.com/travel/20 … ation.html

An attempt to make Bali into food lovers' destination.

Thanks Fred, but these tourism folks from Jakarta need to learn that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. 

Bali is already known as world class destination for great food.  Three of the top 25 restaurants in all of Asia are located on Bali. 

https://www.tripadvisor.com/TravelersCh … eDining-g2