Bali Information

About nature in Bali

Location of Bali

Bali is an island that belongs to the Republic of Indonesia and is located just east of Java Island where Jakarta, the capital of the Republic of Indonesia is. Between the island of Java and the island called Bali Strait, Where there is only 3 Km between it and Java. For that reason, exchange with Java was done actively for a long time. In addition, there is Lombok Island on the east side of Bali with the Lombok Strait.
Republic of Indonesia is a country consisting of more than 18,000 islands across the equator in a very long island country, 5,110 km east to west, Bali is located in the southern hemisphere.

Geography of Bali

Bali has an area of ​​5,532 square kilometers, which is about 2.5 times the size of Tokyo. The volcanic cord runs north of the island through the east and west, and it has many volcanoes including Agung mountain and Mount Batur.
Because Bali is an island surrounded by the ocean, Marine sports are thriving. But the current is fast and the waves are also rough, so the beach isnt as suitable to swimming as it once was.
The inland area spreads through the jungle, which is peculiar to the tropics, and many rice paddies and fields are present, utilizing the small land.

The climate of Bali

Since Indonesia is a wide country from the east and west, there are three time zones, western, central and eastern.
· Western Standard Time (Jakarta, etc.): WIB / Waktu Indonesia Barat World Standard Time + 7 hours
· Central time (Sulawesi etc.): WITA / Waktu indonesia Tengah world standard time + 8 hours
· Eastern Standard Time (Papua etc.): WIT / Waktu Indonesia Timur World Standard Time + 9 Hours
Bali belongs to the Central Standard Time (WITA) among these, one hour behind Japan.
In other words, it is 11 o'clock in Bali at noon in Japan.

On the politics and economy of Bali

Administrative division of Bali

Bali is one of the provinces of Indonesia (Bali State) and its capital city is Denpasar.
There are eight provinces in Bali, and in that county there are multiple villages as administrative units.
Also, Bali has a community organization called Banjar. It has been around since ancient times, this Banjar is still the administrative division now. The bonds in Banjar are strong, and all ceremonies and religious events are done in Banjar units.

Currency in Bali

Currency unit of Indonesia is expressed as "Rp" in Rupiah. One American dollar is approximately Rp 13,300 (as of June 2017).

As coins which are generally circulated in the market, coins are Rp 50, Rp 100, Rp 200, Rp 500, Rp 1,000, banknotes Rp 1,000, Rp 2,000, Rp 5,000, Rp 10,000, Rp 20,000, Rp 50, 000, Rp 100,000.
As for Rp 10,000, new tags were issued in 2010, but please keep in mind that old bills are still circulating.

US dollar use

In hotels, large spas, restaurants, souvenir shops, etc., there are places where Japanese yen and US dollars can be used in addition to rupiah.

However, old US dollars can not be used to prevent counterfeit issues. Please note that US dollars such as the following can not be used.

· US dollars issued before 2001
· US dollar with the symbol CB before the year
· A little dirty or torn USD
· US dollar with marks and any other damage/tape/staples

Currency exchange to Rupiah

Currency exchange from USD to Rupiah can be done everywhere. At airports, hotels, currency exchange business in town, and places where tourists gather. The Rate of exchange is best in the city, than the airport/ hotel.

There are a lot of tourists crowding, like on Legian street etc. There are souvenir shops that issued signboards of money exchange traders, but they draw you in with an amazing looking rate, and charge you a hidden fee without you noticing. Make exchange at a shop specializing in currency exchanges and then confirm the amount firmly on the spot after exchanging.

Tax and tip

Taxes (5 to 10%) and service fee (5 to 11%) are added in most places like hotels, restaurants, spas, and so on, for tourists.

In Bali, there didnt used to be any coins, but tourists from Europe and the US hand coins, so there are times when you may be asked for coins in places with many tourists such as the southern area.
Since coins are not obligatory, if you receive a pleasant service, you may pass about 5-10% of the charge as a guide.
Also, with taxis, we do not accept less than 10,000 Rp as a coin.

Phone situation in Bali

Hotels, restaurants, etc. in Bali, there are fixed telephones, and overseas calling is also possible. There are many people who are calling home in Bali, but mobile phones are spreading explosively like Japan.
Mobile phones can be purchased from around Rp 250,000 (about 2,500 yen), and SIM cards necessary for telephone calls are also cheap as Rp 15,000 (about 150 yen).

About the situation of mobile phone in Bali is summarized here >>About mobile phone in Bali

When you call America from Bali

When you call America from Bali on a homeline,

XXX is the International direct dial code: 001 and 008 for Indosat, 007 for Telkom, 009 for Bakrie Telecom You then put the country code (for America : 1) Then telephone number
there are also several VoIP international service providers using the following direct dial codes: Atlasat 01018, Gaharu Sejahtera 01019,
Indosat VoIP 01016, Telkom VoIP 01017, etc..

When calling (fixed phone) to the other party in Bali

The area code of Bali is 0361 except for some northern areas. (0362 in the northern area) If you call 0361 area, inside that area, dial the number without the area code.
For example, if you call the SKT fixed telephone (0361 - 740471) from Kuta or Nusa Dua hotel, you can dial if you dial only "740471".
(Note) Depending on the hotel, you may dial the first 9 when calling from the room.
To call from a mobile phone, dial the area code 0361-740471.

When you Call Bali from America

First comes the international exit code for the country you are calling from; this is usually '00', or '011' from the USA. The country code follows; '62'
Then, the phone number, including the area code.
'00-62-area code-phone number'

Bali electricity · water · plumming situation

Electricity in Bali

General household power outlets in buildings, including hotels in Bali are AC 220V.
Therefore, if you have electrical equipment from America, you need a transformer to convert the voltage from 220V to 100V. However, transformers are unnecessary for things with corresponding voltages between 100 V and 240 V, such as mobile phones and digital camera chargers. Please check with your electrical equipment manual or nearby electronics store.

The outlet plug shape of Bali is different from America, even if the power supply voltage of the electrical equipment is compatible, you cannot plug it in.
America has an different shape, Bali is a C shape with two round pins lining up.
Therefore, A conversion plug is necessary. It can be purchased at a large electric store or overseas travel goods dealer.

There are three thermal power stations in Bali, which is responsible for the electric power outlet in Bali. But we can not deal with the recent increase in electricity consumption, and the electricity which is going to Java island using the submarine cable We are supplying. Therefore, sudden blackouts and voltage drops occur on a daily basis.
For large-sized hotels and large-scale restaurants where tourists crowd, there is a private power generator, which corresponds to sudden blackouts. But when staying in a cheap hotel such as Rothmen, It would be nice to have electric lights and so on.

Water situation in Bali

Water in Bali is not as chlorinated as it is in America, so you can not drink it as is. Even local people are not drinking water that they once did, they drink a commercially available mineral water.
Water coming out of the hotel faucet is not suitable for drinking. Depending on the hotel, a small bottle of mineral water for tooth brushing is available for free.

Commercially available mineral water is sold at convenience stores and supermarkets at 500 ml bottle and very cheap as Rp 3,000 to 4,000. There are things of various product names, but the brand "Aqua" is the most famous, and even at restaurants and convenience stores, if you speak of "aqua" they will serve mineral water.
In Japan, water (cold) is served free of charge in restaurants and coffee shops, but it is very rare to provide free water service in Bali. If you want water, you will be charged a small fee.

Bali toilet details

Balinese home has an Indonesian style toilet that looks like a Japanese toilet.
Instead of using paper to wipe the buttocks, you clean yourself with water and soap if available, wash your hands with water that you bought, and throw the tissue in the trash. Otherwise, sometimes it becomes clogged when paper flows if you do it how you normally would.

Restaurants and shops used by hotels and foreigners are mostly Western-style restrooms, and there are toilets in small local warungs (mass dining halls). And shops for locals still have many Indonesian ceremonies, so be kind When you leave the restaurant, add some extra care to your trip to the bathroom.

Also, even in large supermarkets and department stores, the toilets are Western-style but there are also places where there is no paper. Be sure to prepare pocket tissues, or water.