Bali & Lombok Travel Guide

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Architecture

It brings together the living and the dead, pays homage to the gods and The rule that no
wards off evil spirits, not to mention the torrential rain. As spiritual as building shall
it is functional, as mystical as it is beautiful, Balinese architecture has a
life force of its own. exceed the height
of a coconut palm
On an island bound by deep-rooted religious and cultural rituals, the
priority of any design is appeasing the ancestral and village gods. This dates back to
means reserving the holiest (northeast) location in every land space for the 1960s when
the village temple, the same corner in every home for the family tem-
ple, and providing a comfortable pleasing atmosphere to entice the gods the 10-storey
back to Bali for ceremonies. Bali Beach Hotel

So while it exudes beauty, balance, age-old wisdom and functionality, a caused much
Balinese home is not a commodity designed with capital appreciation in consternation.
mind; even while an increasing number of rice farmers sell their ances- However, soaring
tral land to foreigners for villa developments, they’re keeping the parcel land prices in the
on which their home stands. south and inef-
fectual enforce-
‘For the Balinese, their house where they have the family temple repre- ment of building
sents the most prestige in their lives,’ says renowned architect Popo Danes. codes mean that
‘It’s the house of their roots. Selling it would be like selling their ancestors.’ this ‘rule’ is being
increasingly chal-
Preserving the Cosmic Order
lenged.
A village, a temple, a family compound, an individual structure – and
even a single part of the structure – must all conform to the Balinese
concept of cosmic order. It consists of three parts that represent the three
worlds of the cosmos – swah (the world of gods), bhwah (world of hu-
mans) and bhur (world of demons). The concept also represents a three-
part division of a person: utama (the head), madia (the body) and nista
(the legs). The units of measurement used in traditional buildings are
directly based on the anatomical dimensions of the head of the house-
hold, ensuring harmony between the dwelling and those who live in it.

The design is traditionally done by an undagi (a combination
architect-priest); it must maintain harmony between god, man and na-
ture under the concept of Tri Hita Karana. If it’s not quite right, the
universe may fall off balance and no end of misfortune and ill health will
visit the community involved.

Building on the Bale

The basic element of Balinese architecture is the bale, a rectangular, open-
sided pavilion with a steeply pitched roof of thatch. Both a family com-
pound and a temple will comprise a number of separate bale for specific
functions, all surrounded by a high wall. The size and proportions of the
bale, the number of columns and the position within the compound are
all determined according to tradition and the owner’s caste status.

The focus of a community is a large pavilion, called the bale banjar,
used for meetings, debates and gamelan practice, among many other
activities. You’ll find that large modern buildings such as restaurants and

ARCHITECTURE HUMBLE PALACES350 the lobby areas of resorts are often modelled on the larger bale, and they
The various open- can be airy, spacious and very handsomely proportioned.
air bale in family
compounds are Humble Palaces
where visitors
are received. Visitors may be disappointed by Balinese puri (palaces), which prove to
Typically, drinks be neither large nor imposing. The puri are the traditional residences of
and small cakes the Balinese aristocracy, although now they may be used as top-end ho-
will be served tels or as regular family compounds. They’re unimposing, as a Balinese
and friendly palace can never be built more than one-storey high. This is because a
conversations will Balinese noble could not possibly use a ground-floor room if the feet of
ensue for pos- people on an upper floor were walking above.
sibly an hour or
more before the The Family Compound
purpose of a visit
is discussed. The Balinese house looks inward – the outside is simply a high wall.
By long tradition, Inside there is a garden and a separate small building or bale for each
Balinese doors activity – one for cooking, one for washing and the toilet, and separate
are ornately buildings for each ‘bedroom’. In Bali’s mild tropical climate people live
carved and outside, so the ‘living room’ and ‘dining room’ will be open veranda ar-
painted, and are eas, looking out into the garden. The whole complex is oriented on the
typically in two kaja–kelod (towards the mountains–towards the sea) axis.
halves that open
inwards. Tradi- Homes from Head to…
tional houses will
have a few. Analogous to the human body, compounds have a head (the family tem-
ple with its ancestral shrine), arms (the sleeping and living areas), legs
DOORS and feet (the kitchen and rice storage building), and even an anus (the
garbage pit or pigsty). There may be an area outside the house com-
pound where fruit trees are grown or a pig is kept.

There are several variations on the typical family compound. For ex-
ample, the entrance is commonly on the kuah (sunset side), rather than
the kelod (away from the mountains and towards the sea) side as shown,
but never on the kangin (sunrise) or kaja (in the direction of the moun-
tains) side.

Traditional Balinese homes are found in every region of the island;
Ubud remains an excellent place to see them simply because of the con-
centration of homes there. Many accept guests. South of Ubud, you can
enjoy an in-depth tour of the Nyoman Suaka Home in Singapadu.

Temples

Every village in Bali has several temples, and every home has at least a
simple house-temple. The Balinese word for temple is pura, from a San-
skrit word literally meaning ‘a space surrounded by a wall’. Similar to a
traditional Balinese home, a temple is walled in – so the shrines you see in
rice fields or at ‘magical’ spots such as old trees are not real temples. Sim-
ple shrines or thrones often overlook crossroads, to protect passers-by.

All temples are built on a mountains–sea orientation, not north–
south. The direction towards the mountains, kaja, is the end of the tem-
ple, where the holiest shrines are found. The temple’s entrance is at the
kelod. Kangin is more holy than the kuah, so many secondary shrines
are on the kangin side. Kaja may be towards a particular mountain –
Pura Besakih in east Bali is pointed directly towards Gunung Agung –
or towards the mountains in general, which run east–west along the
length of Bali.

Temple Types

There are three basic temple types found in most villages. The most
important is the pura puseh (temple of origin), dedicated to the village
founders and at the kaja end of the village. In the middle of the village is
the pura desa, for the many spirits that protect the village community in

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daily life. At the kelod end of the village is the pura dalem (temple of the ARCHITECTURE TEMPLES
dead). The graveyard is also here, and the temple may include represen-
tations of Durga, the terrible side of Shiva’s wife Parvati. Both Shiva and
Parvati have a creative and destructive side; their destructive powers are
honoured in the pura dalem.

Other temples include those dedicated to the spirits of irrigated agri-
culture. Because rice growing is so important in Bali, and the division of
water for irrigation is handled with the utmost care, these pura subak or
pura ulun suwi (temple of the rice-growers association) can be of consid-
erable importance. Other temples may also honour dry-field agriculture,
as well as the flooded rice paddies.

TYPICAL FAMILY COMPOUND

The following are elements commonly found in family compounds. Although there are
variations, the designs are surprisingly similar, especially given they occur thousands of
times across Bali.
» Sanggah or Merajan Family temple, which is always at the kaja-kangin (sun-
rise in the direction of the mountains) corner of the courtyard. There will be
shrines to the Hindu ‘trinity’ of Brahma, Shiva and Vishnu, and to taksu, the
divine intermediary.

» Umah Meten Sleeping pavilion for the family head.

» Tugu Shrine to god of evil spirits in the compound but at the far kaja-kuah (sun-
set in the direction of the mountains) corner; by employing the chief evil spirit as a
guard, others will stay away.

» Pengijeng Small shrine amid the compound’s open space, dedicated to the spirit
who is the guardian of the property.

» Bale Tiang Sanga Guest pavilion, also known as the bale duah. Literally the fam-
ily room, it’s used as a gathering place, offering workplace or temporary quarters
of lesser sons and their families before they establish their own home.

» Natah Courtyard with frangipani or hibiscus shade trees, with always a few
chickens pecking about, plus a fighting cock or two in a basket.

» Bale Sakenam or Bale Dangin Working and sleeping pavilion; may be used for
important family ceremonies.

» Fruit trees & coconut palms Serve both practical and decorative purposes.
Fruit trees are often mixed with flowering trees such as hibiscus, and caged song
birds hang from the branches.

» Vegetable garden Small; usually just for a few spices such as lemongrass not
grown on larger plots.

» Bale Sakepat Sleeping pavilion for children; highly optional.

» Paon Kitchen; always in the south, as that is the direction associated with
Brahma, god of fire.

» Lumbung Rice barn – the domain of both the precious grain and the Dewi Sri,
the rice goddess. It’s elevated to discourage rice-eating pests.

» Rice-threshing area Important for farmers to prepare rice for cooking or
storage.

» Aling Aling Screen wall requiring visitors to turn a sharp left or right. This en-
sures both privacy from passers-by and protection from demons, which the Bal-
inese believe cannot turn corners.

» Candi Kurung Gate with a roof, resembling a mountain or tower split in half.

» Apit Lawang or Pelinggah Gate shrines, which continually receive offerings to
recharge the gate’s ability to repel evil spirits.

» Pigsty or garbage pit Always in the kangin-kelod (sunrise in the direction away
from the mountains) corner, the compound’s waste ends up here.

ARCHITECTURE THE BIRTH OF BALI STYLE352 In addition to these ‘local’ temples, there are a lesser number of great
The gate to temples. Often a kingdom would have three of these temples that sit
a traditional at the very top of the temple pecking order: a main state temple in the
heartland of the state (such as Pura Taman Ayun in Mengwi, western
Balinese house is Bali); a mountain temple (such as Pura Besakih, eastern Bali); and a sea
where the family temple (such as Pura Luhur Ulu Watu, southern Bali).
gives clues as to
its wealth. They Every house in Bali has its house temple, which is at the kaja-kangin
range from the corner of the courtyard and has at least five shrines.
humble – grass
Temple Decoration
thatch atop a
gate of simple Temples and their decoration are closely linked on Bali. A temple gate-
stones or clay – way is not just erected; every square centimetre of it is carved in sculp-
to the relatively tural relief and a diminishing series of demon faces is placed above it as
grand, including protection. Even then, it’s not complete without several stone statues to
bricks heavily act as guardians.
ornamented with
ornately carved The level of decoration inside varies. Sometimes a temple is built with
stone and a tile minimal decoration in the hope that sculpture can be added when more
funds are available. The sculpture can also deteriorate after a few years
roof. because much of the stone used is soft and the tropical climate ages it
Hard-wearing very rapidly (that centuries-old temple you’re looking at may in fact be
terracotta tiles less than 10 years old!). Sculptures are restored or replaced as resources
have been the permit – it’s not uncommon to see a temple with old carvings, which are
traditional roofing barely discernible, next to newly finished work.
material since
the Dutch era. Sculpture often appears in set places in Bali’s temples. Door guardians –
Thatch in various representations of legendary figures such as Arjuna or other protective
forms or bamboo personalities – flank the steps to the gateway. Above the main entrance
are now reserved to a temple, Kala’s monstrous face often pFeers out, sometimes a number
for the most of times, and his hands reach out beside his head to catch any evil spirits
traditional and foolish enough to try and sneak in.
ceremonial sites.
Elsewhere, other sculptures make regular appearances. The front of a
Scores of open- pura dalem will often feature images of the witch Rangda, and sculpted
air carving sheds relief panels may show the horrors that await evil-doers in the afterlife.
supplying statues
and ornamenta- Temple Design
tion to temples
and shrines are Although overall temple architecture is similar in both northern and south-
a highlight of the ern Bali, there are some important differences. The inner courtyards of
southern temples usually house a number of meru (multi-tiered shrines),
road between together with other structures, whereas in the north, everything is grouped
Muncan and Selat on a single pedestal. On the pedestal you’ll find ‘houses’ for the deities to
use on their earthly visits; they’re also used to store religious relics.
in east Bali.
While Balinese sculpture and painting were once exclusively used as
architectural decoration for temples, you’ll soon see that sculpture and
painting have developed as separate art forms influencing the look of eve-
ry aspect of the island. And the art of temple and shrine construction is as
vibrant as ever: more than 500 new ones in all sizes are built every month.

Temple design follows a traditional formula. A temple compound con-
tains a number of gedong (shrines) of varying sizes, made from solid
brick and stone and heavily decorated with carvings.

The Birth of Bali Style

Tourism has given Balinese architecture unprecedented exposure and it
seems that every visitor wants to take a slice of this island back home
with them.

Shops along Ngurah Rai Bypass (the main road in south Bali, running
from the airport around to Sanur) churn out prefabricated, knock-down
bale for shipment to far-flung destinations: the Caribbean, London,
Perth and Hong Kong. Furniture workshops in Denpasar and handicraft

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villages near Ubud are flat out making ornaments for domestic and ex- ARCHITECTURE THE BIRTH OF BALI STYLE
port markets.

The craze stems back to the early 1970s, when Australian artist Don-
ald Friend formed a partnership with Manado-born Wija Waworuntu,
who had built the Tandjung Sari on Sanur beach a decade earlier. With
a directive to design traditional, village-style alternatives to the Western
multi-storeyed hotels, they brought two architects to Bali: Australian Pe-
ter Muller and the late Sri Lankan Geoffrey Bawa who took traditional
architecture and adapted it to Western standards of luxury.

TYPICAL TEMPLE ELEMENTS

No two temples on Bali are identical. Variations in style, size, importance, wealth, pur-
pose and much more result in near infinite variety. But there are common themes and
elements. Use this as a guide and see how many design elements you can find in each
Balinese temple you visit.

» Candi Bentar The intricately sculpted temple gateway, like a tower split down
the middle and moved apart, symbolising that you are entering a sanctum. It can
be quite grand, with auxiliary entrances on either side for daily use.

» Kulkul Tower The warning-drum tower, from which a wooden split drum (kulkul)
is sounded to announce events at the temple or warn of danger.

» Bale A pavilion, usually open-sided, for temporary use or storage. It may include a
bale gong (3A), where the gamelan orchestra plays at festivals; a paon (3B), or tempo-
rary kitchen, to prepare offerings; or a wantilan (3C), a stage for dances or cockfights.

» Kori Agung or Paduraksa The gateway to the inner courtyard is an intricately
sculpted stone tower. Entry is through a doorway reached by steps in the middle of
the tower and left open during festivals.

» Raksa or Dwarapala Statues of fierce guardian figures who protect the doorway
and deter evil spirits. Above the door will be the equally fierce face of a Bhoma,
with hands outstretched against unwanted spirits.

» Aling Aling If an evil spirit does get in, this low wall behind the entrance will keep
it at bay, as evil spirits find it difficult to make sharp turns. (Also found in family
compounds.)

» Side Gate (Betelan) Most of the time (except during ceremonies), entry to the
inner courtyard is through this side gate, which is always open.

» Small Shrines (Gedong) These usually include shrines to Ngrurah Alit and
Ngrurah Gede, who organise things and ensure the correct offerings are made.

» Padma Stone Throne for the sun god Surya, placed in the most auspicious kaja-
kangin corner. It rests on the badawang (world turtle), which is held by two naga
(mythical snakelike creatures).

» Meru A multiroofed shrine. Usually there is an 11-roofed meru (10A) to Sang-
hyang Widi, the supreme Balinese deity, and a three-roofed meru (10B) to the holy
mountain Gunung Agung. However, meru can take any odd number of steps in
between, depending on where the intended god falls in the pecking order. The black
thatching is made from sugar palm fronds and is very expensive.

» Small Shrines (Gedong) At the kaja end of the courtyard, these may include a
shrine to the sacred mountain Gunung Batur; a Maospahit shrine to honour Bali’s
original Hindu settlers (Majapahit); and a shrine to the taksu, who acts as an inter-
preter for the gods. (Trance dancers or mediums may be used to convey the gods’
wishes.)

» Bale Piasan Open pavilions used to display temple offerings.

» Gedong Pesimpangan A stone building dedicated to the village founder or a
local deity.

» Paruman or Pepelik Open pavilion in the inner courtyard, where the gods are
supposed to assemble to watch the ceremonies of a temple festival.

ARCHITECTURE CONTEMPORARY HOTEL DESIGN354 Before long, the design sensation known as ‘Bali Style’ was born. Then,
Look for carved the term reflected Muller and Bawa’s sensitive, low-key approach, giving
wooden garudas, precedence to culture over style, and respect for traditional principles
the winged bird and craftspeople, local renewable materials and age-old techniques. To-
that bears the day, the development of a mass market has inevitably produced a much
god Wisnu, in the looser definition.
most surprising
places – high up Contemporary Hotel Design
in pavilion rafters,
at the base of For centuries, foreign interlopers, such as the priest Nirartha, have
columns, pretty played an intrinsic part in the island’s myths and legends. These days,
much anywhere. tourists are making an impact on the serenity of Balinese cosmology and
its seamless translation into the island’s traditional architecture. And
while these visitors with large credit limits aren’t changing the island’s
belief system – much – they are changing its look.

Most hotel designs on Bali and Lombok are purely functional or pas-
tiches of traditional designs, but some of the finest hotels on the islands as-
pire to something greater. Notable examples in rough order of completion:

TOP TEMPLE VISITS

Over 10,000 temples are found everywhere on Bali – from cliff tops and beaches to
volcanoes – and are often beautiful places to experience. Visitors will find the following
especially rewarding.

Directional Temples
Some temples are so important they are deemed to belong to the whole island rather
than particular communities. There are nine kahyangan jagat (directional temples) in-
cluding the following four:
» Pura Luhur Batukau (p228) One of Bali’s most important temples is situated
magically up the misty slopes of Gunung Batukau.

» Pura Luhur Ulu Watu (p103) As important as it is popular, this temple has
sweeping Indian Ocean views, sunset dance performances and monkeys.

» Pura Goa Lawah (p193) See Bali’s own Bat Cave at this cliffside temple filled
with the winged critters.

Sea Temples
The legendary 16th-century priest Nirartha founded a chain of temples to honour the
sea gods. Each was intended to be within sight of the next, and several have dramatic
locations on the south coast. They include the following:
» Pura Rambut Siwi (p251) On a wild stretch of the west coast and not far from
where Nirartha arrived in the 16th century. Locks of his hair are said to be buried in
a shrine.

» Pura Tanah Lot (p247) Sacred as the day begins, it becomes a temple of mass
tourism at sunset.

Other Important Temples
Some temples have particular importance because of their location, spiritual function
or architecture. The following reward visitors:
» Pura Maduwe Karang (p235) An agricultural temple on the north coast, this is
famous for its spirited bas-reliefs, including one of possibly Bali’s first bicycle rider.

» Pura Pusering Jagat (p172) One of the famous temples at Pejeng, near Ubud,
which dates to the 14th-century empire that flourished here. It has an enormous
bronze drum from that era.

» Pura Taman Ayun (p248) This vast and imposing state temple was a centre-
piece of the Mengwi empire and has been nominated for Unesco recognition.

» Pura Tirta Empul (p173) The beautiful temple at Tampaksiring, with holy springs
discovered in AD 962 and bathing pools at the source of Sungai Pakerisan.

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TOP FIVE ARCHITECTURE & DESIGN BOOKS ARCHITECTURE LOMBOK ARCHITECTURE

» Architecture of Bali (Made Wijaya) Contains stunning vintage photographs and
illustrations, accompanied by informative personal observations from the Australian-
born landscape designer.

» Bali Style (Rio Helmi and Barbara Walker) Details the clean and open-plan
design ethos that’s attracted a worldwide following.

» Architectural Conservation in Bali (Edo Budihardjo) Makes the case for
preserving Bali’s architectural heritage.

» Architecture Bali: Birth of the Tropical Boutique Resort (Philip Goad)
Explores the origin and direction of contemporary Balinese design.

» A House on Bali (Colin McPhee) The classic account of the intricacies of
building a traditional family compound.

» Tandjung Sari (p113) Located in Sanur, it is Wija Waworuntu’s classic prototype Objects draped in
for the Balinese boutique beach hotel. black-and-white
checked cloth
» Amandari (p159) The crowning achievement of architect Peter Muller, who
also designed the two Oberois. Located near Ubud, the inclusion of traditional (poleng) are
Balinese materials, crafts and construction techniques, as well as Balinese design empowered by
principles, respects the island’s approach to the world. the spirits. Such
objects can be
» Oberoi (p78) The very first luxury hotel, located in Seminyak, and remains shrines, as you’d
Muller’s relaxed vision of a Balinese village. The bale agung (village assembly hall) expect, but also
and bale banjar form the basis for common areas. statues, planters
or seemingly
» Oberoi Lombok (p272) Both the most luxurious and the most traditionally everyday objects.
styled hotel on Lombok.

» Amanusa (p107) Avoids the over-grown, hackneyed approach of nearby resorts
in Nusa Dua through the brilliant work of Kerry Hill, who drew on Balinese village
design for this human-scaled hotel.

» Amankila (p197) In east Bali, Amankila adopts a garden strategy, with a carefully
structured landscape of lotus ponds and floating pavilions that steps down an
impossibly steep site. Hotel Tugu Bali, in Canggu, exemplifies the notion of instant
age, the ability of materials in Bali to weather quickly and provide ‘pleasing decay’.

» Four Seasons Resort (p159) A striking piece of aerial sculpture near Ubud, with
a huge elliptical lotus pond sitting above a base structure that appears like an
eroded and romantic ruin set within a spectacular river valley.

» Alila Villas (p104) In far south Bali, Alila employs an artful contemporary style
that’s light and airy, conveying a sense of great luxury. Set amid hotel-tended rice
fields, it embodies advanced green building principles.

Lombok Architecture

Traditional laws and practices govern Lombok’s architecture. Construc-
tion must begin on a propitious day, always with an odd-numbered date,
and the building’s frame must be completed on that day. It would be bad
luck to leave any of the important structural work until the following day.

A traditional Sasak village layout is a walled enclosure. There are three
types of buildings: the beruga (open-sided pavilion), the bale tani (fam-
ily house) and the lumbung (rice barn). The beruga and bale tani are
both rectangular, with low walls and a steeply pitched thatched roof,
although, of course, the beruga is much larger. A bale tani is made of
bamboo on a base of compacted mud. It usually has no windows and
the arrangement of rooms is very standardised. There is a serambi (open
veranda) at the front and two rooms on two different levels inside – one
for cooking and entertaining guests, the other for sleeping and storage.
There are some picturesque traditional Sasak villages in Rembitan and
Sade, near Kuta.

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Environment

DOGS The Landscape

The plight of Bali is a small island, midway along the string of islands that makes up
Bali’s dogs and the Indonesian archipelago. It’s adjacent to the most heavily populated
the irony of the island of Java, and immediately west of the chain of smaller islands com-
important role prising Nusa Tenggara, which includes Lombok.
they play in island
life is captured The island is visually dramatic – a mountainous chain with a string
of active volcanoes, it includes several peaks around 2000m. The agri-
by filmakers cultural lands in Bali are south and north of the central mountains. The
Lawrence Blair southern region is a wide, gently sloping area, where most of the coun-
and Dean Allan try’s abundant rice crop is grown. The northern coastal strip is narrower,
Tolhurst in Bali: rising rapidly into the foothills of the central range. It receives less rain,
but coffee, copra, rice and cattle are farmed there.
Island of the
Dogs. Bali also has some arid, less-populated regions. These include the
western mountain region, and the eastern and northeastern slopes of
Gunung Agung. The Nusa Penida islands are dry, and cannot support
intensive rice agriculture. The Bukit Peninsula is similarly dry, but with
the growth of tourism, it’s becoming quite populous.

Volcanoes

Bali is volcanically active and extremely fertile. The two go hand-in-hand
as eruptions contribute to the land’s exceptional fertility, and high moun-
tains provide the dependable rainfall that irrigates Bali’s complex and
amazingly beautiful patchwork of rice terraces. Of course, the volcanoes
are a hazard as well – Bali has endured disastrous eruptions in the past,
such as in 1963, and no doubt will again in the future. Gunung Agung,
the ‘Mother Mountain’, is 3142m high and thickly wooded on its south
side. You can climb it or its steam-spewing neighbour, the comparatively
diminutive 1700m Gunung Batur. The latter is a geographic spectacle: a
soaring, active volcano rising from a lake that itself is set in a vast crater.

On Lombok, the 3726m Gunung Rinjani is Indonesia’s second-tallest
volcano. Within the huge caldera is an aquamarine lake, Danau Segara,
which astounds those who spy it for the first – or even second – time.

Beaches

For a complete list of Bali and Lombok’s best beaches, see p57.

Animals & Plants

Bali is geologically young, most of its living things have migrated from
elsewhere and true native wild animals are rare. This is not hard to imag-
ine in the heavily populated and extravagantly fertile south of Bali, where
the orderly rice terraces are so intensively cultivated they look more like
a work of sculpture than a natural landscape.

In fact, rice fields cover only about 20% of the island’s surface area,
and there is a great variety of other environmental zones: the dry scrub

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of the northwest, the extreme northeast and the southern peninsula; ENVIRONMENT ANIMALS & PLANTS
patches of dense jungle in the river valleys; forests of bamboo; and harsh
volcanic regions that are barren rock and volcanic tuff at higher alti-
tudes. Lombok is similar in all these respects.

Animals

Wild Animals

Bali has lots and lots of lizards, and they come in all shapes and sizes.
The small ones (onomatopoeically called cecak) that hang around light
fittings in the evening, waiting for an unwary insect, are a familiar sight.
Geckos are fairly large lizards, often heard but less often seen. The loud
and regularly repeated two-part cry ‘geck-oh’ is a nightly background
noise that many visitors soon enjoy – it’s considered lucky if you hear the
lizard call seven times.

RESPONSIBLE TRAVEL

The best way to responsibly visit Bali and Lombok is to try to be as minimally invasive as
possible. This is, of course, easier than it sounds, but consider the following tips:

» Watch your use of water Travel into the rice-growing regions of Bali and you’ll
think the island is coursing with water, but demand outstrips supply. Take up your
hotel on its offer to save itself big money, er, no, to save lots of water, by not wash-
ing your sheets and towels every day. Cynicism aside, this will save water. At the
high end you can also forgo your own private plunge pool, or a pool altogether –
although this is almost impossible at any price level.

» Don’t hit the bottle Those bottles of Aqua (the top local brand of bottled water,
owned by Danone) are convenient but they add up. The zillions of such bottles
tossed away each year are a major blight. Still, you’re wise not to refill from the tap,
so what to do? Ask your hotel if you can refill from their huge containers of drinking
water. And if your hotel doesn’t give you in-room drinking water in reusable glass
containers, tell them you noticed.

In Ubud, stop by the Pondok Pecak Library & Learning Centre (p169) – staff will refill
your water bottle and tell you which other businesses offer this service. Elsewhere, sim-
ply ask; the service is slowly spreading. In restaurants, ask for ‘air putih’, which will get
you a glass of water from the Aqua jug out back, saving yet more plastic bottles.

» Don’t play golf The resorts will hate this, but tough. Having two golf courses on
the arid Bukit Peninsula is environmentally unsustainable.

» Support environmentally aware businesses The number of businesses com-
mitted to good environmental practices is growing fast in Bali and Lombok. Keep
an eye out within this guide for the sustainable icon, which identifies environmen-
tally savvy businesses.

» Conserve power Sure you want to save your own energy on a sweltering after-
noon, but using air-con strains an already overloaded system. Much of the electric-
ity in Bali comes from Java and the rest is produced at the roaring, smoking plant
near Benoa Harbour. Open the windows at night in Ubud for cool mountain breezes
and the symphony of sounds off the rice fields.

» Don’t drive yourself crazy The traffic is already bad – why add another vehicle
to it? Can you take a tourist bus instead of a chartered or rental car? Would a walk,
trek or hike be more enjoyable than a road journey to an over-visited tourist spot?
The beach is a fast and fun way to get around Kuta and Seminyak (often faster than
a taxi in traffic). Cycling is more popular than ever, and you can hire a bike
for US$3.

» Bag the bags Bali’s governor is trying to get plastic bags banned. Help him out
by refusing them (and say no to plastic straws too). Note that many Circle K con-
venience stores now ask if you want a bag.

358

ENVIRONMENT ANIMALS & PLANTS SEA TURTLES

Both green sea and hawksbill turtles inhabit the waters around Bali and Lombok, and
both species are supposedly protected by international laws that prohibit trade in any-
thing made from sea turtles.

In Bali, however, green sea turtle meat (penyu) is a traditional and very popular deli-
cacy, particularly for Balinese feasts. Bali is the site of the most intensive slaughter of
green sea turtles in the world – no reliable figures are available, although in 1999 it was
estimated that more than 30,000 are killed annually. It’s easy to find the trade on the
backstreets of waterside towns such as Benoa.

Still, some progress is being made. ‘People in Kuta used to eat turtles, now they save
them,’ says Wayan Wiradnyana, head of ProFauna (p372) in Bali, a group that works
to protect animals across Indonesia. In Bali, the group has spurred police to enforce a
1999 ban on turtle killing and it has helped release turtles seized from poachers. But its
biggest achievement has been in public education. ‘In Kuta,’ he says, ‘30 turtles a year
lay eggs on the beach. The community now helps us guard them and make certain the
babies hatch and get to the water’. ProFauna has erected a turtle information centre at
the Tuban end of Kuta Beach.

A broad coalition of divers and journalists supports the SOS Sea Turtles campaign
(www.sos-seaturtles.ch), which spotlights turtle abuse in Bali. It has been instrumental
in exposing the illegal poaching of turtles at Wakatobi National Park in Sulawesi for sale
in Bali. This illegal trade is widespread and, like the drug trade, hard to prevent. Bali’s
Hindu Dharma, the body overseeing religious practice, has decreed that turtle meat is
essential in only very vital ceremonies.

Turtle hatcheries open to the public, such as the sanctuary on – fittingly – Turtle
Island, do a good job of educating locals about the need to protect turtles and think of
them as living creatures (as opposed to satay), but many environmentalists are still
opposed to them because they keep captive turtles.

One hawksbill sea Bali has more than 300 species of birds, but the one that is truly na-
turtle that visited tive to the island, the Bali starling, is mostly extinct in the wild, although
Bali was tracked thousands can be found in cages. (Efforts to reintroduce them on Nusa
for the following Penida are so far successful, see p134.) Much more common are colour-
year. His destina- ful birds such as the orange-banded thrush, numerous species of egrets,
tions: Java, Kali- kingfishers, parrots, owls and many more.
mantan, Australia
(Perth and much Bali’s only wilderness area, Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali
of Queensland) National Park), has a number of wild species, including grey and black
monkeys (which you will also see in the mountains, Ubud and east Bali),
and then back muncak (mouse deer), squirrels, bats and iguanas.
to Bali.
Domestic Animals

Bali is thick with domestic animals, including ones that wake you up in
the morning and others that bark at night. Chickens and roosters are
kept as food and as domestic pets.
» Cockfighting A popular male activity – a man’s fighting bird is his prized
possession. If you see a thicket of cars and motorbikes by the side of the road in rural
Bali but don’t see any people, they may all be at a cockfight ‘hidden’ behind a building.

» Dogs When not pampered pets, dogs have hard lives – they’re far down the
social ladder, bedeviled by the rabies epidemic and thought by some to be friendly
with evil spirits (thus the constant barking). But some people are trying to
improve the lives of feral mutts, see p171.

» Ducks Another everyday Balinese domestic animal and a regular dish at feasts.
Ducks are kept in the family compound, and are put out to a convenient pond or
flooded rice field to feed during the day. They follow a stick with a small flag tied to
the end, and the stick is left planted in the field. As sunset approaches, the ducks

359

gather around the stick and wait to be led home again. The morning and evening
duck parades are one of Bali’s small delights.

Marine Animals Balinese Flora & ENVIRONMENT ANIMALS & PLANTS
Fauna, published
For a full discussion of the myriad aquatic creatures around Bali and
Lombok, see p64. by Periplus, is
a concise and
Plants beautifully il-
lustrated guide to
Trees the animals and
plants you’ll see
Much of the island is cultivated. As with most things in Bali, trees have in your travels.
a spiritual and religious significance, and you’ll often see them deco- The feature on
rated with scarves and black-and-white chequered cloths (poleng, a cloth the ecology of
signifying spiritual energy). The waringin (banyan tree) is the holiest a rice field is
Balinese tree and no important temple is complete without a stately
one growing within its precincts. The banyan is an extensive, shady tree excellent.
with an exotic feature: creepers that drop from its branches take root to
propagate a new tree. Jepun (frangipani or plumeria trees), with their
beautiful and sweet-smelling white flowers, are found everywhere.

Bali’s forests cover 127,000 hectares, ranging from virgin land to tree
farms to densely forested mountain villages. The total is constantly un-
der threat from wood poaching for carved souvenirs and cooking fuel,
and from development.

Bali has monsoonal rather than tropical rainforests, so it lacks the val-
uable rainforest hardwoods that require rain year-round. Nearly all the
hardwood used for carving is imported from Sumatra and Kalimantan.

GROWING RICE

Rice cultivation has shaped the social landscape in Bali – the intricate organisation nec-
essary for growing rice is a large factor in the strength of community life. Rice cultivation
has also changed the environmental landscape – terraced rice fields trip down hillsides
like steps for a giant, in shades of gold, brown and green, green and more green. Some
date back 1000 years or more.

Subak, the village assocation that deals with water rights and irrigation, makes careful
use of all the surface water. The fields are a complete ecological system, home for much
more than just rice. In the early morning you’ll often see the duck herders leading their
flocks out for a day’s paddle around a flooded rice field; the ducks eat various pests and
leave fertiliser in their wake.

A harvested field with its leftover burnt rice stalks is soaked with water and repeat-
edly ploughed, often by two bullocks pulling a wooden plough. Once the field is muddy
enough, a small corner is walled off and seedling rice is planted there. When it is a rea-
sonable size, it’s replanted, shoot by shoot, in the larger field. While the rice matures,
there is time to practise the gamelan (instruments used to play traditional Balinese
orchestral music), watch the dancers or do a little woodcarving. Finally, the whole village
turns out for the harvest – a period of solid hard work. While it’s only men who plant the
rice, everybody takes part in harvesting it.

In 1969, new high-yield rice varieties were introduced. These can be harvested a
month sooner than the traditional variety and are resistant to many diseases. However,
the new varieties also require more fertiliser and irrigation water, which strains the im-
perilled water supplies. More pesticides are also needed, causing the depletion of the
frog and eel populations that depend on the insects for survival.

Although everyone agrees that the new rice doesn’t taste as good as the traditional
rice, the new strains now account for more than 90% of the rice grown in Bali. Small
areas of traditional rice are still planted and harvested in traditional ways to placate the
rice goddess, Dewi Sri. Temples and offerings to her dot every rice field.

ENVIRONMENT NATIONAL PARKS360

THE WALLACE LINE

The 19th-century naturalist Sir Alfred Wallace (1822–1913) observed great differences in
fauna between Bali and Lombok – as great as the differences between Africa and South
America. In particular, there were no large mammals (elephants, rhinos, tigers etc) east of
Bali, and very few carnivores. He postulated that during the ice ages, when sea levels were
lower, animals could have moved by land from what is now mainland Asia all the way to Bali,
but the deep Lombok Strait would always have been a barrier. He drew a line between Bali
and Lombok, which he believed marked the biological division between Asia and Australia.

Plant life does not display such a sharp division, but there is a gradual transition from
predominantly Asian rainforest species to mostly Australian plants, such as eucalypts
and acacias, which are better suited to long dry periods. This is associated with the lower
rainfall as one moves east of Java. Environmental differences – including those in the
natural vegetation – are now thought to provide a better explanation of the distribution
of animal species than Wallace’s theory about limits to their original migrations.

Modern biologists do recognise a distinction between Asian and Australian fauna, but
the boundary between the regions is regarded as much fuzzier than Wallace’s line.
Nevertheless, this transitional zone between Asia and Australia is still called ‘Wallacea’.

The Indonesian A number of plants have great practical and economic significance.
Ecotourism Cen- Tiing (bamboo) is grown in several varieties and is used for everything
tre (www.indecon. from satay sticks and string to rafters and gamelan resonators. The vari-
or.id) is devoted ous types of palm provide coconuts, sugar, fuel and fibre.
to highlighting
responsible tour- Flowers & Gardens
ism; Bali Fokus
(http://balifokus. Balinese gardens are a delight. The soil and climate can support a huge
asia) promotes range of plants, and the Balinese love of beauty and the abundance of
sustainable com- cheap labour means that every space can be landscaped. The style is
munity programs generally informal, with curved paths, a rich variety of plants and usually
a water feature. Who can’t be enchanted by a frangipani tree dropping a
on Bali for carpet of fragrant blossoms?
recycling and
You can find almost every type of flower in Bali, but some are seasonal
reuse. and others are restricted to the cooler mountain areas. Many of the flow-
ers will be familiar to visitors – hibiscus, bougainvillea, poinsettia, ole-
ander, jasmine, water lily and aster are commonly seen in the southern
tourist areas.

Less-familiar flowers include Javanese ixora (soka, angsoka), with
round clusters of red-orange flowers; champak (cempaka), a fragrant
member of the magnolia family; flamboyant, the flower of the royal poin-
ciana flame tree; manori (maduri), which has several traditional uses;
and water convolvulus (kangkung), whose leaves are commonly used as
a green vegetable. There are thousands of species of orchid.

Bali’s climate means that gardens planted today look mature – com-
plete with soaring shade trees – in just a couple of years. Good places
to see Bali’s plant bounty include Bali Botanical Gardens, Bali Orchid
Garden and the many plant nurseries (north from Sanur and along the
road to Denpasar).

National Parks

The only national park in Bali is Taman Nasional Bali Barat (West Bali
National Park). It covers 190 sq km at the western tip of Bali, plus a sub-
stantial area of coastal mangrove and the adjacent marine area, includ-
ing the excellent dive site at Menjangan.

The Taman Nasional Gunung Rinjani (Gunung Rinjani National
Park) on Lombok covers 413 sq km and is the water collector for most

361

of the island. At 3726m, Gunung Rinjani is the second-highest volcanic WASTE ENVIRONMENT ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
peak in Indonesia and is very popular for trekking.
Each day Bali pro-
Environmental Issues duces 150 tons
of waste, at least
Fast-growing populations, limited resources, pressure from the increas- 30% of which is
ing number of visitors and lax and/or nonexistent environmental regula-
tions mean that Bali and Lombok are under great threat. nonbiodegradable
and most of
Bali
which is gener-
Some of Bali’s environmental worries are larger than the island: climate ated directly
change is causing increased water levels that are damaging the coast or indirectly by
and beaches.
tourism. That is
Meanwhile, a fast-growing population in Bali has put pressure on everything from
limited resources. The tourist industry has attracted new residents, and
there is a rapid growth in urban areas and of resorts and villas that en- plastic water
croach onto agricultural land. Concerns include: bottles to your
» Water Usage is a major concern. Typical top-end hotels use more than 1000L empty container
of water a day per room, and the growing number of golf courses – the ones on
the arid Bukit Peninsula in the Pecatu Indah development and at Nusa Dua, for of sunblock.
example – put further pressure on an already stressed resource.

» Water pollution A major problem, both from deforestation brought on by
firewood collecting in the mountains, and lack of proper treatment for the waste
produced by the local population. Streams that run into the ocean at popular
spots like Double Six Beach in Legian are very polluted, often with waste water
from hotels. The vast mangroves along the south coast near Benoa Harbour are
losing their ability to filter the water that drains here from much of the island.

» Air pollution As anyone stuck behind a smoke-belching truck or bus on one of
the main roads knows, south Bali’s air is often smoggy. The view of south Bali from
a hillside shows a brown blanket hanging in the air that could be LA in the 1960s.

» Waste The problem is not just all those plastic bags and water bottles but the
sheer volume of waste produced by the growing population – what to do with it?
The Balinese look with sadness at the enormous amounts of waste – especially
plastic – that have accumulated in their once pristine rivers. ‘I used to swim there,’
said one driver to us looking at a plastic-bag-choked stream near his boyhood
home.

Star surfer Kelly Slater caused a stir when he sent out a series of tweets
to his Twitter followers decrying Bali’s polluted waters. ‘I’ve never been
so alarmed by the pollution situation as [on] this trip to Bali/Indo.’ Asked
to elaborate he continued: ‘If Bali doesn’t do something serious about
this pollution it’ll be impossible to surf here in a few years.’

On the upside, there is a nascent effort to grow rice and other foods
organically, reducing the amount of pesticide and fertiliser run-off into
water supplies. A sewage treatment program in the south where the man-
groves are choking may finally move forward (but it will take years and
the money is not there). And even as businesses are offered recycling serv-
ices, the cost – US$10 a month – is more than a small warung can afford.

In Pemuteran, an artifical reef-growing program has won universal
praise (p242).

Lombok

On Lombok, environmental disaster in the gold rush town of Sekotong
is ongoing. Gold mining using mercury in huge open-cast pits is causing
enormous damage to once-pristine areas such as Kuta (p279).

Coastal erosion is a problem as it is on Bali. The Gilis are naturally
concerned. On the plus side, the reefs around the Gilis have been quick
to recover as tourism has spurred intense preservation efforts (p289).

362

Survival
Guide

DIRECTORY A–Z . . . 364 TRANSPORT . . . . . . . 374

Accommodation. . . . . . . . 364 GETTING THERE & AWAY . 374
Business Hours . . . . . . . . 366 Entering the Region. . . . . .374
Climate. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366 Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .374
Customs Regulations . . . 366 Land . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376
Electricity . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366 Sea . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376
Embassies & Consulates 366 GETTING AROUND. . . . . . . 376
Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 366 Air . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .376
Gay & Lesbian Travellers 367 Bemo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
Insurance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 367 Bicycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
Internet Access. . . . . . . . . 367 Boat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
Language Courses . . . . . . 368 Bus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .377
Legal Matters . . . . . . . . . . 368 Car & Motorcycle . . . . . . . 379
Maps. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 Local Transport. . . . . . . . . 380
Money. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 368 Tours. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 382
Post. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Public Holidays. . . . . . . . . 369 HEALTH . . . . . . . . . . .383
Safe Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . 369
Telephone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371 LANGUAGE . . . . . . . .388
Time . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Toilets. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Tourist Information . . . . . . 371
Travellers with
Disabilities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Visas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 371
Volunteering . . . . . . . . . . . .372
Women Travellers . . . . . . . .373

364 built in the style of a tradi-
tional Balinese home.
Directory
A–Z There are budget hotels
all over Bali (less so on Lom-
bok), and they vary widely in
standards and price. Expect:
» Maybe air-con
» Maybe hot water
» Private bathroom with
shower and Western-style
toilet
» Often a pool
» Simple breakfast
» Carefree and cheery staff

International budget chains
are making a splashy entry
into south Bali, but note that
a tiny US$9 room quickly hits
US$40 when you add various
extras such as taxes and fees
for items included elsewhere
like internet and towels.

Accommodation the low season, discounts MIDRANGE HOTELS
between 30% and 50% aren’t Midrange hotels are often
Bali has a huge range of uncommon at midrange and constructed in Balinese bun-
accommodation: approxi- top-end hotels. With Bali en- galow style or in two-storey
mately 90,000 rooms. It has joying record visitor numbers, blocks and are set on spa-
great value lodging no mat- prices are climbing sharply. cious grounds with a pool.
ter what your budget. The Many have a sense of style
touristy areas of Lombok Hotels that is beguiling and may
and the Gili Islands have the help postpone your depar-
same range of options as Pretty much every place to ture. In addition to what you’ll
Bali; elsewhere on Lombok stay on Bali and Lombok get at a budget hotel, expect:
accommodation is simpler can arrange tours, car rental » Balcony/porch/patio
and more limited. and other services. Laundry » Satellite TV
service is universally avail- » Small fridge
Accommodation attracts able, often cheap and some- » Often wi-fi
a combined tax and service times free. For infomation
charge (called ‘plus plus’) on the surge of moderately TOP-END HOTELS
of 21%. In budget places, priced chain hotels in south Top-end hotels in Bali are
this is generally included in Bali, see p67. world-class. Service is re-
the price, but check first. fined and you can expect
Many midrange and top-end BUDGET HOTELS decor plucked from the
places will add it on, which The cheapest accommoda- pages of a glossy magazine,
can add substantially to tion on Bali and Lombok is in along with the following:
your bill. small places that are simple » Superb service
but clean and comfortable. » Views – ocean, lush valleys
The rates quoted in this Names usually include the and rice fields or private
book include tax and are word ‘losmen,’ ‘homestay,’ gardens
those that travellers are ‘inn’ or ‘pondok.’ Many are
likely to pay during the
high season. Nailing down PRICE RANGES
rates is difficult, as some
establishments publish the The following price ranges refer to a double room with
rates they actually plan to a bathroom. Unless otherwise stated taxes are included
charge, while others publish in the price.
rates that are pure fantasy,
fully expecting to discount $ less than 450,000Rp (around US$50)
by 50%. $$ 450,000Rp-1,400,000Rp (US$50 to $150)
$$$ more than 1,400,000Rp
Rates are almost always
negotiable, especially outside
the main peak season. In

365

BOOK YOUR STAY ONLINE Villa Agents

For more accommodation reviews by Lonely Planet Bali Private Villas (%0361- DIRECTORY A–Z ACCOMMODATION
authors, check out http://hotels.lonelyplanet.com. 316 6455; www.baliprivate
You’ll find independent reviews, as well as recommen- villas.com)
dations on the best places to stay. Best of all, you can Bali Tropical Villas
(%0361-732 083; www.bali-
book online. tropical-villas.com)

Bali Ultimate Villas
(%0361-857 1658; www.
baliultimatevillas.com) Also
» Spa » Kitchen has wedding services.
» Maybe a private pool » Air-con bedroom(s)
» Not wanting to leave » Open-air common space Long-Term
Accommodation
And will also potentially
HOTEL DEALS include: For longer stays, you can find
For hotels, especially mid- » Your own staff (cook, flats for US$300 to US$800
range and top-end places, driver, cleaner) a month. Look in the Bali Ad-
you can often find the best » Lush grounds vertiser (www.baliadvertiser.
accommodation deal online. » Private beachfront biz)and on notice boards,
Some hotels offer internet » Isolation (which can be such as the one at Café
deals on their websites; good or bad) Moka in Seminyak and those
many more work with in Ubud. If your tastes run
agents and brokers to sell simple, you can find basic
bungalows among the rice
their rooms at discounts far Rates range from under fields in Ubud.
below published rates. US$200 per night for a
modest villa to US$2000 Village
Bali Discovery (www. per week and beyond for Accommodation
balidiscovery.com) has dis- your own tropical estate.
count rates for hundreds of There are often deals, es- A good way to arrange a vil-
places. The following sites pecially in the low season, lage stay is through the JED
are also good resources: and several couples sharing (Village Ecotourism Network;
» www.asiarooms.com can make something grand %0361-366 9951; www.jed.
» www.gilibookings.com affordable. or.id; tours from US$75) Village
» www.agoda.com Ecotourism Network. An-
You can sometimes save other good option is the Bali
Villas quite a bit by waiting until Homestay Program (%0817
the last minute, but during 067 1788; www.bali-homestay.
Villas are scattered all the high season the best vil- com; r from US$30), north of
around south Bali and las book up far in advance. Tabanan.
they’re often built in the Recommended choices
middle of rice paddies, include:
seemingly overnight. The
villa boom has been quite
controversial for envi-
ronmental, aesthetic and
economic reasons. Many
skip collecting government VILLA RENTAL QUESTIONS
taxes from guests, which
has raised the ire of their It’s the Wild West out there. There are myriad agents,

luxury hotel competitors some excellent, others not. It is essential to be as clear
and brought threats of gov-
ernmental crack-downs. as possible about what you want when arranging a
rental. Following are some things to keep in mind and
Large villas can be bac- ask about when renting a villa:
chanal retreats for groups
of friends and are typi- » How far is the villa from the beach and stores?

cally found in Kerobokan and » Is a driver or car service included?

Canggu. Others are smaller, » If there is a cook, is food included?
more intimate and part » Is there an electricity surcharge?
of larger developments –
common in Seminyak – or » Are there extra cleaning fees?

top-end hotels. Expect the » Is laundry included?
following: » What refunds apply on a standard 50% deposit?
» Private garden » Is there wi-fi?

» Private pool

366

Climate Rainfall Inches/mm Embassies &
16/400 Consulates
Denpasar 12/300
8/200 Foreign embassies are
°C/°F Temp 4/100 in Jakarta, the national
40/104 0 capital. Most of the foreign
representatives in Bali are
30/86 J ASOND consular agents (or honor-
ary consuls) who can’t offer
DIRECTORY A–Z BUSINESS HOURS 20/68 Electricity the same services as a full
consulate or embassy. A lost
10/50 120v/60hz passport may mean a trip to
an embassy in Jakarta.
0/32 MAM J 120v/60hz
JF The US, Australia and Japan
have formal consulates in Bali
Business Hours (citizens from these countries
make up half of all visitors).
Standard hours are as
follows: Indonesian embassies and
» Banks 8am to 2pm consulates abroad are listed
Monday to Thursday, 8am on the website of Indonesia’s
to noon Friday, 8am to 11am Department of Foreign
Saturday Affairs (www.deplu.go.id).
» Government offices Australian Consulate
8am to 3pm Monday to (%0361-241 118; www.bali.indo
Thursday, 8am to noon nesia.embassy.gov.au; Jl Tantular
Friday (although these are 32, Denpasar; h8am-4pm Mon-
not standardised) Fri) The Australian consulate
» Post offices 8am to 2pm has a consular sharing agree-
Monday to Friday, longer in ment with Canada.
tourist centres Japanese Consulate
» Restaurants and cafes (%0361-227 628; konjpdps@
8am to 10pm daily indo.net.id; Jl Raya Puputan
» Shops and services 170, Renon, Denpasar; h10am-
catering to visitors 9am to 3pm Mon-Fri)
8pm daily US Consulate (%0361-233
605; [email protected]; Jl
Customs Hayam Wuruk 310, Renon, Den-
Regulations pasar; h9am-3.30pm Mon-Fri)

Indonesia’s list of prohibited Food
imports includes drugs,
weapons, fresh fruit and any- For complete coverage of the
thing remotely pornographic. delicious eating and drinking
options in Bali and Lombok
Items allowed include: see p329.
» 200 cigarettes (or 50
cigars or 100g of tobacco) Price Ranges
» a ‘reasonable amount’ of
perfume The following price ranges
» 1L of alcohol refer to a typical meal in the
establishment reviewed.
Surfers with more than two or
three boards may be charged CATEGORY COST
a fee, and this can apply to $
other items if the officials $$ less than
suspect that you intend to 60,000Rp
sell them in Indonesia. $$$ (around US$6)

There is no restriction 60,000Rp–
on foreign currency, but the 250,000Rp
import or export of rupiah (US$6 to
is limited to 5,000,000Rp. US$27)
Greater amounts must be
declared. more than
250,000Rp

367

STOPPING CHILD-SEX TOURISM DIRECTORY A–Z GAY & LESBIAN TRAVELLERS

Indonesia has become a destination for foreigners seeking to sexually exploit local chil-
dren. A range of socio-economic factors make many children and young people vulner-
able to such abuse and some individuals prey upon this vulnerability. The sexual abuse
and exploitation of children has serious, life-long and even life-threatening consequences
for the victims. Strong laws exist in Indonesia to prosecute offenders and many countries
also have extraterritorial legislation which allows nationals to be prosecuted in their own
country for these crimes.

Travellers can help stop child-sex tourism by reporting suspicious behaviour. Reports
can be made to the Anti Human Trafficking Unit (%021 721 8098) of the Indonesian
police. If you know the nationality of the individual, you can contact their embassy directly.

For more information, contact the following organisations:

ECPAT (End Child Prostitution & Trafficking; www.ecpat.org) A global network working on
these issues, with over 70 affiliate organisations around the world. Child Wise (www.
childwise.net) is the Australian member of ECPAT.

Humantrafficking.org (www.humantrafficking.org) International group has numerous
links to groups working to prevent human exploitation in Indonesia.

PKPA (Center for Study & Child Protection; www.pkpa-indonesia.org) An organisation commit-
ted to the protection of Indonesia’s children and the prevention of child-sex tourism.

Gay & Lesbian gay and are quite distinct Insurance
Travellers from the female impersona-
tors called waria. Unless you are definitely sure
Gay travellers in Bali will that your health coverage at
experience few problems, Many gays from other home will cover you in Bali
and many of the island’s parts of the country come and Lombok, you should
most influential expat art- to live in Bali, as it is more take out travel insurance;
ists have been more-or-less tolerant, and also because it bring a copy of the policy as
openly gay. Physical contact offers opportunities to meet evidence that you’re covered.
between same-sex couples is foreign partners. It’s a good idea to get a policy
acceptable and friends of the that pays for medical evacua-
same sex often hold hands, On Lombok, gay and tion if necessary.
though this does not indicate lesbian travellers should
homosexuality. refrain from public displays Some policies specifically
of affection (advice that also exclude ‘dangerous activi-
There are many venues applies to straight couples). ties,’ which can include scuba
where gay men congregate, The following are useful or- diving, renting a local motor-
mostly in Seminyak. There’s ganisations: cycle and even trekking. Be
nowhere that’s exclusively Gaya Dewata (www.gaya aware that a locally acquired
gay, and nowhere that’s even dewata.com) Bali’s gay motorcycle licence isn’t valid
inconspicuously a lesbian organisation. under some policies.
scene. Gay men in Indonesia Proyekcinta (www.
are referred to as homo or proyekcinta.com) Website for Worldwide travel insur-
Bali’s LGBT community. ance is available at www.
lonelyplanet.com/travel_
PRACTICALITIES services. You can buy, extend
and claim online anytime –
» Radio in Bali includes Gema Merdeka 97.7FM, the even if you’re already on the
most popular station among locals, plenty of Balinese road.
music; Oz101.2FM, which sounds like a Sydney pop
station; and Paradise 100.9FM, which has ABC news Internet Access
from Australia.
Internet centres are common
» Indonesia uses the PAL broadcasting standard, the anywhere there are tourists
same as Australia, New Zealand, the UK and most of in Bali. Expect to pay 300Rp
Europe. to 500Rp per minute for ac-
cess. Speeds are usually fine
» Indonesia uses the metric system. for Skype and the like.

368 DIRECTORY A–Z LANGUAGE COURSES ably, bring someone to help Periplus’ Lombok & Sum-
Hotel wi-fi access in rooms with translation, arrive early bawa map is useful. You can
and be polite. You can also find these at most book-
is becoming common except call the Bali Tourist Police shops in Bali.
in remote areas. Many cafes (%0361-224 111) for advice.
and restaurants also have Money
free wi-fi. Police officers often ex-
pect to receive bribes, either Indonesia’s unit of currency
Indosat (www.indosatm2. to overlook some crime, is the rupiah (Rp). There are
com) has a 3G data network misdemeanour or traffic coins worth 50Rp, 100Rp,
across south Bali. infringement, or to provide a 500Rp and 1000Rp. Notes
service that they should pro- come in denominations of
Internet access on Lom- vide anyway. Generally, it’s 2000Rp, 5000Rp, 10,000Rp,
bok tends to cost 400Rp to easiest to pay up – and the 20,000Rp, 50,000Rp and
500Rp per minute. Outside sooner this happens, the less 100,000Rp.
of Mataram and Senggigi, it will cost. Travellers may be
access is painfully slow. told there’s a ‘fine’ to pay on Always carry a good sup-
the spot, or some travellers ply of rupiah in small de-
Language Courses offer to pay a ‘fine’ to clear nominations. Individuals will
things up. How much? Gen- struggle to make change for
Many visitors to Bali like to erally, 50,000Rp can work a 50,000Rp note or larger.
learn at least the basics of wonders and the officers are
Bahasa Indonesia. Ubud is a not proud. If things seem ATMs
good place to learn as there unreasonable, however, ask
are many private tutors. for the officer’s name and There are ATMs all over
Formal schools include the write it down. Bali. Most accept nonlocal
following: ATM cards and major credit
Indonesia Australia Lan- Maps cards for cash advances.
guage Foundation (IALF; The exchange rates for ATM
%0361-225 243; www.ialf.edu; Periplus Travel Maps has a withdrawals are usually quite
Jl Raya Sesetan 190, Denpasar) decent Bali contour map good, but check to see if your
The best place for courses in (1:250,000), with a detailed home bank will hit you with
Bahasa Indonesia. section on southern Bali, outrageous fees. Most ATMs
Seminyak Language plus maps of the main town in Bali allow a maximum
School (%0361-733 342; areas. However, the labelling withdrawal of one million
www.learnindonesianinbali. and names used for towns rupiah. Avoid ones with a
com; Jl Raya Seminyak 7, Semi- are often incomprehensible. sticker saying ‘100,000Rp’
nyak) Popular with visitors, it as that’s the denomination
is conveniently located down
a footpath near the Bintang
Supermarket.

Legal Matters THE ART OF BARGAINING

The Indonesian government Many everyday purchases in Bali require bargaining.
takes the smuggling, using Accommodation has a set price, but this is usually
and selling of drugs very, negotiable in the low season, or if you are staying at the
very seriously. If caught with hotel for several days.
drugs, you may have to wait
for up to six months in jail Bargaining can be an enjoyable part of shopping in
before trial. Gambling is il- Bali, so maintain your sense of humour and keep things
legal (although it’s common, in perspective. Try following these steps:
especially at cockfights), as » Have some idea what the item is worth.
is pornography.
» Establish a starting price – ask the seller for their
Generally, you are unlikely price rather than making an initial offer.
to have any encounters with
the police unless you are » Your first price can be from one-third to two-thirds
driving a rented car or of the asking price – assuming that the asking price is
motorcycle. not outrageous.

In both Bali and Lombok, » With offers and counter-offers, move closer to an
there are police stations in all acceptable price.
district capitals. If you have
to report a crime or have » If you don’t get to an acceptable price, you’re
other business at a police entitled to walk – the vendor may call you back with a
station, expect a lengthy lower price.
and bureaucratic encounter.
You should dress respect- » When you name a price, you’re committed – you
must buy if your offer is accepted.

369

you’ll get and you’ll struggle nent is distributed among MORE SAFETY DIRECTORY A–Z POST
to break those bills. hotel staff (one hopes). INFO
» Hand cash directly to
You’ll find ATMs in Mata- individuals if you think they » Warnings specific to
ram, Praya and Senggigi on deserve recognition for their the Kuta region, p72.
Lombok and also on the Gilis. service.
» Tip good taxi drivers, » Health concerns,
Credit Cards guides, people giving you p385.
a massage or fetching you
Visa, MasterCard and Amex a beer on the beach etc; » The many boat
are accepted by most of the 5000Rp to 10,000Rp is services between Bali
larger businesses that cater generous. and the surrounding
to tourists. Be sure to con- islands are unregu-
firm that a business accepts Travellers Cheques lated and there have
credit cards before you show been accidents (p378).
up cashless. Travellers cheques are al-
most impossible to use. Muharram (Islamic New
Moneychangers Year) February/March
Post
US dollars are by far the easi- Nyepi (Hindu New Year)
est currency to exchange. Try Every substantial town has March/April
to have new US$100 bills. a kantor pos (post office).
In tourist centres, there are Hari Paskah (Good Fri-
Follow these steps to avoid also postal agencies, which day) April
getting ripped off exchanging are often open long hours
money: and provide postal services. Ascension of Christ
» Find out the going Sending postcards and April/May
exchange rate online. Know normal-sized letters (ie un-
that anyone offering a better der 20g) by airmail is cheap, Hari Waisak (Buddha’s
rate will need to make a profit but not really fast. birth, enlightenment and
through other means. death) April/May
» Stick to banks, airport Mail delivery times from
exchange counters or large Bali: Maulud Nabi Moham-
and reputable storefront » Australia Two weeks med/Hari Natal (Prophet
operations. » UK & rest of Europe Mohammed’s birthday) May
» Skip any place offering Three weeks
too-good exchange rates and » USA Two weeks Hari Proklamasi Kemer-
claiming to charge no fees or dekaan (Indonesian Inde-
commissions. Post offices will properly pendence Day) 17 August
» Avoid exchange stalls wrap your parcels over 20g
down alleys or in otherwise for shipping for a small fee. Isra Miraj Nabi Moham-
dubious locations (that Although goods usually ar- med (Ascension of the
sounds obvious but scores of rive, don’t use the post for Prophet Mohammed)
tourists are taken in daily). anything you’d miss. September
» Common exchange scams
include rigged calculators, International express Hari Natal (Christmas
sleight of hand schemes, companies like Fedex and Day) 25 December
‘mistakes’ on the posted UPS operate on Bali and The Muslim population in
rates and demands that you offer reliable, fast and expen- Bali observes Islamic festi-
hand over your money before sive service. vals and holidays, including
you have counted the money Ramadan. Religious and
on offer. Public Holidays other holidays on Lombok
» Use an ATM to obtain are as follows:
rupiah. The following holidays are
celebrated throughout In- Anniversary of West
Tipping donesia. Many of the dates Lombok (Government holi-
change according to the day) 17 April
» Tipping a set percentage phase of the moon (not by
is not expected in Bali, but if month) or by religious cal- Ramadan Usually October
the service is good, it’s ap- endar, so the following are Idul Fitri (End of Ram-
propriate to leave 5000Rp or estimates only. adan) November/December
10% or more. Founding of West Nusa
» Most midrange hotels and Tahun Baru Masehi (New Tenggara (Public holiday) 17
restaurants and all top-end Year’s Day) 1 January December
hotels and restaurants add
21% to the bill for tax and Idul Adha (Muslim Festi- Safe Travel
service (known as ‘plus val of Sacrifice) February
plus’). This service compo- It’s important to note that
compared with many places
in the world Bali is fairly safe.
There are some hassles from

DIRECTORY A–Z SAFE TRAVEL370

SHIPPING LARGE ITEMS

For items that are shipped, you’ll pay a 40% or 50% deposit and the balance (plus any
taxes or import duties) when you collect the items at home. Arrange for delivery to your
door – if you have to pick the items up from the nearest port or freight depot, you may be
up for extra port charges.

Most stores selling furniture or heavy artwork can arrange packing, shipping and
insurance. Shipping costs for volumes less than a full container load vary greatly accord-
ing to the company, destination and quantity – think in terms of around US$150-plus
per cubic metre. Be aware that packing costs, insurance, fumigation (!) and so on are
included in some companies’ prices but not others.

Rim Cargo (%0361-737 670; www.rimcargo.com; Jl Laksmana 32, Seminyak) is a large
company adept at dealing with the needs of Bali visitors.

the avaricious, but most visi- fake, irritating Australian drivers as hawkers are espe-
tors face many more dangers accents (‘Oi! Mate!’). cially suspect.
at home. Petty theft occurs SWIMMING
but it is not prevalent. Use the following tips to Kuta Beach and those to the
deflect attention: north and south are subject
Annoyances » Completely ignore touts/ to heavy surf and strong cur-
hawkers. rents – always swim between
ALCOHOL POISONING » Don’t make any eye the flags. Trained lifeguards
There are ongoing reports of contact. are on duty, but only at Kuta,
injuries and deaths among » A polite tidak (no) actually Legian, Seminyak, Nusa
tourists and locals due to encourages them. Dua, Sanur and (sometimes)
arak (local booze that should » Never ask the price or Senggigi. Other beaches can
be distilled from palm or cane comment on the quality of have strong currents, even
sugar) being adulterated with their goods unless you’re when protected by reefs.
methanol, a poisonous form interested in buying.
of alcohol. Avoid free cock- Water pollution is a prob-
tails and any offers of arak. Keep in mind, though, that lem, especially after rain.
ultimately they’re just people Swim far away from any open
DRUGS trying to make a living, and streams flowing into the surf.
Numerous high-profile drug if you don’t want to buy any-
cases on Bali and Lombok thing, you are wasting their Be careful when swimming
should be enough to dis- time trying to be polite. over coral, and never walk on
suade anyone from having it. It can be very sharp and
anything to do with illicit ORPHANAGES coral cuts are easily infected.
drugs. As little as two ec- Bali has a number of ‘fake’ In addition, you are damag-
stasy tabs or a bit of pot have orphanages designed to ing a fragile environment.
resulted in huge fines and extract money from well- THEFT
multi-year jail sentences in meaning tourists. If you are Violent crime is relatively un-
Bali’s notorious jail in Ker- considering donating any- common, but bag-snatching,
obokan. Try smuggling and thing to an orphanage, care- pickpocketing and theft from
you may pay with your life. fully research its reputation rooms and parked cars does
Kuta is filled with cops pos- online. Orphanages using cab occur. A few precautions:
ing as dealers.

HAWKERS & TOUTS GOVERNMENT TRAVEL ADVICE
Many visitors regard hawk-
ers and touts as the number Government advisories are often general; however, the
one annoyance in Bali (and following sites have useful tips:
in tourist areas of Lombok). Australia Smart Traveller (www.smarttraveller.gov.au)
Visitors are frequently, and New Zealand (www.mfat.govt.nz)
often constantly, hassled to Canada (www.voyage.gc.ca)
buy things. The worst places UK (www.fco.gov.uk/travel)
for this are Jl Legian in Kuta, US (www.travel.state.gov)
Kuta Beach, the Gunung
Batur area and the over-sub-
scribed temples at Besakih
and Tanah Lot. And the cry of
‘Transport?!?’ – that’s every-
where. Many touts employ

371

» Secure money before leav- wich Mean Time/Universal The Beat (www.beatmag. DIRECTORY A–Z TELEPHONE
ing an ATM Time or two hours behind com) Excellent bi-weekly
» Don’t leave valuables on a Australian Eastern Standard with extensive entertain-
beach while swimming Time. Java is another hour ment and cultural listings.
» Use front desk/in-room behind Bali and Lombok. Yak (www.theyakmag.com)
safes Glossy, cheeky mag cel-
Not allowing for daylight- ebrating the expat swells of
TRAFFIC & FOOTPATHS saving time elsewhere, when Seminyak and Ubud.
Apart from the dangers of it’s noon in Bali and Lombok,
driving in Bali, the traffic in it’s 11pm the previous day in Travellers with
most tourist areas is often New York, 8pm in Los Ange- Disabilities
annoying and frequently les, 4am in London and 2pm
dangerous to pedestrians. in Sydney and Melbourne. Bali is a difficult destination
Footpaths can be rough, for those with limited mobil-
even unusable; gaps in the Toilets ity. While some of the airlines
pavement are a top cause of flying to Bali have a good
injury. Carry a torch at night. Western-style toilets are reputation for accommodat-
almost universally common ing people with disabilities,
Telephone in tourist areas. the airport is not well set up.

Internet Calling During the day, look for a Public transport is not
cafe or hotel and smile (pub- accessible; ditto for the
Most hotel wi-fi service in lic toilets only exist at some minibuses used by shuttle
south Bali and Ubud will major sights). bus and tour companies.
allow Skype to work. Internet Ramps and other disabled
centres may add a surcharge Tourist facilities at hotels and inns
for the call to your connec- Information are uncommon. Your best bet
tion time (perhaps 3000Rp are the international chains,
per minute). The tourist office in Ubud is but even then you should
an excellent source of infor- confirm your needs with the
Mobile Phones mation on cultural events. property. Out on the street,
Otherwise, the tourist offices the footpaths, where they
SIM cards for your unlocked in Bali are not useful. exist at all, tend to be nar-
GSM mobile phone on Bali row, uneven, potholed and
cost only 50,000Rp. They Some of the best informa- frequently obstructed.
come with cheap rates for tion is found in the many free
calling other countries, start- publications and websites Visas
ing at US$0.20 per minute. aimed at tourists and expats,
You can buy them every- which are distributed in The visa situation in Indone-
where, just ask. south Bali and Ubud. These sia seems to be constantly
include the following: in flux. It is essential that you
Phone Codes Bali Advertiser (www. confirm current formalities
baliadvertiser.biz) Local news before you arrive in Bali or
Phone numbers beginning and a variety of columnists Lombok. Failure to meet all
with 08 belong to mobile with useful information. the entrance requirements
phones. Useful numbers Bali Discovery (www. can see you on the first
include the following: balidiscovery.com) Has an flight out.
essential and first-rate Bali
Directory %108 news section and a wealth of
assistance %62 other island information.
%001/017
Indonesia %102 WRONG NUMBER?
Country Code
Bali’s landline phone numbers (those with area codes
International that include %0361, across the south and Ubud) are
Call Prefix being changed on an ongoing basis through to %2014.
To accommodate increased demand for lines, a digit is
International being added to the start of the existing six- or seven-
Operator digit phone number. So %0361-761 xxxx might become
%0361-4761 xxxx. The schedule and plans for the new
Time numbers change regularly, but usually you’ll hear a
recording first in Bahasa Indonesian and then in English
Bali and Lombok are on telling you what digit to add to the changed number.
Waktu Indonesian Tengah
or WIT (Central Indonesian
Standard Time), which is
eight hours ahead of Green-

372 DIRECTORY A–Z VOLUNTEERING other countries can receive IPOD BROKE?
No matter what type of a nonextendable 30-day visa
for free upon arrival. If your iPod or other
visa you are going to use, Apple product breaks,
your passport must be valid Whichever type of visa you iTube (%0361-767 140;
for at least six months from use to enter Bali or Lombok, Jl Raya Kuta 100, Kuta)
the date of your arrival. you’ll be issued with a tourist can fix it. Battery re-
card that is valid for a 30- or placements are a frac-
The main visa options for 60-day stay (if you have ob- tion of Apple’s prices.
visitors to Indonesia are as tained one of the coveted 60-
follows: day visas in advance, be sure websites to see their current
Visa in Advance Citizens of the immigration official at the status.
countries not eligible for Visa airport gives you a 60-day East Bali Poverty Project
Free or Visa on Arrival must card). Keep the tourist card (%0361-410 071; www.
apply for a visa before they with your passport, as you’ll eastbalipovertyproject.org)
arrive in Indonesia. Typically have to hand it back when Works to help children in
this is a visitor’s visa, which you leave the country. Even the impoverished mountain
comes in two flavours: 30 staying one day beyond your villages of east Bali.
or 60 days. Details vary by visa expiration date will likely Friends of the National
country; contact your nearest result in fines and hassles. Parks Foundation
Indonesian embassy or con- (%0361-977 978; www.fnpf.
sulate to determine process- Volunteering org; Jl Bisma, Ubud) Main
ing fees and times. Note: this office in Bali. Has volunteer
is the only way to obtain a There’s a plethora of op- programs in and around
60-day visitor visa even if you portunities to lend a hand Tanjung Puting National
qualify for Visa on Arrival. in Bali and Lombok. Many Park in central Kalimantan
Visa on Arrival Citizens of people have found that they as well as programs on Nusa
over 60 countries may apply can show their love for these Penida.
for a visa when they arrive places by helping others. IDEP (Indonesian Development
at the airports in Bali and of Education & Permaculture;
Lombok. The cost is US$25; Bali Spirit (www.balispirit. %0361-294 993; www.idep
be sure to have the exact com/ngos) has information foundation.org) Has projects
amount in US currency. This on a number of nonprofit and across Indonesia; works
visa is good for 30 days; for volunteer groups. There are on environmental projects,
renewals. Eligible countries organisations helping Bali’s disaster planning and com-
include Australia, Canada, dogs in Ubud. munity improvement.
much – but not all – of the JED (Village Ecotourism Net-
EU including Germany, Ire- Local Organisations work; %0361-366 9951; www.
land, the Netherlands and jed.or.id; tours from US$75)
the UK, plus New Zealand The following organisations Organises highly regarded
and the USA. need donations, supplies and tours of small villages, some
Visa Free Citizens of Sin- often volunteers. Check their overnight. Often needs
gapore and a smattering of volunteers to improve its
services and work with the
RENEWING YOUR VISA villagers.
ProFauna (%081-7970 6066;
You can renew a 30-day Visa on Arrival once. However, www.profauna.or.id) A large
the procedures are complex: nonprofit animal-protection
» At least seven days before your visa expires, go to organisation operating
the Kuta Immigration Office (Jl Airport Ngurah Rai; across Indonesia; the Bali
h8am-4pm Mon-Fri), which is just off the main airport office has been aggressive
access road in Tuban (not actually Kuta). in protecting sea turtles.
Volunteers needed to help
» Bring your passport, a photocopy of your passport with hatchery releases and
and a copy of your ticket out of Indonesia (which editing publications.
should be for a date during the renewal period). Sacred Childhoods Foun-
dation (www.sacred
» Pay a fee of 250,000Rp. childhoods.org) Reputable
nonprofit with a wide range
» List an address in Kuta (saying ‘I’m staying in the of programs to help children
Gilis,’ for instance, will get you sent to Lombok). on Bali and Sulawesi.

» You may have to return to the office twice.
One way to avoid the renewal hassle is to use a visa
agent such as Channel1 (%0361-780 4047; www.chan
nel1.biz; Jl Sunset Road 100X, Kerobokan) who for a fee will
do the bureaucratic work for you.

373

Smile Foundation of Bali funds health and education Balinese men, but these DIRECTORY A–Z WOMEN TRAVELLERS
(Yayasan Senyum; %0361-233 projects for Bali’s children. men are, on the whole, fairly
758; www.senyumbali.org) benign. Generally, Bali is
Organises surgery to correct International safer for women than many
facial deformities; operates Organisations areas of the world, and with
the Smile Shop (%233 the usual care and common
758; www.senyumbali.org; Jl The following agencies are sense, women should feel
Sriwedari) in Ubud to raise other possible sources of secure travelling alone.
money. long-term paid or volunteer (Although high-profile
WISNU (%0361-735 321; work in Bali or Lombok. attacks in south Bali have
www.wisnu.or.id; Jl Penguben- Australian Volunteers reminded people of the need
gan Kauh) An environmental International (www.austral for caution.)
group that teaches tourism- ianvolunteers.com) Organises
related industries how to professional contracts for Lombok
be more green. It’s set up Australians.
community-based recycling Global Volunteers (www. Traditionally, women on
programs with hotels and globalvolunteers.org) Arranges Lombok are treated with
always needs volunteers. professional and paid volun- respect, but in the tour-
Yakkum Bali (Yayasan Rama teer work for US citizens. isty areas, harassment of
Sesana; %0361-247 363; www. Voluntary Service Over- single foreign women may
yrsbali.org) Dedicated to im- seas Canada (www.voyage. occur. Would-be guides/
proving reproductive health gc.ca); Netherlands (www. boyfriends/gigolos are
for women across Bali. vso.nl); UK (www.vso.org.uk) often persistent in their
British overseas volunteer approaches, and can be
Yayasan Bumi Sehat program that accepts quali- aggressive when ignored or
(%0361-970 002; www.bu fied volunteers from other rejected. Clothes that aren’t
misehatbali.org) Operates an countries. too revealing are a good
internationally recognised Volunteer Service Abroad idea – beachwear should be
clinic and gives reproductive (www.vsa.org.nz) Organises reserved for the beach, and
services to disadvantaged professional contracts for the less skin you expose the
women in Ubud; accepts New Zealanders. better. Two or more women
donated time from medical together are less likely to
professionals. Women Travellers experience problems, and
YKIP (Humanitarian Foun- women accompanied by
dation of Mother Earth; Bali a man are unlikely to be
%0361-761 208; www.ykip.org) harassed. Don’t walk alone
Established after the 2002 Women travelling solo in at night.
bombings, it organises and Bali will get attention from

374
these guys, you’ll pay more
than you would if you just
show up on your own, as they
get large commissions.

Passport

Your passport must be valid
for six months after your
date of arrival in Indonesia.

Transport Air

GETTING THERE though it can take some time Although Jakarta, the national
& AWAY for planeloads of visitors capital, is the gateway airport
to clear immigration; after- to Indonesia, there are also
Most international visitors to noons are typically worst, many international flights to
Bali will arrive by air, either although it remains to be Bali and a few to Lombok.
directly or via Jakarta. For seen if the vast new terminal
island-hoppers, there are building scheduled to open Airports & Airlines
frequent ferries between by 2014 will change this.
eastern Java and Bali, and BALI AIRPORT
between Bali and Lombok, At the baggage claim area, The only airport in Bali, Ngu-
as well as domestic flights porters are keen to help get rah Rai Airport (DPS), is just
between the islands. Most your luggage to the customs south of Kuta; it is sometimes
people visit Lombok via Bali. tables and beyond, and referred to internationally as
they’ve been known to ask Denpasar or on some internet
Flights, tours and rail up to US$20 for their serv- flight-booking sites as Bali.
tickets can be booked online ices – if you want help with
at www.lonelyplanet.com/ your bags, agree on a price Bali is getting a large new
travel_services. beforehand. The formal price airport terminal, parking area
is 5000Rp per piece. and access roads by 2014.
Entering the Until then the airport is even
Region Once through customs, more chaotic than usual as
you’re out with the tour op- construction means there are
Arrival procedures at Bali’s erators, touts and taxi driv- many temporary facilities. It is
Ngurah Rai International Air- ers. The touts will be working hoped the new facility will be
port are straightforward, al- hard to convince you to come better able to cope with the
and stay at some place in surging crowds of internation-
the Kuta area. If you go with al and domestic passengers.

A scheme to lengthen the
runway keeps running into
hurdles, such as environmen-
tal concerns about destroy-
ing more of the mangroves
(although this didn’t stop the
toll road from being built).
The present runway is too
short for planes flying direct
to/from Europe, so for these
flights passengers need to
change planes at places such
as Singapore or Jakarta.

CLIMATE CHANGE & TRAVEL

Every form of transport that relies on carbon-based fuel generates CO2, the main cause
of human-induced climate change. Modern travel is dependent on aeroplane, which
might use less fuel per kilometre per person than most cars but travel much greater
distances. The altitude at which aircraft emit gases (including CO2) and particles also
contributes to their climate change impact. Many websites offer ‘carbon calculators’ that
allow people to estimate the carbon emissions generated by their journey and, for those
who wish to do so, to offset the impact of the greenhouse gases emitted with contribu-
tions to portfolios of climate-friendly initiatives throughout the world. Lonely Planet off-
sets the carbon footprint of all staff and author travel.

375

International airlines fly- LOMBOK AIRPORT DEPARTURE TAX TRANSPORT AIR
ing to and from Bali regularly Lombok International Air-
change. Service is expand- port (Bandara Internasional The departure tax from
ing, however, especially to Lombok; LOP) is the new air- Bali and Lombok is
Australia, where a new policy port in the south of the island 50,000Rp for domestic
allows almost unlimited fly- near Praya. It is linked to the flights and 150,000Rp
ing between Bali and Oz. Mataram area by a new high- for international ones.
way. Besides domestic flights Have exact cash ready.
Domestic airlines serv- to a few major Indonesian
ing Bali from other parts of cities it has limited service. Continental Europe
Indonesia change frequently. Silk Air (%0370-628 254;
All have ticket offices at the www.silkair.com; Hotel Lom- None of the major Euro-
domestic terminal, which you bok Raya, Jl Panca Usaha 11) pean carriers can fly to Bali
may need to use, as internet Serves Singapore direct five nonstop due to the length
sales are difficult with some. times weekly. of the runway. Singapore
Air Asia (www.airasia.com) Batavia Air (%021-3899 is the most likely place to
Serves Jakarta as well as 9888, 0370-648 998; www. change planes coming from
Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and batavia-air.com) Daily to Europe, with Bangkok, Hong
Singapore, plus Darwin and Jakarta via Surabaya. Kong and Kuala Lumpur also
Perth in Australia. Wings Air (%0370-629 333; popular. You can switch to a
www.lionair.co.id; Hotel Sahid score of airlines for the final
Cathay Pacific Airways Legi, Jl Sriwijaya) Daily flights hop to Bali in any of these
(www.cathaypacific.com) to Denpasar, Jakarta and cities.
Serves Hong Kong. Surabaya.
China Airlines (www.china Merpati Airlines (%0370- New Zealand
-airlines.com) Serves Taipei. 621 111; www.merpati.co.id; Jl
Eva Air (www.evaair.com) Pejanggik 69) Connections to You will have to change planes
Serves Taipei. most parts of Indonesia via in Australia or Singapore.
Garuda Indonesia (www. four daily flights to Denpasar.
garuda-indonesia.com) Serves Trans Nusa (%616 2428; Other Indonesian
Australia (Darwin, Melbourne, www.transnusa.co.id) Flies to Islands
Perth and Sydney), Japan, Bali and Sumbawa Besar
Korea and Singapore direct from Lombok daily. From Bali, you can get flights
plus cities across Indonesia. Garuda (%0804 180 7807; to major Indonesian cities,
Jetstar (www.jetstar.com) www.garuda-indonesia.com; often for under US$50 and
Darwin, Melbourne, Perth, Jl Pejanggik 42) Three daily definitely for not much more
Sydney. flights to Jakarta; one daily than US$100. One way to
KLM (www.klm.com) Serves flight to Bali. shop is to simply compare
Amsterdam via Singapore. prices among the ticket
Korean Air (www.koreanair. Tickets counters at the airport as
com) Serves Seoul. many of Indonesia’s smaller
Lion Air (www.lionair.co.id) Deregulation in the Asian and airlines lack decent websites.
Serves cities across Indone- Indonesian aviation markets Deals to Jakarta put the price
sia and Singapore. means that there are fre- of a plane ticket in the same
Malaysia Airlines (www. quent deals to Bali. Check class as the bus – with a sav-
mas.com.my) Serves Kuala major web-based travel ing of about 22 hours.
Lumpur. agents and with the airlines
Merpati Airlines (www. for special promotions. From Lombok, you can
merpati.co.id) Serves many get some decent deals but
smaller Indonesian cities, in Asia direct service is mostly lim-
addition to the main ones. ited to Bali, Surabaya and
Qatar Airways (www.qatar Bali is well connected to ma- Jakarta.
airways.com) Serves Doha via jor Asian hubs such as Hong
Singapore. Kong, Seoul, Singapore and UK & Ireland
Singapore Airlines (www. Taipei. Lombok is now linked
singaporeair.com) Several to Singapore. From London, the most
Singapore flights daily. direct service to Bali is via
Australia Singapore, Bangkok, Hong
Thai Airways Interna- Kong and Kuala Lumpur.
tional (www.thaiair.com) Service to Australia is at
Serves Bangkok. record levels as Australia and USA
Virgin Australia (www. Indonesia have deregulated
virginaustralia.com) Serves flights. The best connections are
Australia. through any of the major
Canada Asian hubs with nonstop
service to Bali. No US airline
From Canada, you’ll change serves Bali.
planes at an Asian hub.

TRANSPORT LAND376 FERRY Pelni ships link Lembar on
Running constantly, fer- Lombok with other parts of
Land ries (Gilimanuk; adult/child Indonesia. Check schedules
6000/5000Rp, car & driver and buy tickets at Mataram’s
Bus 114,000Rp, motorbike 16,000Rp; Pelni office (%0370-637
h24hr) cross the Bali Strait 212; Jl Industri 1; h8am-noon
The ferry crossing from Bali between Gilimanuk in west- & 1-3.30pm Mon-Thu & Sat,
is included in the services to/ ern Bali and Ketapang (Java). 8-11am Fri)
from the new long-distance The actual crossing takes
terminal near Mengwi offered under 30 minutes, but you’ll GETTING
by numerous bus companies. spend longer than this load- AROUND
It’s advisable to buy your tick- ing, unloading and waiting
et at least one day in advance around. Car-rental contracts Especially in Bali, the best way
from a travel agent or at the usually prohibit rental vehi- to get around is with your own
terminal. Note, too, that fierce cles being taken out of Bali. transport, whether you drive,
air competition has put tickets hire a driver or ride a bike.
to Jakarta and Surabaya in the From Ketapang, bemo This gives you the flexibility to
range of bus prices. travel 4km north to the bus explore at will and allows you
terminal, where buses leave to reach many places that are
Fares vary between for cities across Java. otherwise inaccessible.
operators; it’s worth pay-
ing extra for a decent seat Sumbawa Public transport is cheap
and air-con. Typical fares/ but can be cause for very
travel times from the new Ferries travel between Labu- long journeys if you’re not
terminal include Yogyakarta han Lombok and Poto Tano sticking to a major route. In
250,000Rp/16 hours and Ja- on Sumbawa frequently addition, some places are
karta 350,000Rp/24 hours. throughout the day. just impossible to reach.
You can also get buses from
Singaraja in north Bali. Other Indonesian There are also tourist shut-
Islands tle buses, which combine
On Lombok, public buses economy with convenience.
go daily from the Mandalika Ferry services to other is-
terminal to major cities on lands in Indonesia are often Air
Java. Most buses are com- in flux, although Pelni (www.
fortable, with air-con and pelni.co.id), the national Several airlines fly daily
reclining seats. shipping line, is reasonably between Bali and Lombok.
reliable. It schedules large The route is competitive
Train boats on long-distance runs and fares hover at around
throughout Indonesia. 600,000Rp.
Bali doesn’t have trains but
the State Railway Company For Bali, Pelni ships stop To/From the Airport
(%0361-227 131; www.kereta at the harbour in Benoa as
-api.co.id; Jl Diponegoro 150/B4; part of their regular loops Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport is
h8.30am-6.30pm) does have throughout Indonesia. immediately south of Tuban
an office in Denpasar. From Schedules and fares are and Kuta. There is fixed price
here buses leave for eastern found on the website. You taxi monopoly inside the
Java where they link with can inquire and book at the terminal. You prepay (more
trains at Banyuwangi for Sura- Pelni ticket office (%0361- than you would a metred
baya, Yogyakarta and Jakarta, 763 963, 021-7918 0606; www. taxi) and go. You have to exit
among other destinations. pelni.co.id; Jl Raya Kuta 299; the airport to catch a metred
Fares and times are compa- h8am-noon & 1-4pm Mon-Fri,
rable to the bus, but the air- 8am-1pm Sat) in Tuban.
conditioned trains are more
comfortable, even in economy BALI’S NEW BUS TERMINAL
class. Note: on the website
jadwal means schedule. Bali’s long-distance bus terminal (Mengwi) has
moved 12km northwest of Denpasar to a large new
Sea terminal near Mengwi, just off the main road to west
Bali. It even has an airport-style ‘control tower,’ possibly
You can reach Java, just west to guide in the buses arriving from Java.
of Bali, and Sumbawa, just
east of Lombok, via ferries. You can get bemo from here to Denpasar’s Batu-
Longer-distance boats serve bulan terminal (20,000Rp) and on to Padangbai
Indonesia’s eastern islands. (50,000Rp) for the Lombok ferry.

Java Taxis from here to Kerobokan cost 100,000Rp; Kuta
is 120,000Rp.
When visiting Java from Bali
and Lombok, some land
travel is necessary.

377

taxi. See the regional listings BALI’S NEW TOLL ROAD TRANSPORT BEMO
in this book for the fares.
Due for completion before 2014, Bali’s new toll road is
If you have a surfboard, meant to avoid the worst of the traffic in and around
you’ll be charged extra, de- Kuta. Some 12km in length, it runs from the bypass
pending on its size. Ignore near Denpasar over the mangroves to a point near Nusa
any touts that aren’t part of Dua with a branch to Ngurah Rai Airport.
the official scheme.
The toll will be 10,000Rp; the time-savings over the
Many hotels will offer to current clogged roads is hard to quantify. The road’s
pick you up at the airport; northern end is at the turn to Benoa off the bypass,
however, there’s no need to already one of the most congested spots in the south.
use these services if they cost
more than the official rates. There are often several termi- between Bali and Lombok,
nals in larger towns. Denpasar and fast boats make it com-
If you’re really travelling has four main bus/bemo petitive time-wise, but there
light, Kuta Beach is less than terminals and three minor are some important safety
a 30-minute walk north. ones. Terminals can be con- considerations that need to
fusing, but most bemo and be taken into account.
Any taxi will take you to buses have signs, and if you’re
the airport at a metered rate in doubt, people will usually Public ferries travel slowly
that should be less than the help you. between Padangbai and
prepaid monopoly rates from Lembar on Lombok. Perama
the airport. To travel from one part (%613 8514; www.peramatour.
of Bali to another, it is often com) operates a daily boat
Bemo necessary to go via one or service from Padangbai to
more terminals. For example, Senggigi.
Bemos are normally a mini- to get from Sanur to Ubud
bus or van with a row of low by bemo, you go to the There are many fast boats
seats down each side. They Kereneng terminal in Den- operating between Bali and
usually hold about 12 people pasar, transfer to the Batu- Lombok’s Gilis. Boats from
in very cramped conditions. bulan terminal, and then take Nusa Lembongan and Amed
a third bemo to Ubud. This is make for interesting itinerary
The bemo was once the circuitous and time-consum- possibilities.
dominant form of public trans- ing, two of the reasons so few
port. But widespread motor- visitors take bemo in Bali. Bus
bike ownership (which can
be cheaper than daily bemo Bicycle Distances in Bali and on
use) has caused the system to Lombok are relatively short,
wither. On Lombok, however, More and more people are so you won’t have cause to
bemos are still important. touring the island by sepeda ride on many large buses
(bike). Many visitors are unless you are transferring
Riding bemo can be part of using bikes around the towns between islands or going
your Bali adventure or a ma- and for day trips in Bali and from one side to another.
jor nightmare, depending on on Lombok. Cycling tours are
your outlook at that moment popular, see p38. Public Bus
in time. You can certainly
expect journeys to be lengthy Hire BALI
and you’ll find that getting Larger minibuses and full-
to many places is both time- There are plenty of bicycles sized buses ply the longer
consuming and inconvenient. for rent in the tourist areas, routes, particularly on routes
It’s uncommon to see visitors but many are in poor condi- linking Denpasar, Singaraja
on bemos in Bali. tion. On Lombok, you can and Gilimanuk. They operate
find good bikes in Senggigi. out of the same terminals
On Lombok, bemos are as the bemo. However, with
minibuses or pick-up trucks Ask at your accommoda- everybody riding motorbikes,
and are a major means of tion about renting a bike; there are long delays waiting
transport for visitors. hotels often have their own. for buses to fill up at termi-
Prices are about 15,000Rp to nals before departing.
Fares 35,000Rp per day. LOMBOK
Buses and bemo of various
Bemo operate on a standard Boat sizes are the cheapest and
route for a set (but unwrit- most common way of getting
ten) fare. The minimum fare Taking the boat is more relax- around Lombok. On rough
is about 5000Rp. If you get ing than the hassle of flying
into an empty bemo, always
make it clear that you do not
want to charter it.

Terminals & Routes

Every town has at least one
terminal (terminal bis) for
all forms of public transport.

TRANSPORT BUS378

TRAVELLING SAFELY BY BOAT

Fast boats linking Bali, Nusa Lembongan, Lombok and the Gili Islands have proliferated,
especially as the latter places have become more popular. But in many cases these serv-
ices are accidents waiting to happen as safety regulations are non-existent. Accidents
continue to happen.

Crews on these boats may have little or no training: in one accident, the skipper admitted
that he panicked and had no recollection of what happened to his passengers. And rescue is
far from assured: a volunteer rescue group in east Bali reported that they had no radio.

Conditions are often rough in the waters off Bali. Although the islands are in close
proximity and are easily seen from each other, the ocean between can get more turbulent
than is safe for the small speedboats zipping across it.

With these facts in mind, it is essential that you take responsibility for your own safety
as no one else will. Consider the following points:
» Bigger is better It may add 30 minutes or more to your journey, but a larger boat
will simply deal with the open ocean better than the over-powered small speedboats.
Also, trips on small boats can be unpleasant because of the ceaseless pounding
through the waves and the fumes coming from the screaming outboard motors.

» Check for safety equipment Ensure your boat has life preservers and that you know
how to locate and use them. In an emergency, don’t expect a panicked crew to supply
them. Also, check for lifeboats. Some promotional materials show boats with automati-
cally inflating lifeboats that have later been removed to make room for more passengers.

» Avoid overcrowding Travellers report boats leaving with more people than seats and
with aisles jammed with stacked luggage. If this happens, don’t use the boat.

» Look for exits Cabins may only have one narrow entrance making them death traps
in an accident.

» Avoid fly-by-nighters Taking a fishing boat and jamming too many engines on the
rear in order to cash in on booming tourism is a recipe for disaster. Note that some
outfits with safe boats will add unsafe boats to the fleet in order to make a quick profit.

» Don’t ride on the roof It looks like care-free fun but travellers are regularly bounced
off when boats hit swells and crews may be inept at rescue.

» Use common sense There are good operators on the waters around Bali but the
line-up changes constantly. If a service seems sketchy before you board, go with a dif-
ferent operator. Try to get a refund but don’t risk your safety for the cost of a ticket.

roads in remote areas, trucks near monopoly on this serv- » Buses have air-con
may be used as public trans- ice in Bali (although you may » Meet other travellers
port. Mandalika in Bertais is see small-time competitors
the main bus terminal for all advertising in Kuta). It has Disadvantages:
of Lombok. There are also offices or agents in Kuta, Sa- » Perama stops are often
regional terminals at Praya nur, Ubud, Lovina, Padangbai outside the centre, requiring
and Pancor (near Selong). and Candidasa and at least another shuttle/taxi
You may have to go via one one bus a day links these » Buses may not provide a
or more of these transport Bali tourist centres. Services direct service – stopping,
hubs to get from one part of to Kintamani and along the say, at Ubud between Kuta
Lombok to another. east coast from Lovina to/ and Padangbai
from Candidasa via Amed » Like bemos, the service
Public transport fares are by demand. Perama also has ossified, resolutely
are fixed by the provincial has a very limited service sticking to the routes it ran
government and displayed around Senggigi on Lombok. years ago and not recognis-
on a noticeboard outside the ing popular new destina-
office of the Mandalika ter- Consider the following ad- tions such as Bingen or
minal. You may have to pay vantages and disadvantages Seminyak
more if you have a large bag when deciding whether to » Three or more people can
or surfboard. book your ticket (one day in hire a car and also a driver
advance is a good idea). for less
Tourist Bus
Advantages:
Perama (%0361-751 170; » Fares are reasonable (eg
www.peramatour.com) has a Kuta to Lovina is 100,000Rp)

379

Car & Motorcycle of Kerobokan on the way MOTORCYCLE TRANSPORT CAR & MOTORCYCLE
to Denpasar. Bring your Motorbikes are a popular way
Renting a car or motorbike passport, a photocopy of of getting around Bali and
can open up Bali and Lom- your passport (just the page Lombok – locals ride pillion
bok for exploration – and with your photo on it) and a almost from birth. When you
can also leave you counting passport-sized photo. Then, see a family of five all riding
the minutes until you return follow these steps: cheerfully on one motorbike,
it. It gives you the freedom to » Ignore the mobbed hall it’s called a Bali minivan.
explore myriad back roads filled with jostling permit
and lets you set your own seekers. Motorbikes are ideal for
schedule. Most people don’t » Look helpless and ask uni- Lombok’s tiny rough roads,
rent a car for their entire visit formed officials ‘motocycle which may be difficult or im-
but rather get one for a few license?’. passable by car. Once you get
days of meandering. » Be directed to cheery out of the main centres and
English-speaking officials off the main roads, there’s not
There can be harrowing and pay 250,000Rp. much traffic.
driving conditions on the » Take the written test (in
islands at certain times. English, with the answers Motorbikes are easily
provided on a sample test). rented. Ask at your accom-
Driving Licences » Get your permit. modation or look for the
Sure it costs more than in the inevitable offers on the street.
CAR LICENCES hall of chaos, but who can The engines are modest (a
If you plan to drive a car, argue with the service? fuel-stingy 125 cc is typical),
you’re supposed to have an so your chances of going fast
International Driving Permit Fuel are nil.
(IDP). You can obtain one
from your national motoring Bensin (petrol) is sold by the Rentals cost 30,000Rp to
organisation if you have a nor- government-owned Pertami- 50,000Rp a day, less by the
mal driving licence. Bring your na company, and costs about week. This should include
home licence as well. Without 4500Rp per litre. Bali has minimal insurance for the
an IDP, add 50,000Rp to scads of petrol stations. On motorcycle (probably with a
any fine you’ll have to pay Lombok there are stations in US$100 excess), but not for
if stopped by the police (al- major towns. any other person or property.
though you’ll have to pay this Many have racks for surf-
fine several times to exceed Hire boards.
the cost and hassle of getting
the mostly useless IDP). Few agencies in Bali will allow Think carefully before
you to take their rental cars or renting a motorbike. It is
MOTORCYCLE LICENCES motorcycles to Lombok – the dangerous and every year
If you have a motorcycle regular vehicle insurance is visitors go home with lasting
licence at home, get your IDP not valid outside Bali. damage – this is no place to
endorsed for motorcycles learn to ride. Helmet use is
too; with this you will have CAR mandatory.
no problems. Otherwise you The most popular rental vehi-
have to get a local licence – cle is a small jeep – they’re Insurance
something of an adventure. compact and are well suited
to exploring back roads. Rental agencies and owners
Officially, there’s a 2 mil- Automatic transmissions are usually insist that the vehicle
lion rupiah fine for riding unheard of. itself is insured, and minimal
without a proper licence, insurance should be included
and your motorcycle can be Rental and travel agen- in the basic rental deal – of-
impounded. Unofficially, you cies in tourist centres rent ten with an excess of as much
may be hit with a substan- vehicles quite cheaply. A as US$100 for a motorcycle
tial ‘on-the-spot’ payment small jeep costs a negotiable and US$500 for a car (ie
(50,000Rp seems average) 200,000Rp per day, with the customer pays the first
and allowed to continue on unlimited kilometres and US$100/500 of any claim).
your way. Also, if you have an very limited insurance. Extra
accident without a licence days often cost much less Check to see what your
your insurance company than the first day. own vehicle, health and travel
might refuse coverage. insurance covers, especially if
There’s no reason to book you are renting a motorbike.
To get a local motorcycle rental cars in advance or with
licence in Bali (valid for a a tour package; doing so will Road Conditions
year), go independently to almost certainly cost more
the Poltabes Denpasar than arranging it locally. Any Bali traffic can be hor-
(%0361-142 7352; Jl Gunung place you stay can set you up rendous in the south, up to
Sanhyang; h8am-1pm Mon- with a car, as can the ever- Ubud, and as far as Padang-
Sat), which is northwest present touts in the street. bai to the east and Tabanan
to the west. Finding your
way around the main tourist
sites can be a challenge, as
roads are only sometimes

380 TRANSPORT LOCAL TRANSPORT » Use your horn to warn Hitching
anything in front that you’re
signposted and maps are un- there, especially if you’re You can hitchhike in Bali and
reliable. Off the main routes, about to overtake. on Lombok, but it’s not a
roads can be rough, but they » Drive on the left side of very useful option for getting
are usually surfaced. the road. around, as public transport is
so cheap and frequent, and
Roads on Lombok are Traffic Police private vehicles are often full.
often very rough but traffic is
lighter than on Bali. Some police will stop drivers Bear in mind, also, that
on very slender pretexts. If hitching is never entirely safe
Avoid driving at night or a cop sees your front wheel in any country. Travellers
at dusk. Many bicycles, carts half an inch over the faded who decide to hitch should
and vehicles do not have line at a stop sign, if the chin- understand that they are
proper lights, and street strap of your helmet isn’t fas- taking a small but potentially
lighting is limited. tened, or if you don’t observe serious risk.
one of the ever-changing and
Road Rules poorly signposted one-way Local Transport
traffic restrictions, you may
Visiting drivers commonly be waved down. Dokar & Cidomo
complain about crazy Bal-
inese drivers, but often it’s The cop will ask to see Small dokar (pony carts) still
because the visitors don’t your licence and the vehi- provide local transport in
understand the local con- cle’s registration papers, some remote areas of Bali,
ventions of road use. For and they’ll also tell you what and even in parts of Den-
instance, the constant use of a serious offence you’ve pasar and Kuta, but they’re
horns here doesn’t mean ‘Get committed. Stay cool and uncommon, extremely slow
the @£*&% out of my way!’; don’t argue. Don’t offer a and not particularly cheap.
rather it is a very Balinese bribe. Eventually they’ll sug-
way of saying ‘Hi, I’m here.’ gest that you can pay them The horse cart used
» Watch your front – it’s some amount of money to on Lombok is known as a
your responsibility to avoid deal with the matter. If it’s a cidomo – a contraction of
anything that gets in front of very large amount, tell them cika (a traditional handcart),
your vehicle. In effect, a car, politely that you don’t have dokar and mobil (because
motorcycle or anything else that much. These matters car wheels and tyres are
pulling out in front of you has can be settled for something used). A typical cidomo has a
right of way. between 10,000Rp and narrow bench seat on either
» Often drivers won’t even 100,000Rp, although it will side. The ponies appear to
look to see what’s coming be more if you argue. some visitors to be heavily
when they turn left at a junc-
tion – they listen for the horn.

HIRING A VEHICLE & DRIVER

An excellent way to travel anywhere around Bali is by hired vehicle, allowing you to leave
the driving and inherent frustrations to others. If you’re part of a group, it can make
sound economic sense as well. This is also possible on Lombok but less common.

It’s easy to arrange a charter: just listen for one of the frequent offers of ‘transport?’
in the streets around the tourist centres. Approach a driver yourself; or ask at your hotel,
which is often a good method, as it increases accountability. Then consider the following:
» Although great drivers are everywhere, it helps to talk with a few.

» Get recommendations from other travellers.

» You should like the driver and their English should be sufficient for you to communi-
cate your wishes.

» Costs for a full day should average 400,000Rp to 600,000Rp.

» The vehicle, usually a late-model Toyota Kijang seating up to seven, should be clean.

» Agree on a route beforehand.

» Make it clear if you want to avoid tourist-trap restaurants and shops (smart drivers
understand that tips depend on following your wishes).

» On the road, buy the driver lunch (they’ll want to eat elsewhere, so give them
20,000Rp) and offer snacks and drinks.

» Many drivers find ways to make your day delightful in unexpected ways. Tip
accordingly.

381

BALI ROAD DISTANCES (KM)

Bangli 59 TRANSPORT LOCAL TRANSPORT
Bedugul 144 97
Candidasa 32 52 88
Denpasar 57 47 78 31
Gilimanuk 197 181 148 165 134
Kintamani 108 20 89 71 67 135
Kuta 73 57 57 41 10 144 77
Lovina 89 86 41 139 89 79 70 99
Negara 161 135 115 126 95 33 163 104 107
Nusa Dua 81 81 102 55 24 158 91 14 113 109
Padangbai 45 39 75 13 18 178 58 28 126 154 42
Sanur 64 40 85 38 7 141 78 15 96 102 22 37
Semarapura 37 26 61 27 47 181 46 57 112 124 71 14 52
Singaraja 78 75 30 128 78 90 59 88 11 118 92 115 85 105
Tirtagangga 14 65 101 13 84 212 85 95 112 179 108 26 91 44 142
Ubud 68 29 35 54 23 157 29 33 40 120 47 41 30 29 95 67

Amed
Bangli
Bedugul
Candidasa
Denpasar
Gilimanuk
Kintamani
Kuta
Lovina
Negara
Nusa Dua
Padangbai
Sanur
Semarapura
Singaraja
Tirtagangga

laden and harshly treated, towns. Ojek are more com- for fakes – there are many.
but they are usually looked mon on Lombok. Look for ‘Blue Bird’ over the
after reasonably well, if only windscreen and the phone
because the owners depend Fares are negotiable, but number. Drivers speak
on them for their livelihood. about 20,000Rp for 5km is reasonable English and use
Cidomo are a very popular fairly standard. the meter at all times. Many
form of transport in many expats will use no other firm
parts of Lombok, and often Taxi and the drivers are often fas-
go to places that bemo don’t, cinating conversationalists.
won’t or can’t. BALI
Metered taxis are common in After Blue Bird Taxi, stand-
Fares are not set by the south Bali and Denpasar (but ards decline. Some other
government on either island; not Ubud). They are essential companies are acceptable,
prices start at 5000Rp for getting around Kuta and although you may have a
per person for a short trip Seminyak, where you can hassle getting the driver to
(3000Rp to 5000Rp on Lom- easily flag one down. Else- use the meter after dark.
bok) but are negotiable. where, they’re often a lot less Others may claim that their
hassle than haggling with meter is ‘broken’ or nonexist-
Ojek drivers offering ‘transport!’. ent, and negotiated fees can
be way over the odds.
Around towns and along The usual rate for a taxi is LOMBOK
roads, you can always get a 5000Rp flag fall and 4000Rp There are plenty of bemo
lift by ojek (a motorcycle or per kilometre, but the rate is and taxis around Mataram
motorbike that takes a pay higher in the evening. If you and Senggigi. Drivers for
ing passenger). Formal ojek phone for a taxi, the mini- Lombok Taksi (%627 000),
are less common now that mum charge is 10,000Rp. owned by Bali Taxi’s Blue
anyone with a motorbike can Avoid any driver who claims Bird Group, always use the
be a freelance ojek (stand by meter problems or who won’t meter without you having to
the side of the road, look like use the meter. ask; this is the best choice.
you need a ride and people The only place you would
will stop and offer). They’re By far the most reputable need to negotiate a taxi fare
OK on quiet country roads, taxi company is Bluebird is at the harbour at Bangsal
but a risky option in the big Taxi (%701 111), which
uses blue vehicles with a
light on the roof bearing a
stylised bluebird. Watch out

382 Goa Lawah, Candidasa and
LOMBOK ROAD DISTANCES (KM) Tenganan.
» Kintamani–Gunung
Bayan 57 Batur Takes in the craft
shops at Celuk, Mas and
Kuta 86 143 Batuan, a dance at Batubu-
lan, Tampaksiring and views
Labuhan 101 66 75 of Gunung Batur. Alterna-
Lombok tively, the tour may go to Goa
Gajah, Pejeng, Tampaksiring
TRANSPORT TOURS Labuhanhaji 157 100 57 39 and Kintamani.
» Singaraja–Lovina Goes
Lembar 54 121 64 109 77 to Mengwi, Bedugul, Gitgit,
Singaraja, Lovina, Banjar and
Mataram 32 96 54 69 64 27 Pupuan.
» Sunset Tour Includes
Pemenang 1 56 79 109 105 53 26 Mengwi, Marga, Alas Kedaton
and sunset at Tanah Lot.
Praya 54 121 26 66 39 39 27 53
Specialist Tours
Pringgabaya 102 74 83 8 26 102 75 101 62
Many Bali tour operators
Sapit 106 47 101 25 43 120 92 119 80 18 offer experiences that vary
from the norm. These can
Senaru 54 102 140 68 106 116 86 63 117 81 54 include cultural experiences
hard for the casual visitor to
Senggigi 18 81 64 79 74 40 10 25 40 88 106 72 find, such as cremations or
trips to remote villages where
Tetebatu 76 120 50 45 32 98 44 75 29 46 63 130 54 life has hardly changed in
decades. Often you’ll avoid
Bangsal the clichéd tourist minibus
Bayan and travel in unusual vehicles
Kuta or in high comfort.
Labuhan
Lombok See the Bali & Lombok
Labuhanhaji Outdoors chapter for tours
Lembar involving trekking, cycling
Mataram and more; there are many
Pemenang tours around Ubud to choose
Praya from.
Pringgabaya
Sapit The following operators
Senaru are recommended. Prices
Senggigi span the gamut but tend to
be more expensive than the
(but not on the main road in pays to shop around. Consider bog-standard tours:
Pemenang). the following: JED (Village Ecotourism Net-
» Will lunch be at a huge work; %0361-366 9951; www.
Tours tourist buffet or somewhere jed.or.id; tours from US$75)
more interesting? Organises highly regarded
Standardised organised tours » How much time will be tours of small villages, some
are a convenient way to visit spent at tourist shops? overnight.
a few places in Bali. There are » Will there be a qualified Bali Discovery Tours
dozens and dozens of opera- English-speaking guide? (%0361-286 283; www.
tors who provide a similar » Are early morning pick-ups balidiscovery.com) Personal-
product and service. Much for the convenience of the ised and customisable tours
more interesting are special- company, which then dumps across Bali.
ised tour companies that can you at a central point to wait Suta Tours (%0361-788
take you far off the beaten for another bus? 8865, 0361-741 6665; www.
track, offer memorable The following are the usual sutatour.com) Standard tours
experiences and otherwise tours sold around Bali. They but also arranges trips to
provide you with a different are available from most ho- cremation ceremonies and
side of Bali and Lombok. You tels and shops selling serv- special temple festivals,
can also easily arrange your ices to tourists: market tours and other
own custom tour. » Bedugul Includes Sangeh custom plans.
or Alas Kedaton, Mengwi,
Tours originating on Lom- Jatiluwih, Candikuning and
bok are based in Senggigi. sunset at Tanah Lot.
You can usually book market » Besakih Includes craft
visits in Mataram, a jaunt out shops at villages near Ubud,
to the Gilis or a trip down the Gianyar, Semarapura (Klung-
south coast. kung), Pura Besakih, and
return via Bukit Jambal.
Standard Day Tours » Denpasar Takes in the arts
centre, markets, the museum
Tours are typically in white and perhaps a temple or two.
eight- to 12-seat minibuses » East Bali Includes the
with air-con, which pick you up usual craft shops, Semara-
and drop you off at your hotel. pura (Klungkung), Kusamba,
Prices range from 50,000Rp
to 200,000Rp for what are
essentially similar tours, so it

383

emergency evacuation is
expensive – bills of more
than US$100,000 are not
uncommon.

Find out in advance if your
insurance plan will make
payments directly to provid-
ers or reimburse you later
for overseas health expen-
ditures. (In many countries
doctors expect payment in
cash at the time of treat-
ment.) Some policies ask you
to call back (reverse charges)
to a centre in your home
country where an immediate
assessment of your problem
is made.

Health Recommended
Vaccinations
Treatment for minor injuries BEFORE YOU GO
and common traveller’s Specialised travel-medicine
health problems is easily Make sure all medications clinics are your best source
accessed in Bali and to a are packed in their original, of information; they stock all
lesser degree on Lombok. clearly labelled containers. available vaccines and will
However, for serious condi- A signed and dated letter be able to give specific rec-
tions, you will need to leave from your physician describ- ommendations for you and
the islands. ing your medical conditions your trip.
and medications (including
Travellers tend to worry generic names) is also a Most vaccines don’t
about contracting infec- good idea. If you are carrying produce immunity until at
tious diseases when in the syringes or needles, be sure least two weeks after they’re
tropics, but infections are a to have a physician’s letter given. Ask your doctor for
rare cause of serious illness documenting their medical an International Certificate
or death in travellers. Pre- necessity. If you have a heart of Vaccination (otherwise
existing medical conditions, condition ensure you bring known as the yellow booklet),
such as heart disease, and a copy of your electrocar- which will list all the vaccina-
accidental injury (especially diogram taken just prior to tions you’ve received.
traffic accidents) account travelling.
for most life-threatening The World Health Organi-
problems. Becoming ill in If you take any regular zation recommendations for
some way, however, is rela- medication bring double Southeast Asia include the
tively common; ailments your needs in case of loss following:
you may suffer include or theft. You can buy many » Hepatitis A Provides
gastro, overexposure to the medications over the counter almost 100% protection for
sun and other typical travel- without a doctor’s prescrip- up to a year; a booster after
ler woes. tion, but it can be difficult 12 months provides at least
to find some of the newer another 20 years’ protection.
It’s important to note cer- drugs, particularly the latest Mild side effects such as
tain precautions you should antidepressant drugs, blood- headache and sore arm oc-
take on Bali and Lombok, pressure medications and cur in 5% to 10% of people.
especially in regard to rabies, contraceptive pills. » Hepatitis B Now consid-
mosquito bites and the tropi- ered routine for most travel-
cal sun. Insurance lers. It’s given as three shots
over six months. Life-time
The following advice is Even if you are fit and protection occurs in 95% of
a general guide only and healthy, don’t travel without people.
does not replace the advice sufficient health insur- » Measles, mumps & rubel-
of a doctor trained in travel ance – accidents do hap- la (MMR) Two doses of MMR
medicine. pen. If you’re uninsured, required unless you have had
the diseases. Many young
adults require a booster.
» Typhoid Recommended
unless your trip is less than a

384

HEALTH REQUIRED VACCINATIONS HEALTH ADVISORIES INTERNATIONAL MEDICAL
CLINICS
It’s usually a good idea to consult your government’s For serious conditions,
travel-health website before departure, if one is avail- foreigners would be best
able: served in one of two private
» Australia (www.smarttraveller.gov.au) clinics that cater mainly to
» UK (www.nhs.uk/nhsengland/healthcareabroad) tourists and expats. At both
» US (www.cdc.gov/travel) of these places you should
confirm that your health
week and only to developed infection) treatment (eg and/or travel insurance will
cities. The vaccine offers clotrimazole pessaries or cover you. In cases where
around 70% protection, lasts diflucan tablet) your medical condition is
for two to three years and considered serious you
comes as a single shot. Websites may well be evacuated by
air ambulance to top-flight
Required There is a wealth of travel hospitals in Jakarta or Sin-
Vaccinations health advice on the internet. gapore; this is where proper
World Health Organiza- insurance is vital as these
The only vaccine required tion (WHO; www.who.int/ith) flights can cost more than
by international regulations Publishes the useful Interna- US$10,000.
is yellow fever. Proof of vac- tional Travel & Health, which BIMC (%0361-761 263; www.
cination will only be required is revised annually; has a lot bimcbali.com; JI Ngurah Rai
if you have visited a country of info online. 100X; h24hr) On the by-
in the yellow-fever zone (pri- MD Travel Health (www. pass road just east of Kuta
marily some parts of Africa mdtravelhealth.com) Provides near the Bali Galleria. It’s a
and South America) within travel health recommenda- modern Australian-run clinic
the six days prior to entering tions for every country. that can do tests, hotel visits
Southeast Asia. Centers for Disease Con- and arrange medical evacua-
trol & Prevention (CDC; tion. Visits can cost US$100
Medical Checklist www.cdc.gov) This website or more.
also has good travel infor- International SOS Medi-
Recommended items for a mation. cal Clinic (%0361-710 505;
convenient personal medical www.sos-bali.com; JI Ngurah
kit (more specific items can Further Reading Rai 505X; h24hr) A clinic
be easily obtained on Bali if aimed at tourists, has
needed): Lonely Planet’s Asia & India: English-speaking staff.
» antibacterial cream (eg Healthy Travel is a handy
Muciprocin) pocket-sized book that is HOSPITALS
» antihistamine – there are packed with useful informa- There are two facilities in
many options (eg Cetirizine tion, including pretrip plan- Denpasar that offer a good
for daytime and Promethaz- ning, emergency first aid, standard of care. Both are
ine for night) immunisation and disease more affordable than the
» antiseptic (eg Betadine) information and what to do if international clinics.
» contraceptives you get sick on the road. BaliMed Hospital (%0361-
» DEET-based insect repel- 484 748; www.balimedhospital.
lent IN BALI & co.id; Jl Mahendradatta 57)
» first-aid items such as LOMBOK On the Kerobokan side of
scissors, bandages, digital Denpasar, this private
thermometer (but not a mer- Availability & hospital has a range of
cury one) and tweezers Cost of Health medical services. A basic
» Ibuprofen or another anti- Care consultation is 220,000Rp.
inflammatory Rumah Sakit Umum
» steroid cream for allergic/ In south Bali and Ubud there Propinsi Sanglah (Sanglah
itchy rashes (eg 1% to 2% are clinics catering to tour- Hospital; %227 911; h24hr)
hydrocortisone) ists and just about any hotel The city’s general hospital
» sunscreen and hat can put you in touch with an has English-speaking staff
» throat lozenges English-speaking doctor. and an ER. It’s the best hos-
» thrush (vaginal yeast pital on the island and has a
special wing for well-insured
foreigners, Paviliun Amerta
Wing International (%257
499).

REMOTE CARE rhaging. See a doctor to be 385HEALTH INFECTIOUS DISE ASES
In more remote areas facili- diagnosed and monitored.
ties are basic – generally a HEPATITIS A laria are taking inadequate or
small public hospital, doc- A problem throughout the no antimalarial medication.
tor’s surgery or puskesmas region, this food- and water-
(community health centre). borne virus infects the liver, Travellers are advised to
In government-run clinics causing jaundice (yellow prevent mosquito bites by
and hospitals, services such skin and eyes), nausea and taking these steps:
as meals, washing and clean lethargy. There is no specific » Use a DEET-containing
clothing are normally provid- treatment for hepatitis A; you insect repellent on exposed
ed by the patient’s family. just need to allow time for the skin. Wash this off at night, as
liver to heal. All travellers to long as you are sleeping un-
The best hospital on Lom- Southeast Asia should be vac- der a mosquito net. Natural
bok is the new Rumah Sakit cinated against hepatitis A. repellents such as citronella
Harapan Keluarga (%670 HEPATITIS B can be effective, but must be
000, 617 7000; www.harapan The only sexually transmit- applied more frequently than
keluarga.co.id/rshk; Jl Ahmad ted disease that can be products containing DEET.
Yani 9 ) in Mataram. prevented by vaccination, » Sleep under a mosquito net
PHARMACIES hepatitis B is spread by impregnated with permethrin.
The Kimia Farma chain is body fluids, including sexual » Choose accommodation
good and has many loca- contact. In some parts of with screens and fans (if not
tions. Singapore’s Guardian Southeast Asia up to 20% of air-conditioned).
chain of pharmacies is also the population are carriers of » Impregnate clothing with
found in tourist areas. Else- hepatitis B. permethrin in high-risk areas.
where you need to be more HIV » Wear long sleeves and
careful as fake medications HIV is a major problem in trousers in light colours.
and poorly stored or out-of- many Asian countries, and » Use mosquito coils.
date drugs are common. Bali has one of the highest » Spray your room with
rates of HIV infection in Indo- insect repellent before going
Infectious nesia. The main risk for most out for your evening meal.
Diseases travellers is sexual contact
with locals, prostitutes and There are a variety of medi-
BIRD FLU other travellers. cations available should you
Otherwise known as avian catch malaria:
influenza, the H5N1 virus has The risk of sexual trans- » Artesunate Derivatives of
claimed more than 100 vic- mission of the HIV virus can Artesunate are not suitable
tims in Indonesia. Most of the be dramatically reduced by as a preventive medication.
cases have been in Java, west the use of a kondom (con- » Chloroquine & Paludrine
of Bali. Treatment is difficult, dom). These are available The effectiveness of this
although the drug Tamiflu from supermarkets, street combination is now limited in
has some effect. stalls and drugstores in tour- most of Southeast Asia. Gen-
DENGUE FEVER ist areas, and from the apotik erally not recommended.
This mosquito-borne disease (pharmacy) in almost any » Doxycycline This daily
is a major problem. As there town (from about 1500Rp tablet is a broad-spectrum
is no vaccine available it can to 3000Rp each – it’s worth antibiotic that has the added
only be prevented by avoid- getting the more expensive benefit of helping to prevent
ing mosquito bites. The mos- brands). a variety of tropical diseases,
quito that carries dengue MALARIA including leptospirosis, tick-
bites day and night, so use The risk of contracting ma- borne disease, typhus and
insect avoidance measures laria is greatest in rural areas melioidosis. The potential
at all times. Symptoms in- of Indonesia. Generally ma- side effects include a
clude high fever, severe head- laria is not a concern on Bali tendency to sunburn, thrush
ache and body ache (dengue or in the main touristed areas in women, indigestion, heart-
was previously known as of Lombok. Consider precau- burn, nausea and interference
‘breakbone fever’). Some tions if you are going into with the contraceptive pill.
people develop a rash and remote areas or on side trips » Lariam (Mefloquine)
experience diarrhoea. There beyond the two islands. Lariam has received much
is no specific treatment, just bad press, some of it justi-
rest and paracetamol – do Two strategies should be fied, some not. This weekly
not take aspirin as it increas- combined to prevent malaria: tablet suits many people. Se-
es the likelihood of haemor- mosquito avoidance and rious side effects are rare but
antimalarial medications. include depression, anxiety,
Most people who catch ma- psychosis and having fits.
» Malarone This drug is a
combination of Atovaquone
and Proguanil. Side effects,

386 HEALTH TR AVELLER’S DIARRHOE A TYPHOID or Azithromycin will kill the
most commonly nausea and This serious bacterial infec- bacteria quickly.
headache, are uncommon tion is spread via food and GIARDIASIS
and mild. It is the best tablet water. Its symptoms are a Giardia lamblia is a parasite
for scuba divers and for high and slowly progressive that is relatively common
those on short trips to high- fever, headache and possibly in travellers. Symptoms
risk areas. It must be taken a dry cough and stomach include nausea, bloating,
for one week after leaving the pain. It is diagnosed by blood excess gas, fatigue and
risk area. tests and treated with anti- intermittent diarrhoea. The
biotics. parasite will eventually go
RABIES away if left untreated but this
Rabies is a disease spread by Traveller’s can take months. The treat-
the bite or lick of an infected Diarrhoea ment of choice is Tinidazole,
animal, most commonly a with Metronidazole being a
dog or monkey. Once you are Traveller’s diarrhoea (aka second-line option.
exposed, it is uniformly fatal Bali belly) is by far the most
if you don’t get the vaccine common problem affecting Environmental
very promptly. Bali has had travellers – between 30% Hazards
a major outbreak dating to and 50% of people will suf-
2008 and people continue to fer from it within two weeks DIVING
die each year. of starting their trip. In over Divers and surfers should
80% of cases, traveller’s di- seek specialised advice
To minimise your risk, arrhoea is caused by bacteria before they travel to ensure
consider getting the rabies (there are numerous poten- their medical kit contains
vaccine, which consists tial culprits), and therefore treatment for coral cuts and
of three injections in all. A responds promptly to treat- tropical ear infections, as well
booster after one year will ment with antibiotics. as the standard problems.
then provide 10 years’ pro- Divers should ensure their
tection. This may be worth Traveller’s diarrhoea is de- insurance covers them for
considering given Bali’s ra- fined as the passage of more decompression illness – get
bies outbreak. The vaccines than three watery bowel specialised dive insurance
are often unavailable on Bali, actions within 24 hours, plus through an organisation such
so get them before you go. at least one other symp- as Divers Alert Network
tom such as fever, cramps, (DAN; www.danseap.org). Have
Also, be careful to avoid nausea, vomiting or feeling a dive medical before you
animal bites. Especially generally unwell. leave your home country.
watch children closely.
TREATMENT Divers should note that
Having the pre-travel Loperamide is just a ‘stopper’ there is a decompression
vaccination means the post- and doesn’t get to the cause chamber in Sanur, which is
bite treatment is greatly of the problem. However, it a fast-boat ride from Nusa
simplified. If you are bitten or can be helpful, for example, if Lembongan. Getting here
scratched, gently wash the you have to go on a long bus from north Bali can take
wound with soap and water, ride. Don’t take Loperamide three to four hours.
and apply an iodine-based if you have a fever or blood HEAT
antiseptic. It would be a good in your stools. Seek medical Most parts of Indonesia are
idea to also consult a doctor. attention quickly if you do hot and humid throughout
not respond to an appropri- the year. For most people
Those not vaccinated ate antibiotic. it takes at least two weeks
will need to receive rabies » Stay well hydrated; rehydra- to adapt to the hot climate.
immunoglobulin as soon as tion solutions such as Gastro- Swelling of the feet and
possible. Clean the wound lyte are the best for this. ankles is common, as are
immediately and do not » Antibiotics such as muscle cramps caused by
delay seeking medical atten- Norfloxacin, Ciprofloxacin excessive sweating. Prevent
tion. Note that Bali is known these by avoiding dehydra-
to run out of rabies immu- tion and excessive activity in
noglobulin, so be prepared to the heat. Be careful to avoid
go to Singapore immediately the following conditions:
for medical treatment. » Heat exhaustion
Symptoms include feeling
ALCOHOL POISONING weak, headache, irritability,
nausea or vomiting, sweaty
There are ongoing reports of injuries and deaths among
tourists and locals due to arak (the local booze that
should be distilled from palm or cane sugar) being a
dulterated with methanol, a poisonous form of alcohol.
Avoid free cocktails and any offers of arak.

387

skin, a fast, weak pulse and DRINKING WATER HEALTH WOMEN’S HE ALTH
a normal or slightly elevated
body temperature. Treat- Never drink tap water in Indonesia.
ment involves getting out of Widely available and cheap, bottled water is generally
the heat and/or sun, fanning
the victim and applying cool safe; however, check the seal is intact when purchasing.
wet cloths to the skin, laying Look for places that allow you to refill containers, thus
the victim flat with their cutting down on landfill.
legs raised, and rehydrating
with water containing one- Most ice in restaurants is fine if it is uniform in size
quarter of a teaspoon of salt and made at a central plant (standard for large cities
per litre. Recovery is usually and tourist areas). Avoid ice that is chipped off larger
rapid and it is common to blocks (more common in rural areas).
feel weak for some days
afterwards. Avoid fresh juices outside of tourist restaurants and
» Heatstroke A serious cafes.
medical emergency. Symp-
toms come on suddenly and rarely fatal. First aid for jelly- » Cuts & scratches Easily
include weakness, nausea, fish stings involves pouring infected in tropical climates,
a hot dry body with a body vinegar onto the affected take meticulous care of any
temperature of over 41°C, area to neutralise the poison. cuts and scratches. Im-
dizziness, confusion, loss of Do not rub sand or water mediately wash all wounds in
coordination, fits and eventu- onto the stings. Take painkill- clean water and apply anti-
ally collapse and loss of ers, and anyone who feels ill septic. If you develop signs of
consciousness. Seek urgent in any way after being stung infection see a doctor. Divers
medical help and commence should seek medical advice. and surfers should be care-
cooling by getting the person » Ticks Contracted after ful with coral cuts as they
out of the heat, removing walking in rural areas, ticks become easily infected.
their clothes, fanning them are commonly found behind
and applying cool wet cloths the ears, on the belly and SUNBURN
or ice to their body, espe- in armpits. If you have had Even on a cloudy day sun-
cially to hot spots such as a tick bite and experience burn can occur rapidly, espe-
the groin and armpits. symptoms such as a rash at cially near the equator. Don’t
» Prickly heat A common the site of the bite or else- end up like the dopey tourists
skin rash in the tropics, where, fever or muscle aches, you see roasted pink on Kuta
caused by sweat being you should see a doctor. Beach. Instead:
trapped under the skin. The » Use a strong sunscreen (at
result is an itchy rash of tiny SKIN PROBLEMS least factor 30).
lumps. Treat by moving out » Fungal rashes There are » Reapply sunscreen after
of the heat into an air-condi- two common fungal rashes a swim.
tioned area for a few hours that affect travellers. The first » Wear a wide-brimmed hat
and by having cool showers. occurs in moist areas that and sunglasses.
get less air such as the groin, » Avoid baking in the sun
BITES & STINGS armpits and between the during the hottest part of the
During your time in Indo- toes. It starts as a red patch day (10am to 2pm).
nesia, you may make some that slowly spreads and is
unwanted friends. usually itchy. Treatment Women’s Health
» Bedbugs These don’t involves keeping the skin dry,
carry disease but their bites avoiding chafing and using In the tourist areas and large
are very itchy. They live in the an antifungal cream such cities, sanitary napkins and
cracks of furniture and walls as Clotrimazole or Lamisil. tampons are easily found.
and then migrate to the bed Tinea versicolor is also com- This becomes more difficult
at night to feed on you as you mon – this fungus causes the more rural you go.
sleep. You can treat the itch small, light-coloured patches,
with an antihistamine. most commonly on the back, Birth-control options may
» Jellyfish Most are not dan- chest and shoulders. Consult be limited so bring adequate
gerous, just irritating. Stings a doctor. supplies of your own form of
can be extremely painful but contraception.

WANT MORE?

For in-depth language

information and handy

phrases, check out
Lonely Planet’s Indonesian
Phrasebook. You’ll find
it at shop.lonelyplanet.
com, or you can buy
Lonely Planet’s iPhone

phrasebooks at the Apple

App Store.

Llaanngguuaaggee

Indonesian, or Bahasa Indonesia as it’s known BASICS Salam.
to the locals, is the official language of Indone- Hello.
sia. It has approximately 220 million speakers,
although it’s the mother tongue for only about Goodbye. (if leaving) Selamat tinggal.
20 million. Most people in Bali and on Lombok
also speak their own indigenous languages, Goodbye. (if staying) Selamat jalan.
Balinese and Sasak respectively. The aver-
age traveller needn’t worry about learning How are you? Apa kabar?
Balinese or Sasak, but it can be fun to learn a
few words, which is why we've included a few I’m fine, and you? Kabar baik,
in this chapter. For practical purposes, it prob- Anda bagaimana?
ably makes better sense to concentrate your
efforts on learning Bahasa Indonesia. Excuse me. Permisi.

Indonesian pronunciation is easy to master. Sorry. Maaf.
Each letter always represents the same sound
and most letters are pronounced the same as Please. Silahkan.
their English counterparts, with c pronounced
as the ‘ch’ in ‘chat’. Note also that kh is a Thank you. Terima kasih.
throaty sound (like the ‘ch’ in Scottish loch),
and that the ng combination, which is found You’re welcome. Kembali.
in English at the end or in the middle of words
such as ‘ringing’, also appears at the beginning Yes./No. Ya./Tidak.
of words in Indonesian.
Mr/Sir Bapak
Syllables generally carry equal emphasis –
the main exception is the unstressed e in Ms/Mrs/Madam Ibu
words such as besar (big) – but the rule of
thumb is to stress the second-last syllable. Miss Nona

In written Indonesian there are some incon- What’s your name? Siapa nama Anda?
sistent spellings of place names. Compound
names are written as one word or two, eg Air- My name is … Nama saya …
sanih or Air Sanih, Padangbai or Padang Bai.
Words starting with ‘Ker’ sometimes lose the Do you speak English? Bisa berbicara Bahasa
e, eg Kerobokan/Krobokan. Some Dutch vari- Inggris?
ant spellings also remain in use, with tj instead
of the modern c (eg Tjampuhan/Campuan), I don’t understand. Saya tidak mengerti.
and oe instead of u (eg Soekarno/Sukarno).
ACCOMMODATION
Pronouns, particularly ‘you’, are rarely used
in Indonesian. Anda is the egalitarian form used Do you have any Ada kamar kosong?
to overcome the plethora of words for ‘you’. rooms available?

How much is it per Berapa satu malam/
night/person? orang?

Is breakfast Apakah harganya ter
included? masuk makan pagi?

I’d like to share Saya mau satu tempat
a dorm. tidur di asrama.

campsite tempat kemah KEY PATTERNS 389
guesthouse losmen
hotel hotel To get by in Indonesian, mix and
youth hostel pemuda match these simple patterns with
words of your choice:
a … room kamar … When’s (the next bus)? LANGUAGE DIRECTIONS
single untuk satu orang Jam berapa (bis yang berikutnya)?
double untuk dua orang Where’s (the station)?
Di mana (stasiun)?
air-conditioned dengan AC How much is it (per night)?
bathroom kamar mandi Berapa (satu malam)?
cot velbet I’m looking for (a hotel).
window jendela Saya cari (hotel).
Do you have (a local map)?
DIRECTIONS Ada (peta daerah)?
Where is …? Di mana …? Is there (a toilet)?
Ada (kamar kecil)?
What’s the address? Alamatnya di mana? Can I (enter)?
Boleh saya (masuk)?
Could you write it Anda bisa tolong tuliskan? Do I need (a visa)?
down, please? Saya harus pakai (visa)?
I have (a reservation).
Can you show me Anda bisa tolong tunjukkan Saya (sudah punya booking).
(on the map)? pada saya (di peta)? I need (assistance).
Saya perlu (dibantu).
at the corner di sudut I’d like (the menu).
at the traffic lights di lampu merah Saya minta (daftar makanan).
behind di belakang I’d like (to hire a car).
in front of di depan Saya mau (sewa mobil).
far (from) jauh (dari) Could you (help me)?
left kiri Bisa Anda (bantu) saya?
near (to) dekat (dengan)
next to di samping a table … meja …
opposite di seberang at (eight) o’clock pada jam (delapan)
right kanan for (two) people untuk (dua) orang
straight ahead lurus

EATING & DRINKING Key Words susu kaleng
What would you Apa yang Anda bar
recommend? rekomendasikan? baby food (formula) botol
bar mangkuk
What’s in that dish? Hidangan ituisinya apa? bottle sarapan
bowl kafe
That was delicious. Ini enak sekali. breakfast menu untuk anak-anak
cafe dingin
Cheers! Bersulang! children’s menu makan malam
cold piring
Bring the bill/check, Tolong bawa kuitansi. dinner daftar minuman
please. dish makanan
drink list warung
I don’t eat … Saya tidak mau makan … food garpu
dairy products susu dan keju food stall
fish ikan fork
(red) meat daging (merah)
peanuts kacang tanah
seafood makanan laut

390 Signs LANGUAGE EATING & DRINKING Open cabbage kol
Buka Prohibited carrot wortel
Dilarang Toilets cauliflower blumkol
Kamar Kecil Exit cucumber timun
Keluar Entrance dates kurma
Masuk Men eggplant terung
Pria Closed fruit buah
Tutup Women grapes buah anggur
Wanitai lemon jeruk asam
gelas orange jeruk manis
glass kursi tinggi pineapple nenas
highchair panas potato kentang
hot (warm) pisau raisins kismis
knife makan siang spinach bayam
lunch daftar makanan vegetable sayur-mayur
menu pasar watermelon semangka
market tisu
napkin piring Other roti
plate rumah makan mentega
restaurant selada bread keju
salad sop butter cabai
soup pedas cheese sambal
spicy sendok chilli telur
spoon makanan tanpa daging chilli sauce madu
vegetarian food dengan egg selai
with tanpa honey mie
without jam minyak
noodles lada
Meat & Fish daging sapi oil nasi
ikan mas pepper garam
beef ayam rice kecap
carp bebek salt gula
chicken ikan soy sauce cuka
duck daging anak domba sugar
fish tenggiri vinegar bir
lamb daging santan
mackerel daging babi Drinks kopi
meat udang jus
pork cakalang beer susu
shrimp/prawn kalkun coconut milk tuak
tuna coffee anggur merah
turkey juice minuman ringan
milk teh
Fruit & Vegetables palm sap wine air
red wine anggur putih
apple apel soft drink susu masam kental
tea
banana pisang water
white wine
beans kacang yogurt

EMERGENCIES in the morning pagi 391
Help! Tolong saya! in the afternoon siang
in the evening malam
I’m lost. Saya tersesat.

Leave me alone! Jangan ganggu saya! today hari ini
tomorrow besok
There’s been an Ada kecelakaan. yesterday kemarin
accident.
LANGUAGE EMERGENCIES
Can I use your phone? Boleh saya pakai telpon
genggamnya?

Call a doctor! Panggil dokter! Monday hari Senin
Tuesday hari Selasa
Call the police! Panggil polisi! Wednesday hari Rabu
Thursday hari Kamis
I’m ill. Saya sakit. Friday hari Jumat
Saturday hari Sabtu
It hurts here. Sakitnya di sini. Sunday hari Minggu

I’m allergic to Saya alergi (antibiotik).
(antibiotics).

SHOPPING & SERVICES
I’d like to buy … Saya mau beli …
January Januari
I’m just looking. Saya lihat-lihat saja. February Februari
March Maret
May I look at it? Boleh saya lihat? April April
May Mei
I don’t like it. Saya tidak suka. June Juni
July Juli
How much is it? Berapa harganya? August Agustus
September September
It’s too expensive. Itu terlalu mahal. October Oktober
November Nopember
Can you lower the Boleh kurang? December Desember
price?

There’s a mistake Ada kesalahan dalam
in the bill. kuitansi ini.

credit card kartu kredit TRANSPORT
foreign exchange kantor penukaran mata
uang asing Public Transport
office warnet
internet cafe hanpon bicycle-rickshaw becak
mobile/cell phone kantor pos
post office tanda tangan boat (general) kapal
signature kantor pariwisata
tourist office

TIME & DATES boat (local) perahu

What time is it? Jam berapa sekarang? bus bis

It’s (10) o’clock. Jam (sepuluh). minibus bemo

motorcycle-rickshaw bajaj

It’s half past (six). Setengah (tujuh). motorcycle-taxi ojek

plane pesawat

Question Words taxi taksi

How? Bagaimana? train kereta api

What? Apa?

When? Kapan? I want to go to … Saya mau ke …
How much to …? Ongkos ke … berapa?
Where? Di mana? At what time does it Jam berapa berangkat?

Which Yang mana? leave? Jam berapa sampai di …?
At what time does it
Who? Siapa?
arrive at …?
Why? Kenapa?

392 Numbers satu Driving & Cycling
1 dua
2 tiga I’d like to hire a … Saya mau sewa …
3 empat
4 lima 4WD gardan ganda
5 enam
6 tujuh bicycle sepeda
7 delapan
8 LANGUAGE LOCAL LANGUAGES sembilan car mobil
9 sepuluh
10 duapuluh motorcycle sepeda motor
20 tigapuluh
30 empatpuluh child seat kursi anak untuk di mobil
40 limapuluh diesel solar
50 enampuluh helmet helem
60 tujuhpuluh mechanic montir
70 delapanpuluh petrol/gas bensin
80 sembilanpuluh pump (bicycle) pompa sepeda
90 seratus service station pompa bensin
100 seribu
1000 Is this the road to …? Apakah jalan ini ke …?
(How long) Can I park (Berapa lama) Saya boleh
parkir di sini?
here? Mobil/Motor mogok.
The car/motocycle
Ban saya kempes.
has broken down. Saya kehabisan bensin.
I have a flat tyre.
I’ve run out of petrol.

Does it stop at …? Di … berhenti? LOCAL LANGUAGES
What’s the next stop? Apa nama halte
berikutnya? Balinese Kenken kabare?
Please tell me when Tolong, beritahu waktu Sire wastene?
we get to … kita sampai di … How are you? Adan tiange …
Tolong, berhenti di sini. What’s your name? Tiang sing ngerti.
Please stop here. My name is … Ji kude niki?
I don’t understand. Matur suksma.
the first pertama How much is this? Ne ape adane di Bali?
the last terakhir Thank you.
the next yang berikutnya What do you call this Kije jalan lakar kel …?

a … ticket tiket … in Balinese?
1st-class kelas satu Which is the way
2nd-class kelas dua
one-way sekali jalan to …?
return pulang pergi

aisle seat tempat duduk Sasak Saik aranm side?
dekat gang Arankah aku …
cancelled dibatalkan What’s your name? Endek ngerti.
delayed terlambat My name is … Pire ajin sak iyak?
platform peron I don’t understand. Tampak asih.
ticket office loket tiket How much is this? Ape aran sak iyak elek
timetable jadwal Thank you. bahase Sasek?
train station stasiun kereta api What do you call this Lamun lek …, embe
window seat tempat duduk eak langantah?
dekat jendela in Sasak?
Which is the way

to …?

GLOSSARY 393

(m) indicates masculine gender, batik – process of colour- dewa – deity or supernatural LANGUAGE GLOSSARY
(f) feminine gender and (pl) ing fabric by coating part of spirit
plural the cloth with wax, dyeing it dewi – goddess
and melting the wax out; the Dewi Sri – goddess of rice
adat – tradition, customs and waxed part is not coloured, dharma – good
manners and repeated waxing and dye- dokar – pony cart; known as
adharma – evil ing builds up a pattern a cidomo on Lombok
aling aling – gateway backed batu bolong – rock with a Durga – goddess of death
by a small wall hole and destruction, and consort
alus – identifiable ‘goodies’ in belalu – quick-growing, light of Shiva
an arja drama wood dusun –small village
anak-anak – children bemo – popular local trans-
angker – evil power port in Bali and on Lombok; endek – elegant fabric, like
angklung – portable form of usually a small minibus but songket, with pre-dyed weft
the gamelan can be a small pick-up in rural threads
anjing – dogs areas
apotik – pharmacy bensin – petrol (gasoline) Gajah Mada – famous
arja – refined operatic form beruga – communal meeting Majapahit prime minister who
of Balinese theatre; also a hall in Bali; open-sided pavilion defeated the last great king of
dance-drama, comparable to on Lombok Bali and extended Majapahit
Western opera bhur – world of demons power over the island
Arjuna – a hero of the bhwah – world of humans Galungan – great Balinese
Mahabharata epic and a bioskop – cinema festival; an annual event in
popular temple gate guard- Brahma – the creator; one of the 210-day Balinese wuku
ian image the trinity of Hindu gods calendar
Brahmana – the caste of gamelan – traditional Bal-
bahasa – language; Bahasa priests and the highest of the inese orchestra, with mostly
Indonesia is the national Balinese castes; all priests percussion instruments like
language of Indonesia are Brahmanas, but not all large xylophones and gongs;
bale – an open-sided pavil- Brahmanas are priests may have one to more than
ion with a steeply pitched bu – mother; shortened form two dozen musicians; also
thatched roof of ibu used to refer to individual
bale banjar – communal bukit – hill; also the name of instruments such as drums;
meeting place of a banjar; a Bali’s southern peninsula also called a gong
house for meetings and game- bulau – month Ganesha – Shiva’s elephant-
lan practice headed son
bale tani – family house in candi – shrine, originally of gang – alley or footpath
Lombok; see also serambi Javanese design; also known Garuda – mythical man-bird
balian – faith healer and as prasada creature, vehicle of Vishnu;
herbal doctor candi bentar – entrance modern symbol of Indonesia
banjar – local division of a gates to a temple and the national airline
village consisting of all the cendrawasih – birds of gedong – shrine
married adult males paradise genggong – musical per-
banyan – a type of ficus tree, cengceng – cymbals formance seen in Lombok
often considered holy; see cidomo – pony cart with car gili – small island (Lombok)
also waringin wheels (Lombok) goa – cave; also spelt gua
bapak – father; also a polite cili – representations of Dewi gong – see gamelan
form of address to any older Sri, the rice goddess gong gede – large orchestra;
man; also pak traditional form of the game-
Barong – mythical lion-dog dalang – puppet master and lan with 35 to 40 musicians
creature storyteller in a wayang kulit gong kebyar – modern,
Barong Tengkok – portable performance popular form of a gong gede,
gamelan used for wedding Dalem Bedaulu – legen- with up to 25 instruments
processions and circumcision dary last ruler of the Pejeng gua – cave; also spelt goa
ceremonies on Lombok dynasty gunung – mountain
baten tegeh – decorated danau – lake gunung api – volcano
pyramids of fruit, rice cakes dangdut – pop music gusti – polite title for mem-
and flowers desa – village bers of the Wesia caste

394 Hanuman – monkey god kebyar – a type of dance Mahabharata – one of the
who plays a major part in the great Hindu holy books, the
Ramayana Kecak – traditional Balinese epic poem tells of the battle
dance; tells a tale from the
harga biasa – standard price Ramayana about Prince Rama between the Pandavas and
and Princess Sita the Korawas
harga turis – inflated price
for tourists kedais – coffee house Majapahit – last great Hindu
homestay – small, family-run kelod – in the direction away dynasty on Java
accommodation; see also from the mountains and to- mata air panas – natural hot
springs
losmen wards the sea; see also kaja
meditasi – swimming and
kelurahan – local govern- sunbathing
ibu – mother; also a polite ment area
form of address to any older mekepung – traditional water
woman kemben – woman’s breast- buffalo races
cloth
Ida Bagus – honourable title kempli – gong meru – multiroofed shrines
for a male Brahmana in temples; the name comes
ikat – cloth where a pattern kendang – drums from the Hindu holy mountain
is produced by dyeing the kepala desa – village head Mahameru
individual threads before kori agung – gateway to the mobil – car
weaving second courtyard in a temple moksa – freedom from
Indra – king of the gods kota – city earthly desires
kras – identifiable ‘baddies’ in muncak – mouse deer
jalak putih – local name for an arja drama
Bali starling kris – traditional dagger naga – mythical snakelike
jalan – road or street; abbre- Ksatriyasa – second Bal- creature
viated to Jl inese caste nusa – island; also called
jepun – frangipani or plume- kuah – sunset side pulau

ria trees kulkul – hollow tree-trunk Nusa Tenggara Barat
jidur – large cylindrical drums drum used to sound a warning (NTB) – West Nusa Teng-
played throughout Lombok or call meetings gara; a province of Indonesia

Jl – jalan; road or street labuhan – harbour; also comprising the islands of
Lombok and Sumbawa
called pelabuhan
kahyangan jagat – direc- laki-laki – boy nyale – wormlike fish caught
tional temples off Kuta, Lombok

kain – a length of material lamak – long, woven Nyepi – major annual festival
wrapped tightly around the palm-leaf strips used as in the Hindu saka calendar,
hips and waist, over a sarong decorations in festivals and this is a day of complete still-
kain poleng – black-and- celebrations ness after a night of chasing
white chequered cloth lambung – long black sa- out evil spirits
kaja – in the direction of the rongs worn by Sasak women;
mountains; see also kelod see also sabuk ogoh-ogoh – huge monster
kaja-kangin – corner of the langse – rectangular decora- dolls used in the Nyepi festival
courtyard tive hangings used in palaces ojek – motorcycle that carries
kaki lima – food carts or temples paying passengers
kala – demonic face often Legong – classic Balinese open – tall red-brick buildings
seen over temple gateways dance padi – growing rice plant
Kalendar Cetakan – Bal- legong – young girls who padmasana – temple shrine
inese calendar used to plan a perform the Legong resembling a vacant chair
myriad of activities leyak – evil spirit that can pak – father; shortened form
kamben – a length of songket assume fantastic forms by the of bapak
wrapped around the chest for use of black magic palinggihs – temple shrines
formal occasions lontar – specially prepared consisting of a simple, little
kampung – village or neigh- palm leaves throne
bourhood losmen – small Balinese panca dewata – centre
kangin – sunrise hotel, often family-run and four cardinal points in a
kantor – office lukisan antic – antique temple
kantor imigrasi – immigra- paintings pantai – beach
tion office lulur – body mask paras – a soft, grey volcanic
kantor pos – post office lumbung – rice barn with a stone used in stone carving
Kawi – classical Javanese; the round roof; an architectural pasar – market
language of poetry symbol of Lombok pasar malam – night market

pecalang – village or banjar Ramayana – one of the teluk – gulf or bay 395
police great Hindu holy books; these tika – piece of printed cloth
pedagang – mobile traders stories form the keystone of or carved wood displaying the LANGUAGE GLOSSARY
pedanda – high priest many Balinese dances and Pawukon cycle
pelabuhan – harbour; also tales tirta – water
called labuhan Rangda – widow-witch who toya – water
pemangku – temple guard- represents evil in Balinese trimurti – Hindu trinity
ians and priests for temple theatre and dance triwangsa – caste divided
rituals raya – main road, eg Jl Raya into three parts (Brahmana,
perempuan – girl Ubud means ‘the main road Ksatriyasa and Wesia); means
plus plus – a combined tax of Ubud’ three people
and service charge of 21% RRI – Radio Republik Indone- TU – Telepon Umum; a public
added by midrange and sia; Indonesia’s national radio telephone
top-end accommodation and broadcaster
restaurants rumah makan – restaurant; undagi – designer of a build-
pondok – simple lodging literally ‘eating place’ ing, usually an architect-priest
or hut
prada – cloth highlighted with sabuk – Four-metre-long scarf Vishnu – the preserver; one
gold leaf, or gold or silver paint that holds the lambung in place of the three great Hindu gods
and thread sadkahyangan – ‘world
prahu – traditional Indonesian sanctuaries’; most sacred wanita – woman; female
boat with outriggers temples wantilan – large bale pavilion
prasada – shrine; see also saiban – temple or shrine used for meetings, perform-
candi offering ances and cockfights; com-
prasasti – inscribed copper saka – Balinese calendar munity hall
plates based on the lunar cycle; see waria – female impersonator,
pria – man; male also wuku transvestite or transgendered;
propinsi – province; Indo- Sasak – native of Lombok; combination of the words
nesia has 27 propinsi – Bali also the language wanita and pria
is a propinsi, Lombok and its sate – satay waringin – large shady tree
neighbouring island of Sum- sawah – rice field; see also with drooping branches which
bawa comprise propinsi Nusa subak root to produce new trees;
Tenggara Barat (NTB) selat – strait see banyan
puasa – to fast, or a fast sepeda – bicycle warnet – warung with inter-
pulau – island; also called sepeda motor – motorcycle net access
nusa Shiva – the creator and de- wartel – public telephone
puputan – warrior’s fight to stroyer; one of the three great office; contraction of warung
the death; an honourable but Hindu gods telekomunikasi
suicidal option when faced songket – silver- or gold- warung – food stall
with an unbeatable enemy threaded cloth, handwoven wayang kulit – leather pup-
pura – temple using a floating weft technique pet used in shadow puppet
pura dalem – temple of the stupas – domes for housing plays; see also dalang
dead Buddha relics Wektu Telu – religion pecu-
pura desa – village temple subak – village association liar to Lombok; originated in
for everyday functions that organises rice terraces Bayan and combines many
pura puseh – temple of the and shares out water for tenets of Islam and aspects of
village founders or fathers, irrigation other faiths
honouring the village’s origins Sudra – common caste to Wesia – military caste and
pura subak – temple of the which the majority of Balinese most numerous of the Bal-
rice growers’ association belong inese noble castes
puri – palace sungai – river wuku – Balinese calendar
pusit kota – used on road swah – world of gods made up of 10 different
signs to indicate the centre weeks, between one and 10
of town tahun – year days long, all running concur-
taksu – divine interpreter for rently; see also saka
rajah – lord or prince the gods
Ramadan – Muslim month tambulilingan – bumblebees yeh – water; also river
of fasting tanjung – cape or point yoni – female symbol of the
Hindu god Shiva

396

Behind the Scenes

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OUR READERS AUTHOR THANKS

Many thanks to the travellers who used the Ryan Ver Berkmoes
last edition and wrote to us with helpful
hints, useful advice and interesting This list just seems to grow. Many thanks to
anecdotes: friends like Pattycakes Miklautsch, Ibu Cat,
Erika Baardwijk, Heino Best, Dana Beyer, Hanafi, Nengah, Eliot Cohen, Jamie James,
Nikki Buran, John Burbidge, Samuel Chan, Kerry and Milton Turner, Pascal and Pika and
Marilyn Clark-Murphy, Mario Corradi, Alex many more. At Lonely Planet, thanks to my
Curry, Jack Dempsey, Nicole Deussen, Suzy buddy Ilaria Walker and the entire publishing
Dior, Ella Kemball Dorey, Sylvia Filter, Marcel and production teams. My co-author, Adam,
& Anouk Flantua, Rachael Foggitt, Franziska rocks. And to Frank Sinatra who night and day
Franke, Gauthier Ginisty, Roger Glenfield, picked me a plum and to the golden memories
Jean-Philippe Goyette, Elizabeth Gray, David of House 2.
Griffin, Linda Madani Grondin, Sussi Hansen,
Paul Heisterkamp, Wendy Hoenkamp, Frauke Adam Skolnick
Horstmann, Adrienne Karmouche, Robert
Lee, Gavin Leeder, Richard van Leeuweh, Thanks to Simion Liddiard, Marcus Stevens,
Manfred Lenzen, Jens Lichtenberger, Jelle Andy Wheatcroft, Fern Perry, Will Goodman,
Mollenvanger, Hanafi Nafore, Aneel Nazareth, Harriet Chaterley, Astrid and Grace at Karma
Olly Niewold, Sonia Osorio, Helen Pearson, Kayak, Alina in Senggigi, Barbara at Lombok
Liliana & Raul Pimentel, Simon Pridmore, Guide, Gili Air Divers, Pak Achok on Gili T, Pak
John Pyle, Cinzia Gloria Redaelli, Angela Saleh on Gili Air, Anders at Adeng Adeng,
Reeve, John Richardson, Katrin Riegelnegg, George and the Dive Zone family. Thanks as
Jeroen Rozeboom, Fredrik Ryderheim, Ronald always to Brett and Made in Bali, Ryan Ver
Sabatini, Ed Schlenk, Samuel Shrosbree, Berkmoes, and to sweet and lovely Georgiana
Carina Tanaka, Linda Telleman, Rapheephan Johnson.
Thanduan, Maarten Versluis, Anita Warwick,
Diana Weir, George Youn

397

THIS BOOK Lombok and Gili Islands Managing Cartographers BEHIND THE SCENES
chapters. This guidebook Anita Banh, Mark Griffiths,
This is the 14th edition was commissioned in Lonely Anthony Phelan, Diana Von
of Lonely Planet’s Bali & Planet’s Melbourne office, and Holdt
Lombok. We first visited produced by the following: Managing Layout
Bali, the island of the gods, Designer Chris Girdler
way back in the early ’70s, Commissioning Editor Assisting Editors
when a floral-shirted Tony Ilaria Walker Andrea Dobbin, Kate Kiely,
Wheeler came through while Charlotte Orr
researching the inaugural Coordinating Editors Cover Research Naomi
Across Asia on the Cheap. Gabrielle Innes, Jeanette Parker
Since then, an army of Lonely Wall
Planet authors has returned: eofprsn
following in Tony’s sandalled Coordinating
footprints have been (most Cartographer Xavier Di Language Content
recently) Ryan Ver Berkmoes Toro Branislava Vladisavljevic
and Iain Stewart. For this
edition, Ryan Ver Berkmoes Coordinating Layout Thanks to Laura Crawford,
returned once again to Bali, Designer Kerrianne Ryan Evans, Larissa Frost,
while the intrepid, island- Southway Jouve India, Kate McDonell,
hopping Adam Skolnick Trent Paton, Dianne Schall-
researched and wrote the Managing Editors Brigitte meiner, Amanda Sierp,
Ellemor, Bruce Evans, Gerard Walker
Kirsten Rawlings
*Editor:enfThsBklmt*
Senior Editor Catherine
Naghten

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Cover photograph: Locals on beach with
sunrise over Gunung Agung, David Hannah/
Climate map data adapted from Peel MC, Getty©.
Finlayson BL & McMahon TA (2007) ‘Updated
World Map of the Köppen-Geiger Climate
Classification’, Hydrology and Earth System
Sciences, 11, 163344.

398

index

A arts 337-48, see also books, baths, see also hot springs Pantai Segar 283
dance, music, painting Tejakkula 213 Pantai Selegimpak 127
Aas 208, 210 books 341 Tirta Empul 173 Pasir Putih 202
accommodation 364-5, see courses 146 Pererenan 93
internet resources 348 batik 346 Pura Masceti 183
also individual locations Batu Aba 135 Purnama 183
language 388 ATMs 368 Batu Koq 273-4 Saba 183
activities 21-3, see also avian influenza 385 Batuan 177 Sanur 111
individual activities Awang 283, 285 Batubulan 174 Segar 283
Adang Padang 102 Batukandik 135 Selegimpak 127
Agung Rai Museum of Art B Batur 219 Selong Blanak 284, 12
141-2 Bawa, Geoffrey 353 Seminyak 74-5, 3, 10, 14
AIDS 385 babi guling 331 Bayuning 210 Siyut 183
Air Terjun Singsing 241 Bahasa Indonesia 388-95 beaches 19 Tanjung Aan 283
air travel Balangan Beach 99-101, 100 Tegal Basar 183
airports 374-5 Bale 349-50 Balangan 99, 100 Tegalwangi 98
to/from Bali & Lombok Bali Aga people 198 Balian 250 Ulu Watu 103, 13, 59, 60
Bali Art Festival of Banutan 208 Ungasan 104
374-5 Batubelig 85 Bebandem 192
within Bali & Lombok Buleleng 21 Berewa 89 bedbugs 387
Bali Arts Festival 21, 122, Bingin 101 Bedugul 222-3
376-7 Bedulu 171-2
Airlangga, King 309 20 Canggu 89, 90, 92, 90, 92 beer 335, 332
alcohol poisoning 386 Bali belly 386 coast road 183 Belega 178
Amed 206-8, 207 Bali Bird Park 175-6 Crystal Bay 136 Belimbingsari 252
Amlapura 203-4 Bali bombings 316 Dream 128 bemo travel 377
amusement parks Bali Kite Festival 22, 115, 22 Benoa 108
Bali myna 175, 254 Echo 91, 93, 90 Benoa Harbour 118
Bali Safari & Marine Bali Botanical Gardens 223 Gegar 105 bicycle travel, see cycling
Park 182 Bali Orchid Garden 112 Halfway Kuta 51 Bingin 101-2
Bali Safari & Marine Park Impossibles 102 biorock 289, 63
Bali Treetop Adventure Jimbaran 96 bird flu 385
Park 223 182 Jungutbatu 127 birds 139, 175, 254, see also
Bali Spirit Festival 21, 148 Ketewel 183 individual species
Waterbom Park 51 Bali starlings 175, 254 Klotek 183 birds of paradise 175
animals 357-9, see also Bali style 352-3 birdwatching
Bali Treetop Adventure Kuta (Bali) 50, 13, 14, 60 Petulu 139
individual animals, zoos Lebih 183 Taman Nasional Bali
& wildlife reserves Park 223
books 359 balian 146 Legian 50, 58 Barat 254
Antosari 229 Balian Beach 250 Lepang 183 Ubud 139
Anturan 237, 238 Balinese language 392 Lovinia 235 bites & stings 387
aquariums 289 bamboo 214, 327, 355, 360 Mawi 284 black magic 135
architecture 349-55 Bangli 184-5 Mawun 284 Blahbatuh 177
books 355 Bangsal 272 Medewi 251 Blongas 284
Lombok 355 banjur 325 boat travel 376, 377, 378,
area codes 17, 371 banyan trees 359 Mushroom Bay 127, 8, 28 see also, rafting, sailing
arja 340 bargaining 330, 368 safety 378
ARMA 141 Baris 338 Nusa Dua 105, 58
art galleries, see museums Banga & Rangda 340, 345 Padang Galak 115
& galleries basket weaving 178 Padang Padang 102
bathrooms 371 Padangbai 193
Map Pages 000 Pandawa 104
Photo Pages 000