Mail in Bali

[NED]

An answer needed for a new arrival to Bali later this month.

What is the mail delivery situation like in Bali?

Is it recommended to get a post-box at the local Post Office in Ubud, and does this work well, particularly mail from your home country.

Also, has anyone had experience with say DHL or Fed Ex in getting mail from their home country delivered every month or two. This is probably expensive but at least you would hopefully receive it.

Any advice welcome.

Ned

[FreoGirl]

I will be interest to hear responses on this one too. In Lombok I had a PO Box at Senggigi and it was really safe - I always got my mail, and as I knew the post office guy, I never had any issues with mail going out either. What I was told is the big issue is what happens when it leaves the post office - i.e. the mail man is the one who tends to steal stuff.

[mimpimanis]

We had no problems with main in Lombok for years. This year there was a change of staff in our local post office & strangley enough not much gets through.

We had three presents that we know of sent for Marty when he was born. None of them reached us.

I sent 4 Xmas cards to Mimpi Manis at the same time, only two got through, despite all envelopes being unsealed (so they could be checked for money & still sent on) & I wrote on them kosong di dalam.

Very disappointing. I hadnt thought about a Post Office Box maybe I could get one in Mataram. What are the charges roughly?

[FreoGirl]

It was Rp230,000 for 12 months - maybe they have post office boxes in Praya?

[Roy]

For us, we are very lucky in that our mail is delivered right to our house by someone on a motorbike with a mail bag. It might be that we enjoy this service because I am normally sure to have any mail for me addressed in my wife’s name. However, with that being said, mail addressed in my name only is delivered as well.

It wasn’t always this way however, and in years past either they would call us to pick up our mail, or by chance when mailing something at the Ubud PO there may be mail waiting.

As for Fed Ex and DHL, they call us whenever something has come in. DHL will deliver what it is to our door, as we do a lot of shipping through them. Fed Ex will hold whatever it is at their office, call us, and we’ll come by and pick it up.

For sending things out of Bali, we have had very good luck with either sea mail, and airmail, including EMS (which allows for internet tracking). Forget about insurance on outgoing shipments via the mail system. For that, a company like DHL is needed. DHL is expensive, but so far, with about four claims, each and every one was handled very professionally and quickly. As with everything, you get what you pay for.

[Sanurian]

Living here in Sanur for quite a few years, I haven't had a problem with mail being delivered to me.

Our "postman" wears an orange uniform and rides an orange motorbike. He's a very talkative soul and sometimes complains about delivering stuff to westerners (who usually don't speak much/any Indonesian). He also reckons that he has to pay for his own petrol for the motorbike he rides, provided by Indonesian government postal service. I'm not sure if this is really true but I wouldn't be surprised. I've heard stories that even soldiers have to buy their own bullets for their guns.

He loves talking to my Indonesian wife. At least she can speak Indonesian fluently. But even she complains sometimes because she doesn't really want to hear about all the local gossip, or the story of his life.

Any "special" deliveries, like a small parcel containing some CDs, we have to sign and pay for. We always give the guy a tip. I think he likes us now and is very keen to deliver stuff. I received a CD from Australia only this morning. No problem. I was still lying in bed reading something or other and my wife went out to open our gate to let him in. He's sort of impressed by the fact that we have a couple of rescued Bali street dogs. Then again, when asked if he'd like one too, he declines the offer. He wants a "real" western-type dog.

A couple of days ago, I had an important letter to send overseas. I went to the Sanur post-office only to find that it's not there any more. There was a piece of paper on the gate with some scribble telling all and sundry where the new location is. I haven't found it yet. In the end, I was forced to go to the main post-office in Renon...but that's another story.

The only post-office box I've had in Indonesia was in Jogjakarta. From memory, it cost less than Rp 80,000/year. I even got mail in it. The village that it was in, (Bantul), was more or less wiped out in the Jogja earthquake. That's another story, too.

I think the mail system in Indonesia these days is a lot better than in the past. (I haven't seen postal workers steaming stamps off for re-sale for many years.) I also think that it's ridiculously expensive.

:D