Bali Expat Forum - Bali Travel Forum

As I will be returning to Bali in the near future and I have about 10 kilos luggage going wanting has anyone any suggestions for (cheap) things that I can bring that will do some good there?

I already have all the mobile phones I can find along with lots of children's books but any other suggestions would be greatly appreciated

PS I know this question has been asked in the past and superbly answered but when I search for the answer I got 64 possibilities - and I can't really be arsed to look through them all. Bert maybe a "sticky" to that effect?

Hi Markit,
Not knowing if you have any particular Balinese family connections, but I live in West Bali where economic opportunities for the locals are quite limited. Having a home here and staff to maintain it puts me in close contact with a particular family always in need of my castoff clothing.
My luggage is always packed to the brim with the offerings from my family in the US .Everyday affords me an opportunity to witness the results of this largesse, and permits me in some small way of feeling that I am making a contribution.
Hope this suggestion might be helpful to you.
Don

Hi Don, being over 6' and coming from a cold climate kinda hinders me in what I can bring. I mean there aren't a lot of Balinese that need my size cloths or warm wear. Shorts and T shirts they got enough of there own, don't they?

So maybe you can be a little more specific - there is a website called Stuff Your Rucksack that recommends we bring children's cloths but those from my daughter are all long gone.

What I am bringing:
An old but good laptop
some older model mobile phones
A collection of children's books to learn English

You mentioned "cheap" so I will assume you are buying stuff to bring rather than things you already have. In that case I wold suggest that anything you want to give you can buy here cheaper than you will in UK. baby clothes can be had from about 50p per item in Clendys. Childrens clothes a bit more. And the baby clothes are lovely soft cottoon and IMO much nicer than what you get in UK. If you go to Makro or infact any supermarket you can get a whole packet of school exercise books from about 50p boxes of pens, pencils etc all very cheap.

I once had someone send me a few parcels of t-shirts to distribute to the people in our village in Lombok. To be honest I was embarrased by the condition of some of them and for what he paid in postage per item I could have bought the same number of brand new tshirts here.

Thanks Mimpi it was an aspect that I hadn't even considered - is it possible to get english books for kids there? Makes sense to buy them there, then. Would you just bring them to a school somewhere? Or give them to kids on the street?

By cheap items I really meant stuff like old mobile telephones, "bricks" that nobody wants anymore - we also have a thing here called "freecycle", if you don't know it, is a way to get rid of all those things that you don't want but are too good to throw away but not worth trying to sell - so you put an add in email circular for anyone that wants whatever it is you want to get rid of to come pick it up and it's gone the next day.

I think you will find that old brick style phones wont be popular here either! I used to bring back mobile phones from UK that I bought on Ebay and some of the older models I really couldnt give away.

Yes you can buy english childrens books in Gramedia Book shops wich are the cheapest but also Periplus. I have to say I have only bought books appropriate for a infant learning first words but I have seen others. I just had a look at some here beside me now and the english price on them is £1.99 & the rupiah price Rp19,000 so cheaper too.

On a serious note…not that what Bert removed was all that bad, Markit, why not bring something useful like a bunch of pre-natal vitamins or calcium tablets? If you don’t know where to distribute them, just drop them off at Naughty Nuri’s in Ubud and they’ll get properly distributed to those who have the need.

As for the clothing, the Balinese are not pygmies, and there is plenty of need for cold weather clothing in the mountainous areas of northern and northeastern Bali.

Frankly since the post from Mimpi I'm beginning to believe that things like prenatal vitamins and calcium would be cheaper to buy in Bali. For instance 120 tabs prenatal vitamins cost here $20 and 360 calcium tablets go for about 15$.

Winter cloths I can do.

Frankly since the post from Mimpi I'm beginning to believe that things like prenatal vitamins and calcium would be cheaper to buy in Bali.

Then again, after having three kids with Eri here in Bali one could accurately assume that we would already know that...if it were true, which it isn't.

what Mimpi wrote about clothes is spot on.

As for books, somewhat of the same can be said…however, professional educator’s teacher’s guides for teaching English are hard to find, and expensive here (as they are everywhere)…so that would be viable, as they are very useful and will be photo-copied endlessly.

Assuming you are serious in your intentions, I applaud your efforts, but at the same time suggest that you listen to good advice from folks who know “a little” about what is truly useful and in need over here.

Roy wrote:Assuming you are serious in your intentions, I applaud your efforts, but at the same time suggest that you listen to good advice from folks who know “a little” about what is truly useful and in need over here.

I simply don't believe that the prices I've quoted for calcium and vitamins are not considerably less in Bali and will wait for further evidence before I go investing in same. OK?

OK?

Fine. I never expected anything more, considering all that needs to be considered.

Hi Markit ...
from Germany i send my pakets via colective container organised by indonesian community (exp. fresh gratuated Students ... who back home to Indonesia ... ), just for ca. 15,00 EUR-17,00 for 0,1 m3 (box 60x40x40) to (normally) Jakarta. I let you know, if they organise new container next time... than i always use this possibility for sending books for my collegues or etc ... My family in Jakarta can organise to sending to Bali or to other destination.
Salam,
Dyah

Hi Dyah,
That won't help me much because to get my stuff to you in Germany would cost a fortune - I have family there so I know the UK - German postal rates.

What I am really interested in knowing is how to fill the remaining ca. 10 Kilos of my luggage with things that cost little or nothing in England but would help someone in Bali (other than money ).

Any suggestions?

wow ...
i don´t know that. I think exist special price for europe ... example just for books or other print-product.
Or ... other idea: I´ll ask some indonesian friends, who live in UK. It will be great, if they have similar idea with collective container. Maybe is good for your plan next time...

Salam,
Dyah

Ok Dyah this is maybe a little ambitious but just yesterday I learned that in the health service here they use a lot of devices (on wards, in hospitals, etc.) things like medical equipment that is quite expensive but the thing is they only use them once and then throw them away because it's cheaper and less risky (from a legal point).

Well this seems like insanity to many of the nurse so what some of them have done on their own is to keep the equipment, clean it and take it themselves to places in Africa and donate it there.

Maybe an idea?