matsaleh An armchair bargain hunter? Did he actually come to Bali or just resurrected his last article from a couple of years ago? The VOA was increased to US$35 last year, or AU$52 at present.
balinews As I may have mentioned once or twice, I’ve been hanging out in Bali for the past two months – working, surfing, doing the odd spot of yoga, drinking cocktails and then rehydrating with fresh juices. Of course, being a fan of a bargain, I’ve also been figuring out a few ways to save a dollar while still living the high life. It’s true that Bali’s a cheap destination – if you’re watching the bottom line. But it’s also easy to spend a fortune, particularly if you’re headed for upmarket Seminyak. So here’s a few tips I’ve picked up along the way. And don’t forget to use some of your savings on leaving a few generous tips on your travels. After all, the minimum Indonesian wage is only just over $160 a month. Tourist visas The Indonesian government recently made it free for a whole host of nationalities to get a tourist visa. However if you’re Australian, bad luck. You’re not on the list. So it’s still $US25 (about $34) to get a 30-day visa on arrival. You can pay in cash or by card. If you’ve paid for your first 30-day tourist visa (i.e., if you’re a sucker Australian), you can extend it for a second 30 days, either by visiting immigration yourself, or going through an agent. I did it through an agent, and only had to visit the immigration once in Denpasar to have a photo taken. It cost 850,000 rupiah (about $85) through the agent to have it back in my hot little hands in about four days. If you’re not in a rush, an agent usually costs 750,000 ($75), or as little as 600,000 ($60) if you find a cheap agent in Kuta. Doing it yourself will cost as little as half that – but you’ll need to visit immigration three times, which can suck up time and money if you’re paying for taxis or drivers. Of course, you could also take the popular option of whipping over to Singapore for a day for a visa run. Check out Skyscanner in advance for cheap deals. A bargain hunter’s guide to a cheap Bali holiday | The New Daily
