Mobile phones in Bali

[Desertrat]

Expat Experts,

Am visiting Bali for three weeks in July (coming from Abu Dhabi) and my sister and her family are coming in from the States. We're going to have six of us wandering around the island pursuing various interests but will want to be able to stay in touch via cell phones, especially since we have two teenagers with us.

Is there a practical (and not too expensive) way to get local cell service in Bali? I'm really not very technology-minded so haven't a clue how to start researching this.

Thanks!

 

[FreoGirl]

I assume you all have handsets? or are you wanting to buy handsets too?

If you are bringing your phones, you need to make sure your handset is not locked into a particular network. Not sure how it works in the US, but in Australia, sometimes if you buy your mobile phone on a plan it is locked to that plan's network - and you need to pay extra to get it unlocked.
You can test this out by putting the sim card from someone else's phone (who is not with your provider/on your network) and see if your phone works.

In Bali, there are shops selling mobile sims and credit all over. You will see a sign listing say ProXL, Bebas etc. Just ask around.

You buy a sim with credit for around Rp50,000 (includes say Rp40,000 credit) so all up about USD 5 - get the shop to set the phone up for you, and off you go. I think a local sms is Rp300 and international Rp500.

You can sms (text) each other to keep in touch or phone. Credit is cheap when you want to recharge.

Freo

 

[Desertrat]

Thanks! I think you're right about the unlocking of the phone, though I'd forgotten. When I got to the UAE with my U.S. bought mobile, I had to contact the old provider to get them to unlock the phone. I will make sure my sister gets her phones "unlocked".

 

[shebitme]

Are phone and sim card packages reasonable in Bali?

 

[FreoGirl]

Generally you purchase a handset separately - the cost is about the same as Australia - maybe 10% cheaper (GST) in Bali. The problem being warranty if you purchase there. Sim cards are dirt cheap - from Rp10,000, i.e $1.40 AUD.

You don't get as many package plans like here - most phones are pre-pay. They are not really set up for lock in contracts like here - they can't say direct debit you etc.

Here's a tip though - when you are there, stock up on genuine batteries for your phones - they are a fraction of the price as Australia

We paid $50 for a battery at the phone shop in Fremantle mews, and Rp 40,000 for exactly the same thing in Lombok.

Freo

 

[Bert Vierstra]

Just a note on the batteries...

There are plenty of perfectly faked batteries in Asia.

Guess for mobile phones it doesn't matter much, but I bought a genuine looking Canon Battery, and it didn't work in my camera because of an advanced Canon detection mechanism, same with a Sony battery.

Doesn't mean that all batteries are faked, neither that faked batteries are bad.

But for more expensive equipment, try the battery first.

 

[Adam]

Just thought I'd add that nowdays you will need some form of identification when buying as sim card, such as your passport, drivers license, local KTP etc. Has something to do with the fact that mobile phones can be used as remote detonators for u know what......

Also, try and all use the same carrier if u intend to call each other a lot, the rates are a fair bit cheaper that way.

Adz

 

[ChadM]

SIM cards are definitely inexpensive in Bali. I bought one there on my last visit. Definitely need to ensure your foreign phone isn't "locked," though, as has been mentioned.

My confusion still lies in sending SMS locally, as well as to other parts of Indonesia. No clue. It's just such an unfamiliar system to me!

 

[SamD]

Re: RE: Mobile phones in Bali

Just thought I'd add that nowdays you will need some form of identification when buying as sim card, such as your passport, drivers license, local KTP etc. Has something to do with the fact that mobile phones can be used as remote detonators for u know what......

I bought SIM cards in Bali recently and all I had to produce was the cash. No mention of id. Did it a number of times in various shops and it was the same. Where did you get asked for id?

 

[Adam]

The first time was in February, down near Jl Legian in Kuta, I didn't have any ID with me so they just had a look at my old mans aussie drivers licence. I got another one in April in the backlots of Legian Kaja and my fiance had to show her KTP. Didn't need any form of ID when I bought one in December last year but.

Adz

 

[bolli]

I didn't need any identification at all 6 weeks ago.
My friend also purchased a 2nd hand phone plus sim card for $35.00 au. as she left her phone at home.
I won't use my own number anymore when in Bali , it's so much easier and cheaper to get a local sim card.

 

[froggy]

I bought minutes from the yellow idosat official looking places.... if you buy from little local shops your minutes go down faster... in other words------ even though the little packs you buy have the same price on the packet, little cheap shops cards arnt as good of a deal, hope this makes since, its kind of a confusing post, I know.... Frog

 

[Dasha]

Not to me Frog. I'm not confused .... I just luv that big golden badge!

Oh, and just tell your carrier to switch your phone to international roaming Desertrat and SMS with next to no big charges. Or take Freo, Adam's and Bolli's advice, according to my boss The Wife!

Dinner ready gotta go now.

 

[FreoGirl]

Re: RE: Mobile phones in Bali

SIM cards are definitely inexpensive in Bali. I bought one there on my last visit. Definitely need to ensure your foreign phone isn't "locked," though, as has been mentioned.

My confusion still lies in sending SMS locally, as well as to other parts of Indonesia. No clue. It's just such an unfamiliar system to me!

You will get the hang of it - text messaging is a cheap and easy way to stay in touch, and the other advantage is the other person doesn't have to 'answer the phone' - they receive the message and read at their leisure. If you haven't used text messaging, essentially you type in a message into your phone and hit send - select the mobile phone you're sending it to, and off it goes. Even my 75 y.o. dad does text, if he can do it (he who still cannot program a VCR) anyone can. :lol:

 

[Desertrat]

Dasha,

Thanks to all for the good advice. I did some investigating and will definitely take Freo's advice. It's too cheap and easy to pass up. Will take Froggy's advice to buy minutes from the indosat places... Since moving to the UAE I've learned to SMS ("text" in the U.S.) and the two teenagers sure as heck know how to do it. Will just have to teach the other two adults.

 

[Sanurian]

...Am visiting Bali for three weeks in July...

Three weeks is not long enough to worry about too much. Cell phones are cheap here, especially second-hand ones. ID confirmations were brought in to decrease the number of rat-bags using their phones for silly motives. If you're not asked for ID buying a phone and "registering" it. it simply means the "law" ain't working. Don't worry about it - most Indonesians aren't either.

An interesting and important point here from Freogirl:

...Here's a tip though - when you are there, stock up on genuine batteries for your phones - they are a fraction of the price as Australia...

So - How do you know you've got a genuine battery in your phone? Most of the time you don't. My last Nokia phone's battery is on the way out - less than 6 months bought "new". (Still under warranty, I think. I mean the battery, not the phone.)

A three-week stint on Bali shouldn't present too many communication difficulties. How many of you are there again? Are your "teenagers" boys or girls, or both? Let 'em loose and they'll give you the drum, so to speak, soon enough. Quicker than searching for "advice" on various forums.

 

[FreoGirl]

So - How do you know you've got a genuine battery in your phone? Most of the time you don't.

You are SO right! The batteries we bought:
came in a Nokia packet
Appear to have all the Nokia labels
Includes the Nokia 'Be Safe Be Original' booklet.

So now I took the time to read the 'Be Safe Be Original' booklet. Nokia batteries have a hologram that needs to be as described, and a scratch off area with a 20 digit verification code you can verify by SMS or on the web.

And guess what- my hologram is not a hologram at all, it's just some shiny paper witha watermark. And I scratched off the paint for the hidden verification number and there isn't one.

I compared that to my REAL genuine Nokia battery bought here in Australia and could see what one is supposed to look like.

And now we found out the battery we bought at All Phones in Fremantle is also a fake - and we paid AUD 50 for it. :evil:

So correction to my post - stock up on non-genuine nokia batteries. They last pretty good - so far got 6 months and going ok.

 

[Desertrat]

Sanurian,

If I had my druthers the stay would be 3 years, not 3 weeks. The main reason to get mobiles for everyone is so the six of us can split into smaller groups and do our own thing, yet be able to coordinate meeting up, etc. The teens are one of each - 16 y.o. boy and 14 y.o. girl. We want to make sure they don't get into the trouble we would've gotten into 30 years ago. We two ladies will want to shop, sightsee, snorkle and drink beer, the men will want to drink beer and lounge, the kids will want to scuba, surf...and probably drink beer. It's more a "feel good" measure so we can track the kids and husbands.

 

[ChadM]

You will get the hang of it - text messaging is a cheap and easy way to stay in touch

LOL, freogirl.. oh dear... I was misunderstood. I text ferociously here in the US, so I am very, VERY familiar with texting. What I didn't clarify was the dialing part of it when I travel in Indonesia. I'm not familiar enough with their "area codes," as it were. But thank you for the primer anyway. I got a good chuckle from that, and I'm sorry I wasn't at all clear in my original post!

 

[FreoGirl]

Re: RE: Mobile phones in Bali

You will get the hang of it - text messaging is a cheap and easy way to stay in touch

LOL, freogirl.. oh dear... I was misunderstood. I text ferociously here in the US, so I am very, VERY familiar with texting. What I didn't clarify was the dialing part of it when I travel in Indonesia. I'm not familiar enough with their "area codes," as it were. But thank you for the primer anyway. I got a good chuckle from that, and I'm sorry I wasn't at all clear in my original post!

No worries, I misunderstood

Area codes are easy if you are calling/texting mobile phones in Indonesia - there are none. Just put the mobile number in and away you go.

If you like, you can put the country code in (e.g. +62 then the number without the leading zero). If you save a mobile phone number from a received call/sms I think that's how it stores it - but works either way.

FG