I am still hoping some kind (?) soul will answer my question about mossies in Ubud vs. Amed. (We call them mosquitoes in America, but I guess antipodeans have a slightly different name. I was greatly confused a few years ago when someone announced "brekkies".)
THANKS for the info about getting a visa. I KNEW you guys would know, that's why I (didn't) ask. Until prompted.
I do recall the best advice I received here on this forum awhile back: "Don't shag the help". ha ha that is a great one, I am keeping that in mind (as if I have a chance).
- Bill
I lived in Ubud for 9 months from August to March so during the rainy season from November till February(ish - every year is a bit different and this being an El Ninjo year, who knows).
Growing up in the US I was used to mozzies and took them as part of the environment and reacted accordingly and was usually left alone.
Now I'm not sure if it was the onset of failing eyesight but I have yet to see (funny I can't hear them either) my first Ubud Mozzie - but felt, lots of them. They are there all year round but mainly during the rainy season they can turn into a plague. They had a special kind of bite that would itch maddeningly for days/weeks with a weeping sore on the top that meant you couldn't scratch. In some cases this went on for weeks - I've since heard this is not everyone's experience. Normally
I'm not particularly attractive to the critters (or anything else, for that matter) but found those in Ubud to be "special".
On the upside there is no major worry with Dengue Fever.
Growing up in the US I was used to mozzies and took them as part of the environment and reacted accordingly and was usually left alone.
Now I'm not sure if it was the onset of failing eyesight but I have yet to see (funny I can't hear them either) my first Ubud Mozzie - but felt, lots of them. They are there all year round but mainly during the rainy season they can turn into a plague. They had a special kind of bite that would itch maddeningly for days/weeks with a weeping sore on the top that meant you couldn't scratch. In some cases this went on for weeks - I've since heard this is not everyone's experience. Normally
I'm not particularly attractive to the critters (or anything else, for that matter) but found those in Ubud to be "special".
On the upside there is no major worry with Dengue Fever.
@ Billt4SF
I think you are 'over-planning' this, the most often given advice I see here in the forums is:
Get to Bali and make the decisions then.
Makes sense - you might love Ubud, & you might find a great place and commute to the beach - it's not really very far.
You might loath the place - or want to move to Sanur, Kuta or wherever..... maybe you might hate Bali altogether!
Regardless of how often you've been to a place as a tourist - living there is always very different.
Enjoy
I think you are 'over-planning' this, the most often given advice I see here in the forums is:
Get to Bali and make the decisions then.
Makes sense - you might love Ubud, & you might find a great place and commute to the beach - it's not really very far.
You might loath the place - or want to move to Sanur, Kuta or wherever..... maybe you might hate Bali altogether!
Regardless of how often you've been to a place as a tourist - living there is always very different.
Enjoy
I don't think there is a strong association of mozzies with districts. I have stayed in one place in Ubud where there were many and it was annoying, and have since stayed two more places where there are few. Same in Lovina - one place with few and another place with many more. Mostly they don't move far, maybe 200 metres or so. How do you find out - just go to the place of interest with plenty of skin showing for sunset Bintangs and see what happens. 
I don't think there is a strong association of mozzies with districts. I have stayed in one place in Ubud where there were many and it was annoying, and have since stayed two more places where there are few. Same in Lovina - one place with few and another place with many more. Mostly they don't move far, maybe 200 metres or so. How do you find out - just go to the place of interest with plenty of skin showing for sunset Bintangs and see what happens.
Many more in the rainy season?
- Bill
When it rains and just after.
The dry season is when it does not rain.
The dry season is similar to my sex life.
No.idea you need to come East more often all the women here haven't heard about you yet and you might get lucky and find one that's blind.
I'll keep you posted on outbreaks of blindness among the natives.
Please stay away until then or they will have heard about your strange ways first and no amount of motivation($) will help.
Please stay away until then or they will have heard about your strange ways first and no amount of motivation($) will help.
Thanks Markit -- I contacted them. They offered the six-month deal at IDR 5,000,000 for two people.
They suggested possibly a "retirement Visa" since I would not be working and it sounds good but I thought I would check in here to see if an anyone had comments. They did not quote the costs for that.
Anyone have comments on a Retirement Visa vs. a six-month rolling visa?
I am confused as to HOW to get these visa stamped in my passport as we are here in San Francisco until we leave. I guess we go through the Indo embassy? What, then, is the role of Bali IDE? Should I use a visa agent here in SF as well?
Thanks,
Bill & Emily
Your retirement visa must be through a licensed agent in Bali, if you just want a Social visa that can be initiated at the embassy in San Francisco.
SOSBUD you need a sponsor, can be a friend or agent on Bali. For your 5.000.000 You'd hand over your passaport to the agent and they will do monthly renewals for you. You show up to immigration prior to 60 days, (properly dressed) agent will have you sign some papers get photographed and fingerprinted.
You might go for a 60-day tourist visa from Indonesian embassy San Francisco and start the retirement visa process once in Bali.
SOSBUD you need a sponsor, can be a friend or agent on Bali. For your 5.000.000 You'd hand over your passaport to the agent and they will do monthly renewals for you. You show up to immigration prior to 60 days, (properly dressed) agent will have you sign some papers get photographed and fingerprinted.
You might go for a 60-day tourist visa from Indonesian embassy San Francisco and start the retirement visa process once in Bali.
What Sherm said. I would only add that the retirement visa is only if you intend to stay much longer than your advised 1 (or 2) year, for shorter it's just not worth the effort IMHO.
Surrendering your passport is normal here - the agency keep it and just do the footwork when the visa needs renewing (after the initial 2 months and then monthly). otherwise if you want to do the cheap way you spend 3 days each month hassling with immigration here - not a pretty sight or experience.
While on the Social visa you can't leave Indonesia without voiding the visa so don't plan any scuba jaunts to Malaysia on the spur - that would be the only advantage of the retirement visa (coupled with a multi - entry and exit visa 2,000,000 IDR)
Surrendering your passport is normal here - the agency keep it and just do the footwork when the visa needs renewing (after the initial 2 months and then monthly). otherwise if you want to do the cheap way you spend 3 days each month hassling with immigration here - not a pretty sight or experience.
While on the Social visa you can't leave Indonesia without voiding the visa so don't plan any scuba jaunts to Malaysia on the spur - that would be the only advantage of the retirement visa (coupled with a multi - entry and exit visa 2,000,000 IDR)
Well we *DO* have a scuba jaunt scheduled to Philippines just a few weeks after we arrive. And another one in August. And plenty of other trips to other islands, maybe sometimes with an overnight or whatever in SIN city.
I don't know what is meant by the phrase "(coupled with a multi - entry and exit visa 2,000,000 IDR". You mean I have to get the Retirement Visa and ALSO the multiple entry visa?
Is SOSBUD the same thing as a "social visa"?
Based on what I hear so far, I would think the thing to do is to get a 60-day visa here (before we leave) and then apply for the retirement visa once in Bali. Are they going to care if we take off for the Phils a few weeks after we arrive? Maybe I need to be sure to get a "multiple entry" Visa?
I could go to the Indo embassy here and see what they say, but I kind of think the best way is to get as much info as I can first from experienced travelers. Now I know why I put this issue off for so long. We leave in 63 days - but who's counting?
Thanks,
Bill & Emily
San Francisco
Forget all the above and just get a 60 day ($35) 2 month visa or the freebie if you are planning on leaving the country within 30 days. Upon re-entry go for the tourists visa(s) again.
Benefits: no need for stupid long winded bureaucracy or hanging around in hot offices.
No need for the masses of documentation required
Freedom to come and go as and when you want
Down-side: you will need to leave the country every 30 or 60 days (note that means exactly 30 or 60 days, not a day over without payments)
Plan your trip to take account of the re-entry visa needs and just have a good time.
Benefits: no need for stupid long winded bureaucracy or hanging around in hot offices.
No need for the masses of documentation required
Freedom to come and go as and when you want
Down-side: you will need to leave the country every 30 or 60 days (note that means exactly 30 or 60 days, not a day over without payments)
Plan your trip to take account of the re-entry visa needs and just have a good time.
Markit is talking about the Visa on Arrival (VOA) which is free for the first 30 days but NO extension is permitted (assuming you have USA passports). The US$35 VOA is also for 30 days but, for another US$35 and a short visit to the Immigration office, can be extended a further 30 days without leaving. IMO Markit's idea is worth pursuing given the plan you have of traveling outside the country.
A Tourist Visa is not the same as a VOA. The Tourist Visa must be applied at a foreign situated Indonesian Embassy/Consulate. The difference between a Tourist Visa and a Sosbud (social budaya visa) is the former does not require an Indonesian Sponsor. Therefore, it is not supposed to be extendable but, in Bali, I know many who have had it extended (an agent can sort that). One problem is that a Tourist/Sosbud visa does NOT permit leaving the country without voiding the visa.
A Retirement visa, given your circumstance, is probably not for you. You need to be over 55 and it MUST be done by a registered Agent, is expensive, needs that Multi-Exit Re-Entry Permit (MERP) addition and takes a while to get your passport back....so you cannot travel out of country while waiting. It also requires a few details like showing your income, medical insurance, hiring domestic staff etc...most which the agent resolves but it is cumbersome to make the application and, imo, more suited to those actually retiring, or having a second home, and not just looking for an extended holiday.
Not wishing to hijack the original post........ however, I would like to report a friend's experience of his and his wife's attempt to renew their Social Budaya visa in KL instead of the usual Singapore. He and his wife arrived at the Indonesian embassy at 11 am with all documents prepared. They were told on entry that no more applicants would be accepted today as they already had 120 applicants and they didn't want any more! My friends already knew they had to be there by noon.... so they were..... easily.
As they could not change their tickets they had to fly back to Bali the same day. On arrival in Bali my friend was not allowed entry as there was only 182 days left on his passport!!!!!! This couple have been living in Bali and running a legitimate business for 8 years!!! Eventually, common sense prevailed. They returned to Malaysia a week later and managed to renew their visas. An expensive exercise through no error on their part. The Indonesian bureaucracy cannot always be bought. However, usually they can. You just gotta love corruption!!
(PS That's a joke ..... ok !?)
Thank you all SO MUCH for the input! Please bear with me just a little longer with my questions....
If I understood you-all correctly, it appears that I have four options:
1) VOA, $35, extensible for another 30 days if I do so when we arrive, and we pay another $35 each
2) Tourist Visa, 30 or 60 day, maybe extensible, apply in the US before we go
3) Sosbud Visa, requires Indo sponsor, extensible to 6 mos, apply in Indo, leave passport with the agent
4) Retirement Visa - apply in Indo, a lot of hassle to get
We arrive Bali 15 April. We lave 13 May for Philippines, arriving back on 31 May. Next trip out of the country is to PNG in early August. Then back to the States in September for a few weeks. After that, there would be more trips out of Indo but nothing planned yet.
I am nervous about a VOA, because we'll leave almost on the day it expires, then we need another VOA when we return from the Phils (and we would want that to be 60 days also). Is that worry baseless?
If we get a Tourist Visa for 60 days (90 days would be better) before we go, then we can come back from our Philippines trip on 31 May without hassle. But we would need to transition to a Sosbud or a Retirement Visa before that visa runs out in mid-June -- we might only have 10 or so days to do so.
Either way, I'm worried. Should I be?
- Bill & Emily