WEST BALI

​Don't bother with travellers cheques

 

You'll struggle to find somewhere in West Bali to cash your travellers cheques – so our advice is, don't use them. There are many ATMs around  the bigger towns, so unless you cash your travellers cheques before you head out west, withdrawing cash is a much simpler option.

 

Get used to the zeros

 

New arrivals to Indonesia should always take a moment to familiarise themselves with the currency before hitting the first ATM. It's amazing how many tourists get confused with the number of zeroes and withdraw 100,000 when they intended to withdraw 1,000,000 – an expensive practise when your bank is charging you for each withdrawal. Worse still you don’t want to hand over a million rupiahs for an airport taxi that should have only cost you 100,000.

Notes come in the following denominations: 1,000 (increasingly rare); 2,000; 5,000; 10,000; 20,000; 50,000 & 100,000. 

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Withdraw large amounts  

 

Your bank will probably charge you each time you withdraw cash from an ATM so it is best to with take out the max rather than making multiple withdrawals and being penalised each time. ATMS will usually indicate whether they dispense cash in Rp50,000 or Rp100,000 denominations – if they don't, then it's likely you'll have to select the denomination before you indicate how much you want to withdraw. If you're wanting to withdraw a larger amount then always select Rp100,000, as this will allow you to take out the maximum amount (which is usually either Rp1,500,000, Rp2,000,000 or at Permata Bank ATMS, Rp3,000,000.

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Stock up on cash before the holidays  

 

ATMs run dry very quickly at the start of public holidays like Galungan, Kuningan and Nyepi… and bank staff are sometimes not sent out promptly to restock them. Don’t be left without cash when everyone else is enjoying themselves.

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Don't leave your card in the machine!  

 

Unlike ATMs in many other countries, the ones in Indonesia usually dispense cash BEFORE your card is returned. 

 Remember this when you use an ATM, and don't leave your card behind!

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Be smart about the cards you carry

 

It’s good to have two or more cards – preferably from more than one bank – as backups. Apart from cards getting lost or eaten by machines it’s amazing how often a bank's security system can go into automatic lockdown at the realisation that someone in Indonesia is trying to make a multi-million Rupiah withdrawal. (For an extra backup card consider getting a Wise card – see below *)

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For an added level of security keep one card for travelling (or for online purchases or locations where you think security might be compromised). Keep this card loaded only with a travelling kitty and top it up when needed from another account. 

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Open a Wise account  

 

A Wise account and debit card (previously known as Transferwise) has several great benefits over standard high street accounts:

• You can instantly access cash worldwide, without having to update the bank as to your travel plans.

• You can make hassle free transfers – at the lowest rates – to Indonesian accounts (or almost worldwide) within seconds. 

• You can withdraw from ATMs all over the world at local rates. 

• You can purchase the debit card for around a 5 Euro one-time payment (depending upon your region). 

• You can then make tap-and-pay (or insert PIN) purchases and withdraw from ATMs.

• You can track your spending easily with the itemised statements on the app.

*Open a Wise account via this link and your first transfer (up to GBP500) will be free of charge.

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