ABOUT BALI _________________________________________________

	Business Hour		IDD
	Climate		Language
	Clothing		Living Cost
	Credit Card		Public Transportation
	Currency		Shopping Hour
	Electricity		Time Zone
	Clinics / Doctor		Worship Place

Bali is one of the world’s most beautiful and interesting tropical island paradises where the passage of life is measured through elaborate rituals performed by artistic and hospitable local people. The Balinese maintain a precious heritage of unique arts and a dynamic culture amidst breathtaking panoramas of terraced rice gardens, awesome volcanoes, pristine beaches and thousands of temples, augmented by a large number of modern leisure activities.

Successfully combining business with pleasure is just one of Bali’s attributes.  Easy access, modern infrastructure and airport, experienced ground staff, reliable forwarding agents, innovative publishing consultants, well-informed travel operators and first-rate support services have combined to provide the enlightened 21st century event organizers with the perfect location for a successful event. Bali is more than a tropical island paradise — it is a world-class destination and any visit to its magical shores creates an enduring memory.

Business Hour

Business hours are flexible, depending on numerous variables. The workweek on Bali can convoluted because of the country's attempt to accommodate two separate religious schemes, meshing the Islamic calendar with Gregorian. Consequently, banks, offices, and schools close early on Friday for the Islamic Sabbath, but Sunday is also observed as a day of rest. Saturday, meanwhile, is a partial work day, so the Balinese workweek consists of four full days and two partial days. During major Islamic holidays such as the month long Muslim fast, restaurants on overwhelmingly Hindu Bali are unaffected.

Always get an early start for bureaucratic offices before the lines get long and the day grows hot. Generally speaking, government offices open at 0900 Mon-Sat, closing at 1500 or 1600 Mon-Thurs, 1100 or 1130 on Friday, and 1400 on Saturday.

Banks are open Mon-Fri at 0800-1200, Saturday 0800-1100. Bank branches in hotels often remain open into the afternoon, and moneychangers in the tourist centers and the bank windows at the airport stay open until up to 2100.

Climate

You can expect pleasant day temperatures between 20 to 33 degrees Celsius or 68 to 93 degrees Fahrenheit year-round. From December to March, the West monsoon can bring heavy showers and high humidity, but usually days are sunny and the rains start during the night and pass quickly. From June to September the humidity is low, and it can be quite cool in the evenings. During this time of the year, you'll have hardly any rain in the coastal areas.

Even when it rains in most parts of Bali you can often enjoy sunny days on the "Bukit", the hill south of Jimbaran Beach . On the other hand, in Ubud and the mountains you must expect cloudy skies and showers throughout the year (this is why the international weather reports for "Denpasar" or " Bali " mention showers and rain storms during all times of the year). In higher regions such as in Bedugul or Kintamani you'll also need either a sweater or jacket after the sun sets.

Weather

Okay, so you've been wondering about what the weather in Bali. It's in the tropics, located about 6 degrees South of the equator. It means that the sun rises at 6am and sets at 6pm most of the year. The temperature variation is very small, and Bali does not have four seasons (except the hotel , of course) but has only wet season, typically from September to February, and a dry season for the other half of the year. But the difference is marginal; at the peak of the wet season you will see about a half-hour to an hour serious downpour in the afternoon, about perfect for a siesta. The rest of the time? Nice, warm temperature, especially with a twist of sea-breeze in the beaches of Kuta or Nusa Dua .

And the statistics, you say? Here are the averages, just to give you some idea:

Clothing

Dress is normally casual and light clothing is advisable due to the hot, humid climate. Trousers or slack and shirts are generally considered appropriate but a jacket and tie are required for formal occasions when making official calls. For certain formal occasions, long-sleeved batik shirts are acceptable. For travel to mountain areas, a light sweater or jacket is recommended. Halter tops and shorts are frowned upon in most places except around sport facilities or on the beach, proper decorum should especially be observed when visiting places of worship.

Credit Card

International credit cards are honored in Bali and in many shops, hotels and restaurants the cards accepted will be displayed in the window. Popular cards are Visa, Mastercard, Citibank and DinersClub.

Bali has a branch of Citibank located on Jl. Teuku Umar in Denpasar and foreigners living in Bali can sign up for a variety of accounts. Local banks charge 3.25% for using their cards. When you get an account at BCA bank in Bali , they will offer you a BCA Master / Visa and plain BCA card.

Mastercard charges 3% for using its card in Bali . Sometimes shops will charge 3%, (as they get charged 3%), sometimes not. If you lose your credit card while in Bali , the best strategy is contact your bank via phone ASAP.

American Express is not so popular in Bali . The vendor has to wait longer to get paid (as in the US ) and has to apply to be a vendor. When shopping in Bali you'll need to use cash for most things in the street, better shops will be able to handle credit cards.

Currency

The Indonesian currency is Rupiah (IDR). The currency exchange is approximately USD 1 = IDR 10,000. Most foreign currencies are easily changed at airports, banks, hotels or money changers. The currency exchange rate fluctuates regularly. Check with your bank for the latest exchange rates. Banking hours are from 08.00 am to 14.00 noon Mondays to Fridays, and from 08.00 am to 11.00 am on Saturdays. Bank in hotels usually stay open longer hours while money changers are generally open till the evening. ATM is available in many places, provides VISA, MASTER, ALTO and more.

Electricity

The electric current in use throughout Indonesia is 220-230 volts at50Hz. Most hotels can provide transformers and adapters. POWER PLUG 220 V.

Clinic / Doctor

There are several decent public medical services, including hospitals and clinics. The public hospitals are mostly in Denpasar, and a few around Bali, mainly in the districts capital, while the private medical clinics are many around Nusa Dua, Kuta, Ubud and other tourism spots around this island.
In the more remote areas, medical facilities are very basic, mostly only a small public hospital or community a “Puskesmas” (district health care center).
Specialist facilities and the availability of drugs are limited, while the cash pay up front is common for the more prompt attention.
It is common in hospitals on Bali that such private services, including meals, washing and clean clothing are provided by the patients family.
Therefore if you inopportune to be alone in Bali hospital, please contact EAIC Secretariat / PCO – you’ll need their help..

Emergency Contact

IDD

Country Code (Indonesia): 62
City code (Bali): 361

Language

Bahasa Indonesia is the national language, but English is widely spoken and understood.

Living Cost

Cost of living in Bali is reasonable. For three times of daily meals (incl. food and drink) at local restaurants will cost at around USD 20 to USD 30 per person. Food and drink at better hotels cost about the same as in the same category of hotel anywhere else in the world. Breakfast is USD 8 to USD 30, lunch and dinner USD 20 to USD 70 or more per person - and that does not include any wine which can be very expensive. On the other hand, restaurants outside the large hotels are often 60% to 80% cheaper.

Public Transportation

Transportation in Bali is always cheap by any standard. The taxis start with flag fall of 5,000 Rupiah or around USD 50 cents, followed by 4,000 Rupiah/kilometer. From airport to the conference venue in Nusa Dua, it will cost at around 90,000 Rupiah (equiv. USD 9); whereas from Nusa Dua area to Kuta or Legian area will cost at around 90,000 - 100,000 Rupiah. It is advisable to carry small change as taxi drivers are often short of change.

Taxis are operated from all major hotels and the airport with rate varying according to the destination. Some of airport taxis Golden Bird, Ngurah Rai Taxi, Kowinu, etc. At all major airport terminals, inquiries about local transportation should be directed to the information counter. Furthermore, car and motorcycle rentals are also available in Bali at negotiable rates.

Shopping Hour

Shops operate from 0900 to 1800 or later, six days a week. Shopping arcades and the new Balinese 'supermarket' frequently remain open until 2100. Expect businesses to take midday lunch breaks of an hour or more, during which time no one answers the phone, even in Denpasar .

Time Zone

Bali is in the Central Indonesian Time zone, which is GMT+8 hours.

Worship Place

Worship places for Buddhists, Catholics, Muslims as well as Protestants are available in Bali.