Where to stay: Suka Beach Inn, Jalan Benyasa, Kuta. Rooms are 240,000 IDR (£13.20) per night but can be negotiated to 220,000 for long stay. There is a 20,000 surcharge for a second person. There are cheap basic rooms at 110,000 IDR with cold water and a fan but the 220,000 IDR gets you a large room, a/c, fridge, really hot water, TV, wi-fi, daily maid service inclusive of daily bedding and towel change and a wall safe. All rooms have a balcony with a table and two chairs and a cloathes dryer. Breakfast included. Post Office across the street. Room 35 is the better room where I stayed. The room below is 33 with same facilities but smaller. In 2019 I stayed in Room 4 which had a flat screen TV but no safe or fridge. Telephone number of Suka Beach Inn is 006281236793767. E-mail is sukabeachinn99@gmail.com. The guy on reception is called Wayan.
Taxi fare from airport to Suka Beach Inn: 200,000 IDR at the pe-pay counter at the airport. Make sure to tell the taxi to go down Jalan Poppies 2 (which is directly before and around the back of Beachwalk) not Jalan Poppies 1. The other direction is substantially cheaper. ...... daytime and 150,000 in the middle of the night.
Scooter hire: 60,000 IDR (£3.30 per day) - previously 50,000 IDR per day or 40,000 if taken for the week. Insurance is 10,000 per day. 1 litre of petrol is plenty enough to get to the immigration office and back.
One way to Gili Trawangan: 200,000 IDR (£11.00)
Exchange rate: 18,000 in 2019.
Aussie bar with good food: The Pad on Jalan Raya Legion (the main road to town that the bomb monument is on).
Visa: 30 day free on entry visa which officially is not extendable. The procedure is to pay $35.00 or 500,000 IDR at the airport when entering and make sure to retain the receipt and submit a copy the visa when applying for an extension. Paying for the visa ensures you get into the smaller of the queues at immigration in the airport. Cost of extending is circa 500,000 IDR (£27.45). Be sure to take 2 copies of return ticket as without them you won't get the extension. Name to use for reference is Wayan (first born) Sulendri at Suka Beach Inn. Tel: 006281236793767. E-mail is sukabeachinn99@gmail.com.
Phone SIMM card with 12GB data for 21 days is 250,000 IDR from shop opposite minimart in Jalan Benyasa where the good ATM is. Topup of 20GB was 179,000 IDR (£9.80) from K Circle in Jalan Benyasa.
Electricity: The sockets are two pin round with no earth. A three way trailing socket can be bought for 380,000 (£20.65) at the Minimart in Jalan Benyasa
Flip flops can be bought at the Minimart in Jalan Benyasa for 50,000 (£2.70).
Postage: 5Kg 10 day door to door air mail trackable on the internet is 950,000 (£51.75). 1Kg is 1,662,000 (£90.55).
ATM: Minimart in Jalan Benyasa on corner by four Square Sheraton. Max withdrawal is 3,000,000 IDR. To get 3,000,000 IDR ignore suggested amounts and press "main menu" and then the rest is self explanatory.
Beer: 30,000 IDR (£1.65) on the beach and in most bars for a 300ml bottle.
DVDs: 10,000 IDR for films or TV shows or 35,000 IDR (£2.00) for most software though some are a little more expensive.
Flight from Bali to Phuket via Singapore: £90 one way.
Flight from Bali to Phuket via Kuala Lumpur: £90 one way.
Flight to from Bali to Goa: Using Skyscanner to search for cheapest dates in the month of November. Circa £200.00 but long journey. Best was Bali - Singapore - Chennai @ £234.00 for a 13 hour trip.
Girl on cash register in Max Warung: Nelly
Singer: Ipank
Beach lady: Ketut
The calculations to pounds above are based on the 2019 rate of £1 = 18,000 RPS.
Where to stay: The Guest House. Rooms are 190 Baht (£4.95) per night. The room I use is number 15.
Email: andreaperego33@gmail.com booking@the-guesthouse.net
Alternative accomodation: Paksaa Boutique Hotel.
Skype: +66 (0) 827173287
Flight from Bangkok to Goa: £100.00 to £150.00. Best to use Indigo.
Flights from Phuket to Bangkok: £16.00 - £23.00
Flight from Phuket to Goa £110.00. Best to use Indigo.
Exchange rate : 44 baht to the pound.
Post Office: Dave Keats, Post Restante, Patong Post Office, Kathu, Phuket, 83150, Thailand.
Visa extension is a very simple process. A few days prior to current visa expiry go to Immigration Office with passport, one photo, departure card (as given to me at the airport when arriving) and copies of Main passport page, visa page and copy of departure card. There is a facility to take photo's and photocopy passport in the Immigration Office. Cost is 1,900 baht. The whole process takes about an hour in one visit only. Dress code: T-shirt and shorts OK but not singlet. Visa will be valid from the expiry date of current visa.
Where to stay: Ha Vy Hotel, 16-18, Do Quang Dau Str, Ngu Lao Ward, HCM City. 360 VND per night. Tel: 00-84-8.38376836 Web site. Much cheaper to book direct than on Booking.com.
110 volt is not suffcient to charge Asus Aspire One laptop. This however only applies in the Americas.