Java &/or Bali (1 Viewer)

[cyclotron]

Anyone been...? When is the best time to go...festivals etc ?

 

[CinnamonBoy]

I was in Bali around May three years ago. Good jaysus it was hot. It's a great place.
I've never had so much fun as I had in that month. Was never in Java. We flew to Flores and travelled across to the port and got a boat to Lombok.

 

[La La]

just make sure that under no circumstance do you enter that country with a shred of any drug on you.

unless you fancy having an extended vacation behind bars!

 

[CinnamonBoy]

just make sure that under no circumstance do you enter that country with a shred of any drug on you.

unless you fancy having an extended vacation behind bars!

Yeah, the whole Shapelle Corby thing was going on when I was in Australia so I was shitting myself about flying to Bali. I flew by myself from Brisbane as I was meeting friends in Bali. So I get in to Kuta airport and eventually get through the passport check but when I get towards the baggage carousel I see to my absolute horror that my rucksack is at the feet of four airport police. I was fucking terrified. Not many people were around. They asked me was the bag mine and then brought me over away from the baggage area. I thought this is it, I'm going to a fucking Balinese prison. A few more guys gathered around and thankfully (!) they started asking for money. I was shaking, I got out my wallet and distributed the Rupiah I had into their grasping hands.....and they all slunk off one by one. I was left standing there with my bag, alone, about €50 down and shaking with relief mixed with shock mixed with bitterness. People who've travelled a lot might call me a wuss now but at the time I had never been anyhwere remotely like Bali and that experience frightened the fuck out of me. Mainly because I thought that I'd be done for planted drugs (At the time I thought Schapelle was innocent and the drugs were planted...(now I'm not too sure)) but also having all your money taken by "authority" figures like the police is pretty fucked up. I was brought up to always trust a policeman! Anyway, I was alright a few days later when I realised the way things are there. The police pull you over, you pay them. If you go there, splash your money around, everything is incredibly cheap, don't argue over what is actually €1 and you'll have a great time. We were delayed getting the boat to Gilli Trawangen for around 45 minutes as my friends were arguing about €5 or something piddling like that with the boat men. It's not worth it. It got nasty. I hate that.

 

[Denny Oubidoux]

are the police much of a hassle generally? can you get away with refusing or will they find a bag of drugs in your pocket and send you to jail? i dont mind paying for normal stuff but i dont want to be paying bribes, not that i've ever had to deal with it really as in the bribey countries ive visited the police really only harrassed the locals and left the tourists alone.

you have to haggle for everything i presume?

 

[Space]

Haggle for most stuff, if the police stop ya bribe them, don't cross anyone(which is really really easy as everyone's super nice). I smoked a good bit there with no hassle, shrooms are pretty much legal too, as is ephedrine.

Don't bother with Java, head east instead. Make sure you travel around the North of Bali too.