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Health Additional information on health matters may be obtained from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Phone the CDC international travellers' hotline at (404) 332-4559 or visit the CDC malaria info. A few other points: Drink plenty of fluid (water and fruit juices) to avoid dehydration. Drink bottled water ONLY. Even in hotels it is best not to drink straight from the tap. Ice in drinks, however, is not a problem. Use common sense when choosing a place to eat. Eat in established restaurants that are clean and well patronized. If you are crazy about trying the hawkers in the street stick to those not serving meat unless your system is already well adjusted. If you are using prescription drugs bring a sufficient supply. Pharmacies (apotiks) often can fulfil a prescription but the dosage may not be quite the same as your doctor has prescribed. Promptly take care of any cuts or burns - do not risk infection in this heat and humidity. If you are sleeping in the open air, use mosquito repellent and a mosquito net. Exchange You can exchange most major world currencies (cash or traveller's cheques) easily into the local currency, the Indonesian Rupiah. All hotels offer currency exchange but at less favorable exchange rates. Or - and this is our choice - go to a branch office of one of the local banks. It is also better to change your money in advance, if you plan visiting south, central or east Lombok as it can be difficult to find a money changer in remote areas. There are several "authorised" money changers available. If you choose to deal with a money changer - here are a couple of points worth remembering. First, the rate posted on the door usually is for amounts in notes of USD 100 - lesser denominated notes (i.e. USD 50) will be given a less favourable rate. Verify the exchange calculation next (ask to use the calculator or bring your own) and count your change before you leave the window. Lastly, be prepared, if you are cashing traveller's cheques you will need to present your passport for identification and many money changers do not accept cash notes that have been defaced - or are in less than near mint condition. The official exchange rate is daily posted in all major newspapers. Also, rates that are too good to be true - generally watch out for. The Rupiah comes in notes and coins. Notes denominations are 1,000, 5,000, 10,000, 20,000 and 50,000; coins denominations are 50, 100, 500. Credit
cards are accepted at better restaurants and retailers. But be aware,
most retailers add an extra 3 - 5 % on your bill for the privilege
of using plastic. You do not have to accept this: You're not going
to get anywhere arguing with the shopkeeper but if you want to get
this surcharge back make sure the retailer or restaurant writes
it down as an extra charge for using the card and then claim it
from your monthly billing Tipping
and Bargaining Bellmen generally get Rp. 500 - Rp.1,000 for a small to medium sized piece of luggage and up to Rp. 2,000 for those house trailers some people carry around. With taxi drivers it is the norm to round up to the nearest Rp. 500 or Rp. 1,000 depending on the length of the trip. And with tour guides and the like tipping is up to you - just remember that your driver will probably receive a commission from anything you'll purchase during the day. Difficult for many first timers but once you get the hang of it you'll never pay off again! Bargaining is the norm in Lombok's art markets, trinket and T-shirt shops. But don’t get cheesy. Negotiate a good price and take home a good story.
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Getting
around Lombok Still the byword is caution. The traffic moves quite slowly and you can come up on a cidomo (horse drawn cart) quite quickly without realizing it. When you combine cidomos with pedestrians, bicycles, tour buses, trucks, livestock and assorted immovable objects in the middle of roads hardly marked with traffic signs that are often ignored and little (if any ) enforcement of possibly existing rules - you have one of the most creative driving experiences imaginable. Pay attention - especially at night! Metered taxis are now available on Lombok. Easily recognisable by their blue colour, they are surprisingly inexpensive compared to other private transport options. Be also advised that if you have an accident and there is an injury of a local person you will not be able to leave until the matter is cleared up. In the long run it is usually better to hire a car with a driver, enjoy the scenery and arrive relaxed at your destination. It usually only costs about USD 10 more per day to hire a driver with your rental vehicle than without - so you are the judge. By the way, the more adventurous visitor may want to explore Lombok by motorcycle. If you choose to do so be advised that you will need a motorcycle driver's license - if you don't have one you may get one at the police station, and you also need to wear a helmet (the police just love tourists who ignore this rule). Airlines
and Ferries If you have
the time or are in northern Bali or would like to leave from northern
Bali you can take the inter-island ferry for only Rp. 45,000!
This ferry takes about 4 hours depending on the ship, its load
and tide. . |
