Hi all, just got back from Bali trip number nine!!! as usual had a ball and didnt want to come home BUT things have changed!!!
Flew Air Paradise and very strict on cabin bag allowance both directions!!!! strictly 7kgs total allowance for all bags, and they werent too happy about having a 7kg cabin bag plus small handbag and that was leaving Brisbane!!! A tiny bit more leanient on the way back but have definatley cracked down and i cant blame them, boy have i seen some people loaded up and trying to jam it all into the overhead locker.didnt seem to concerned with checked in luggage WHEW!!!
VISA ON ARRIVAL is now US$10 for upto 7 days, all Air Paradise flights leave for Brisbane (from bali) at 1.05am (which technically takes you into day 8 depending on your length of stay) apon our arrival we got all the way through customs in Bali only to be held up at the last point of check and then ushered to the office, we got away with paying $10 only after being polite and promising that we would be at the airport well before midnight on the 7th day, we werent the only ones in the office with the same problem, others were quiet rude and ended up having to pay the US$25 for over 7 days.
The officer we dealt with could see our point (that technically we were 'checking in to leave bali on the 7th day, as you are to be at the airport 2 hours before departure)BUT his problem was that if we were running late and didnt get to the airport til after midnight (begining of day 8) then our visa would have expired and would cause all sorts of problems. But after friendly conversation and shaking hands that we promised we wouldnt let him down off we went.
Exchange rate was 7400 when we got there and on our last full night there we got 8000, BUT the day of our departure it dove to 7100!!! Boy were we lucky.
Weather was great, not too hot, slightly humid and little rain at night.