In Reply to: Last minute questions: please help!! posted by majik on Monday, 12. September 2005 at 18:57 Bali Time:
a) Gillette Venus razor blades (Not sure about Venus but you can buy Gilette shaving gel, foam, blades etc in supermarket).
b) Q-tips Yes
c) Water wings, blow up rings, etc for kids for swimming pool Matahari in Kuta Square has plent...ground floor
d) SUNCSCREEN - This can be expensive there. Buy the Cancer Society's 30+ waterproof at home to be sure of getting good quality. (I buy the big one with the squirter and decant it into smaller containers. It expires date-wise, so it means I get a good price and have some left for our summer too).
e) Wella shampoos/conditioners -Don't know, but any big supermarket there has plenty of brands to choose from. I bought Dove shampoo there...much cheaper than in NZ. Actually the range of toiletries is amazing...lots of cute little bottles of brands we have at home, like Nivea and Ponds!(and cheaper there)
f) FIRST AID items - what should I make effort to buy here that can't buy in Bali?? Waterproof plasters are about the only thing harder to find in Bali just when you need them, and you may want to take some gastrolyte for the kids in case of bali belly. You can buy pamol and imodium and anything else like that there.
g) Sun hats - cloth, straw, whatever (have read posts saying they're expensive in Bali - is that true and why??)Baseball caps galore, straw hats too. I take my favourite cloth hat that I can scrunch up in a bag if need be as I found it less likely to fly off my head in a breeze.
h) Cotton socks and undies - adults and kids Yes, fake Nike etc sock abound in the markets. Matahari etc have undies as well, but if you are larger than an NZ 14 you might find it harder to get some for you.
i) Comfortable affordable walking shoes You can buy sports sneakers easily, but the best thing is the sandals with velcro straps, like trekking sandals. Can buy them there or bring from home. Rubber jandals everywhere.
j) Art supplies (for kids AND professional quality) - drawing paper, good quality artist paper, art canvas, kids paints, artists' acrylics/oil paints Ubud I have seen art suppplies, and try big supermarket.
k) Selection of journals/diaries of reasonable quality? Once again, supermarkets or bookshops. Quality not as great as at home. Maybe get some at Whitcoulls at the airport between checking in and flying out.
l) Adapter plugs for NZ cameras Take your own cord and just get a power adaptor for it there. Plenty about, even in the Circle K dairy-type shops everywhere.
m) Digital camera memory cards, video camera 'film' Not really much cheaper than at home in Bali itself. Get at the airport duty free shop.
n) Swimming goggles (and any idea of prices?)Plenty in big supermarkets. I got a mask and sorkel for 79,000 in Hardy's supermarket in Singaraja. You should be able to get children's ones at supermarket at Matahari, in Kuta Square. If you are going to Sanure try the big Hardy's Supermarket there on the main road.
Take some plasters for putting in blisters if you get them from new shoes. Take a little purse calculator if you have one.Glad snaplock bags in all sizes are useful for collating smaller items and sealing toiletries in as you move about.
3) MOSQUITO NETS -You wont need to bring them. Smother everyone at nightfall with the pink Autan as it smells nice and works. Buy (from the supermarket there)an electric mozzie disc that you slide the little repellant mats into, one a night, and plug it in as night falls. One will do a whole room. You can also buy the incense-like coils there and use them outside if you sit outside at night.
Honestly, every time I go I am amazed at how many things I don't need to take any more. There are CircleK little stores everywhere, often open very late, but watch the some of the staff that will try a little overcharging (cheeky beggars) if you don't check your purchases. You can always go to Denpasar on a shopping trip to the big supermarkets there if you want to check out bigger range of clothing (toilets not so great in some of them, though)
If you go to somewhere like Supernova or Bintang supermarkets you will find pretty much all you need at reasonable prices. We also go to Makro and stock up on our second day as we get our water and beer and snacks there as well as supplies for donations.Can get a cheap electric jug and cups etc there too. It is a bit like The Warehouse, but some of the stuff there is in bulk only. There is also an Apotik (pharmacy) there within the building.
Centro also has a large number of boutique-ey stalls.
Anyways, have fun, and I look forward to your JBR! (Little tip: the time between ordering your meal and it arriving is a great time to jot down your little memory notes about the day and an easy habit to get into).