In Reply to: thanks posted by hocko on Tuesday, 5. December 2006 at 11:44 Bali Time:
In regards to customs for arrivals in Bali - No problems it's a very simple process.
You will firstly get off the plane and then will make your way to Visa on Arrival Line and pay for your visa which is quoted in US dollars, but you can pay with Australian Dollars and they will give you your change in rupiahs. Then you go through and put your hand luggage through a scanner and then go to luggage carousel and collect your checked in luggage. You then take all your luggage out the exit where you will either go through goods to declare line or no goods to declare line and may be randomly asked to declare your goods - just don't exceed the amount of duty-free alcohol or cigarettes which you are allowed to take with you into Bali, and there wont be anything to worry about. (You can ask at duty free shop in Australia when you are making your purchases and they will advise you of your limits for alchohol and cigarettes).
We personally don't use the plastic shrink wrap, but do have padlocks on all zippered compartments of our checked in luggage.
As for spending money I usually allow $100 - $150 per day and my husband also changes the same amount of money per day (Tip - when changing money it's a lot easier to change $100 at a time as you just need to multiply the rate of exhange by 100, so if the rate was 7000 rupiah then you times 7000 x 100 which would give you 700,000 rupiahs). This amount is usually adequate for all meals and drinks for the day and to buy bags full of shopping. It would also depend on what you were doing like added extras for tours etc. We also take our credit cards and I usually use my credit card in the department stores or boutique shops.
Take a small calculator with you which will come in very handy.
All the best!!