ceilifinnigan

We're traveling to Ubud (and other parts) of Bali in a couple weeks, staying in a private home rental. Please educate me on cell phones in Bali-can I use my IPHONE without big roaming charges by buying a sim card? Is there coverage over the whole island for ? Is it worth it to carry a laptop or not? Do drivers use cell phones?

Any tips or experiences will be greatly appreciated!
Ceili

rhkkmk

i have used my cell phone there....just go to a shop and buy a new sim card and some minutes and put it in your phone if it is compatible.... check requirements for compatibility on line...phone must be unlocked...

check with your current company for costs of using it overseas...roaming etc....probably very expensive...

i am planning on taking my laptop with me on the next trip...in the past i have used cyber cafes---very reasonable..

i suspect just like in other parts of the world that there are places with no cell reception....

most drivers, not taxi, will have phones

ceilifinnigan

Thanks, rhkkmk. I'm considering taking my laptop, too. What specific ways do you think you'll your laptop will earn it's weight, besides email-and are wi-fi spots numerous?
ceili

laartista

There are tons of free wifi spots in Ubud. Most cafes, eateries, just order a beer or a tea or something and log on. I always bring my laptop, use it for email, work stuff and skype. also bought a sim card called SIMPATI. There are others this is just the one I use when there. There's a code you can punch in before you dial the number when calling the states ( I wanna say 101071 but now writing it doesn't seem right)and it's like 6 cents a minute, no joke. I have it written down somewhere, will try to post it. I got it from an expat friend who lives there.

Like rhk said most drivers if not all have cells and mine has a friend who recharges my cell minutes when I run out. He just calls him up gives him my number, I tell Made how much I want to put on the card and he gives the money to his friend. Good local drivers will know someone for everything

Along monkey forest road, laughing buddha bar, greenhouse, barbaque, cinta, all have free wifi as well as a bunch of others in town.

have fun

rhkkmk

i think i had to use the prefix 005 for international calls---i always forgot to do it....

i have not had my laptop there but will this time...

MichaelBKK

There's coverage all over Bali. Actually, the network there is better than in Thailand. I don't buy a sim card, I just use the phone sparingly to avoid big roaming charges. You can really rack up roaming charges with an iPhone if you use a lot of apps, so be very careful with them. A friend had his father visit from Oz and they played around with the father's new iPhone a lot. There was a A$2,000 bill waiting for dad when he got home.