As an Indonesian person, I have to admit that this is my first time going to Bali. I have gone to some other island in Indonesia, and even abroad, but this is my first time to Bali. Everybody knows that Bali is beautiful, and everything is quite cheap, so I won’t talk about it.
Instead, I will talk about information technology (IT) in Bali, specifically about Internet access and mobile stuff. Internet Access is quite easy to get, four stars and five stars hotels provide Internet access over WIFI, and sometimes I can find it at dining places. You can also access the Internet through GPRS or through 3G data connection with your cell phone. Starter pack for GSM is very cheap, but the internet access cost is quite expensive (25 rupiahs/kb, or about 2.8 USD/megabyte, at current rate).
I haven’t been able to find a guide for Bali that can be put in my PDA or smartphone, so you will need to use online resources, or paper-based information (from the Hotel, or from the airport). If you can speak English, you won’t need a translation program in your PDA, because most people can speak English.
Maybe you think I am a bit strange or too geeky: people come to Bali to enjoy the view and the culture, and not working with their computer. Well, I came to Bali to attend the Asia Open Source Software Symposium in Bali, to report the result of the Codefest that was held at Bandung, so going here is part of my work.
And now, as the AOSSS is over, I can extend my stay here, and enjoy my honeymoon.