Bali is great, the culture is amazing, the food is delicious (lezat or enak) and the people are lovely but you need to always be on your guard and treat everything from the time you step off the plane in Bali to the time you step back onto the plane as a possible scam. You will almost certainly get scammed but the trick is to know when you are being scammed and how to minimise it. In Bali the old adage of, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is, applies more than ever.

 

Common scams you are likely to come across or places where you are most likely to get scammed are:

 

• I don’t have any change/correct change.

• The last day scam (although this can happen anytime). It’s most likely to be someone you have gotten to know a little bit like a driver, shop keeper or hotel staff. They will give you some story about a sick family member or something like that and how they cannot afford to take care of them, of course it might be true but 99.999% of the time it is not. Our driver who we use every time we go there tried it on us. He told is he had to pay university fees of $1000 for his son and he couldn’t afford it and was going to have to borrow it from his boss. Again of course it might be true but most likely it is not. Nice guy and we will always use him as our driver but this is Bali for you.

• Asking where are you from. This is particular prevalent and important in the markets as this is how they determine what price they will try to charge you and thus how badly they think they can rip you off. Your skin colour limits your options here but we found it best just to make a name up so that they have no idea.

• Asking how many times you have been to Bali or if it is your first time in Bali. NEVER EVER under any circumstances tell them that it is your first time in Bali or they will take you to the cleaners and be laughing all the way to the bank. First timers in Bali are known as Bali virgins and the locals love them.

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Markets 

 

• I don’t have any change/correct change. They will have change because it is their job to have it so don’t fall for it. If they truly don’t then it is their problem and they will need to go and borrow some off their friend in the next store.

 

Don’t get too caught up with getting exactly the correct change, as chances are it’s only a few cents difference. For example if you buy something for IDR 52,000 ($5.20 AUD) and you give them IDR 55,000 ($5.50 AUD) the difference is $0.30 AUD, which will not kill you.

 

• Asking where are you from. This is how they determine what price they will try to charge you and thus how badly they think they can rip you off. Your skin colour limits your options here but we found it best just to make a name up so that they have no idea. The issue here is they know that some countries are more affluent than others and thus their starting price will be higher and that people from some countries are better at bargaining in general and that some cultures won’t bargain at all and will just pay the price they give. I will cover this in depth later but do everyone a favour and bargain, it is expected and you are not helping the next person who comes along if you do not.

 

• Asking how many times you have been to Bali or if it is your first time in Bali. NEVER EVER under any circumstances tell them that it is your first time in Bali or they will take you to the cleaners and be laughing all the way to the bank. First timers in Bali are known as Bali virgins and the locals love them.

 

• We will cover this in more depth and how to bargain later but NEVER EVER pay the first or even second price they give you in the market. An example is. I’ve asked the price of a T-shirt at the market and been told IDR 500,000 ($50.00 AUD). When I laughed, said no and go to leave they immediately dropped it to IDR 30,000 ($3.00 AUD) and at that price they will still be doubling their money. Were they trying to rip me off? Yes, trying to sell me a T-shirt that they paid AUD $1.50 for, for AUD $50.00 and then dropping it to the correct price of AUD $3.00 when they realised that I know what I am doing is definitely a rip off. They will also imply that they are poor. Make no mistake, if they have a stall full of T-shirts and other merchandise, they are doing ok by Balinese standards.

 

Taxis

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This is one of the big areas and taxi drivers will definitely rip you off if you don’t pay attention. Things to watch out for are:

 

• Drivers going the wrong way or around the long way. If you don’t know the area this can be hard but it pays to have an idea of where you are going and how to get there.

• Being told there is a minimum charge. It’s true, there generally is a minimum charge of IDR 10,000 ($1.00 AUD) for a taxi you hail on the roadside or IDR 30,000 ($3.00 AUD) for a taxi you order by phone or the Blue Bird Taxi App. It is common for the taxi driver to tell you that the minimum fare is IDR 30,000 ($3.00 AUD) regardless. Look on the front passengers door by the window as this is where the information on minimum fares will be. Stick to that no matter what the driver says.

• Driver telling you that the meter is broken and thus cannot be turned on. If this happens don’t take that taxi. If you’re already in, tell them to stop and get out.

• Driver just not turning the meter on. You need to insist that they do this once you are in and before they start moving. If they refuse just get out.

• Wrong starting price on meter. Ensure that when the meter is first started that the price is IDR 7,000 ($0.70 AUD).

• Telling you they do not have change or the correct change. They are professional taxi driver. It is their job to have change. They will have change so don’t fall for it. If they truly don’t then it is their problem. 

 

• Don’t leave anything in the car as although Blue Bird Taxis is fairly reputable you can kiss it good-bye.

 

• Always make sure you only use a Blue Bird Taxi as they are the biggest taxi company in Indonesia, the drivers will still try things on with you but at least you have some recourse. The issue is it that a lot of the taxi’s look similar and it can be hard to tell which one is a genuine Blue Bird Taxi.

• Genuine Blue Bird Taxi’s will be light blue (but then so are Bali Taxi’s and a lot of others).

• Blue Bird Taxi’s will have Blue Bird written on the side, usually the drivers and front passenger’s doors which will accompanied by there distinctive bird logo.

• Blue Bird Taxi’s will have a car number written on the back passengers doors and usually in the back window also.

• Blue Bird Taxi’s will have a light up sign on the roof that says Taksi accompanied by their distinctive bird logo.

• Blue Bird Taxi’s will have the drivers identity card displayed on the dashboard or on the front of the glove box. This will have their photo and driver ID number/employee number.

• If you see any mention of Bali Taxi or any other company on or in the vehicle it is not a genuine Blue Bird Taxi.

• We use the Blue Bird Taxi App to order taxi’s and find it excellent. It will tell you what taxi number is coming, how long they will be and what route they are likely to take to get you to your destination.

 

Money Changer – We’ll cover this under the money section but the list of ways you can be scammed by money changes is extensive.

 

• Beggars – We have not seen a huge amount but they do appear occasionally. Begging is illegal in Bali, both you and the beggar stand to be prosecuted if you are caught giving them money and again this could be scam to draw you into breaking the law so that a police officer can magically appear and tell you to pay an “instant fine”