Denpasar airport has been upgraded a lot over the last few years and it's actually really nice and easy to navigate (compared to Melbourne it's a dream!). But there is still a few tips that will help you escape the place a little quicker.
1. Apply for a Visa on Arrival (VoA) up to 14 days before arriving. It can be done
here for up to 5 people at a time. (Unfortunately our Sri Lankan guests are not eligible for VoA so you'll have to do it the old fashioned way through a consulate/embassy).
2. If you are bringing kids under 5 or you're over 60, like most of my family, there is a fast track lane to the far right of immigration to get you through quicker.
3. Do your Electronic Customs Declaration two days before your flight. It is available
here and it saves you trying to scan QR codes with your hands full of stuff and fill out online forms while you're scratching through the wife's handbag to find your glasses!
4. Bali Tourist Tax! It's real. Just like the authoritarian socialist regime right here in Victoria, the Indonesian government loves a good tax. This one is manadatory but lots of people don't pay it. I'm told that if you get pulled up in customs and you haven't paid it you will get treated like Schapelle Corby's sister so it's probably better to pay the approx. A$15 and be safe. You can pay it online ahead of time
here. I know the website looks dodgy AF but I promise you this is the legit site.
5. Baggage collection can be....interesting. Last time we were there they changed our carousel after we were already standing around it and there is very few monitors telling you which one has your baggage doing the rounds on it. Luckily Taz needed the loo and saw on the way back that ours had changed or I'd probably still be standing there!
6. Clearing Customs. There is a big baggage x-ray machine at the door which is where loooong lines can form. I'm told that if you stay in the left two lines you are more likely to be waived through than sent for scans and it has worked for us so far. I'm not offering promises here, just a tip.
7. Get an Indonesian SIM for your phone. I always get an E-SIM from
Bikago which works great with my Android but Taryn's Apple didn't like it. I assume this is because Apple is EVIL and if they're not getting a cut they allow nothing to work on your phone. But I may just be paranoid. I like Bikago because it uses TELKOMSEL which is the best network in Bali and their plans are cheaper. If you need a physical SIM then there is a TELKOMSEL (along with many other) shops in the airport arrivals hall.
8. Change as little money as possible in Australia. Australian money changers are the biggest currency thieves in the world. It's actually embarrasing how outright thieving they are. You will get much better rates of exchange in Bali at the dodgy looking money changers outside the hotels and resorts (except in Canguu where they are all run either by the Russian Mafia or the same people who run them in Australia!).
9. Book a private car and driver. If your hotel deal doesn't include transfers then arrange a private car and driver. I use
Bali Holiday Secrets but there are many options out there. Absolutely do not use the 'porters' at the airport who will grab your bags, take you to their cousin's Toyota Crown, demand a tip and send you off into the unknown with a bloke who may or may not have understood where your destination actually is!