The Travel Thread

yeah, I usually take a few travelers checks as 'emergency money' but always use ATMs otherwise. It used to be that there was no charge for using ATMs at all (other than what your bank charges you for not using their ATM) but in the past year or so they have tacked on the 'international transaction fee' which is usually 1 or 2%. It is still better than exchanging cash though.

Wow, I wish I'd seen this thread earlier.

Hoya, go to Myspace and add the Super Insurgent Group of Intemperance Talent to your friends list, and say hello from Jaguar and myself. Indonesia has a tiny but lively indie rock scene and if you're lucky you might be able to catch a great show and meet some really nice people.

In Java, be sure to visit Yogyakarta a cool city where multiple universities give it a college town vibe, Indonesian style. Mt. Merapi, an occasionally-active volcano, is just an hours drive away and worth the trip.

Bali is beautiful, but get away from the tourist traps full of drunken and annoying Aussies to the smaller towns. Also avoid big resorts. Ubud, inland, is a spiritual magical place and well worth a visit.

Jakarta's probably worth no more than a day or two (I lived there seven months), if you'll be spending any time there I can give you a few pub and restaurant tips.

If I could go back I'd spend more time exploring Java, and visit the area around Anak Krakatau, where Krakatoa blew up and a new volcano is being formed.

For the 30-hour plane ride to Indonesia I recommend the book "Krakatoa," a great read which will give you a flavor for the history and culture of the country.

Finally if you need any more specific tips feel free to message me… and you may get some ideas from my photostream of Indonesia pics:

http://www.flickr.com/search/?q=indonesia&w=77926160%40N00

Oh yes, travelers checks – I have traveled all over the world and never needed them. I don't quite understand the concept. Seems kinda anachronistic, like the old notion that paper airline tickets were the equivalent of cash.

Originally posted by They call me Doctor Doom.:
Wow, I wish I'd seen this thread earlier.

awesome, thanks for all the tips

i normally exchange some "walking around" cash before i leave, but after that, it's atm's all the way. . .you get a better exchange rate than cashing travellers checks, and even with the fees, you still come out a bit ahead than with travellers checks. plus, you get all that protection from fraud and have a paper trail for your withdrawals and purchases.

only encountered one problem and that was in portugal where the atm's would not recognize my mastercard debit card. . .

I generally shun the use of cash and always go with credit cards when possible (airline miles!)

But those goddamn French make it really difficult with their minimum credit card purchases (even in major department stores), as well as the seeming randomness of your credit card not working in their fucking credit card machines.

I'm now with Vansmack on something: hatred of the French.

Went I went to several countries in Africa, they did not accept MasterCard, only Visa. I only had a MasterCard at the time, so it was very useful to have Travelers Checks in that situation.

i don't think i've ever been somewhere that accepted credit cards but not visa. mastercard seems fiercely unpopular.

irish people arent big on credit cards either. i believe we only landed with maybe â?¬100. that did not get us far

Stockholm suxxx. I want to go to a bar and talk to strangers. But, there's no way I'm shelling out the crowns for a few hours of drinking. (about $11 a beer- $8 at happy hour- cocktails double) I've got an all day train pass and would hate to stay home tonight. Suggestions?

*this might be an unanswerable problem

go out to a bar and meet people, but don't drink? or drink non-alcoholic drinks?

have you checked out malmo?

Originally posted by god's shoeshine:
irish people arent big on credit cards either. i believe we only landed with maybe â?¬100. that did not get us far

I was okay with using mine. Only got one look and my purchase was over $50, so I gave the look back. Other than that, friendly response when I used it. I had plenty of cash and then added to the pot after a few days. The exchange rate & fee was so expensive at Union Station but worse once you get there, so ATM is the way to go.
No travelers cheques, apparently it's not recommended (anymore).
I used cash for on the spot, cheap stuff; card for larger purchases. Never tried getting cash at point of purchase…does that work overseas?

Originally posted by sweetcell:
go out to a bar and meet people, but don't drink? or drink non-alcoholic drinks?

have you checked out malmo?

yeah, i went out anyway and ran into $7 draft, which i could not turn down.

is malmo worth visiting?

Originally posted by slowgraffiti:
yeah, i went out anyway and ran into $7 draft, which i could not turn down.

meet any local hotties?!?

Originally posted by slowgraffiti:
is malmo worth visiting?

never been there, but i'm told it's worth a day or two. big university town, good amount of historical and cultural points of interest, etc. at a minimum, it's a change of scenery from stockholm :)

Originally posted by sweetcell:

Originally posted by slowgraffiti:
[qb]yeah, i went out anyway and ran into $7 draft, which i could not turn down.

meet any local hotties?!?

Only on the train. This one guy recommended a good neighborhood, but the bar I randomly chose was this indie nightclub where everybody came in a really big group of friends. On the way back I talked up this babe from Holland, but he had to change trains. There's always tonight I guess.

If I can find a place to stay, I'll give Malmo a shot.