Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
» The amount of Malaysian currency you are allowed to bring into or take out of the coun-
try is limited to RM1000, a legacy of the 1997 Asian financial crisis. As a result, outside
of Malaysia the exchange rates for ringgit are often poor.
» ATMs are widely available in cities, towns and big-city airports but not in rural areas.
Some ATMs do not take international cards. Many banks are able to do cash advances at
the counter.
» Credit cards can be used at upscale hotels and restaurants, though some places may only
take cards with embedded SIM chips, ruling out lots of plastic issued in North America.
» Banknotes in US, Australian and Singapore dollars and pounds sterling are the easiest to
exchange. Moneychangers, some of which also take other currencies, can be found in cit-
ies and large towns, and even smaller towns often have a shop that will change foreign
currency. Some banks aren't keen on handling foreign cash, and small-town branches may
not handle exchange transactions at all.
Brunei
» The Brunei dollar (B$) is available in denominations of B$1, B$5, B$10, B$50, B$100,
B$500 and B$1000 and, believe it or not, B$10,000. Thanks to the 1967 Currency Inter-
changeability Agreement between Brunei and Singapore, the two countries' dollars are
worth exactly the same and can be used freely in both countries. Singaporean banknotes
(with the possible exception of S$2, which has no Bruneian counterpart) are universally
accepted in Brunei, and Brunei banknotes can be used almost everywhere in Singapore.
To celebrate the pact's 40th anniversary, a commemorative B$20/S$20 note was issued in
2007.
» For currency exchange, moneychangers are generally a better bet than banks, though
some places in BSB have a pretty hefty spread between their buy and sell rates.
» ATMs are widely available, though not all take international credit/debit cards.
» Major credit cards are widely accepted.
Kalimantan
» Indonesia's currency is the rupiah (Rp). Banknotes come in denominations of 1000Rp,
2000Rp, 5000Rp, 10,000Rp, 20,000Rp, 50,000Rp and 100,000Rp (sounds like a lot, but
it's worth just US$11). Coins include 50Rp, 100Rp, 200Rp, 500Rp and 1000Rp; newer
ones are lightweight aluminium, older ones are either bronze-coloured or bi-metal.
» ATMs can be found pretty much everywhere this guide goes except the Upper Mahakam
and the Derawan Archipelago.
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