Basics - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 91

Phones
The cheapest way to make international calls ( panggilan internasional ) is generally via
Skype at one of the many internet centres in the main tourist resorts; some centres charge
standard internet rates for this service but those with limited bandwidth capacity may charge
considerably more. Some local mobile phone networks also offer very inexpensive rates for
international calls, as low as Rp1000/min to Australia, for example; if you buy a local SIM
card be sure to ask the vendor what the best access code is for the cheapest international calls.
If you don't have internet access or a local SIM, your best bet is to use one of the privately
run “telephone shops”, or wartel , which are found all over Bali and Lombok; most open long
hours, typically from 7am to 10pm. Some wartels are able to offer very cheap international
calls, using prepaid cards and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) deals. Others, particularly
those in outlying areas, charge according to rates set by Telkom , the government telecommu-
nications service, plus a little extra. Telkom prices vary according to the time of day at the
destination and are set out in full at telkom.co.id . The other main operator of international
services is Indosat ( indosat.com ), which charges identical rates.
A local call ( panggilan lokal ) is a call to any destination that shares the same area code
and should cost in the region of Rp100/min, depending on distance and time of day; calls to
all other domestic destinations with a different area code are classed as long-distance calls
( panggilan inter-lokal ) and will cost more. Bali is divided into several code zones , and Lom-
bok has two codes. Calls to mobile phones - whose numbers begin 08 - are more expens-
ive. Some businesses have to rely on satellite phones (code 086812), which are costlier still.