Currency?

[ocdiver1]

To each their own, I guess, but I don't throw away money like that regardless of how much the cost of my trip....would cost $200 to take out $2000...I'd always just rather take the cash

 

[Shasta_man]

Generally speaking USD is fine in many places. The catch is whether you are willing to take the exchange rate which is usually rounded off and lower than the rate from a bank.

 

[highdesert]

If we have reservations for hotels/boats/dive ops before we leave the states, we know who accepts what currency, and leave the states with the USD and/or Euros we need, plus cash to convert to rupiah once in Indonesia. Money changers there will compete for your $$ by offering the best rate on rupiah, which you will get with new, crisp, unblemished USD $100 bills. You are not doing an Indonesian local any favors by paying/tipping them with small, worn USD bills. They'll never get a good rate on them either ... if they're accepted at all. And remember that if someone does accept plastic, you will almost always pay a 4% "bonus" levied by the Indo banks, plus any fees your own bank might add to the transaction.

 

[Cajuncru Diver]

ditto