USD in Sorong and taxi cost

[Dogbowl]

Just got Jakarta. Huge upgrades to the airport, all new terminal. Good WiFi.
Flying Garuda HK - Jakarta then non stop to Sorong. Didn't have to pick up my bags in Jakarta, hoping for the best. Exchange rate in the airport is R14,920 for $1US, for new and large bills. SIM card and 12G of data with was R300,000.

I’ll also be flying to Sorong via Jakarta and HK shortly.

Question: why would you exchange CAD to USD and then to IDR? Why not just CAD to IDR in a Canadian bank? Wouldn’t that save you one level of exchange fees or am I missing something?

Did you get the SIM card at the airport?

 

[peeweediver]

Based on great advice from SB members, last trip we brought crisp $100 bills and exchanged them for the best rates. You could look down the street and pick the currency exchange with the best rate as long as it was real and not a tease. Headed to Raja after Thanksgiving and will do the same. I'm assuming the airport currency exchanges are not quite as good as the shops outside the airport, but at anywhere near a R14,900 exchange rate, can't complain. It was R13,400 last trip.

Rob

 

[borisphotosafari]

I have US$ bank account in Canada, to save my US$. CAN$ not accepted everywhere, no issues with US$. And exchange rate on CAN$ usually is really bad. I bring a combination of both.
Got TSEL SIM card right at the airport, same level as currency exchange.

 

[borisphotosafari]

New crisp, unbent, 100s and 50s get you top rate. Just saw a guy getting rejected with blemished bills.