PeduliLindungi
Today, Indonesia still has not forgotten about Covid, and although masks are almost not worn anywhere in Bali anymore, the application will be needed in order to get into the country. You can install it from the Google Play Store or the App Store. Then you will need to register and at passport control at the airport show on your phone that you have it. To be honest, neither I nor my friends could add a vaccine, which makes the whole procedure rather pointless. However, the requirement is so.🤷🏼♀️
Grab
Here I would like to deviate a little from the topic and briefly retell you the history of the largest trade and transport company in Southeast Asia. In 2011, Harvard Business School alumni Tan Ling and Anthony Tan submitted their taxi booking project called MyTeksi to Harvard University's business plan competition. The idea came to them when fellow student Anthony Tana from Malaysia shared a story about how difficult it was to rent a taxi in his home country. The project took second place and it was the first time that the pan-Asian team managed to earn such a high rating from the jury members. The startup received $25,000 investment and was launched in Malaysia already in 2012.
In 2013, under the new name “Grab Taxi” the application appeared in the Philippines, Singapore and Thailand, and in 2014 - in Indonesia and Vietnam.
In 2016, the company was renamed to Grab and created subsidiaries:
- → GrabCar (car taxi),
- → GrabBike (motorcycle taxi),
- → GrabHitch (car sharing),
- → GrabExpress (delivery).
Slightly later, a chat with drivers appeared in the application with the ability to translate messages, the ability to rent larger vehicles for a small surcharge, as well as the GrabPay payment service.
But the most interesting thing happened with the beginning of the pandemic. In 2019, Grab Kitchen was launched in Indonesia to reduce delivery times by an average of 20 minutes. It works like this: businesses, cafes and restaurants that want to increase sales of their products deliver them to Grab warehouses, and couriers pick up orders from there. At a time when countries were under quarantine, the company organized free telescreening and delivery of medicines in the new GrabHealth service, forced every single driver to be vaccinated, and gave them masks and protective equipment daily. Vehicles were disinfected at special stations, and the number of users and sellers grew exponentially.
All this has led to the fact that today Grab is an opportunity to order in Bali even the delivery of antibiotics (personally verified!) Even at 11 pm to your home. Fruits and vegetables, alcohol and cigarettes, food and dishes from hundreds of restaurants and warungs, a bike ride to the beach or a car to the airport - all in one place.
GoJek
GoJek is not far behind Grab. The functionality of the application is the same, but it feels like the prices are lower than in Grab. Some restaurants work with both companies, some only with one, so it makes sense to put both and choose according to the situation.
An interesting fact: having insurance will not help you in any way in Indonesia if you have an accident without an Indonesian license. It turns out that you violated the traffic rules and this cannot be considered an insured event. But when ordering a taxi in the application, all your trips are automatically insured and all of a sudden - you will definitely be provided with medical assistance.
Halodoc
This application will help lovers get sick in the tropics, and even several times a month. With its help, users can get a doctor's consultation without leaving home, as well as look for the necessary medicines in the island's pharmacies and order them for delivery. Halodoc also offers face-to-face appointments if needed. Communication with doctors is carried out using text messages or by phone. Prices for consultations are indicated immediately in the application. There you can read about the education and competencies of a doctor. You can contact the doctor immediately or arrange for a specific time. In Indonesia, where medicine is very, very expensive, the app is a must-have.
Tokopedia
Tocopedia is the Indonesian analogue of the well-known Chinese aliexpress. Many stores from which you can order the delivery of goods with payment online. The name comes from the words “toko” - shop and ‘ensiclopedi’ - encyclopedia. Prices here for many things are much, much lower than in resort stores. For example, I needed a mask for snorkeling, but stunned by the price of 800 thousand rupees ($51) in a local market, I went to tocopedia and after 4 days I received the same one, but for $5.
I recommend paying attention to reviews and ratings of goods and stores. It happens that they deliver goods of very poor quality, incomplete or fake.
Unfortunately, the Tokopedia app is only supported in Indonesian, but you can enable an English translation on the site.
Lazada
Analogue of Tokopedia is Lazada. There are no ads from private traders, only official stores, but the functionality is the same.
I want to add a couple of applications for surfers as a bonus, as many people fly to Bali just for this.
MagicSeaWeed
Probably the most popular app among surfers, with wave forecasts, detailed descriptions of many surf spots around the world, and webcams that allow you to see the situation at some spots in real time. If you are not a beginner and know how to read the forecast, understand what a swell is, the period and height of an oar, know the types of wind and how spots work on high and low tides, then you will definitely need the application.
Dawn Patrol
The best tracker for surfing! Available for iPhones in combination with apple watch. It helps you track the real-time forecast, records your surf workouts, displays the number of waves taken, the speed of movement and health indicators such as heart rate and calories burned.
Bali Tide forecast
Weather application with tide schedules for Bali, Lombok, Sumbawa, Sumatra and Java up to 14 days ahead. All in one place and in real time. Very convenient!
