“ Saya cari kartu SIM” (I’m looking for a SIM card). If you really are having a hard time finding one, ask a local. Many little neighborhood warung stores will also sell them, and it’s not uncommon to see booths set up on roadsides with a selection of cards as well. If you’re travelling more off-the-beaten path, like to us here in Kerinci, and there aren’t any SIM cards for sale at the airport, then look for shops that sell mobile phones. If you plan to travel around, you’ll want “Flash.” Although, unless you plan on staying put in the location you buy the card, you need to be careful that advertised data is not just “Local Data,” which is only good in the specific area where it’s sold. Some even come preloaded with data, which will help simplify the process. They might be slightly more expensive than typical, but no more than a few dozen rupiah, and it’s certainly convenient as you can usually register the card on the spot (more on that later). A number of cell phone companies will have little booths as you’re making your way out, and it’s easy to pick up cards here.
The most obvious place to find a SIM card in Indonesia is at a major airport, like in Jakarta or Bali. The first thing you need to do is find a place that sells SIM cards! Since practically everyone in Indonesia owns a mobile phone, and a huge majority change numbers on a regular basis (thanks to the cheap promos), one is usually not much more than a stone’s throw away from a seller.