TAXIS Ok, these are official taxis, often with meters. Hawkers shouting "Taxi?" and "Transport?" at you are offering unlicensed rides. There are two colours for licensed taxis; Blue & White. The Blue taxis are the best, as white ones have a reputation for being less courteous, having "broken" meters (always ask if it is working before you drive off) and subsequently charging inflated rates. It appears Blue cabs have a flag fall of 2,000 to 2,500Rp and charge 900 to 1,000Rp per kilometre (there is a small minimum charge, and also a cancellation charge if you call them by phone and then cancel when they get there. If you use a taxi driver to do a mini-tour, you should expect to pay around 9,000 Rp for each hour they sit and wait for you. The blue taxis are run by Blue Bird who also provide very reliable daily driver services / rates, and may be a much better / safer / more comfortable bet then the street hawkers offer - Click Here For More When you arrive at the airport in Bali, you will find many offers from unofficial "taxi" drivers, but struggle to see a real cab. However, if you walk out and immediately left of the arrivals building's last door, you will find the Fixed Price taxi office / window with a board clearly showing the ride prices. Organise your taxi there and they will assign you a driver who will show you to the taxi. Be warned, that many "porters" will try to grab your luggage and expect a handsome reward for the 50 meter conveyance! If you are happy with this "help", agree a price with them first (5,000 Rp is very generous). PRIVATE HIRE (with driver) It seems every 2 meters there is a "local" gesticulating as if they were at they wheel of their car trying to avoid a kamikaze chicken and shouting "Transport, Transport?!". By this you can tell transport is not a problem for visitors to Bali & Lombok. There are 4 rules to this process. Pick one you like the look of. Ask what car they have first (and whether they have working aircon). Only ask the price if you want to hire them (they will not leave you alone once you have). And don't accept the first price they offer you. If you pick a good driver, they will add immensely to your holiday, both with friendship and local knowledge. If you are going to use them for a full day, it may be incumbent on you to buy them lunch (but not at a tourist restaurant!). If you want them to take you to another part of the island for 2 or more days, it may be incumbent upon you to pay for their lodgings (but not at a tourist hotel!). Although it is probably just as well to find a driver once you arrive, some Internet users have posted recommendations regarding certain drivers. I have summarised this information below, which can also be useful to help you determine what to pay if you organise it with someone else once you arrive.
I Wayan Kamar, e-mail, Mobile
081 239 10056, around 250,000Rp for a day - highly recommended - excellent
driver with thorough knowledge of best Ubud area art shops and very good
English. In addition to the above, the following are personally known to this
forum's administrator; All prices are those reported and may be higher / lower depending on the season and your negotiating skills. All standard phone numbers are area code 0361 (+62 361 from outside Indonesia). SELF DRIVE CAR HIRE It depends on who you talk to as to whether you will be recommended to drive yourself or not. However, I think it is fair to say, if you simply looking to get about around Kuta / Sanur / Nusa Dua, it is probably better to get taxis and / or private hire with a driver. However, if you want to travel outside this area, you will possibly, even probably be better off renting your own car. Driving in rural Bali & Lombok is generally a pleasure, although the roads can get a bit potholed in some places. You might not want to overtake lorries going up mountains, as there is likely to be another one a few kilometres ahead. And anyway, they will try and overtake you going down the other side of the mountain. There is, therefore, a certain comfort in following a slow truck uphill. Knowing they will protect you against the "Mad Maxes" coming the other way! If you are driving along a winding road enjoying the scenery, you might want to honk your horn every few seconds to warn other drivers you are coming, and listen for them honking theirs as that may well mean they are overtaking on a blind bend! Driving in Kuta etc. can be even more daunting as there are plenty of bikes, scooters, cars, buses and lorries all trying to get their nose in front of yours. You see, that is the rule of the road. You have to give way to anyone or anything (including chickens!) who are in front of you. If there is any doubt as to who has right of way, it is the larger of the vehicles. A number of people have complained about police stopping them for spurious reasons and fining them on the spot (the alternative may be a lengthy visit to the local police station where you are just as likely to have to pay anyway). The chances are, for the most part, these are tourists who have broken a rule. The more notable rules to observe are honk before and indicate all the while you are overtaking. Do not let the nose of your vehicle go over a red traffic light junction line. Make sure the vehicle has a number-plate with "CR" on it (for car rental). Make sure you carry your International Drivers License with you at all times. Watch out for roads which are bi-directional sometimes and one-way at others. Watch out for small no entry signs that periodically appear on roads that you can drive down, but not if you are crossing straight over the junction. Keep 40,000Rp ONLY in the same wallet as your drivers license in case you are fined - you can then claim that is all you have (the rest being at your hotel). If you are in an accident, make sure you have the rental document with insurance details handy. If an accident is not your fault, you will still be blamed on the Asian logic basis that you are a visitor and if you hadn't come to Indonesia, there wouldn't have been an accident. If you get this, reply "It is your fault as you are Indonesian and your government allowed me to visit here. If they had not, I could not have come and there wouldn't have been an accident."! Oh yes, don't forget to drive on the left! You may find road signs a little sporadic, but watch out for the very useful small "milestones" along the sides of the rural main roads. If you look at them straight on, they will tell you the next main town (abbreviated) and it's distance. Likewise the "hidden" side tells you where you are travelling from and how far ago it is. Because road maps are not very accurate, you may want to remember that you will often see town name signs which you don't think should be there. That is because, invariably, the towns officially stretch much further than the maps show you. Driving along some of the flat, straight, well kept rural coastal roads can be an absolute pleasure. If you are travelling around Medewi, Cekik, Pemuteran, Sambi Renteng, Tulamben, Amed etc., you should be in "seventh heaven", and be able to go places bemos and private hire drivers may not go. Petrol / Gas (Benzin) costs around 1,750Rp (cars take "Premium" grade) from the main petrol stations. When you pull up at the pump, get out and make sure they reset the meter! You can buy petrol from street sellers (they have litre or bigger bottles of it on display), but you will probably pay more and you might not get 100% Premium! Most main towns have at least one petrol station, but they do run out from time to time. The best advice is to start looking once your gauge shows your tank is half full. If you do want to drive in the Mt / Lake Batur crater area itself, be warned. Locals will come running towards you (as you start to descend towards the lake) waving and shouting that there is something wrong with your car. There isn't, it's just a scam to fool you into getting it "repaired" at their brother's expensive "garage". Also, if you really want to drive around the volcano, do so clockwise, not anticlockwise. To do this, you will have to keep a sharp lookout for the junction which joins the road you are on at a sharp angle from the left. The reason you go clockwise, is that 5% into the circuit (95% if you go anticlockwise), you will come to a very steep, badly rutted section that is nearly impossible to climb. If you are going clockwise, you do not have to, it is downhill. If you go anticlockwise, you will have to employ the services of the smiling expensive locals that wait there for the uninformed (or you can spend 2 hours driving back the way you just came). You can rent a car in advance of your arrival, but you will pay substantially more for the privilege. Here are the web-sites of some and of one which lists a few local rental companies, handy for when you are there; Bali Car Rental Company Information Click
Here The above local rental list is far from complete. One noticeable omission is the Car Rental Agency / Money Changer just North of Bemo Corner, along Jl Legian in Kuta (Tel 755750), who are widely used and regarded. Although they only rent the smaller Suzuki "Jeeps". Perhaps a better rental company (with good rates and cars), is CV. Amertha Dana, based in Legian. With insurance, you should be able to negotiate these people down to around 70,000 rp a day for an older Suzuki, around 85,000 rp a day for a Kijang. Newer models cost more, around 170,000 rp a day for a new model Suzuki, and 200,000 rp for a Kijang. Brand new / low mileage cars will cost you around 210,000 rp for a Suzuki, and 250,000 rp for a Kijang. These prices include insurance. But you may have to negotiate hard to get them. And their cars and service are good (they will deliver anywhere in the tourist south). They can be contacted on 0361 753518 / 081 236 95477, fax 0361 761480. When you rent a car, make sure it is in FULL working order (lights, indicators, horn, spare tyre, car jack, air conditioning, petrol cap etc. etc.) and any damage is noted on the rental form. Understand that the insurance cover is, by Western standards, very low. Also, the first days rental is normally for 12 hours only, with subsequent days worth 24 hours - don't be caught out. You should also be aware there is an "excess", which is a huge profit maker for the agencies. It will state the excess is US$500. Find an agent who will amend this to the "real" excess (the one they pay) of only 45,000 Rupiah! The two main types of vehicle are the Suzuki "Jimy" which seats 2 and luggage (should cost around 90,000Rp per day) and the Toyota Kijang which seats 5 and luggage (around 100,000Rp per day). And if you want to know how long it takes to get from a to b, why not look up the bemo journey times below?! BIKES & MOTORBIKES There are plenty of places around to rent either of these, but be careful in light of the above rules of the road. Also, expect to get stopped if you carry too much on either, especially a surfboard! FERRIES Padang Bai (Bali) - Lembar (Lombok): In Padang Bai, see the Perama office near the jetty for an inclusive ticket to Mataram, Senggigi or even the Gili Isles. Benoa Harbour (Bali) - Lembar (Lombok): The "Mabua Express" leaves Bali at 8:00 am & 2:30 pm during peak season (off peak, only the first ferry runs). The return times are 10:30 am & 5:00 pm from Lombok (check times during off peak season). The crossing time is 2 hours and costs US$30 "Diamond" class & US$25 "Emerald" class one-way. Web-Site Gilimanuk (Bali) - Ketapang (Java): Labuhan Lombok (Lombok) - Poto Tano (Sumbawa): Senggigi / Bangsai (Lombok) - Gili Trawangan / Meno / Air (Lombok): "Public" boats cost around 2000Rp or you can charter a "rigger" for around 35,000Rp. Sanur (Bali) - Nusa Lembongan / Penida (Bali): Benoa Harbour (Bali) - Nusa Lembongan (Bali): Padang Bai (Bali) - Nusa Penida (Bali): Fast twin-engine fibreglass boats make this crossing in just 55 minutes - look for them on the beach just East of the main ferry car-park area in Padang Bai. Costs were only 5,000Rp one way before the 98 economic crisis. DOMESTIC FLIGHTS If you are flying from Bali to Lombok, or visa versa, the each way fare
is 233,500 Rp. You can check this very good Lombok based site for return
schedules www.geocities.com/sasaktour/by_air.htm. BEMOS These are small inexpensive minibuses that the locals mostly travel on. So using them will ensure you get to meet the real islanders; the one's who most likely work outside the tourist industry. Bemos start very early in the morning, then start getting sparser as you get closer to 5pm; remember this if you are planning a day out. Bemos do not have air conditioning, are often busy and can therefore get really steamy! So be warned. On the plus side, they are very inexpensive. But unless you a well seasoned traveller in this area, you are likely to pay several times the amount charged to locals; which is still cheap. Different areas / regions of the islands have different coloured bemos. Bemos can get you virtually everywhere around Bali & Lombok, but the more remote areas will have infrequent services. Very remote places such as Amed may have no regular bemo service. So, if you want to get there, you would need to take a bemo to Culik and then negotiate a ride with a local or walk the last 5km. Bemos can be flagged down anywhere you see them (they will probably double honk their horn as they approach tourists & locals alike while they are walking along the roadside). If you are carrying luggage / rucksacks, you should not be charged extra for this as long as it can sit on your lap. As to how much to pay, when the driver tells you the price, expect the worse, look shocked, offer a third of what they said (ready to pay half the amount) and then ask a local on the same bus how much extra you paid then you should (for the next time)! But don't end up with your principles intact, still on the roadside, watching the tail end of a bemo, driven by an offended driver, disappearing in the distance! If you have the nerve, you can try just getting on, waiting for the designated fare collector to come around and watch closely at what the locals pay. For example, if you look at the cost of bemos from, say, Sanur. For Sanur, the "real" cost is 500 Rp. For Kuta 2000 Rp (1000 Rp to Denpasar and then 1000 Rp again on to Kuta). For Ubud, 4000 Rp (1000 Rp to Denpasar, 1000 Rp to Batubulan, and 2000 Rp to Ubud). To Giliminanuk, Padang Bai or Singaraja, 7000 to 11000 Rp depending on the size / age of bus . Either way, if you pay 2,000Rp, 4,000Rp and 8,000Rp for short, medium and long journeys respectively, you have done well. The following are the main bemo routes. Originating points shown in blue are in Bali, those in brown are in Lombok. Destinations shown in bold are bemo stations where you can connect with another service. (Bracketed figures) denote approximate travel times between towns. The destinations from a particular bemo station are not necessarily serviced by a single route - this information is for general planning purposes only. Tegal Terminal (Denpasar) - Ubung Terminal
(10min) - Kereneng Terminal (Denpasar) (20min) - Kuta (25min) - Sanur
(25min) - Ngurah Rai Airport (35min) - Nusa Dua (35min). Sweta - Lembar (for ferry to Bali) (30min)
- Praya (30min) - Pemenang (for Gili Isles) (50min) - Pomotong (for Tetebatu)
(1hr 15min) - Labuhan Lombok (for ferry to Sumbawa) (2hr) - Bayan (for
Mount Rinjani) (2hr 30min). Finally There is a useful transport page for Lombok to be found Click Here Copyright © Travel Forums Org "Real information & help for transport to / within Bali & Lombok."
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