Transportation Modes

Major points of interest on this 70km long by 45km wide island are easily accessible within a day’s journey of Kuta, Sanur, Ubud, Nusa Dua, or Denpasar, using a variety of transports. The shortest distance by road between the island’s north and south and between the eastern and western tips is only around 200 km. Tourists congregate in the bottom eighth of the island while most of Bali’s 5,000 square kilometers of back country remain rural, traditional, and nearly unspoiled.

There are many modes of transport to help you “Jalan Jalan” your way around Bali. Walking is still one of the best ways to see Bali. You’ll be close to the action. Don’t forget a sun hat and a bottle of water. If you’re walking in Kuta be wary of the undulating footpaths and open access holes placed every meter or so in the footpath. Every so often, the access holes are left open or the lid is broken, which can result in a nasty fall especially at night.

Next to walking, the best ways to travel are by the ‘bemo’ and minibuses, which can’t be beat for speed, mobility, economy, and firsthand contact with the people. On public minibuses, you can get from one end of the island to the other for less than Rp5000.

The public transport system in Bali can virtually take you anywhere you want to go but slowly. Buses and ‘bemos’ are often over-crowded and hot and are recommended for short trips only. They do have the redeeming factor of being very cheap! Wait by the side of the road and one will inevitably pass by for you to flag down to stop. Get down where you want, by loudly saying “STOOOOOPP!” ‘Bemos’ generally cater for local traffic routes not tourist routes, but you can charter empty ‘bemos’ for a higher price.

Bicycles are available but bear in mind heavy traffic in Kuta, Legian and Denpasar. Bicycles are ideal in Ubud and the countryside if you’re fit. A few companies offer mountain biking excursions.

Or you can flag down a taxi, or hop on the back of a motorcycle on just about any street corner. Metered taxis are readily available at very reasonable prices. There is a minimum charge of Rp.4,000 flag fall and you can book by phone. If the driver is hesitant to put on the meter, insist or change taxis.

Small sailing craft (‘jukung’) are popular with marine enthusiasts for exploring near the shore and inside a reef. ‘Dokar’, horse-drawn carts holding three to six passengers, are an expensive way to jog through Denpasar (Rp2000 for a one- to two-km ride). Settle the price before climbing in. Unfortunately, these picturesque contraptions are on the verge of extinction.

A variety of excellent half-day, full day and overnight tour packages are available from your hotel desk or any of the numerous travel agents and tour operators, which abound in Bali. If you want a quick introduction to the island, join one of the many guided tour groups. Or you can find a car and driver who will also act as your guide. There are also taxis and motorcycles for rent.

Vehicles for Rent in Bali

Hundreds of hotels, restaurants, travel agencies, and freelancers in all the tourist areas rent four-wheeled vehicles, priced according to the type, age, and condition of vehicle. There are basically two types of arrangements: hiring a car with a driver or driving the car yourself. In both kinds of rental, the price includes unlimited mileage and the cost of gas is your responsibility.

Drawbacks are the vehicle’s environmental impact, the barrier that the vehicle places between you and the Balinese. You may cut an outing short because you’re paying as much as US$35 per day, your weakened bargaining position if you arrive at a hotel or a shop in a rented vehicle, parking difficulties, and the need to return the vehicle to the place you rented it from. You also may not take a rental car across to Java unless you have prior written permission from the owner. You may, however, park your car in Gilimanuk and pay a guard Rp10,000 to keep his eye on it.

Be flexible. It may well be easier just to rent, especially for a short distance, one of the small, ubiquitous ‘bemo’, particularly if there are no other cars or taxis around. Most ‘bemo’ drivers are quite willing to go anywhere on the island for the same amount they normally make hauling passengers.

Normally vehicles rent for Rp45,000-60,000 per day, but discounts are given for longer rentals. It’s possible to rent a vehicle for a month for as low as Rp25,000 per day or Rp750,000 per month, and you may even be able to negotiate one for longer for even less. Another tack is to ask for one day’s free rent for every week you rent or one week’s free rent for every month your rent. You also have to pay for insurance (around Rp75,000 per month) which the owner of the vehicle can arrange (see below).

Suzuki Jimnys normally rent for Rp30,000-40,000 per day if you rent them for one to three days, cheaper if you rent for four to seven days, cheaper still for 15-30 days. These compact cars with low gear ratio, high wheel base, low gas mileage, and small size are very popular, though at times they can feel a bit cramped and vulnerable-a top heavy tin can with a souped up motorcycle engine. More expensive and safer are ‘Kijangs’ (Rp60,000 and up per day) and Panthers (diesel, Rp70,000 and up per day). If you head off the beaten track up country roads, hire a Land Cruiser (Rp100,000 per day), most easily obtained through a travel agent.

New air-conditioned Suzuki four-wheel-drive jeeps can be had for Rp50,000-55,000 per day. If you want to cover long distances, a four-wheel drive vehicle or a gutsy Katana is the way to go. Japanese compacts like Mazda sedans go for Rp50,000-65,000 per day, depending on condition. A jeep-like, a/c Toyota Kijang, with enough room to hold five to six people plus luggage, costs at least Rp60,000 per day for one to three days, Rp57,000 for four to seven days, Rp55,000 for eight to 14 days, Rp52,000 for 15-30 days.

Families may consider renting a Mercedes Benz RV for about US$150 per day. This is a traveling, full a/c, deluxe, self-contained motor home equipped with a 220 volt generator, water tank, comfortable beds, bathroom, small washing machine, spin dryer, entertainment center, sink, bed linen, stove, oven, kitchen utensils, chemical toilet, hot water shower, microwave, toaster oven, refrigerator. Sleeps six adults. Comes with driver and guide who sleep outside for added security. You can take it out of Bali. Contact Nirwana Cottages in Candidasa (tel. 62361-36136, fax 35543).

Rental Agencies
There are at least 200 rental agencies on Bali. You’ll see sign all over advertising cars for rent with rates posted. The Kuta/Legian/Tuban Beach area has the largest selection of rental places. It’s cheaper to rent a car here than in Candidasa, Lovina, or Ubud. Shop or call around to get the best rate. Rent a car in the south for a good daily rate, then drive it all over the island. Also, if you’re going to be on Bali for a time, hire a vehicle at a high rate for a day or two, then use it to find a vehicle for a lower rate.

The big guys, Hertz and Avis, are here but are so expensive they’re not even worth considering. Instead, stick with locally based agencies. Your first choice should be Bali Car Rental (Jl. Bypass, P.O. Box 3382, Sanur, tel. 62361-288.550/-288.359, fax 288778). Though your corner rental shop may rent self-drive Jimnys for Rp35,000 per day, Bali Car Rental rents them for Rp55,000 per day but offers a number of advantages. One is that the cars are delivered on request to your hotel, villa, or to the airport. Another is good insurance coverage. While most rental agencies carry insurance liability up to Rp1 million, this outfit insures up to Rp10 million, which covers not only what you do to other people but injuries you do to yourself. And they actually make good on the claims. The longer your rent, the deeper the discount they give: 15% for four to six days, 20% for seven to nine days, 22% for 10-13 days, 25% for 14-20 days, 27% for 21 days or more. The owner, Andre Reich, also rents Toyota Kijang for US$40 per day, Mitsubishi L300 Microbus for US$50, Toyota Crown for US$55, and Volvo 264 GL for US$65. The vehicles are not new but technically in good condition.

Andre Reich has been in the business for 24 years-the first to establish a rental agency on Bali. He also has offices in Yogya and Ujung Pandang, which means that you can rent a car in Bali and drive it to Yogya or Ujung Pandang and vice versa-the only car rental service that allows you to leave the island in your car. His office in Yogya is in front of Adisucipto Airport, P.O. Box 30 YKAP YOGYAKARTA, tel. 62274-62.548.

Another reliable agency on Bali is Giri Putra Car Rental, Jl. Raya Kuta 504, Kuta (tel. 62361-751.349/-753.470), which has a wide range of a/c Suzuki jeeps and Toyota Kijang, plus such luxury cars as Mercedes Benz, Honda Accords, and BMWs. Some of Kuta and Legian’s moneychangers have terrific deals too.

Driving Safely in Bali
Driving your rental car is the fastest and most convenient transport on Bali. This option also allows for the most freedom; you establish your own itinerary and decide how much time to spend at each site. Though obviously safer than motorcycles, cars must be driven with great caution. If you collide with a horse cart, with the help of the police you’ll have to negotiate a settlement with the owner more or less on the spot. Because the traffic is fast, erratic, and left-hand drive, driving is hair-raising unless you come from a left-hand drive country already. Toot your horn constantly to warn people and other vehicles of your approach. It’s better to be an asshole than to hit or be hit by someone.

An experienced driver for Rp15,000-20,000 per day extra might be the best investment you will ever make. He will know how better to handle the normally polite Balinese who seem to become possessed by demons with no regard for safety whenever they get behind the wheel. Add to this the lack of traffic discipline, indeterminable traffic rules, inadequate infrastructure, and atrocious traffic caused by the introduction of 15,000 new vehicles every month.

Before clinching a deal, always take it for a test drive before committing yourself. Make sure the vehicle’s emergency brake operates properly, check kilometer distances when following directions, and make sure the odometer works. Check the oil right off as the vehicle is often given to you empty of oil. Also check tread on tires (Bali’s roads can be rocky and potholed) and make sure the horn, wipers, and lights work. It’s got a cassette player, but does it work? Ditto for the air conditioning. It’s really scary not having seat belts; no rental vehicles come equipped with them even though you need them on Bali more than anywhere in the world.

If you’re going to tackle Bali’s mountains by car, do it in the daylight hours when it’s safer and when you can enjoy the scenery more. Honk your horn before the dangerous turns to let other drivers know you’re coming. As a rule, try to avoid driving at night because many bicycles, food carts, and horse-drawn conveyances don’t have any lights front or rear to warn you of their approach, not to speak of big piles of sand in the middle of the road and trucks with high beams heading straight for you.

Hiring a Driver
Along with doing without all the headaches involved in driving your own vehicle, there are other distinct advantages to hiring a driver. Comparing shops to find a driver, who can also serve as guide, i.e., provide some cultural/historic context to what you’re viewing. A good driver will also know of all the secret shortcuts in the back alleys of Kuta and Legian.

In some cases, depending upon where you are or who you rent the vehicle from, it can cost just as much to hire a vehicle with driver as it costs to hire a vehicle without. This might be the case, for instance, in hiring a vehicle from your home-stay owner who may have his eldest son do the driving just to keep you safe and protect his investment.

As a rule, however, count on it costing as much as Rp15,000-20,000 per day extra to have the services of a driver. For overnight tours, it will cost you another Rp20,000-40,000 because the custom is that you pay for the driver’s meals and accommodations. Or give him this as part of his per diem and let him cover his expenses himself. Hotels often have quarters and special meal set-aside for drivers.

One expense you won’t have is the daily cost of insurance as this is usually assumed by the rental agency when they rent out a car with driver. In the very least, you’d be required to carry less insurance than if you drive it yourself. Another advantage is that a driver will be responsible if anything mechanical goes wrong or if there’s a traffic violation or accident. Also a driver can guard your belongings inside the vehicle while you’re not there. In the Kintamani area, the locals may even disconnect your fuel pump in order to convince you that you need a mechanic.

A word of caution
A driver will probably get a commission for delivering you to a posh restaurant, gallery, or art shop. Don’t give in to all his suggestions, especially commercial ones. He also may think you are not able to eat anywhere but in a fancy overlook restaurant where you may end up paying an enormous amount (Rp25,000 and up per person). Suggest instead that you eat lunch in a local ‘warung’.

Rent a Car

If you’re feeling brave and have limited time or desire maximum flexibility may want to hire a car or minibus which you can hire with a driver or drive yourself. You can also hire motorbikes. Whilst walking about, you will be barraged with constant questions of “Transport, transport?” Competition is tight and many drivers know several languages. Tell the driver your desired route and negotiate a fee. Be wary of being taken to his “friend’s” restaurant or shop in which you may have no interest, so the driver can collect a commission for bringing you there!

You will need your license from your home country and an international driving license for renting a car and a special permit available at police stations for renting a motorbike. The rental company can help you obtain this, but it can take half a day of your precious holiday time. It is obligatory to wear a helmet although the helmets provided are usually no more useful if you were to don a plastic ice cream container on your head! Types of cars available are usually small jeeps or ‘Kijangs’ (larger car with room for 6 people).

You can fill up at any of the numerous government owned petrol stations or in more remote areas at stalls by the side of the road displaying bottles of clear liquid. The quality may not be as good as at the petrol station.

Due to the enormous growth of tourism, everyone speaks some English along the tourist routes, and you can get by quite adequately without Bahasa Indonesia. But even though more and more Balinese are learning English each year, if you venture into the rugged back roads of the island it might be difficult to even find people who speak passable Indonesian. Refer to the appendix for Indonesian phrases, which will help you, get around in the countryside of Bali.

Taxi in Bali

Hotel Taxis
There are several kinds of taxis. First there are sedans and vans without meters (private cars) that serve hotels. Usually parked in a line or in a parking lot outside the hotel, the concierge or the taxi desk calls them when needed. These are the most expensive: from a Nusa Dua Hotel like the Putri Bali to Kuta, this type of taxi charges Rp25,000 for up to five people. They can command so much because they have you captive. By contrast, on the return trip from Kuta to Nusa Dua, it will cost as little as Rp6000 in a metered taxi.

But if you want to go someplace cheap or fast, just walk outside the hotel gate to the nearest big street or intersection. There you can assume that virtually any car, truck, motorbike, or van that passes you is a taxi. Employees driving company vehicles on their way to and from hotels and other businesses will pick up tourists as a way to make a couple of thousand extra rupiah to supplement their meager wages.

Airport Taxis
Cousins to hotel taxis are the taxis that await arrivals at the airport. You must first buy a ticket from the taxi counter, then you’re assigned a taxi. The rates are all expensive and fixed: Kuta Rp8000, Legian Rp11,500, Denpasar Rp15,000, Sanur Rp17,000, Nusa Dua Rp17,500, Ubud Rp47,500.

Save money by walking 150 meters out of the domestic airport building to the intersection just outside the airport gate. Here you can catch cheaper public ‘bemo’ into Kuta for only Rp500 (plus Rp500 for a big suitcase or rucksack); they run until around 2000. Use the baggage cart right to the edge of the walkway, then just leave it and carry your gear the rest of the way to the intersection.

Yellow taxis aren’t allowed to pick up passengers inside the airport, but you can catch them on their way out (after dropping off their fare) if you wait outside the gate. Here a group of four can hire a taxi all the way to Ubud for as little as Rp28,000, which is less than the official fare and is the same as the minibus shuttle (Rp8000 each).

Taksi Kuning
The best deals, however, are metered radio taxis, which cruise the road all over southern Bali. There are now 300 ‘taksi kuning’ concentrated in southern Bali, although they can travel outside of southern Bali. The most popular outfit is Praja Taxi (Jl. Bypass Ngurah Rai, Blanjong, Sanur, tel. 62361-289.090/-289.191) or Praja Bali Taxi, (Jl. Bypass Nusa Dua 4, tel. 62361-701.621). Their Japanese cars are blue and yellow with a taxi sign on the roof. Just wait a couple of minutes and one will come by. Lines of them also wait at certain places outside the big tourist hotels of Kuta, Nusa Dua, and Sanur.

These ‘taksi kuning’ (yellow taxis) are very reasonably priced. Minimum fare at flag-fall is Rp900; most trips within Kuta/Legian are around Rp2000-4000. The fare from Kuta to Sanur is Rp5000-6000. From the Puri Ratih Hotel or the Bali Intan in Seminyak, the fare is only Rp6000 into Denpasar. An unmetered taxi driver will charge you at least Rp10,000 for this same trip. If you want to tip your driver for extra service or friendliness, give them only Rp500 per Rp2000 fare and they’ll be very happy.

The best thing about ‘taksi kuning’ is that you don’t have to hassle with the pushy, rude, and aggressive drivers of the cars and vans, which line the main streets of the tourist centers. ‘Taksi kuning’ are quite comfortable for up to three adults. Most of the drivers are friendly but usually speak little English. If you can speak Indonesian or if they can speak English, the drivers can be a rich source of local information and tips.

The drivers will almost always ask for the higher, unmetered fixed fare first, but always ask him to switch on his meter. When they say, “it’s up to you” it means that it could be really expensive and sometimes it could even get nasty. Also don’t let them charge you the “air conditioning rate.” There is only one, metered rate. When it’s raining, and between 1900 and 2100 in the evening, taxis are very busy and you may have to wait awhile. After midnight you usually have to agree to a fixed fare in order to find a taxi willing to take you.

Taxis are very useful for short distances, say between Legian and the airport (around Rp5000), but even for long-distance travel around Bali ‘taksi kuning’ are worth serious consideration. Let’s say that you go from Kuta via Sanur, let the car wait in Sanur an hour or two, then drive to your destination in Ubud. If you use it for six hours altogether, the fare should be about Rp8000-10,000 per hour by the meter. This is a vast improvement over bemo. These street robbers normally charge at least double the price of the metered taxis and have been known to ask for five or eight times the appropriate fare.

Yellow taxis should be patronized to keep rapacious private taxis from proliferating. They are so cheap in fact that jealous unauthorized, unofficial taxis beat the hoods of their cars and sometimes even hit the drivers when they try to pick up fares along Jl. Legian and at Bemo Corner in central Kuta. Moreover, taxis often don’t dare to wait for fares in front of the Double Six and Gado-Gado nightclubs because they are chased away by ‘bemo’ drivers who demand two or three times more for their service than a taxi would charge.

Buses, Bemo and Isuzu

Cheapest public transports on Bali are full-size buses. These rare local beasts, such as the ones from Gilimanuk or Amlapura, can be excruciatingly slow (28 stops in one hour!) but excellent for drinking in and experiencing Balinese village life. Nowadays, the biggest buses on the island are used by tour operators and are always painted white. In 1994, 10 French tourists died and 17 required emergency evacuation from Bali when a bus rolled over and down a 200 meter slope at Kintamani.

However, and somewhat sadly, these big lumbering, crowded public buses are giving way everywhere to the blue Isuzu vans. Hundreds of Isuzu’s head to every district of the island from Denpasar’s main terminals. They are more expensive, faster, and offer better views than regular ‘bemo umum’ (public bemo) or smaller minibuses.

Multitudes of ‘bemo umum’ run along the roadways of Bali at a steady rate and, when approaching the cities, in constant streams. Fares range from Rp500 to Rp5000. Both kinds of ‘bemo’ leave when they’re full. Frequency of service slows down in the afternoons. ‘Bemo’ hold a sacred place in Balinese traffic because they can stop anywhere anytime without signaling, including at curves and intersections. Potholes here can also assume mind-boggling proportions.

Every town and village on Bali has a ‘bemo’ station, sometimes a 10 meter space under the only shady tree. Larger towns and cities have several ‘bemo’ terminals serving destinations in different directions. To go from one end of Bali to another, it’s often necessary to go through at least two of Denpasar’s bus/’bemo’ terminals. The most important terminal on the whole island for public transport to the main tourist points is Terminal Batubulan, 10km northeast of Denpasar.

Bus/Bemo Stations
There are at least five main bus/’bemo’ stations in Denpasar, with more opening up every year. Smaller minibuses (also called Colts) also leave from these stations. Terminal Ubung (on Jl. Cokroaminoto, the main road northwest of Denpasar) is for Isuzu and ‘bemo’ to the west and north: Tabanan Rp1000, Mengwi Rp1000, Kediri Rp1000, Negara Rp2500, Tanah Lot Rp1500, Sangeh Rp1200, Gunung Batukau Rp1500, Gilimanuk Rp5000, and Singaraja Rp5000.

Terminal Kereneng (east of Denpasar off Jl. Hayam Wuruk) serves mainly as a central drop-off point between Denpasar’s bus/’bemo’ terminals. From here to Terminal Batubulan it costs Rp500, Terminal Batubulan (east of town just before the village of Batubulan on the road to Gianyar) is the hub for points east and north: Sanur Rp800, Mas Rp1000, Ubud Rp1500, Tampaksiring Rp1200, Gianyar Rp1500, Klungkung Rp1500, Candidasa Rp3000, Amlapura and Tirtagangga Rp3500, Padangbai (where ferries leave for Lombok) Rp3000, Amlapura Rp2000; also Bangli Rp1000, Ubud Rp2000, Bedugul Rp3000, Tampaksiring and Penelokan Rp3000, Kintamani and Singaraja Rp5000.

Isuzus from Terminal Suci (near the intersection of Jl. Hasanudin and Jl. Diponegoro) to Benoa cost Rp800 (be ready for traffic jams); intercity buses also leave from Suci. Buses from Terminal Tegal (southwest of Denpasar, near the intersection of Jl. Imam Bonjol and Gunung Wilis, on the road to Kuta) take you to points south like Kuta Rp900, Legian Rp1000, the airport and Tuban Rp1000, Nusa Dua Rp1000, and Terminal Kereneng Rp500. Finally, Wangaya Bemo Station has blue minibuses to all northerly directions in Badung, including Carangsari, Peteng, and Sangeh.

Shuttle Buses
Shuttle services specifically organized to cater to tourists and travelers now operate to all the most popular tourist destinations on Bali. Along the main drags of tourist resorts you’ll find signboards advertising rates, destinations, and departure times. The service is generally overpriced (i.e., Candidasa to Singaraja Rp8000, Singaraja to Ubud Rp7500, Kuta to Ubud via Sanur Rp8000, etc.) but undeniably convenient.

Shuttle buses are sometimes just as crowded as the public Isuzu buses. At other times there may be only one or two other passengers. They depart at regular intervals on a fixed schedule traveling a standard route; from Kuta to Ubud they run at least six times daily, to Bedugul and Lovina at least three times daily.

There are shuttles from Sanur to Nusa Lembongan Island for Rp17,500 (leaving 1030 and 1615), from Ubud to Nusa Lembongan for Rp22,500 (leaving 0700, 1000, 1600), and from Lovina to Nusa Lembongan for Rp35,000 (leaving 0700, 1300). There are even shuttles running from Kuta to Gili Trawangan on Lombok for around Rp25,000, which includes bus transfer to Padangbai (east Bali), ferry across the Lombok Strait, bus transfer on Lombok from Lembar to Bangsal and again ferry to Gili Trawangan. They also operate buses to Sumbawa farther east.

The most efficient, widely available transport service is Perama. Pick up one of their brochures which gives the addresses and phone numbers of their offices in Kuta, Sanur (tel. 62361-287594), Ubud (tel. 62361-96316), Candidasa (tel. 62366-41.114/-41.115), Lovina (tel. 62362-41.161), Padangbai (tel. 62366-41.419), Kintamani, Bedugul (tel. 62361-21191), and Lombok. They are on time, fast, usually quite comfortable, radio-linked, and part of a vast and well-organized network. Their head office in Kuta is Jl. Legian 20 (tel. 62361-751.551/-751.875,fax 751551). In Ubud, one of their agents is Rona’s, Jl. Tebesaya 23 (tel. 62361-975.120). Always try to book the day before. Show your old ticket or your member’s card for a 10% discount.

Shuttle buses pick you up at your hotel, go direct to the hotel or destination of your choice, and make few stops in between. Sure, you can do it for a few dollars cheaper, but it will be much more complicated and time-consuming. If you want to go from Lovina to Ubud, for example, you’d have to take a ‘bemo’ into Singaraja, from there an Isuzu to Denpasar, change to a ‘bemo’ to Batubulan Terminal, then board another Isuzu to Ubud. It will take you five hours as opposed to two and half-hours on a shuttle. Public transport from Ubud to Denpasar is also complicated. First to Batubulan, then another ‘bemo’ across town to Kereneng, then Tegal, then Kuta-in all four ‘bemo’ and approximately two hours. The shuttle takes only one and half-hours and costs around Rp8000.

Another type of shuttle service operates from Bali’s starred hotels to the nearest shopping center, town, or the airport. Seats must be reserved; both outbound and inbound, in order to make sure you have a seat. Convenient pickup spots, such as in front of The Bounty on Kuta Beach, are arranged. These courtesy shuttles leave as often as 12 times per day, sometimes from 0500 right up until 2000.

Bemo
Very convenient are ‘bemo’; small, Indonesian-made, canopied camper-like trucks designed to carry up to 12 people that sputter to every corner of the island as well as around the town centers. The game of chicken has reached state-of-the-art in Indonesia, so the ‘bemo’ drivers drive like maniacs. There used to be even scarier, smaller, cheaper three-wheeled ‘bemo’ called ‘bemo roda tiga’, but these have been put out of business.

Nowadays ‘bemo’ can also mean any public vehicle smaller than a full-size bus which takes paying passengers. Even the long blue Isuzu vans, which can hold up to 20 people, are now loosely called ‘bemo’. One unique feature of the smaller variety is that they can stop on a dime to pick up and drop off passengers and goods at any point along the road.

Disadvantages of these four-wheeled vehicles are that they are invariably crowded, may pose security risks (see “Warning,” below), have uncertain departure times, become scarce at around 1700 (depending on where you are), and usually stop running altogether shortly after sundown.

As evening approaches, you need to start thinking about getting back to where you came from or else you might get hung up and be forced to charter a ‘bemo’ at an exorbitant cost. Always allow plenty of daylight for your return trip. For example, if you want to get back to Ubud, make sure you get the last Isuzu that leaves Amlapura at around 1600.

The public transportation system on Bali is now so extensive and efficient that you can go virtually anywhere worth going to by ‘bemo’ on day trips from Denpasar, Ubud, or Singaraja. In the terminals, driver’s assistants often usher you physically by the arm to the ‘bemo’. This they do to everyone-don’t be offended.

Enter the vehicle from the side. Be prepared to step over sacks of rice, trussed chickens, and bundles of copra. The prime seat for sightseeing is beside the driver, where up to two passengers may sit. When someone vacates this shotgun seat, hop up front and grab it; the scenery is better and it’s cooler than in the back.

Many ‘bemo’ and Isuzus have internal buzzers which you use when you near your destination. Otherwise, tap lightly on the window or shout STOP! The drivers and assistants know where to let you off in order to make with your next ‘bemo’ connection.

Destinations are usually posted on front or side signboards on the vehicle. There could be many different spellings for the same place. If the ‘bemo’ is coming from the north or east, the sign will say Denpasar, but it will actually mean it is headed for Batubulan; most of them don’t enter Denpasar proper.

If there’s no direct service from one village to another, you may have to do it in stages. For example, if you want to go from Ubud to Gianyar, get to the Sakah intersection first (Rp500), then flag down another ‘bemo’ the rest of the way (Rp1000), or just hitchhike whatever comes by. It’s always cheaper to go direct to a destination than to do it in segments.

Chartering a Bemo
A whole ‘bemo’ can be chartered between five or six people in the off-season for as little as Rp40,000-45,000 per day (from 0800 to sunset). In the tourist season, the same ‘bemo’ might cost Rp50,000-65,000. But no need to pay for insurance or for a driver’s license. You also get to use the driver and sometimes even an assistant, free. They know their way around, particularly if you need to do errands in the city. They can also be useful translating from Balinese into Indonesian, or for carrying things.

Smaller, older ‘bemo’ are cheaper to hire than larger, newer ones. You can easily find ‘bemo’ and minibuses for rent because touts and drivers are always asking if you want transport. Or you can simply go to a station and ask around. Try to deal directly with the drivers (‘sopir’) and not an intermediary. Because there aren’t as many idle ‘bemo’ in the mornings, you can bargain for a less expensive rate in the afternoon when you are better able to play one ‘bemo’ driver off against another. Make it clear who pays for gas; if you pay, then you should get a lower rate.

A small group may also hire a ‘bemo’ for one-way trips direct to your destination. This saves hassles and actually costs less than if you were to hire a car, although the cost of a metered taxi could be quite competitive with a ‘bemo’. You can stop and shop, take photos, eat, take a walk-it’s all included in the day price of the ‘bemo’.

How do you know what to pay for one-way trips? Since ordinary ‘bemo’ carry an average of 12 people, simply multiply 12 by the normal single fare for the route to come up with a ballpark figure that initiates the bargaining. For example, since a ‘bemo’ from just outside the airport to Kuta is normally Rp500 per passenger, Rp6000 is roughly what a group of 12 would pay. Any stops you make along the way-even for a mere two minutes to buy a Coke-are inevitably charged extra. The price you pay also depends on how far you want to go.

If you’re concerned about getting back from an outing, consider asking the ‘bemo’ to wait at your destination. You may have to pay for the petrol for the return trip anyway, and the waiting surcharge isn’t that much. In some cases, if you don’t arrange to have the ‘bemo’ wait, you might have trouble finding another for the return trip, especially if it’s late in the afternoon or if it’s from a remote place.

Warning
On Bali, thefts on ‘bemo’ do occur. Once confined to the Denpasar area, “robber bemo” occasionally cruises the roads looking for unwary travelers. Once onboard, several aggressive pickpockets crowd around to intimidate, distract, or confuse the traveler while compatriots rifle through his gear and pockets. They often use a painting or a parcel to hide their treachery. Be particularly on guard on the Denpasar-Ubud route. Bona fide ‘bemo’ have yellow-black license plates instead of the black-white ones of private vehicles. Watch for this as it’s a way to distinguish real ‘bemo’ from private robber ones.

Public Transport Costs and Overcharging
For public transport, a rough guide would be about Rp75-100 per kilometer. Within the city limits of Denpasar, Singaraja, Amlapura, and all other towns, ‘bemo’ rides should cost no more than Rp500. From terminal to terminal, the fare is also Rp500-no matter what the city. ‘Bemo’ prices for short distances in the country outside of Denpasar are always cheaper (for example, Rp300 compared to Rp500 for two to four km).

Operated by hundreds of independent contractors, you may also be overcharged in Denpasar and Kuta where the ‘bemo’ drivers and their assistants are some of the most ‘kasar’ on Bali and refuse to haggle (the fare from Denpasar to Kuta should be no more than Rp1000). They take full advantage of your ignorance, so you must constantly exercise your bargaining powers. Catch them at it, and then have a laugh together over it.

If it turns ugly, then you have to take other measures. For example, a reader reported that a ‘bemo’ driver tried to charge her Rp10,000 for a Rp900 ride. She warned him that she would report him to the special office which issues ‘bemo’ licenses, and they were scared to death. If they try to overcharge you a preposterous amount, suggest that you go to the police station (‘stasiun polisi’) to settle the matter.

The tourist office has a list or can make a list of ‘bemo’ fares. After awhile you develop a sense of what you should pay, a feeling that a Rp500 ‘bemo’ ride is really worth only Rp300. When you’re traveling with a large backpack or bicycle on a ‘bemo’ or minibus, you’re expected to pay another full adult fare. This is only fair as your baggage does take up another place and they lose out on a fare.

Know what the correct price is on the public ‘bemo’ by asking other passengers the standard fare (‘harga biasa’), watch what other passengers are paying and then pay the same, or confirm the correct fare with your ‘losmen’ owner or officials at bus/’bemo’ terminals. Public transport costs are also posted on the bulletin boards of tourist information centers like the one near Ubud’s main intersection.

If you pay too little, you’ll be told in no uncertain terms. Sometimes the Balinese passengers are helpful regarding telling you the regular price; other times there are knowing smiles and a certain collusion with the ‘bemo’ driver since everyone knows that tourists are rich and can afford to pay more.

Driver’s assistants never seem to have the correct change. Always have the exact change ready because you don’t want to show your money to pickpockets. Pay at the end of the journey. Don’t get out of the ‘bemo’ or cab without receiving your correct change first. Oh, and don’t get into an empty ‘bemo’ without making it clear that you don’t want to charter!

On big religious holidays ‘bemo’ drivers frequently raise the price. Also, there’s often a day price and a night price; the night price is sometimes double the day price. Ordinarily it costs Rp500 between Kuta and Legian, but at night it could be as much as Rp1000. The later it is, the less bargaining power you have and the more expensive the fare will be.

Motorcycling

Motorcycles are widely available for rent at the beach resorts and inland tourist centers. They are the easiest to rent in Kuta, Legian, and Seminyak. Though motorbikes may appear to be the best transport, they often prove more trouble and expense than they are worth. Intrusiveness in quiet villages, pollution, and breakdowns all go against them.

You also have to worry about gasoline (Rp750 and up per liter), oil money, as well as parking fees (Rp100-200) at nearly every tourist site and even in front of popular restaurants and nightclubs. The law about wearing a helmet (usually a plastic bowl with a flimsy safety strap) seems almost forgotten, but the possibility of serious injury in an accident becomes much more serious without one. Still, motorcycles provide one of the cheapest and most convenient ways to get around the island. Within 30 minutes, the machine can catapult you into the remote countryside where you are the only Westerner for kilometers around. You can travel all the way from Kuta to Singaraja in just one day on a motorcycle, though that’s rushing it. You can stop anywhere at anytime.

The ideal season for motorcycling is the dry season (May-Sept.). If you already have an International Driver’s License with a motorcycle endorsement, you’re covered. If you don’t, you’ll need a special Balinese driver’s license (see “Driving Practicalities,” below). Before setting off, be sure to ask for the bike’s registration papers (‘STNK’) in case you get stopped randomly by the cops.

Average size engines are 100 and 110cc. You certainly don’t need anything faster because you can’t open it up on these roads anyway. All the familiar Japanese brands are available, for the most part conventional one-stroke shift bikes. A bit more difficult to find but easier to drive are the fully automatic 70cc and 80cc models (Indonesians call them ‘bebek’) with automatic starting and clutch and gas tank under the seat; just insist upon one and one will show up sooner or later. There’re even a few tanks around like the four-stroke 225cc Mercy model by Kawasaki, as well as popular Vespa motor scooters. The latest craze, obnoxious trail or dirt bikes, are able to command up to Rp150,000 per week in the mistaken belief that these machines are better able to handle Bali’s backcountry roads.

Rental
The cost of hiring a motorcycle depends on your bargaining skills, which season it is, and how badly the owner wants money. The more powerful and newer the machine, the higher the rate; the longer the rental period, the lower the rate. The usual price for a 75cc, 100cc, or 125cc motorbike in the off-season is from Rp10,000 to Rp12,000 per day or Rp50,000 to Rp75,000 per week. Rental charges rise when the Europeans and Australians arrive in numbers in July-Aug. and Dec.-January. During this busy season, it climbs to Rp15,000 or even Rp18,000 per day or as much Rp100,000 per week, paid in advance. Many renters give one free day for each week you rent the bike. Gas is your expense.

In Kuta and Sanur you’ll be approached by guys offering to rent their bikes. Restaurants, shops, and travel agencies in all the tourist enclaves will also advertise motorbikes for rent. Ask around. Start making inquiries with your home-stay owner or hotel bartender, houseboy, or driver. (Three Brothers Inn in Legian is a good place to rent bikes.) If you rent direct from an owner, you won’t have to pay a commission to a go-between or rental agent. Also consider renting from a motorbike repair shop. Their bikes may be in better condition than private rentals. They are also better able to keep up with the maintenance and can service their machines if anything goes wrong.

Be wary of being overcharged for a faulty bike. Anyone renting a motorcycle for a week or more should first test-drive it for a day at the day rate, looking for any bugs that may appear. If anything is remiss, take it back to the owner and ask him to fix it before you clinch the deal for a longer period. Some of these flaws could be either very irritating, dangerous, or both. Check the lights, battery, oil, cables, clutch, turn signals, horn, and especially the tires. Pay extra for safety. Do everything you can to give yourself that added margin of safety. You’ll need it.

Tips
Get into your motorcycle bubble and make the bubble very big. Lessen the likelihood of an accident by driving with your light on in the daytime to let everyone know you’re coming. Remember to drive on the left side of the road and obey international traffic signs. Wear clothing and good shoes to protect your skin if you fall off and to keep you warm and dry if you’re going over the central mountains. Don’t forget sun block. One of the biggest dangers to motorcyclists is Bali’s black dogs wandering invisibly into the street at night and jamming up the machine’s front wheel.

Be aware of the White-Boy-on-a-Motorcycle phenomenon. It doesn’t matter that you’re doing everything the Balinese do-like driving pell-mell across a crowded intersection-the cop is likely to flag you over, confiscate your registration, and ask you to come to the police station the next morning to pick it up. This is just graft and prejudice. Just ignore the cop’s gesture and keep going, or refuse to pay it without a hearing, or accept a reprimand with a Rp10,000 “fee.”

Bicycling

If you stay well clear of the main population centers, and know the best roads, long-distance cycling on Bali can be very satisfying and exhilarating. For most of the island’s 2.7 million people, still the most common means of transport is the bicycle. A bicycle is a consistently good icebreaker and conversation piece in making you welcomed by the Balinese. It puts you in contact with the sights, sounds, and smells of the villages. It’s a great way to enjoy the beautiful landscape and meet friendly people.

Although the ride up is a grueling challenge, as you wheel effortlessly down the slope of a volcano for 40 kilometers, your heart goes out to the poor sightseers trapped inside their air-conditioned tour buses. You’ll be able to hear the rustling of the wind through the paddies, the laughter of the children, the thumping of women pounding rice. A chorus of “Hello turis!” and “Hello Mister!” rains down upon you at every village and schoolyard.

Although the main thoroughfares are heavily trafficked, the island is crisscrossed with an extensive network of narrow, pockmarked secondary roads with relatively light, though constantly increasing, four-wheel traffic. These byways reach every corner of the island; Nelles Verlag’s Bali map will guide you off the main roads. Being Indonesia’s foremost tourist island, good maps are available and the sign posting is adequate. Unexpected vignettes greet you at every turn.

Count on covering about 15 km an hour in flat country. Your most formidable challenges are the hills, the heat, and riding on the left-hand side of the road. Traffic (cars, trucks, and buses) is hectic and extremely unstructured. It can be rather dangerous at times to pedal around town amidst the ‘oplet’, trucks, and Toyota carryalls.

One idea is to put your bike into a vehicle you’ve rented and take it far into the country or high into the mountains. The person you rented it from will show you how to break it down by using the quick releases on the wheels and loosening the brake cable. Take the wheels off and it will easily fit into the back of a ‘kijang’. When you get to your destination, park your vehicle in a safe place where someone can look after it, then just set off.

Don’t carry a lot of gear; you can do a bicycle tour here with just a couple of changes of clothes because the distance between local accommodations is always less than a day’s ride. There’s no need for cooking equipment because cheap roadside ‘warung’ are frequent. If using a bicycle for short errands, the carrier racks (‘bagase’) over the rear fenders of the local bikes are quite adequate for carrying your shoulder bag or knapsack, fastened with a couple of shock cords.

Be sure to wear a helmet whenever you’re riding. Carry enough plastic Aqua (drinking water) containers, as dehydration can be a serious danger in the tropical heat. If you’re taking on a volcano, you need to drink at least two liters a day. Whenever the cycling gets too difficult, just flag down a passing ‘bemo’ or bus and throw your bike on the roof. It’ll usually cost you just one additional passenger’s fare.

Be sure to bring your bike inside accommodations at night; rip-offs are common and you could easily pay up to Rp150,000-250,000 for a lost rented bike. Many local bikes are equipped with a claw-like key lock, which locks around the wheel and guards against petty theft but not against the determined bicycle thief.

Bringing Your Own Bike
If you’re an ardent cyclist, or intend to cover some distance, you should consider taking your own bike. Airlines are surprisingly lenient about accepting bikes as luggage. If you only have one other checked piece of luggage, boxed bicycles may be checked on Garuda’s domestic and international flights at no extra charge; if they want to play by the rules there could be a US$100 extra charge. Qantas offers a similar service.

For serious touring, a thoroughly robust 100% reliable touring or mountain bike with low gearing for the steep grades is recommended. High-tech 10- or 21-speed parts and tools will prove difficult to obtain in Bali, so bring your own. Also bring at least one spare tube and tire, as well as a pump and a couple of extra spokes. Avoid bikes with skinny one-inch and 1.125-inch tires; 1.25 inch or 1.375-inch are stronger and more shock absorbing.

Bring the best-quality, strongest back panniers because they will take a lot of punishment. Tires and tubes are available in Denpasar’s bike shops in all the usual sizes. A critical accessory is a horn or loud bell. A heavy-duty hacksaw-proof steel cable lock or a solid U-lock (like a Kryptonite or Citadel) offers maximum security.

Renting and Buying a Bicycle
Bali has hundreds of bicycle rental places-either full-blown rental shops or the owner of the home-stay’s son will rent you his bike. Bicycles can also be rented at the various hotels and home-stays. The dilemma is finding a machine that works, particularly one suited for an extended tour of the island.

Check out your bike carefully before you rent it. Take it on the road for half a day. Most are inadequate, dilapidated one-speed junkers with uncomfortable seats and without reflectors, lights, or good brakes. These sorry specimens (called ‘kumbang’) rent for only Rp2500-3500 per day, cheaper by the week or month (about Rp2000 per day). The fewer the bikes they have left, the higher the rental fee. Ten-speed bikes are now widely available and rent for Rp6000-8000 per day. Twenty-one speed mountain bikes (Rp8,000-10,000 per day), enabling you to tackle almost anything, are the latest rages.

Ask your ‘losmen’ proprietor which rental places carry the newest bikes. Try getting the owner to deduct the costs of improving the bike. For example, instead of paying the full amount in cash, ask if you can buy a new padded seat (Rp10,000-15,000) to replace the old one and discount it from your rental fee.

Another approach, especially if you’ll be here for several months, is to offer to purchase a new or new used bike and improve it if the bike shop will agree to buy it back when you leave for 20-25% less than what you initially paid. You can buy a used, sturdy English-made three-speed for around Rp200,000, spend another Rp30,000-35,000 upgrading it, then when you leave a month later re-sell it to the same shop for perhaps Rp150,000. This works out to a very reasonable per day rental cost-and for a good, well-equipped bike!

Bicycle Check
Volcanoes offer unbelievably steep climbs and dizzying descents. Never go into the mountains without good brakes. Both front and rear brakes must be able to stop your bike alone while riding downhill in case one of the brakes fails. Brake shoes (‘karet rem’, Rp500 a pair) should be symmetrically positioned and show plenty of rubber. The best test is whether or not either brake can stop your bike and hold it while you push forward with all your might.

Before renting or buying, turn the bicycle upside down and spin the wheels to see if the rims have any deep rust spots, which could cause the wheel to buckle under stress. Observe the wheel as it passes by the brake shoe; if it wobbles noticeably, have it trued. Also, examine carefully for loose or broken spokes.

Don’t rent or buy bikes with bald or soft tires (ban); the shop will promptly pump them up for you-but so will you every day after that. A bell (‘bel’) and light (‘lampu’) are essential. Spin the wheel with the generator (‘dinamo’) engaged to make sure that the light works. A back reflector (‘stopan’) is another important safety feature.

Lightly oil all moving parts before setting out each day, and check that all nuts and bearings are tight (seat, brake cables, hubs, etc.). Make sure that the gears change smoothly; there should be no grating sound from the gears and the chain while cycling. Handlebars should be one to two inches below the level of the saddle.

If your bicycle seat (‘sadal sepon’) is uncomfortable, so will you be during your whole tour. Buy a new soft, padded seat or at least a tie-on foam seat cover (Rp10,000) at any good bike shop. Adjust the seat so you can straighten your legs and touch both your feet on the ground, with one or two inches of clearance between your crotch and the crossbar.

Boats and Ferries

Bali has five harbors. Once the hub of Dutch shipping companies, the northern port of Buleleng along the waterfront in Singaraja is the oldest. Now this old, crumbling, picturesque port is no longer used by big ships because of its exposure to tropical storms. To the west, the newer port of Celukanbawang offers more protection and is Bali’s principal port, but its new jetty, port buildings, and sailors’ canteen seem nearly deserted. Check here for Bugis schooners heading for Sulawesi or East Kalimantan.

The port of Benoa, across the bay off the end of the airport runway, is a small boat harbor where foreign yachts moor. Take a canoe out and ask around for a ride or if they need another crewmember. The government-owned Pelni ships Kambua, Kerinci, and Umsini, which visit Bali on their various circuits, call at this port. The Pelni office is in Benoa, tel. 62361-228.962.

Padangbai, on the East Coast, handles marine traffic between Bali and the eastern islands. This small village, with its cheap accommodations and charming restaurants, is a pleasant place to stay a few days. From the port, board a ferry for Lembar on the neighboring island of Lombok to the east. Padangbai is also where cruise ships drop anchor when they call.

Finally, on the island’s westernmost point is the port of Gilimanuk, which receives vehicles, passengers, and cargo on ferries from Ketapang, East Java. See the Buleleng chapter for schedules and fares. If you take the last ferry across from Java, you arrive in Bali at first light to see the whole island come to life: mists lifting over tiered pagodas, ducks off to the fields under flags of herders, women yawning in doorways, pots boiling on early morning fires, lines of shadowy people going off to market.

Jukung
This sailfish-shaped craft may be hired to take passengers to offshore reefs to surf or snorkel, to take people from one of Bali’s offshore islands to another offshore island or to islands like Serangan, a short way from Desa Suwungan off Jl. Bypass. Swift and graceful, they are used primarily by the Balinese for fishing.

These Balinese ‘perahu’ are about five meters in length and one-half meter wide and can hold two to three passengers (takes two people to handle one). There are two models, the ‘penunggalan’ and the ‘pemelasan’, both of which are propelled by paddle or sail. Larger models, called ‘gede’ or ‘mesin’, utilize outboard motors.

Small and narrow enough to be hauled up on the beach, ‘jukung’ are equipped with a single outrigger for stabilization. The bow is in the shape of the mythological ‘gajamina’ (elephant-fish) with a long double trunk and big bloodshot eyes that supposedly see in the night.

Other Transportation Modes
One way to beat the traffic is to go by air! There are few companies who provide helicopters for joy rides or charter. Or go by boat. One ingenious individual who wanted to avoid and by-pass the flooded and jammed traffic chartered a boat from Benoa Harbor to Nusa Dua. It’s all possible in Bali.

Contracts
With all charters, it’s important that there be no misunderstandings. When chartering a bicycle for a day or two, since the amount is so low, you can just make a verbal agreement. But with a boat or vehicle you hire for two or more days in which a large amount of money is involved (Rp40,000 and up per day), it’s always best to write out an informal contract on a piece of paper or on the back of their business card. Have him write out the particulars in his handwriting: date, your name, the beginning and ending date of the charter period, and then have him or her initial it. Write this contract in English, as there will always be people around who can translate it back t o Indonesian. This will save you lots of misunderstandings that frequently and almost inevitably occur between tourists and Balinese service providers. With tour agencies or operators there is not so much of a need to draft a contract because the terms of the agreement are often spelled out in the tour agency’s literature.

Ojek
A handy method of motorcycle transport is ‘honda kap’ or ‘ojek’, in which you pay a driver for the privilege of riding on the back of his motorcycle to your destination. Though relatively expensive, this is one of the quickest and most convenient ways to travel short distances on Bali. This service is offered, for example, in Penelokan down to Lake Batur, from the north coast highway to Banjar hot springs or the Buddhist temple, and from the main Gianyar-Amlapura road up to the village of Tenganan.

But anywhere you see motorcycles and their riders gather, such as the start of country roads or at intersections, ‘ojek’ service is for the asking. How do you tell if it’s a professional ‘ojek’ driver? He will have an extra helmet dangling from the back seat of his bike. If you’re really stuck, approach a motorcycle or scooter owner for a ride anywhere, even though they don’t obviously give people rides for money. Or simply flag down a passing motorbike on the road-who knows, you may get the ride for free. Normally, the 20-km ride from say Sanur to Kuta costs about Rp8000. An ‘ojek’ ride from Kuta to Denpasar is Rp5000.

Hitching
Hitching on Bali is some of the best in Indonesia. Just stand out in the highway and hitch whatever comes by, including public transport. Even if you have to pay, it won’t be that much. Just give what you feel is a fair price, plus a little more. You may also get rides with tourists, mail and delivery trucks, aid workers, or motorcyclists.

The Balinese find it difficult to understand the concept of a Westerner (i.e., rich person) asking for a free ride, but don’t let their curious stares discourage you. More often than not, they will pull over since it’s the custom to flag down rides for which you pay a fare.

Driving Practicalities

Driver’s License To drive a car on Bali a valid Indonesian Driver’s License (SIM) or an International Driver’s License (IDL), carried as a supplement to your national driver’s license, is compulsory. You may get by with your national driver’s license with your picture on it, but not always. Since you can’t get an IDL on Bali, get one at your local Automobile Association (AAA in the U.S.A., US$8, valid for a year) before your trip.

If your IDL isn’t stamped for motorcycle operation, then you’ll need a Balinese Driver’s License. Not only is it fairly expensive to get a license but it’s also a hassle (takes a whole morning!). Technically, you have to be 21 to get a license for a car but only 17 to drive a motorcycle (though they don’t enforce it). The license is not good anywhere else in Indonesia.

Your ‘losmen’ owner or motorcycle owner can often take you through the assembly-line process of getting a license at the police station (Jl. Seruni, about a 15-minute walk from Kereneng, open Mon.-Sat. 0800-1200). Wear long pants and shoes. Applicants should also bring their passport, three passport photos, and their national driver’s license.

The license costs Rp52,500. Answers to the written multiple-choice test are: BCCACACCCCCCACBCABABAA. If you don’t know an answer, you can always ask the attendant what the question means and she’ll swiftly tell you the answer. You’ll also take a driver’s test (a figure eight on a little kiddy circle, dodging tin cans), get fingerprinted, and pay Rp2500 for forms.

If you fail either test, you’re allowed two more tries, and start paying all over again. On the books, the fine for driving a car lacking the required equipment or driving without a license is a hefty Rp250, 000, and to enforce it there are occasional roadblocks put up by police looking for some additional income.

Traffic Regulations
On an island where red lights are for decorative purposes only and the rule of the jungle states that the biggest vehicles have the right of way, one way the police have of encouraging people to drive safely is by mounting grisly wrecks of cars high on pedestals along dangerous sections of Bali’s highways. In a more orthodox attempt to cut down on road fatalities, Indonesia’s Traffic Act was enacted in 1992. The result was that many motorists now actually apply for driver’s licenses and papers to fully document their vehicle ownership.

Though these new traffic regulations have stimulated drivers to be more disciplined on the road; they have also prompted people to settle traffic violations with the police on the spot rather than in court. This practice of receiving ‘hadiah’ (gifts) constitutes a normal portion of income for lower-rank policeman.

Naturally, foreigners who are stopped for violations are asked considerably higher ‘hadiah’ than Indonesians. Thankfully, in the interest of promoting tourism, foreigners are rarely stopped. Since the system is intrinsically unfair, if you are waved to the side of the road, just pretend that you don’t see the wave. If you are stopped, don’t speak Indonesian, plead ignorance, and profess that you don’t know what the police officer is talking about. If you can’t get out of it, try paying just Rp10,000 (the minimum fine).

Insurance
The cost, whatever you end up paying per day, should include third party insurance and unlimited kilometers. Always ask that the per day vehicle rental rate includes insurance. Vehicular insurance costs anywhere from Rp10,000 to Rp17,000 per day extra, or about Rp80,000 per week. Most car rental companies carry coverage of one million rupiah with Rp100,000 deductible. Insurance covers damage, theft, and third-party liability, which will guarantee that the family of anyone you kill will get around US$700.

Agents won’t necessarily tell you about or voluntarily include insurance-you have to request it. If you are paying Rp25,000-35,000 for a Suzuki, chances are it is not covered. If you don’t take insurance, the rental agency may have you sign a waiver indemnifying them of any responsibility in an accident involving a third party.

If you hire a vehicle with a driver, insurance is automatically included in the rental fee. This could work out cheaper in the long run as insurance can cost up to Rp17,000 per day. Motorcycle insurance is priced according to engine size and length of rental time, i.e., Rp14,000 for a 110-125cc for one week; Rp17,500 for 135-225cc for one week.

Gasoline and Air
Called benzene or premium in Indonesian, petrol in Australia. Government-run Pertamina stations are found on the entire main roads and intersections of the island. In the south, the main stations are just outside of Kuta, on the road out of Denpasar at Tohpati, at Tanjung Bungkak on the Sanur-Denpasar road, at Suci in Denpasar, and at Ubung on the road to Tabanan.

Gas at stations will cost around Rp750 per liter; air in your tires around Rp500 (sometimes using a bicycle pump). Some stations, for example at Tanjung Bungkak and Kuta, have Super 98 (high-octane) gas. Always check gas prices at the pump because you could get ripped off for Rp10,000 or more. The attendants sometimes charge you for gas you never receive.

Roadside fuel vendors are also found all over rural Bali. Recognizable by the signs Solar (diesel) and Premium (gas), these mom-and-pop kiosks sell fuel out of 44-gallon drums for as low as Rp600 per liter. They fill your tank using a plastic pitcher and funnel. Rumor has it that they water down the gas, which causes your engine to sputter. Keep your gas tank full; sometimes, particularly at night, petrol supplies become scarce and/or high priced.

Repairs
Roadside repair shops (‘bengkel’), found in virtually every village, consist of a tarpolin-covered patch of oil-soaked dirt beneath a plastic tarp. Your squatting teenage mechanic, equipped with no more than an old hammer, screwdriver, pliers, and wrench, is able to disassemble an entire engine in the blink of an eye, leaving parts scattered everywhere. After soaking the nuts, bolts, and screws in gasoline (siphoned from your tank), he is able to put everything back in place in a matter of minutes.

Prices are very reasonable. Complete motorcycle or car tune-ups and engine adjustments run around Rp10,000-15,000 (less in the countryside). For a motorcycle, a flat tire at a tire-patching shop (‘pres ban dalem’) in the country costs Rp3500 to fix, but in Denpasar it’s more like Rp5000. In Kuta it’s Rp7500. One type of car repair place is called ‘Bengkel Ketok Magic’ in which the mechanic/magician takes your vehicle behind a tall gate, performs some rituals, and behold drives your vehicle out as good as new!

Roads Not to Be Missed
Get a hold of the Nelles Bali map and pick out one of the island’s hundreds of small back roads and go exploring. You’d be surprised at how many are paved. These lead through traditional villages going about their everyday routines and rituals. One beautiful road is from Ubud’s Bemo Corner to Tegallalang, looping around to Tampaksiring, then coming back via Petulu. It’s worth the airfare to Bali just to see this road, but hurry as some of the tour buses are doing it now. Another scenic country road is from Luwus to Petang/Sangeh. Feels like a million miles away from Kuta. On the way, visit the traditional market at Abiansemal just before Sangeh.

The highest road on Bali is the road to the north coast through Kintamani, which at one point is 1,646 meters above sea level. But if heading for the north coast, the road through Bedugul is faster, in better condition, and more scenic than the one through Kintamani. Another approach to the north coast is the stunning, little-known road from Antosari (about 42 km west of Tabanan) north to Pupuan. From Pupuan, the road twists down to Seririt on the north coast. This route passes perhaps the most spectacular rice field landscapes on the island, right through aromatic vanilla, clove, and coffee plantations.