Negotiable transport during your holiday in Bali

Often in tourist areas you'll be offered "transport, transport", and the rates are negotiable. But many of these cars are quite old. Radio, tape and even the air-conditioning are often out of order.

Transportation in Bali has always been cheap by any standards. The metered radio taxis start with a flag fall of 4,000 Rupiah, and your journey is billed at a further 2,000 Rupiah per kilometer. Most trips cost Rp 7,000 to 30,000. You should avoid taxis that refuse to use their meter or claim it is broken - they will try to cheat you. Generally speaking, the blue taxis are the most reliable.

"Although most drivers initially seem to be very friendly, some are real con artists and waste hours of your precious vacation bringing you to shops you never wished to visit - they want to earn a commission on your purchases," said I Ketut Sutjaja from Bali Tourism Board's staff to indo.com

He added that it's much more relaxing to have someone who knows his way around behind the wheel, rather than to drive yourself through Bali's traffic. You can fully enjoy the sights, don't have to worry about getting lost, and there's always somebody to watch the car and your belongings when you get out and look around.

If you have an International Driver's License, you can rent motorbikes from Rupiah 15,000 to Rupiah 35,000 per day, and five to ten year old self-drive cars (Jimny or Toyota "Kijang") cost from 90,000 Rupiah to 250,000 Rupiah per day. Newer models are more expensive, and luxury cars such as a Volvo limousine or a new Toyota "Land Cruiser" will cost US$150 to US$200 or even more per day.

Petrol is comparatively cheap. Premium leaded gasoline fluctuates between 1,450 Rupiah and 1,750 Rupiah per liter and Diesel (Solar) between 900 Rupiah and 1,550 Rupiah per liter.

How would you like to get around Bali, for practically pennies? Public transport, of course.

The official decree of the Governor of Bali divides general public transportation into four categories:

• Microlet
  This is the most common public transport. The vehicle is shaped like a van, with the back seats turned around so passengers face each other, allowing the vehicle to (maybe not so comfortably) seat over 10 people (including one or two on the front seat). Good for short distance, within the city of Denpasar, or to get you from places like Nusa Dua to Kuta to Sanur.
• Buses
  This is primarily for longer distance travel among the cities in Bali. You can go from Denpasar to Gilimanuk, the Western most city in Bali, by taking a bus. If you are going to Java by land, you will be taking this route as well (you can catch a direct bus for this).
• Non Bus Public Transport
  A strange category, we must say, but it serves to connect smaller cities not fully supported by buses (with some overlap).
• Modified Vehicles
  Yet another strange category, but it serves to connect even smaller cities, or villages.
  These are the preferred transportation of Balinese people themselves, so it is a great way to interact and socialize directly, without the pretext of tourism services or establishments. On some longer distance travels, be prepared to share your seats with chicken.

Here are the fare schedules for Buses and Microlets. (Fares in Rupiah. At the current rate of US$ 1 = Rp. 10,000.-, most fares are below 25 cents!)

Microlet Fare
No.	Routes	Distance (km)
1.	Krenceng - Kasiman - Batubulan	6,5
2.	Batubulan - Penatih - Ubud	11
3.	Batubulan - Gatot Subroto - Ubud	9,5
4.	Tabanan - Kediri - Taman Ayun	7
5.	Bangli - Guliang Kawan - Gianyar	9
6.	Gianyar - Sidan - Bangli	13
7.	Gianyar - Tampak Siring - Kayuambun	19
8.	Klungkung - Menanga	19
9.	Klungkung - Basaki	23
10.	Klungkung - Padangbai	19
11.	Klungkung - Ngis	23
12.	Klungkung - Sideman	12
13.	Suci - Kampus Lama - Kampus Bukit	26
14.	Terminal Ubud - Kapal - Munggu	22
15.	Terminal Ubud - Lukluk - Ab. Sema	22
16.	Terminal Gunung Agung - Pd. Sambian - Canggu	16
17.	Suci - Pesanggaran - Benoa - Nusa Dua	30

 

Bus Fares
No.	Routes	Distance (km)
1	Ubung - Tabanan - Negara - Gilimanuk	129
2	Ubung - Papuan - Sangaraja	113
3	Padangbai - Denpasar - Gilimanuk	187
4	Papuan - Denpasar - Klungkung	106
5	Papuan - Ubung	66
6	Dadapputih - Papuan - Denpasar - Klungkung	123
7	Dadapputih - Papuan - Ubung	83
8	Ubung - Tabanan	21
9	Ubung - Tabanan - Nagara	95
10	Selar - Denpasar - Tabanan - Nagara	158
11	Batubulan - Klungkung - Amiapura	74
12	Abang - Amiapura - Klungkung - Batubulan	90
13	Bebandem - Amiapura - Klungkung - Batubulan	82
14	Batubulan - Klungkung - Padangbai	53
15	Selar - Amiapura - Klungkung - Batubulan	134
16	Batubulan - Bangli - Kintamani	62
17	Batubulan - Bangli	35
18	Batubulan - Tampaksiring - Kintamani	60
19	Kintamani - Singaraja	52
20	Singaraja - Seririt	22
21	Singaraja - Gilimanuk	88
22	Singaraja - Gilimanuk - Negara	121
23	Singaraja - Kintamani - Klungkung	98
24	Singaraja - Tianyar - Amiapura	92
25	Gilimanuk - Singaraja - Tianyar - Amiapura	180
26	Duda - Menanga - Klungkung - Batubulan	56
27	Batubulan - Kintamani - Singaraja	114
28	Muncan - Menanga - Klungkung - Batubulan	50
29	Pesangkan - Menanga - Klungkung Batubulan	60
30	Klungkung - Menanga - Rendang - Selat	29
31	Batubulan - Klungkung - Amiapura - Singaraja	166
32	Dadapputih - Pupuan - Klungkung - Selat	139
33	Munduk - Singaraja - Kintamani - Klungkung	140
34	Umejoro - Singaraja - Kintamani - Klungkung	140
35	Merro - Bangli - Batubulan	41