First of all, you need to know that the habit of circulation in Bali may be very different from what you know in your country. At the first sight, moving on the island can seem very difficult because of the heavy traffic, especially in the West Coast where the touristic areas are.
The best way to avoid the constraints of the traffic and to move quickly is to use a motorbike.
You can easily rent a motorbike in Bali, there is plenty of places which offer this service and in almost every street.
How much? It depends on the duration of course, for a daily rental, it will be around 50k and 70k IDR for the entire day. If you want to rent it during a week you will pay between 300k and 400k IDR, and for a monthly rental, it will cost around 600k and 800k IDR.
The motorbike is the favorite means of transport in the island, there is more motorbike than cars. But you have to be careful at the beginning, as mentioned before, the traffic is really heavy and it can be really disturbing. Wear always a helmet, even if you see a lot of people who are not wearing one, it is dangerous and the police will immediately arrest you.Moreover, you will notice that people are honking very frequently, it is not necessary to contest something, but more to notify other drivers if they are overtaking or to notify their position at an intersection.
Don’t forget also that in Indonesia they drive on the left side!
Do you need an international driving license? Yes.
Not necessary when you will rent the motorbike at the shop, a deposit and a copy of your passport will be enough. But if the cops stop you on the road without the international driving license, you will have to pay them, if you have time you can bargain, otherwise, you pay and you leave.
Renting a car
If you prefer, you can rent a car but you need the international driving licence. The price is around 200k and 400k per day. It is a good way if you decide to travel around the island, a motorbike is less comfortable if you decide to do a long ride.
You can also rent a car with a driver, this is the most secure way when you don’t want to have to deal with insurances and all that stuff… Most of the travel agency are offering this service, you can add between 150k and 200k in addition to the rent.
Taxis
There is different kind of taxis but the main company is Blue Bird, their taxis have a meter inside so the price is not negotiable. You can find Blue Bird taxis everywhere in the islands, except in the airport. The taxi who are waiting at the exit of the airport do not have meters, they will ask for some expensive prices, don’t hesitate to bargain!
There are other solutions if you want to pay cheaper: Uber, GoJek or Grab. You can use their service by downloading the applications and you just have to order one by indicating your position and your destination.
But be careful, there is some area in Bali where those services are not allowed, it is a little competition between taxis.
The “Bemo”
This was the main public transport in Bali which connected the cities and villages between them. There is less and less bemo now, due to the massive use of motorbike. It is really cheap and ideal if you want to discover the surrounding villages. You can find them on the terminal or just on the way, you just have to raise your hand to make it stop. The ticket is purchased on board.
Bus
The bus in Bali are more or less modern with a capacity of 30-40 seats. They usually are the property of private companies and are doing long distance, like from Denpasar to Singaraja or Singaraja to Gilimanuk…
There is no public transport like the ones we usually know, there is no subway, and no public line of bus inside the cities.
The bus companies are good for traveling around the island, but if you want to move for a short distance you’ll have to use one of the means mentioned overhead.
