Bali Transport: How to Get Around the Island
Scooters are The Most Popular Way to Get Around Bali
The most popular way to get around in Bali is by scooter or motorbike. There are an abundance of places that rent scooters and chances are wherever you are staying has them available for rent. Here’s how much Bali scooter rentals are. These are approximately based on my experience in Bali, just so you can make sure you don’t get ripped off:
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Monthly scooter rental 750,000 IDR ($55 USD/ month) ($70 CDN/ month)
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Daily scooter rental 60,000 IDR ($4 USD / day) ($5.50 USD/ day)
Scooter Accidents in Bali, AKA the Bali Tattoo
I’ve never heard of a place denying someone a scooter rental even if they don’t have experience. That is an obvious cause for concern especially when you have people coming from the America’s who are used to driving on the other side of the road. You’ll also get people drinking and driver on their scooters in places like Kuta, Canggu, and Seminyak.
As you can imagine, it’s common in Bali to get in at least one little scooter accident. This is often referred to as Bali tattoos or an initiation of sorts. That being said, most accidents are minor, although being covered in bandages and gauze prevents you from enjoying the pools, the ocean, and it’s a little more painful to get around.
Don’t be afraid of driving a scooter, just be careful and smart… WEAR A HELMET!!
It seems like every day there is someone in Bali starting a Go Fund Me because they got in a bad scooter accident and they don’t have the money to pay for their hospital bills because their insurance is refusing to pay.
Caution! Travel Insurance May Not Cover You in Scooter Accidents
Keep in mind, most travel insurance companies will not cover any of your expenses if you are in a scooter accident UNLESS you have a valid scooter license in your home country and an international driving permit (IDP). This is not legal advice and you should always consult your insurance provider for details.
For travel insurance, I use World Nomads for my travel insurance and what I love about them is that you can sign up for the insurance online, even while you’re out of the country. Even with World Nomads, I believe you need a valid scooter license in your home country and an international driving permit so keep that in mind.
How to Get an International Driving Permit
An International Driving Permit (IDP) is a very simple process and takes about all of 10 minutes to get.
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Simply go to your AAA, CAA (The DMV may have this too but I’m Canadian so perhaps some of my American readers can confirm in the comments below).
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Ask for an international driver’s license IDL. What they essentially do is copy the details of your license over to an “international document”.
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Bring a recent passport size photo with you. Check your local office for exact size requirements. In my experience, you can get the photo taken at the same location that you get your IDL.
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Pay the fee of about $25 USD/ $25 CDN
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Boom – you’re done! You have your International Driving Permit!
Legally, to drive a scooter in Bali you should have an IDL. Whether that’s always the case and reality of what people do is another question.
The police in Bali have been known to target tourists, known as “Bule”, and pull them over for not wearing a helmet or not having the proper license. So, it’s always a good idea to have you IDP.
Ubers are Banned in Bali – Use The GoJek App Instead
If you’re not comfortable driving a scooter, you won’t be able to use Uber as it’s banned in Bali. There have been instances where local drivers/taxis will attack Uber drivers for taking away their business. So Uber is not safe or common to use in Bali.
That being said, the Indonesian equivalent of Uber in Bali is GoJek. GoJek is a really common and popular app to use to get around. Keep in mind that with GoJek, the person picking you up will be on a scooter, and you just hop on the back of the scooter. Again, scooters are a quicker way to get around especially since the traffic in Bali is so bad.
That being said, even with GoJek sometimes you may have a driver request that you meet them down the road as there are some locations where they can’t pick you up (again, with the whole local drivers attacking them). So if you’re at The Lawn or Old Man’s and your driver isn’t showing up, it may be best to walk down the road a bit.
Local Scooter Drivers in Bali – Be Careful You Don’t Get Ripped Off
In Bali, you’ll notice guys hanging around in these huts along the road that offer transport on their scooters. They’ll shout ‘Transport?! Transport?!” as you walk by. You can use these guys, however, chances are you’ll get ripped off big time. That’s why it’s better to just rent a scooter and drive yourself or use GoJek.
Renting a Car in Bali is NOT Common
Renting cars in Bali isn’t really a thing so I wouldn’t consider that as an option. However, you can hire a local driver (who yes, is in a car or van). Keep in mind, these hired drivers are different from the scooter guys that hang at the side of the road asking you for transport.
