BALI LAND TRAVEL
Road conditions in Indonesia have improved dramatically over
the past years, but traffic has also increased and driving is
a hazardous affair.
Trucks and buses, minivans, swarms of motorcycles piled with
goods or carrying a family of four, ox-drawn carts, horse-drawn
carts, bicycles, pedicabs (becak) and pedestrians of all ages
compete in what is at times a crazy battle for tarmac, where
the biggest and fastest rule.
Rental cars and motorcycles are available in many major cities,
and a number of different types of buses run cheap and regular
services.
By Train
Trains are very slow. A first-class Bima night train leaves
Jakarta in the late afternoon, reaching Surabaya early the next
day. From Surabaya you transfer to a Mutiara train to Banyuwangi
on the eastern tip of Java (7 hours) and then take a bus to
Denpasar. The whole trip takes 30 hours. It is safe and cheap,
at under $40 non-AC, second class.
Bali Night Express Buses ( Bis Malam )
These buses leave in late afternoon and go all night, and often
well into the next day. When bis malam cross from island to
island, they go on the ferry. The fare includes simple meals.
The better buses have a bathroom, loud video and arctic air-conditioning:
the other reason you brought a sweater. The key to successful
bis malam trips is sleep. Choose the best bus available as the
price difference is usually not very great and comfort for the
long trip is essential.
Most buses have televisions and show videos, often followed
by music. You are likely to be the only one who is annoyed by
the volume, but a cheerful suggestion that the music be turned
off (dimatikan) will at least get it turned down to the point
where earplugs can block out the rest. There are also karaoke
"sing-along" buses-for masochists and anthropologists
only.
The seats to avoid are in the very front and the very back.
The back seats are raised up over the engine and don't recline,
while front row seats give you too intimate a view of what the
driver is doing. You can also buy two seats, which will make
sure you don't get squashed. The price is cheap enough that
most budgets can handle two fares.
On many buses, you can reserve one day ahead. Tickets are sold
at the bus terminal or by bus ticket agents and travel services
or ask if your hotel or losmen can make the bookings for you.
There are usually several buses going your way. Shop around
to see what you can get.
The trip from Jakarta takes about 27 hours. The night buses
leave the Pulo Gadung terminal in Jakarta at 3 pm and arrive
in Denpasar (Ubung terminal) at sunset the following day. The
one-way fare is about $25 non-AC and $35 AC. Similar AC buses
leave for Denpasar from Surabaya's Bungurasih terminal, fare
$11; and from Yogyakarta for $20: both one-way.
