MOVING AROUND BY MOTORBIKE IN BALI

Getting around on a motorbike in Bali is one of the best ways to get to know the island. Over the past few years, this type of transport has become increasingly popular among both locals and tourists. The motorbike is the ideal vehicle for exploring Bali if you are traveling alone or as a couple and doesn’t have much luggage. Balinese people go everywhere by scooter as they are not used to walking. For this reason, there are many motorbikes on the island, and every family has at least one. Tourists also prefer motorcycles as it is cheaper to rent a scooter than a car, and it gives you much more flexibility.

RENT A MOTORBIKE

Renting a motorbike is very easy and very cheap. You don’t need to look for a rental office as they offer them at many information booths and even on the street. If you rent a scooter, you can move around the island entirely, and you can also reach places that are difficult to reach by car, take shortcuts, and park anywhere. Renting a motorbike for a day costs about €5 and a liter of petrol costs about €0.50. If you plan to rent a bike for several days or even weeks, check with the person who is going to rent it to you from the beginning and ask him to make you an offer. This way you can save a lot of money than renting only for one day.

If you’ve never ridden a motorbike before, we don’t recommend you to make your debut in Bali. The traffic is crazy, there are a lot of scooters on the island, and it can be dangerous to learn to ride a motorbike in these conditions. If you have no experience with scooters, we recommend you to use motorbike taxis or start practicing in remote areas of the island.

Just like driving a car, to drive a motorbike in Bali, you will need an international driving license. The rental offices won’t ask you for it, but it’s a must. The police in Bali are corrupt, and there are no fines stipulated by law for drivers who do not have an international license. If you don’t have one and the police stop you, they will threaten to take the scooter to the Denpasar municipal deposit if you don’t pay a “fine” which is usually between 20-30 euros. You can get an international license at the provincial traffic office in your city by presenting your driver’s license and paying a fee.

In Bali, unlike most European countries, driving is on the left side of the road. If you have never driven this way, we recommend you to be very careful, at least until you get used to it. Another thing to keep in mind is that you cannot drive a motorbike without a helmet. Even if you see that the locals go without a helmet, don’t do the same, because you will get fined if the police see you.

Several motorcycles for rent in Bali

USING MOTORBIKE TAXIS

A perfect option to explore the island if you don’t have a driving license or don’t want to take the motorbike in Bali is to use the motorbike taxi. As the name says, they are motorbikes with a driver that acts as a taxi but obviously only for one passenger. To request a motorbike taxi, you can use the Gojek application that is well known in Bali, especially by local people. In the app, you can ask for a scooter to pick you up at your location, and you can also choose the destination. This way, you will have a fixed price according to the distance, and you will avoid any negotiation with the driver.

RECOMMENDATIONS

  • Never ride a motorbike without a helmet!
  • In the rainy season, extreme caution should be taken when driving as wet roads can be dangerous.
  • Don’t drive without an international driving license, use Gojek.
  • In busy areas like Ubud or Kuta, try to ride on secondary roads to avoid crowds and traffic jams.
  • Get travel insurance that covers you for any kind of accident. We hope you don’t have to use it, but it is essential to have one.

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