Indonesia by Bicycle

Last updated : 2006. June 15

The Bali & Lombok fact sheets (below) are intended for easy printing & copying as a single page of A4 , double sided. You can carry them on your trip, easily !

They are available for copying & distribution on a not-for-profit basis.

Bali (below)
Lombok (below)
WikiTravel for Indonesia – printable, non-commercial, factual etc
Maps of Indonesia on line ( slow but high quality)
Currency Converter on-line
Grace’s anecdotes & observations about Indonesia
Links to other Indonesia Bicycle Sites
Contact author : <Grace>

Australian International Bicycle Travel Fact Sheets

© Grace Newhaven 2004.

Indonesia : Part 1 :

Bali by Bicycle 2004

Resources

Periplus map “ Bali” ( aprox 1: 500,000; Rp 70 in Kuta) is OK, shows three categories of roads, tho. it does not show intermediate distances, making calculations difficult. Contains minor inaccuracies. (NB towns may have two names !)
Lonely Planet “Bali’ ( 2001) contained a useful bicycle route suggestion, since deleted ! Nevertheless, you will need a guide book, eg Rough Guide , as local tourist information is not oriented towards independent budget travel, especially by bicycle.
“Bali Java Tourist Information Centre” Kuta, Jl Buni Sari 36b , or Jl Raya Kuta ( near “Supernova”)

General remarks

Bali is a great choice for a bike tour. The people are friendly, intelligent and very talented in many ways. However, the terrain and weather, and some aspects of the economy may be challenging. These notes are intended as an introduction to cycling conditions, which may not be addressed in mainstream sources of information. [ NB Indonesia has serious inflation & for the sake of comprehensibility & readability, prices are written here without the “ooo” ie “Rp. 5” = Rp 5,000]

Roads & Traffic

Road surfaces are generally sealed and in good condition. There are few private cars but many smoky trucks, taxis, tourist buses and millions of low capacity motor bikes in Bali, and main roads are very unpleasantly crowded - petrol is only Rp 4/litre ! Road rules are elastic, motorbikes often drive on the wrong side of the road, and roundabouts are just like intersections but with reduced visibility. However, most drivers are surprisingly considerate and there is also a huge amount of sealed minor roads providing relatively quiet cycling – the only problem is that no roads are numbered in any way, many are circular and signage is of an eccentric quality. This makes for frustration if you are trying to get to somewhere in particular ( eg, your hotel) before nightfall. Night riding would be difficult, as many motorbikes drive without lights and there are many road hazards. Dogs (of which there are far too many), will bark at pedestrians sometimes, but rarely chase bicycles. There are local bicycles, most in poor repair, but generic parts for 26 inch MTB’s will be easy to find, but “presta” valves are not! A Chinese 28 inch roadster, with lights, sells for Rp. 500 ( less than A$100). “Bemos” (small passenger buses) can provide emergency bicycle transport. Note : I recommend starting your tour at Padang Bai, because of the traffic situation : you will need time to “acclimatize” !

Water

In such a humid climate, with some steep climbs, the cyclist will use plenty of water. Good drinking water in 1.5 litre plastic bottles is available on all main roads and even in small village “warungs” (shops). Prices per litre range from Rp. 1.3 or less in a supermarket, to Rp. 2.5 and more in the backblocks. The same water is also available in 19 (nineteen!) litre “gallon” bottles for only Rp. 5 or 6 ( but Rp. 25 deposit on the bottle). In some places, small shops have adopted Australian filtration machines, offering “gallons’ at Rp. 3 (only!) If you have carrying capacity, (eg wine cask bladder!), these are excellent value, even if you can’t take the whole “gallon”. Adding a local “energy” supplement improves taste etc, I recommend “M 150” in sachet. In some places in the mountains, you will see springs used by local people; and Australians will recognise rain water tanks near Kintamani.

Food

There is plenty to eat on the road in Indonesia! The economy is based on locally grown rice (Rp 2.5 /kg in markets), and noodles (usually instant!) are also common. There is good fruit everywhere, especially “pisang” (bananas, good for cramps!). Prices vary greatly, not so much in relation to quality of food, but rather in proportion to the local competition. A meal in a tourist-oriented restaurant will be around Rp. 15-20 pp. In a local “restoran” (one without tourist orientation) the same meal might be about Rp. 12 or less. On the road, simple warungs sell “nasi bunkus”, a pyramid shaped parcel of about 400gm of rice with several tasty extras for as little as Rp. 2. One very reliable option is “nasi campur” ( rice with several options, chosen by the purchaser) for about Rp. 5 or so. If you do not like instant noodles, avoid asking for “mie goreng” ! There is also good local coffee ( Rp. 1 in a warung). Tea and coffee are both served by default luke warm, with a lot of sugar– canned milk is generally an extra. In general, the less touristic the venue the more interesting the food, and much more of it ! Markets provide picnic salad vegetables & fruit for very little : dried anchovies are great ! Grocery stores stock small packets of cheese, jam, milk powder and breakfast foods if you tire of nasi goreng ! A small immersion heater is Rp. 10, good for coffee in your hotel ( bring a steel mug with you, they are hard to find). Beer is a luxury, at around Rp. 10 to Rp.15 for .620 litre, (Rp. 16 + per litre ) often drunk “warm’ ( it’s not too bad !). Hardy’s supermarket has nice food options, with prices displayed! Note that prices are also usually not displayed, even in markets, as sellers want to “dikurangi harga’ (bargain, or haggle!) which can be tedious for Westerners, used to fixed prices. Occasionally, vendors will over-charge foreigners, or try to, so it’s necessary to “haggle” the price first before accepting the service. Conversely, tho, there is in my opinion sometimes “touris diskon” (tourist discount), but usually from only petty traders, eg market women etc, who will give you an extra fruit , unasked : it’s nice when it happens, always say “ teri makasi “ ( Thank you). People will be delighted with even the attempt to use some Indonesian words, so try to learn the numbers at least! It’s good to carry a small emergency food supply (eg peanuts, crackers etc).

Accommodation

The following notes relate only to “budget” hotels ( less than US$10 dbl). There are hotels & “losmen” ( guesthouse) in all tourist areas, but these are not evenly distributed across the island, causing bicycle travelers to have some very long days as you pass from one hotel to another. Most include an attached bathroom/toilet; and breakfast (coffee and a snack) in the room price. Most prices are for double room, so it may be expensive traveling alone. There will be a power point. A mosquito net (not provided) and coils (bring a holder from Australia) will deter insect pests. Hotels provide one sheet (only), sometimes a grimy blanket, so a sheet sleeping bag (like YHA’s) is a good thing to bring with you. Bring a clothes line too : hotels do not provide convenient do-it-yourself laundry facilities, so important to a bicycle traveler. Hotels standards vary greatly, (depending in part on competition), from pleasant to abysmal : price is no indicator of quality. In particular, many hotels lack maintenance, especially in the bathrooms. Few hotels could be described as “comfortable”, with small rooms cramped by oversized beds, and lit with globes as low as 15W or even 5W! Hotel restaurants generally charge well in excess of warungs for food & drink, especially in remote places. Hotels also are not useful sources of information, especially about bicycle matters: rarely can they tell you anything about your onward route.

Services – “*” = “recommended”; H = Hotel; h/s = “homestay”; FWS = filtered water shop

Place	Hotel	Comments
Airport		500m walk E. to bemo stop (Rp2.5 to Kuta); Rp 60 for two boxed bikes to Kuta. Departure tax Rp 100 ( all forms accepted!). Left Luggage Rp 15/piece
Amlapura	H [unknown ] Rp. 100 !	Hardy’s, nice town, no tourists
Den Passar	H Sakura Rp. 80 (OK) Losmen Taruna Rp 35	Vegetarian depot at Jl Wahidin 27. Bike shop near mosque Jl Hasanudin 44. FWS nearby
Gilymanuk	H Lestari Rp. 35	Nice market. Good Nasi Bunkus at Port
Giyanyar	Losmen opposite Hardy’s	No money Ex, but ATM accepts Visa etc. Hardy’s
Kedisan	two H. Rp. 50	Better in Toyahbungah. Walk up = ½ hr ! not too hard !
Klunkung	Losmen Rp. 40	Grimy, but friendly. Good night market. H opposite losmen
Kuta	H. Taman Ayu Rp. 50 *	All services. NB : Taman Ayu is quiet & near “Bemo Cornor”. Other H’s nearby “Supernova” smkt has steel mugs. Bike shop Jl Raya Kuta 39x
Lovina	HS “Gede” Rp. 40 *	Tourist play pen. FWS. Nice rides in the hills behind
Melayu		FWS, N side of road
Negara	H Ana, Rp. 25 *	Hardys, market, nice town. Bike shop. No tourists.
Padang Bai	H Parta Inn Rp. 50 *	All services, best place to start tour ( take shuttle from airport, Rp25 + bike). Many H. FWS. Intenet Rp18 !
Pemenang	H Taman Sari Rp.3-5	? grimy
Sanur		Hardy’s. Tourists.
Seritit		Crossroads town, busy market, Hardy’s
Singarajah	H. Sentral Rp. 40	Nice town, but mosquito capital of Bali! Internet at PO Rp. 6/hr. Chinese temple, steel mugs Rp. 15. Famous carving of 1904 cyclist about 10km East at Pura Meduwe Karang ; Hardy’s .
Sukawati		Craft market. H Rp 70 just S of craft market
Tabanan	H Vista Rp. 55 *	H. very clean & pleasant. Nice town. FWS , nice warungs & hookers opposite hotel
Tirtagunga	Several h’s , Rp. 40	Tourist site, Hotel clean & comfortable
Toyabungkah	Bungalow Arlinas	Pleasant, friendly. Warung nearby
Ubud	H/S Agung Oka Rp. 60 *	Tourist town, some veg. cafes. Supermarket, a few warungs.

Glossary : bicycle “sepeda”, rice “nasi”, fried “goreng”, “good morning “ selamat pagi”

Please forward any comments or additions to < Bicycle_FishAThotmail.com > Happy cycling !

******************************************************************************

Australian International Bicycle Travel Fact Sheets

© Grace Newhaven 2004.

Indonesia : Part 2 :

Lombok by Bicycle 2004

Resources

“Lombok – Sumbawa Map” ( aprox 1: 500,000) is OK, shows two sorts of roads, tho. it does not show intermediate distances, making calculations difficult. Contains minor inaccuracies. Free at Tourist Office, Lembar & in Kuta ( Bali)
you will need a guide book, eg Rough Guide , as local tourist information is not oriented towards independent budget travel, especially by bicycle.
“Tourist Information Centre” Lembar & Amenapan ; also Kuta (Bali) Jl Raya Kuta ( near “Supernova”)

General remarks

Lombok is a great choice for a bike tour. The people are friendly, intelligent and very talented in many ways. However, the terrain and weather, and some aspects of the economy may be challenging. These notes are intended as an introduction to cycling conditions, which may not be addressed in mainstream sources of information

Roads & Traffic

Road surfaces are generally sealed and in good condition. There are very few private cars, less motor bikes than Bali, and main roads are OK and sometimes almost traffic free. Pony carts are a pleasant change of traffic! You will also experience happy gridlock in processions and weekly markets.

In general, we found the North more dry & strenuous than the South, which was also more interesting ( small villages with crafts etc) , so we recommend cycling the South first if you are on a short time line.

Petrol is only Rp 4/litre. Road rules are elastic, motorbikes and cyclists, even visitors J, often drive on the wrong side of the road. However, most drivers are surprisingly considerate and there is also a huge amount of sealed minor roads providing relatively quiet cycling and signage is generally helpful.. Night riding would be difficult, as many motorbikes drive without lights and there are many road hazards. Dogs (of which there are much less than Bali), will bark at pedestrians sometimes, but rarely chase bicycles. There are local bicycles, most in poor repair, but generic parts for 26 inch MTB’s will be easy to find. A Chinese 28 inch roadster, with lights, sells for Rp. 500 ( less than US$ 60). Small passenger buses ( bemos) can provide emergency bicycle transport, with seats arranged transverse.

Water

In such a humid climate, the cyclist will use plenty of water. Good drinking water in 1.5 litre plastic bottles is available on all main roads and even in small village “warungs” (shops). Prices per litre range from Rp. 1.3 or less in a supermarket, to Rp. 3 and more in the backblocks. The same water is also available in 19 (nineteen!) litre “gallon” bottles for only Rp. 5 or 6 ( but Rp. 25 deposit on the bottle). In some places, small shops have adopted Australian filtration machines, offering “gallons’ at Rp. 3 (only!) If you have carrying capacity, (eg wine cask bladder!), these are excellent value, even if you can’t take the whole “gallon”. Adding a local “energy” supplement improves taste etc, we recommend “M 150” in sachet.

Food

[ NB prices are written here without the “ooo” ie “Rp. 5 = Rp 5,000] There is plenty to eat on the road in Lombok, if you have money, unlike many of the local people – poverty is common! The economy is based on locally grown rice, and noodles ( usually instant !) are also common. There is good fruit everywhere, especially “pisang” (bananas, good for cramps!). Prices vary greatly, not so much in relation to quality of food, but rather in proportion to the local competition. A meal in a tourist-oriented restaurant will be around Rp. 15-20 pp. In a local “restoran” ( one without tourist orientation) the same meal might be about Rp. 12 or less. On the road, simple warungs sell “nasi bunkus”, a pyramid shaped parcel of about 400gm of rice with several tasty extras for as little as Rp. 2. One very reliable option is “nasi campur” ( rice with several options, chosen by the purchaser) for about Rp. 5 or so. If you do not like instant noodles, avoid asking for “mie goreng” ! There is also good local coffee ( Rp. 1 in a warung). Tea and coffee are both served by default luke warm, with a lot of sugar– canned milk is generally an extra. In general, the less touristic the venue the more interesting the food, and much more of it (good for cyclists’ appetites!) Markets provide picnic salad vegetables & fruit for very little : dried anchovies are great ! Grocery stores stock small packets of cheese, jam, milk powder and breakfast foods if you tire of nasi goring ! A small immersion heater is Rp. 10, good for coffee in your hotel ( bring a steel mug with you, they are hard to find). Beer is a luxury, at around Rp. 10 to Rp.15 for .620 litre, (Rp. 16 + /litre ) often drunk “warm’ ( it’s not too bad !). There is no beer at all in the Muslim North & East, following riots in 2001 that destroyed many restaurants & bars.

Note that prices for goods & services are also usually not displayed anywhere, even in markets, as sellers want to “dikurangi harga’ (bargain, or haggle!) which can be tedious for Westerners, used to fixed prices. Occasionally, vendors will over-charge foreigners, or try to, so it’s necessary to “haggle” the price first before accepting the service. Conversely, tho, there is in my opinion sometimes “touris diskon” ( tourist discount), but usually from only petty traders, eg market women etc, who will give you an extra fruit , unasked : it’s nice when it happens, always say “ teri makasi “ ( Thank you). People will be delighted with even the attempt to use some Indonesian or Sasak words, so try to learn the numbers at least! It’s good to carry a small emergency food supply (eg peanuts, crackers etc). Note that basic( ? subsidized) rice is around Rp 2.5 in markets.

Accommodation

The following notes relate only to “budget” hotels ( less than US$10 dbl). There are hotels & “losmen” ( guesthouse) in all tourist areas, but these are not evenly distributed across the island, causing bicycle travelers to have some very long days as you pass from one hotel to another. Most include an attached bathroom/toilet; and breakfast ( coffee and a snack) in the room price. Most prices are for double room, so it may be expensive traveling alone. There will be a power point. A mosquito net (not provided) and coils (bring a holder from Australia) will deter insect pests. Hotels provide one sheet (only), sometimes a grimy blanket, so a sheet sleeping bag (like YHA’s) is a good thing to bring with you. Bring a clothes line too : hotels do not provide convenient do-it-yourself laundry facilities, so important to a bicycle traveler. Hotels standards vary greatly, (depending in part on competition), from pleasant to abysmal : price is no indicator of quality. In particular, many hotels lack maintenance, especially in the bathrooms. Few hotels could be described as “comfortable”, with small rooms cramped by oversized beds, and lit with globes as low as 15W or even 5W! Hotel restaurants generally charge well in excess of warungs for food & drink, especially in remote places. Hotels also are not useful sources of information, especially about bicycle matters: rarely can they tell you anything about your onward route.

Services – “*” = “recommended”; H = Hotel; h/s = “homestay”; FWS = filtered water shop

Place	Hotel	Comments
Gondang	H/S Suhardi Rp. 30 *	a bit grubby, but quiet, good breakfast, good conversation. Near beach. Few visitors!
Kuta (LBK)	H. Segara Anak Rp. 40 *	Bungalows, quiet. Tourist restaurant is OK. Nasi bunkus at crossroads motor shop. Beach plagued by vendors. Kuta to Mataram by backroads is great cycling.
Labuhan Pandan	Siola Cottages Rp. 35	Small beach “bungalows.” Very quiet. Tourist restaurant, few customers
Lembar	Tidar Bungalow Rp. 40	Small bungalows, quiet. Nice bunkus nearby.
Lendang (aka Pedalman)	HS Radiah Rp. 70 (with 3 meals)	Friendly, intelligent, imaginative manager but grubby. Good food. Friendly Muslim town
Mataram	H. Karthika Rp. 55 *	Near Mataram Mall. Many H nearby. Internet at Wartel “Jenny” Rp. 2500/hr. Nice town . FWS just North of bird market.
Praya	H “D.H.” Rp. 45	Nice town, cheap internet. H needs competition ! Bunkus at main road.
Senaru	H. “Pondok Indah” Rp. 35	OK but basic. Expensive food ( instant noodles Rp. 10 !) Last 5 km very steep. Some warungs at top of town. Beer Rp. 11 “panas”
Sengigi	Bungalow Batu Layar Rp. 50 *	Very pleasant, intelligent management. Town is touristic, some good bunkus. Bakery (rye bread !) w/diskon after 1800 hrs. Road north has steep sections for about 10 km or so.

Glossary : bicycle “sepeda” , rice “nasi”, fried “ goreng”, hot “panas” ,“good morning “ selamat pagi”. A nice souvenir is the school badge of the Nusa Tengarra Barat, ask at any bookshop !

Please forward any comments or additions to “< Bicycle_FishAThotmail.com > Happy cycling !

****

Anecdotes & Observations about Indonesia

Last updated : 2004. October 22

· Indonesians mature more slowly than Westerners

Sometimes you will find yourself talking to people who look like they are about 14 or 15; but then you might ask how old they are, and you find they are really 22 or more !

We decided it must be something to do with diet, and perhaps possibly cultural environment. I also remember reading that in the 19^th century, puberty was sometimes as late as 20 in Western countries.

· You don’t see many crying babies in Indonesia

Most babies seem to be carried about, either by their mothers or elder siblings, just about full time. Perhaps there is a relationship between these two phenomena. Maybe Indonesians would find our physical separation between mother & child as very cold !

· Animal welfare

We saw plenty of animal mistreatment : “pet” monkeys on very short chains ; starving kittens ; mangy dogs, clearly in pain from their lesions ; horses towing passenger carts, whipped to racing speed by their drivers.

· Tourist restaurants

There are tourist restaurants in all the tourist areas. One un-remarked irony of these places is that they rarely ( or never !) have any Indonesian customers – this is particularly ironic when many of their Western customers profess to be in the country precisely to experience local life ! To me, this phenomenon has a whiff of apartheid – the colour of your passport determines if you can participate in the culture of pizza, banana smoothie, cold beer, casual sex …. This was brought home forcefully to me one night as I noticed a small group of “locals” tunefully strumming a guitar under a dim streetlight just a few metres from a “travelers” café – from where I heard the unmistakable sounds of a hedonistic pleasure priced well above the means of these local musicians, who could only participate in such life at a discreet distance, hoping perhaps to be noticed by a traveler on his/her way home. For myself, I hope never to enter a tourist café ever again.

· Labour standards & conditions

In one of our budget hotels, my partner engaged one of the staff one day on the subject of his working conditions. They were : 12 hour day, 7 day week, with a trip to his home village once a year ; he was fed by the hotel, and had a place to sleep ( we didn’t see that). He did not disclose his salary; but he was genuinely happy to receive a well used shirt from me as I packed to fly home. So it’s no wonder that “ Indonesia is cheap”. But with those conditions, is “traveling” really so different from the more notorious ways our rich countries exploit the Third World ?

· “Import shops”

One curious phenomenon in Indonesia, as of many countries in the Third World, is what the Indonesians call an “ import shop”. These shops sell second hand clothes from Western countries ( and a lot from Japan & Korea too) – the stock is what you would see in an “ opportunity shop” in Australia, or a “ thrift store” in the USA. It is shops like this that account for the bizarrely incongruous T shirts one often sees, even in remote places. The process seems to be, that in the Industrialised Country ( where purchasing power, even of the poor, is great enough to provide an over-abundance of everything material, and especially cheaply produced clothes !) charity shops get more donations that they can sell ; so, some buyer with Indonesian contacts makes a bulk purchase from the charity, bales the clothes up for export, and provides them to another, less sophisticated, market in the Third World. ( Where incidentally, they probably under-cut the prices of locally produced, traditional clothes !).

I noticed this first in Thailand some years ago, when I first saw a “ jeans clinic” : this ingenious enterprise was a tiny market stall, where a skilled & creative expert would repair a cheap pair of ( “worn out”) jeans as soon as the purchaser had found a good fitting pair at the “ import shop” in the next aisle. Many of the jeans for sale had only minor damage, which was too much for their original owners.

I remember something similar from Beirut, in the 1970’s, where I saw shops specialising in a clever recycling of the top half of a pair of jeans, into shoulder bags, with lots of useful pockets ( the bottom halves having succumbed to worn–out knees, which in my experience are very difficult to repair.

Anyway, you will see “Import shops” across the Third World ; in Den Pasar, there is a big one near the Hotel Purnama ; it even sold leotards and swimming suits, not to mention lingerie ! I bought a nice bright orange, long sleeved shirt there for less than A$1.00 , admittedly it was “on special”. There are several in and around DP.

· Beer – presentation & consumption

Beer is widely available in Bali, even from tiny warungs that have no refrigerator. As the final consumers also have few refrigerators, this suggests that a lot of beer must be consumed at ambient temperature (this is hard to believe, particularly if you are Australian, where cold beer is a matter of nearly a religious faith for many drinkers !)

However, there can be no mistake that a lot of beer is drunk “warm”, it’s just that this will occur in situations ( eg private homes) not generally accessible to foreigners. Perhaps this explains why beer is available around the world in places where refrigeration is a great luxury! Anyway, it isn’t the abomination you might at first think, and it’s well worth a try.

Further, while beer is widely available, you won’t see many Balinese walking about drinking – seeing foreigners like this in Kuta was disgusting to me, evidence of both complete insensitivity to the local economy of poverty as well as total self-indulgence. Bintang beer looks like this

· Coffee – preparation

There is a lot of coffee in Indonesia. The Rough Guide describes how in the 18 ^th century, the British exported coffee from their Indonesian colony to the United States

(where coffee was once known as “Java”!).

Now, you can find coffee everywhere in Bali & Lombok, and interestingly, it’s made very simply: hot water is poured onto very finely ground coffee, usually mixed with sugar, and presented in a glass. It’s delicious, and almost as easy as instant coffee. If you want to do this yourself ( eg using your own immersion heater), just buy a small packet of coffee in any warung.

· Handicrafts & Quarantine

“What Can’t I Take Into Australia” is a very useful leaflet from the Australian Quarantine & Inspection Service, provides a list of prohibited items, and those which are possible but must be declared & checked on arrival. www.aqis.gov.au

· Lonely Planet’s Bicycle Route for Bali (from 2001edition, now deleted)

The following suggested route was included in previous Lonely Planet guides, but not in the 2004 edition. I present it here in simplified form :

1. Kuta to Sempidi to Mengwi to Candikuning. 60 km. (using bemo for 23 km uphill to Bedugal or Candikuning).

2. Candikuning to Singarajah 30 km. Lovina recommended for o/n stay, get there by back roads.

3. Singarajah to Penelokan 58 km. ( inc 36 km uphill by bemo to Penulisan)

4. Penelokan to Klunkung/Semarapura. 31 km ( alternatively, via Bangli or Ubud)

5. Klunkung/Semarapura to Den Pasar or Sanur 40 km

See also : Norman Ford’s suggestions ( below)