Indonesia - The Rough Guide to Southeast Asia on a Budget - page 165

PLANES
In some areas, flying may be the only
practical way to get around, though the
safety records of Indonesian airlines make
grim reading. State-operated Garuda
( W garuda-indonesia.com) handles
international flights (though you might
also use them for transport within
Indonesia), while airlines providing
domestic services include Merpati,
Tiger Air, Lion Air, Sriwijaya and Trans
Nusa. Reconfirm your seat, as waiting lists
can be long and being bumped off is a
regular occurrence; get a computer
printout of the reconfirmation if possible.
Arrive at the airport early , as seats on
overbooked flights are allocated on a
first-come, first-served basis. At other
times, “fully booked” planes can be
almost empty, so if you really have to get
somewhere it's always worth going to the
airport to check. Fares are typically good
value: a flight between Bali and Jakarta,
for example, costs around $55.

bemos , oplets or microlets ), run fixed
circuits, although routes are often
adaptable according to their customers.
Rides through the city usually cost
Rp3000-5000, depending on the
distance travelled, but fares are never
displayed and typically collected upon
exiting; many visitors are overcharged.
Other standbys include ojek , single-
passenger motorbikes, and becak ,
cycle-rickshaws capable of squeezing in
two passengers. Jakarta also has
motorized becak , called bajaj . Negotiating
fares for these vehicles requires a balance
of firmness and tact. Taxis are generally
cheaper than a bajaj , and in most cities
use a meter ( argo ), though bajaj can
prove useful when in a hurry during the
peak-hour mess.

ACCOMMODATION
Prices for the simplest double room
start at around $4 (more in touristy
areas like Bali), and in all categories
are at their most expensive from
mid-June through to August, and in
December and January. Single rooms
are a rarity; the best lone travellers
can usually hope for is a 25 percent
discount or so on a double.
Check-out time is usually noon. he
most basic accommodation has shared,
cold-water bathrooms , where you wash
using a mandi (see p.35). Toilets in these
places are generally squat affairs, flushed
manually with water scooped from the
pail that stands alongside, so you'll have
to provide toilet paper yourself.
he bottom end of Indonesia's
accommodation market is provided by
homestays and hostels. Penginapan , or
homestays , are most often simply spare
bedrooms in the family home, though
there's often not much difference between
these and losmen, pondok and wisma ,
which are also family-run operations.
Rooms vary from whitewashed concrete
cubes to artful bamboo structures - some
are even set in their own walled gardens.
Hard beds and bolsters are the norm, and
you may be provided with a light blanket.
Most losmen rooms have fans and
cold-water bathrooms.

4

RENTAL VEHICLES
Car-rental agencies abound in tourist hot
spots such as Bali. Local operators offer a
range of cars, most frequently 800cc
Suzuki Jimnys (from around Rp180,000-
200,000/day). You'll need to produce an
international drivers' licence before you
rent (in some cases these can be purchased
for around Rp200,000). Rental motorbikes
vary from small 100cc Yamahas to trail
bikes. Prices start at around Rp50,000 per
day without insurance. Conditions are not
suitable for inexperienced drivers, with
heavy tra c on major routes; there are
increasing numbers of accidents involving
tourists, so don't take risks.
Tra c in Indonesia drives on the left
and drivers must always carry an
international driving licence and the
vehicle registration documents. Passengers
in the front of a vehicle must wear a
seatbelt by law, and all motorcyclists must
wear a helmet. he police carry out
regular spot checks, and you'll be fined for
any infringements.

URBAN TRANSPORT
In cities, colour-coded or numbered
minibuses known as angkots (also called