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You'll have to move around to meet people. Having no car is never a problem in Indonesia. There are many options of public transport.
BasicsUsing means of transportation is expressed by the verb naik. Mau pergi sama saya ke Hard Rock Cafe? - want go together I to Hard Rock Cafe? - Do you want to go with me to the Hard Rock Cafe?
TaxisDifferent places have totally different qualities of taxis. In remoter cities like Palembang (Sumatra) or Makasar (Sulawesi) I found surprisingly good taxis. The bottom end in contrast must be around the Gambir railway station in Jakarta. Bali taxi update (Nov 2002) All taxis have meters, but getting the drivers to switch them on is often an annoying exercise. Minta pakai argo - demand using meter - Please, use the meter Here is a selection of the answers you may get: In some cities like Bandung or Jakarta the driver will switch the meter on, but it is rigged to display about 1.5 times the official rate (I actually tested it). Once I was in a taxi in Bandung that had a hidden button and every time the driver pressed it, it increased the fare by one flag-fall fee. As usual in such cases after complaining rightfully we agreed on a fare lower than the meter indicated but one that was acceptable to both parties. I let the driver keep his face by pretending to believe that the meter was defect. Jakarta and Bandung taxi tips In Jakarta Blue Bird taxis, painted blue, are normally OK, so are the Kota Kembang taxis (white with a blue stripe) in Bandung . The meters are straight. Especially in Jakarta I strongly recommend to wait until a Blue Bird taxi comes along. It also pays to walk away from the taxi ranks (who normally don't have Blue Bird taxis) a few steps and stop a Blue Bird on the road. As the official fares are rather low the drivers are sometimes not too happy to go by the meter while their less honest colleagues of other fleets with their rigged meters get more. When hiring an honest taxi it is there fore a good idea to offer a tip at the beginning. Minta pakai argo. Saya kasih tip lima ribu - ask for using meter. I give tip five thousand - Please use the meter, I'll give you 5000 Rupiah tip. The airport taxis are not always the best, but they are mostly acceptable. I found however taking the Damri Airport busses more agreeable. The worst are the really run-down (mostly pale green or yellow) taxis in Jakarta. They don't get airport permission but unfortunately they seem to have a monopoly on some areas like around the Gambir railway station. In Germany these cars would be considered too unsafe to be scrapped but their drivers often ask for unrealistic prices. I always prefer to walk out of these areas and try to get a better taxi. As with anything that costs money it always pays to ask a local person what the normal price would be. Q: Maaf numpang tanya, bu. Tahu harga taksi dari sini ke lapangan terbang biasa berapa? - Excuse asking mother. Know price taxi from here to field flying normal how much? - Excuse me madam. Do you know the normal taxi fare from here to the airport? Ordering a taxi Selamat sore. Saya mau pesan taksi. - Good evening. I want order taxi - Good evening. I want to book a taxi. A normal taxi conversation Selamat sore, pak. Ke terminal bis harga berapa? - Greeting evening, father. To central bus price how much? - Good evening sir. How much to the bus terminal?
BicycleContrary to what most people will tell you, a bicycle is a great way to get to know a town, city or area. The common perception is that cycling is forbiddingly dangerous in Indonesian cities; a myth that is maintained by people who have never really tried it. I have been to several islands on my bicycle and I have never felt unsafe. Because traffic is often a little chaotic drivers pay a lot of attention to anything that moves. Saya suka naik sepeda - I like mount bicycle - I like bike riding. Bicycles can be brought along on aeroplanes as part of your normal luggage. If you want to avoid exceeding the luggage allowance (generally 20kg) you can send the bike or your other luggage as air cargo. Sending things by cargo is fast (2-3 days for medium distances), reliable and rather inexpensive. Try to get some cardboard to pack and protect your bike. Saya mau kirim sepeda ini pakai cargo. - I would like to send this bike by cargo. Strong U-shaped locks are very uncommon in Indonesia, which is why potential thieves are unprepared for them.
Buses and minibusBuses come in a vast range of different sizes and qualities. You can book the better class overland busses in travel agencies or at the offices of the bus operators. For shorter distances simply wait by the roadside until the right bus or coach comes and try flag it. Use your right hand for that. The bus conductors tend to "forget" to give you your change back. Before entering a bus always ask somebody on the street for the normal price: Have the exact fare ready. The conductor will not ask you immediately for the fare after boarding the bus (as directly asking for money is never a good thing in Indonesia). After a while he will tap you on the shoulder and when tendering the exact fare you might hear: If may happen that you are asked to pay for your backpack extra. This can be normal practice especially in the very crammed minibuses where a large backpack in fact takes the space of a person. A kol is a minibus, normally a Mitsubishi Colt that serves rural areas. This type of vehicle is in most western countries licensed to carry 9 or ten people. I was once in a kol with 29 other passengers plus the driver. Ask the conductor to drop you off at your destination:
Common bus problemThe counters and offices of bus companies are full with photos of the bus that supposedly is the one you are booking for. There often is a history of fifteen years and millions of kilometres and guests between the time of taking the picture and your departure. Ma'af. Orang di kantor bilang ini bis AC. Tetapi tidak ada AC. - Excuse me. Person at office tell this bus AC. But no have AC. - Excuse me. The person at the office told me that this bus is air-conditioned. But there is no AC. Lagi rusak - currently broken - It's currently not working. Saya bayar harga bis AC. Kalau rusak saya minta diskon. - I pay price bus AC. If broken I ask for discount. - I paid for an air-conditioned bus. If the AC doesn't work I would like to have a discount.
Angkots, pete petes and bemos Many towns and cities have a type of collective taxis that run a fixed route. On Jawa they are called angkot, in rural Sumatra they are called bemo, the Makassarese call theirs pete pete. A more official name is umum. The fee is about 500 Rupiahs for one strip.
TrainsFor inter-city trains you need to buy a ticket with a seat booking. Unlike in Europe you can not buy a ticket to a destination and then board any train going there. Minta karcis kelas eksekutif untuk dua orang ke Jakarta. - ask for ticket class executive for two people to Jakarta - A ticket to Jakarta 2nd class please.
AirtrevelMay jalan-jalan sama saya ke Bali? - want walk-walk together I to Bali - Do you want to come on a trip to Bali? Garuda now has all flight as non-smoking flight, but some of the other airlines still have smoking sections. At the check-in you are normally not asked if you are a smoker or what seat do you want. If you don't open your mouth you'll find yourself in the smoking section on a middle seat. Saya minta tempat duduk bebas rokok dekat jendela - I ask for place silt free smoke near window. - A window seat, non-smoking please. A note Terima kasih, saya mau bawa sendiri - receive love, I want bring alone - Thank you but I can carry it myself. Buying a ticket Saya mau beli karcis ke Surabaya. - I want buy ticket to Surabaya - I want to buy a ticket to Surabaya.
ShipsThere is a regular ship service between many island. Some of the newer ships like the Awu and Tilongkabila have very nice first and second class cabins and are an interesting (and not more expensive) alternative to flying. Beware of older ships, they can be an overcrowded nightmare. Saya mau ke Bali pakai kapal laut. - I want to Bali using Ship - I want to go to Bali by ship
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