Bali taxis

[scouser59]

It was Grab. I think I know the difference between a shyster taxi & a Grab app- so I didn't use it.
However , as some of you know I have been extremely ill & my hubby went off & got a different ride & he paid 100k for it -he was concerned for my health if I had to walk 1.7 km. By that point it seemed senseless arguing with him.
For the record, I am not comparing prices to Tahiti, Seychelles or St martin. I am comparing them with Java.
24 sticks of sate at the nearest resto- 350,000idr vs 20 sticks at my local sate stall 40,000 idr & at my favourite sate resto maybe 50,000.
A different place had rendang on the menu for 200,000idr. The hotel menu had nasi goreng at 130,000IDR.
The other downside was the prolific amount of arrogant self-involved aggressive people I came across.
A couple of examples:
One guy got chatting with us & he was ready to beat someone up for taking pictures of him. Some geezer in the shop was being a complete ass with the staff there. An Eastern European guy (a twenty something), very pushy, tried to get me to go to his room and boink . It is just embarrassing to see so much of that distasteful & disrespectful behaviour in such a short space of time (we only stayed 4 nights).
It just is not my scene at all. The only good thing for me about the place is catching up with some of our friends who live there, which we were able to do.

I live in nusa dua , a normal perumhan ,10 minutes from the ocean , I stay away from the dodgy areas kuta legian etc ,ya there is a lot of strange characters there especially at night , with the influx of mafia ruskys over the past couple of years .
Im not a fan of the local sate , my wife pays 18 to 20 K at the local stall.

 

[Balifrog]

It was Grab. I think I know the difference between a shyster taxi & a Grab app- so I didn't use it.
However , as some of you know I have been extremely ill & my hubby went off & got a different ride & he paid 100k for it -he was concerned for my health if I had to walk 1.7 km. By that point it seemed senseless arguing with him.
For the record, I am not comparing prices to Tahiti, Seychelles or St martin. I am comparing them with Java.
24 sticks of sate at the nearest resto- 350,000idr vs 20 sticks at my local sate stall 40,000 idr & at my favourite sate resto maybe 50,000.
A different place had rendang on the menu for 200,000idr. The hotel menu had nasi goreng at 130,000IDR.
The other downside was the prolific amount of arrogant self-involved aggressive people I came across.
A couple of examples:
One guy got chatting with us & he was ready to beat someone up for taking pictures of him. Some geezer in the shop was being a complete ass with the staff there. An Eastern European guy (a twenty something), very pushy, tried to get me to go to his room and boink . It is just embarrassing to see so much of that distasteful & disrespectful behaviour in such a short space of time (we only stayed 4 nights).
It just is not my scene at all. The only good thing for me about the place is catching up with some of our friends who live there, which we were able to do.

You obliously stayed in one of the areas I avoid...

Personally I avoid the Bogan areas. First time in my live I encounter so many Aussies, and to be very diplomatic, I am not impressed....

But to each his own, for me Bali is the only place where I would live in Indonesia. All the rest is to be avoided for "noise pollution" .....Again being diplomatic.

200k for rendang.... That's why I eat only Western / French food !

 

[Bob]

Now all the BB taxi in Jakarta have new drivers who don't know even the basic or biggest landmarks or hotels or even have the sense to ask
They literally just drive and drive in random directions and mumble no English even if you talk to them in Bahasa

And of course none ever has change

My experience with them is generally positive. True some of them have no idea where they are but at least they use google to navigate.

 

[atlantis]

Bali is the only place where I would live in Indonesia. All the rest is to be avoided for "noise pollution"

All the rest? You obviously never came to where I live nor in most part of Eastern Indonesia. North Sulawesi has 190 inhabitants / km2 which is nothing comparted to Bali (750 inhabitants / km2) or of course Jawa (more than 1.100 inhabitants per km2). Ok, roosters are noisy and there's too many kids around with knalpot racing mounted on their "motorbike" but I guess you have those too in Bali.
Oh... and our taxis use meter. And we have no bogans area, no double or triple price standard (at least very limited practice), not many bule "who know better", no money changers with two pair of hands, etc.

 

[Dave70]

All the rest? You obviously never came to where I live nor in most part of Eastern Indonesia. North Sulawesi has 190 inhabitants / km2 which is nothing comparted to Bali (750 inhabitants / km2) or of course Jawa (more than 1.100 inhabitants per km2). Ok, roosters are noisy and there's too many kids around with knalpot racing mounted on their "motorbike" but I guess you have those too in Bali.

I think Balifrog meant the mosque.

 

[atlantis]

I think Balifrog meant the mosque.

Well, if you have a little bit of knowledge of Indonesia, you probably know that North Sulawesi (and many part of Eastern Indonesia) is not particularly known for its masjids. We have them, we respect them and they respect us, and they are not noisier than our churches. Therefore it certainly doesn't mitigate anything in my former posting. Indonesia is very diverse and when one generalizes s/he is sure to be wrong, particularly if Jawa and/or Bali is their only experience.

 

[Samoerai]

Oh... and our taxis use meter. And we have no bogans area, no double or triple price standard (at least very limited practice)

Been there .. in South Sulawesi .. round trip Makassar .. Bira .. Toraja .. Parepare. The Heineken beer are served in the restos in 1 liter bottles to my surprise .. and mahal sekali

 

[Balifrog]

All the rest? You obviously never came to where I live nor in most part of Eastern Indonesia. North Sulawesi has 190 inhabitants / km2 which is nothing comparted to Bali (750 inhabitants / km2) or of course Jawa (more than 1.100 inhabitants per km2). Ok, roosters are noisy and there's too many kids around with knalpot racing mounted on their "motorbike" but I guess you have those too in Bali.
Oh... and our taxis use meter. And we have no bogans area, no double or triple price standard (at least very limited practice), not many bule "who know better", no money changers with two pair of hands, etc.

No knalpot bikes in my area. All the rest is easily avoided.

But what about proper supermarkets carrying European products, restaurants from different countries, decent music pubs, bars (non Aussie !) to have a drink ?
Because remember, I don't live "local" !

But then again, to each his own.

 

[Samoerai]

No knalpot bikes in my area.

Yes, really annoying. I always say those laki-laki have a small "burung".

 

[atlantis]

No knalpot bikes in my area. All the rest is easily avoided.

But what about proper supermarkets carrying European products, restaurants from different countries, decent music pubs, bars (non Aussie !) to have a drink ?
Because remember, I don't live "local" !

But then again, to each his own.

The point wasn't to say that Manado or anywhere else is BETTER than Bali or even unique. The point was to address the statement you made that "all the rest [ie: anywhere else than Bali] is to be avoided for noise pollution".
It was also to state that Bali is not perfect, despite having some great stuff to offer for westerners looking for a place to live, and also has a lot of disagreement which personally quickly spoil my enjoyment when I'm there.

You couldn't know it but asking me if there is European products in Manado is somewhat ironical. We [wife and I's company] supply most high end resorts and hotels of my region and beyond, with the F&B products they may need from cheese and dairies, imported meat and or imported groceries, etc. Retailing is not our core business but our gates have never been closed for foreign (and local) friends who need products they can't find.

But as you said, to each his own.

 

[MamangDudul]

Grab wanted 150k to take us 1.7km.
I nearly had a heart attack! Bali is so expensive & vastly over-rated.

Yep, recently been there to visit my niece. Probably one of the most overrated places ever. I mean, the kampungs and more rural areas are very nice. The tourist spots? No thanks. I wouldn't even live there if somone pays me for it, all the people and the macet. Most streets are too small. Plus it isn't something you can't see in any other tourist destination, doesn't have a lot of charme. To be clear again, I talk about the crowded tourist spots. The rural areas are nice and I don't deny that you can probably have a nice life in a beach resort or something like that. Everything else, no thanks. The babi guling or nasi babi is often great though, if you like it. Plus some nice supermarkets with western products. Then again, I can live without most of it by now and wouldn't trade it for all the downsides Bali has to offer.