- Joined
- Jan 24, 2017
- Messages
- 240
One area of expat life in Indonesia that's referenced often, but would be interesting to get more detail about - is driving. So this thread is for expats who drive, or don't drive - and this would include cars and scooters. I have read story after story of foreigners (expats and tourists) who have encountered some fairly serious issues after mishaps, or other issues (e.g. Polisi related) even if they weren't in the wrong.
Most of my personal transportation observations have been in Central Java, around Solo, and a lesser extent in Bali. After 16 years of visiting Indonesia on a regular basis, I have never driven a car or scooter. However, I've extensively ridden a mountain bike around Solo, and that is usually fun - although I do need to keep alert in many spots. It's worth mentioning that I have driven in the Philippines, and in fact drove a manual transmission Toyota over much of the island of Mindanao. As crazy as the Philippines was, I would have to say that Indonesia is just plain confusing for me. It could be the psychological hang up with driving on the left side of the road, which plays havoc with my US based right-side driving mentality.
The whole driving-in-Indonesia topic was brought into focus while talking with an expat in Denpasar, Bali who told me that if I ever did make the move to Indonesia, just get a driver and be done with it. He said: "No matter what, do NOT drive a car here". If you get into an accident "you're toast!". He went onto say, that you'll probably want to get a scooter for short trips, but just be very careful, and even then you'll have a 99% chance of getting into some accidental mishap. On top of that, Balinese Polisi are on the prowl to nail foreigners for slight infractions. He said with a private driver at about 3jt per month for a ride every couple days, a scooter, and Go-jek there's no need for your own car. That may end up being some good advice if we choose to settle in Bali.
It's more likely we'll end up in my wife's hometown of Solo (or surrounding areas). If we move there, a car may end up being a necessity - especially if we live in the outskirts of town. That is also coupled with the fact, my wife doesn't drive. They have a good taxi situation in the town center, but no Go-jek (at least not yet). I could get a driver, but Solo doesn't seem to have an expat market for things like they do in Bali. Drivers aren't that plentiful, and it would cost quite a bit more IMHO. If I do get a car, I'll have to fulfill all the legal requirements - KITAS/KITAP, and I'm sure other things. For a scooter, I'd make sure to get a helmet and a good rain poncho! In Solo, I get the impression there's not as much hassle from the Solo Polisi, and might be due to the scarce amounts of expats there. Overall they seem to have a different attitude - almost indifferent. To be fair, I can't draw too many comparisons on Bali as I haven't been there as much as Solo.
So here's what I would like to throw out to the forum:
1. Do you drive in Indonesia? If so what is your vehicle (car, scooter, etc.), and what area(s) of the country have you experienced?
2. Do you feel comfortable in traffic? Figured out how to adapt...
3. Any trouble from the Polisi? Unfair fines, tickets, etc.
4. Any accidents? What happened, if you care to share?
5. How does Indonesian auto insurance work? Will it protect an expat from the liability issues that may be encountered in an accident?
6. For those from right side driving countries, how did you adjust to left side - and especially with the Indonesian traffic factor to contend with?
7. Do you choose not to drive? If so, why, and how do you make that work for you?
Thanks.
Most of my personal transportation observations have been in Central Java, around Solo, and a lesser extent in Bali. After 16 years of visiting Indonesia on a regular basis, I have never driven a car or scooter. However, I've extensively ridden a mountain bike around Solo, and that is usually fun - although I do need to keep alert in many spots. It's worth mentioning that I have driven in the Philippines, and in fact drove a manual transmission Toyota over much of the island of Mindanao. As crazy as the Philippines was, I would have to say that Indonesia is just plain confusing for me. It could be the psychological hang up with driving on the left side of the road, which plays havoc with my US based right-side driving mentality.
The whole driving-in-Indonesia topic was brought into focus while talking with an expat in Denpasar, Bali who told me that if I ever did make the move to Indonesia, just get a driver and be done with it. He said: "No matter what, do NOT drive a car here". If you get into an accident "you're toast!". He went onto say, that you'll probably want to get a scooter for short trips, but just be very careful, and even then you'll have a 99% chance of getting into some accidental mishap. On top of that, Balinese Polisi are on the prowl to nail foreigners for slight infractions. He said with a private driver at about 3jt per month for a ride every couple days, a scooter, and Go-jek there's no need for your own car. That may end up being some good advice if we choose to settle in Bali.
It's more likely we'll end up in my wife's hometown of Solo (or surrounding areas). If we move there, a car may end up being a necessity - especially if we live in the outskirts of town. That is also coupled with the fact, my wife doesn't drive. They have a good taxi situation in the town center, but no Go-jek (at least not yet). I could get a driver, but Solo doesn't seem to have an expat market for things like they do in Bali. Drivers aren't that plentiful, and it would cost quite a bit more IMHO. If I do get a car, I'll have to fulfill all the legal requirements - KITAS/KITAP, and I'm sure other things. For a scooter, I'd make sure to get a helmet and a good rain poncho! In Solo, I get the impression there's not as much hassle from the Solo Polisi, and might be due to the scarce amounts of expats there. Overall they seem to have a different attitude - almost indifferent. To be fair, I can't draw too many comparisons on Bali as I haven't been there as much as Solo.
So here's what I would like to throw out to the forum:
1. Do you drive in Indonesia? If so what is your vehicle (car, scooter, etc.), and what area(s) of the country have you experienced?
2. Do you feel comfortable in traffic? Figured out how to adapt...
3. Any trouble from the Polisi? Unfair fines, tickets, etc.
4. Any accidents? What happened, if you care to share?
5. How does Indonesian auto insurance work? Will it protect an expat from the liability issues that may be encountered in an accident?
6. For those from right side driving countries, how did you adjust to left side - and especially with the Indonesian traffic factor to contend with?
7. Do you choose not to drive? If so, why, and how do you make that work for you?
Thanks.
Last edited: