We have driven a lot in Asia. Is Bali any worse a place to drive? I like the freedom of a car.

Any horror stories, and also good and bad car place info would be very helpful!

Personally, I wouldn't drive in Bali. Hiring a car and driver is inexpensive and easy. Roads on Bali are mostly unmarked, and they are usually one and a half lanes at best. Roads are winding with lots of blind corners. As I understand it, if you were in an accident, you would be assumed to be at fault and your liability would be considerable.

We have been told the same in many countries, so it's hard to judge until we see it I guess.

Have driven Thailand, Costa Rica, Belize, Malaysia.. All pretty easy to me.

Thailand and Malaysia are a piece of cake in terms of driving. While I prefer to let someone else do the driving when I'm on vacation, I certianly know people who have driven in Thailand and Malaysia and have felt it was relatively easy. Both Thailand and Malaysia have a much better infrastructure than Indonesia in general or Bali specifically.

I wouldn't drive in Bali (or anywhere in Indonesia) but a lot of foreigners do. The rules of the road are at best subject to interpretation. In Jakarta a redlight is just a suggestion.

In Bali the roads are narrow without shoulders, other vehicles range from farm equipment to drunk tourists on motorcycles, dogs sleep in the road and there are no lights.

The locals know how to interact with each other and have very few accidents. Foreigners who think they are following international driving best practices don't have a clue.

In the event of an accident that results in property damage -- or God forbid human casualty -- the foreigner is assumed to be responsible. Don't expect the police to come to your aid. [To quote Bob Dylan, The cops don't need you and man, they expect the same.)

I was told by the US Embassy security chief that the number 1 cause of harm to Americans in Indonesia is motorcycle accidents in Bali.

I wouldn't drive on Bali. Hire a driver with his own car. Happy Travels!

I live in Hong Kong and used to live in Singapore. Diving in Malaysia is like those two countries and is not all a challenge, so I would not use that as a comparison to Bali. Thailand to me is more of a challenge, but in my experience and opinion, the level of driving skill and the condition of the roads (esp things like the width of roads and availability of shoulders and guard rails etc) are better in Thailand. There are also actual divided highways in Thailand, which do not exist in Bali, it’s all two-lane country roads, and as noted above, once you get off the beach areas, quite twisty, which is exacerbated by trucks and families on motorbikes. So hard to say; I am sure you could do it; I would just never bother to rent a car in Bali. First of all, it’s a walking and biking place if you really want to see the countryside and interact with villagers. You won’t get to good rice terrace areas just by driving by, you need to walk, and many of the are just outside the village you may be staying in (there are some beautiful ones above Ubud). I tend to go one place and explore the area on foot to really see it. Secondly, signage is rather poor. I just think I would spend too much time being lost or trying to find someplace (which happens enough on a bicycle). Bali is supposed to be a vacation, relaxing, about seeing the scenery. Not about swearing because you can’t find Batubalan or parking. Or the car breaks down, etc. I don’t get the point or need when a driver is so inexpensive and knows how to get you from point A to B.

My husband and I have driven everywhere as well and also like the freedom of a car. We were worried that we would feel weird with a driver waiting for us while we went and had fun, but it turned out to be fantastic, and worry free.

We used Nyoman Ariana - he lives in Ubud but goes everywhere. He has a nice, clean SUV with AC and he was very smart, helpful and understanding of our budget and desires. His email is [email protected] and his mobile is 081 239 57461.

He is also the leader and drum player in a very well respected Gamelan orchestra. He's really quite sophisticated and we were so happy to have met him.

When we wanted more freedom, we just used random taxis, they were dirt cheap but way more hit or miss. A couple guys were obviously trying to scam us, but we knew the deal.

And we were VERY glad we decided not to drive.

you could easily drive in bali, but roads are not all that well marked and i fear you would miss many wonderful sights....car and drivers are so cheap its really the best way to go....and about the same price...

putu is one whom many of us favor...

Consider these recent statistics:

From January 2008 to May 2008 the Bali police state 644 traffic accidents were reported, resulting in 222 deaths, 428 serious injuries and 491 minor injuries. These was no estimate on the number of unreported accidents for this period. BTW, this is the off-peak season for tourism.

If you must hear unfortunate stories, these were told to me a few months ago by someone I know who has lived in Bali for many years. I take no pleasure in relating these unfortunate occurrences.

Within the past year, a family member of his was involved in an accident (not his fault) in which injuries resulted. He was put into jail (reportedly not pleasant places) until fault for the accident was determined (Those with the deepest pockets are reportedly considered guilty until proven otherwise). After the family's attorney was able to establish his innocence, it is alleged that a significant "fee" was "requested" before the release from jail would be processed.

Also, consider the following that this man has also said. Car insurance is a luxury in Bali and most drivers who provide transport are not insured. When someone hires a driver, the person who has hired the driver with car are held responsible for all injuries and damage, not the car's owner. The family of young tourist who was killed in very serious accident, after hiring a driver who did not have insurance, was required to pay nearly $50,000 in compensation before they could take him home. (Sorry, but its better to know the facts)

Many of us on this site have as rhkkmk has said have hired Putu Arnawa ([email protected]) who has a new MPV, as his vehicles are registered and insured for tourist transport.

Whatever you decide, stay safe and have a great time.

Bob, would you really advise people that they could drive in Bali given the info both marmot's and becalm's posts? Personally, I'd never recommend that someone drive themselves on Bali.

i'm not necessarily suggesting that they do it, but i do feel that it could be done....

roads have little traffic really and are quite easy to navigate, but they are narrow and you have to move slowly and be very cautious...

for that reason and the low cost of a car with driver i suggest that option first, but people could easily drive there if they insisted...

In the end I decided to drive.

We had a car for 20 days which was wonderful. Saw so many great places, and was definitly better for us than having a driver.

I've driven in the US for 30 years with no accidents so I thought my odds were good, and it all worked out.

Thanks for the feedback. Good to hear the rental worked out well for you.

With 20 days driving about, any interesting out-of-the-way places you happened upon or special/unusual experiences to tell us ? I'm always looking for places & experiences that are off the typical guide book itinerary.

how much did it cost you to rent the car for that period??

I totally agree with Kathie that one should not drive in Bali. I've been there recently and found that roads are narrow with lots of blind corner without sufficient signage. It is very difficult to find your destination by driving your own or you may get lost easily. One important aspect of driving in Bali is that not only you need to be very skillful to drive there but also need to be very cautious with other users on the road that might not notice you in blind corner or hit you from the back if you drive too slow...

Car cost us about US $9.50 per day.

Was great to have it, and while I agree Bali isn't the easiest place on earth to drive, it seemed fine to me. We drove *a lot* and saw so many things.

Having a driver might be ok, but without one, people are very open you and we'd get invited to peoples houses we had just met. They wanted to be the person to tell us about Bali. I doubt that would happen with a driver in tow.

As we travelled I kept asking myself if a driver woudl have been good that day, and normally my answer was no. On the last day of the trip, we did have a driver, and I did not like the speed he drove, nor the way he drove. On our own, we naturally slow down at things we are both intersted in, and speed up at others, or when time is short. It's seamless because we have travelled so much together. A driver would not know all out tastes. Getting lost and going the back way is fun too, and if you like to drive at home, why give that up?

Feel free to have one, but my vote is no, and I am glad we did not.

i can't imagine one place in bali where someone would drive fast?? but i have not been on every road....our driver, putu, drives very cautiously and carefully and is willing to stop, pull over or go back to any place we have interest in....he also took us to places which we would never have found on our own....note sites, but localities and rural roads...

for that price you did save money and i always appreciate driving myself but i still think that in a place like bali a driver for at least the major sightseeing is worthwhile...

There are definitely good drivers and bad drivers in Bali. Some of them don't even come from Bali. Hiring someone who comes with a recommendation is always best, though not always practical.

I do agree that SOME drivers can often try to dominate their passengers, by choosing the routes, taking them to shops and restaurants that the travelers really don't want to go to, finegling kickbacks from the shop owners or restaurant staff. You can get some bad apples.

I also agree that in an ideal world getting your own car and driving at will is a wonderful idea. Unfortunately, Indonesia is not an ideal world and like it or not Bali is part of Indonesia. Foreigners who choose to drive can get into serious legal and financial trouble should something go wrong.

If property or an animal (or heaven forbid a person) is involved in a traffic mishap, those warm and smiling villagers can become quite hostile and mercenary. If you don't believe me, ask your Embassy for examples of hapless drivers whom they've had to rescue.

I'm relieved that drbarton had a good experience, but that doesn't mitigate the risk.

I’ve lived in Asia for 20 years, drive here in Hong Kong, and just don’t consider it part of the holiday “fun” to rent a car in Bali. There are places I would drive on holiday in Asia and places I would not bother, and Bali, for me, falls into the latter category.

But to address the question of meeting people, yes, you absolutely would meet people whether or not you have a driver. First of all, your <i>driver</i> may invite you home. Secondly, the Balinese are naturally friendly people who have a rich culture they are happy to share, so this happens naturally wherever you go. So, driving on your own is no advantage in that sense, nor a limitation, IMO.

I would encourage your next visit to Bali to abandon the car concept completely and get out and walk/hike and bike and really see the place on a even more up-close level. Walking and biking through villages you will meet even more people. And spending more time in a smaller area will really let you get to know it, and the people will get to know you as well.