Ferries in Indonesia

Old Jan 31st, 2008, 09:34 AM
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Ferries in Indonesia

My husband and I are putting together an itinerary for SE Asia this June - basing ourselves in Singapore and doing a couple side trips from there. Java and Bali are high on our list of possibilities.

In doing my research, I have come across quite a few articles about accidents with Indonesian ferries - fires, sinkings, etc. I did a web search thinking I might get some schedule and fare information. Tons of articles about accidents came up along with articles about problems with the Indonesian transportation system in general. Needless to say, this is a little unnerving. I have seen reports in the news occasionally, but these articles make it seem like a really common thing.

So I thought I would ask people with first hand experience about the ferry system and transportation in general in Indonesia. Is it really a problem, or is it overblown to get ratings - sort of like if you watch US news you might think you are in danger of being kidnapped or shot on every corner?

What are people's thoughts on this?
J_Correa is offline  
Old Jan 31st, 2008, 09:40 AM
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i avoid ferries as much as possible...
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 09:43 AM
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No question, Indonesia has some transportation problems. I avoid ferries, and I try not to fly Indonesian airlines unless absolutely necessary.

From Singapore, you would fly to Java or Bali, and can easily do so on Singapore Air or another non-Indonesian carrier.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 10:01 AM
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Thanks for the responses. Non-Indonesian airlines it is

I had been thinking that it would be interesting to take a ferry, even if it is longer than flying, for the experience, photographic opportunities, people watching, and so forth - not all the way to Bali, but Java seems like a doable distance - but I am convinced, we will fly.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 02:06 PM
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If you intend to fly between Java and Bali, I believe you'll have to fly an Indo airline. While I agree SA or Silk is preferable I also flew Garuda and would not hesitate to do so again if I had no choice. However I would walk rather than fly any other domestic airline in Indonesia.

Besides being poorly maintained and having a poor safety record, most ferries are old and often over crowded and reportedly not a pleasant experience.

Also, I strongly suggest you do not drive yourself and be sure any car you hire is insured for carrying passengers. It is not uncommon for drivers who offer transport to not have insurance or insurance which does not cover passengers.

In Indonesia, the person who hires the car is financially responsible for all injuries and damage rather than the driver. Also, it will not matter if your driver is not at fault as a foreigner you will ave to pay. Also check your travel insurance as I have been told that most (all ?) will not cover your injuries if the car you're in is not properly insured.

It costs US$10 to $15 more a day to hire a driver with insurance and is well worth it. In a accident recently in Bali a tourist's family had to pay over $50,000 dollars for a serious accident because the car he hired was not insured.

Putu Arnawa in Bali is often recommended on this site is licensed and insured for passengers and will gladly show you his policy.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 03:18 PM
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Thanks for the information aboout insured and uninsured drivers in Indonesia. That is really helpful.

I don't think we will be flying internally in Indonesia. We've only got 2 weeks total, which includes our time in Singapore, so we will probably pick Java or Bali, but not go to both. I also want to spend a little time in Malaysia on this trip, so I think we would be too rushed to try and go to Java, Bali, and Malaysia on this trip.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 05:13 PM
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I live in Indonesia on the island of Sumatra. Without a doubt, this country has more than it's share of problems, transportation and otherwise. We refer to these as "the Indonesian disaster de jour".

I've only taken a ferry once (from Dumai to Port Dickson, Malaysia) and that was plenty. It was three hours late, the loo stunk to high heaven, and I didn't feel particularly safe.

We routinely fly Garuda Airlines, as it's the best option we have, but if you can avoid them by flying Singapore or Silk Air, I would suggest you do so.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 07:13 PM
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I took the big car/passenger ferry from Bali to Lombok in Oct. 1996 and thought it was an excellent experience. We flew back to Bali from Flores on a a puddle jumper with no problem.

In October 2003, my husband and I did the same ferry ride from Candi Dasa and both experienced sea sickness for the first and only time in our lives. To avoid that experience, we took the hydrofoil back to Bali a week later. It was rough. Just before we got out of the really rough waters, I was just about to get my life jacket out of the shelf overhead.

All that said, I love being on the water and will take my chances any time on the water over being in a plane, where I have no control.

This is all being said from a former UAL pilot's wife. Take it for what it's worth and make your own decisions.
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Old Jan 31st, 2008, 07:28 PM
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JCorrea, I think you have to put Indonesia's transportation problems in the context of its being an extremely poor country with a huge population and a far flung geographic layout. There are some 17,000 islands at an east to west distance of 3000 miles. The population has to rely on ferries to get from island to island but the economics of the situation make this choice very grim indeed.

Aside from the tourist ferries that operate between Bali and Lombok I wouldn't recommend that anyone step foot on an Indonesian ferry unless they either have no other option (as millions here don't) or they are really intrepid travelers.

If you travel within Indonesia (again as millions here do) you have no choice but to fly an Indonesian carrier. Garuda is acceptable. They recently had a miserable crash in which several people -- including a few foreigners -- were killed, but overall their safety record in the air has been reasonably good. Housekeeping, on-time performance and general management is lacking, but it's better on Garuda than the other airlines.
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Old Feb 1st, 2008, 10:46 AM
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Yes - when put in perspective, the ferry situation makes perfect sense.
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Old Feb 1st, 2008, 01:49 PM
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Oh, and I do agree with marmot, Garuda is the best of the Indonesian Airlines. I've flown it a couple of times and lived to tell the tale. And you'll need to fly between Bali and Java.
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Old Feb 7th, 2008, 07:54 PM
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Bumping up.
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