How to Travel Around Bali

Getting around

By car

Several car rentals are spread all over the island; including arriving and departing points such as piers and the airport. From this very first moment, a wide range of options can work for you if you think of a car as the most comfortable way to move free around Bali.

In one hand, renting a car will require more money from your budget than any other option; picking between driving yourself and hiring a local driver are suitable choices that will all depend on your liking, desires and budget. First, renting a car with a driver will vanish the stress of driving through chaotic roads with heavy traffic; it also allows you to enjoy the landscapes while travelling in the island.

Be aware that, as the driver has to be with you all the time, which is really great when talking about translations and giving you excellent advices of places to visit and eat; also, you will have to pay for the driver’s food and accommodation. However, all these prices are discussed before agreeing the terms; expect to pay from a range price of Rp350.000 to Rp450.000 per day.





On the other hand, renting a car or driving it yourself is an acute decision too. International Driver License and a copy of your passport will be required in rental cars. Always look for reputable car companies where you can be sure about the vehicle you are renting and if it has the necessary documentations in order.

Traffic can be hard among the main cities, be careful as Balinese almost never stop to stare at the big light and several car accidents happen with worrying frequency; the National speed limit is 70 km/h yet finding areas wherein you can reach this speed are very few.

Once out of the main villages, all you need to be concerned about is gas petrol as gas station are very few on the island; you may find some vendors next to the road selling gas in bottles at higher prices, yet they can save you from getting stuck in the middle of nowhere.

Prices will depend on the car you pick, little ones cost around 20$ while large vans carrying the whole family group are about 60$ per day. What we cannot discuss is the fact that renting a car gives you extra freedom to explore Bali at your own rhythm, creating your itinerary based on your group’s desires, and also be accompanied along the entire trip.

On the other hand, driving in Bali is not advised to people who’s not used to handle right-hand drive vehicles as they are the only ones available on the island; in addition, unexperienced drivers must consider traffic in Bali and the way of driving of locals puts up very risky conditions to move through the city safely.

By taxi

From your very first moment in Bali, private services are there to offer you a ride to your destination. One interesting option is airport transfers, they are very popular by the way they work, you can contact them before getting to Bali as a part of your booking plan; so, when you get to Bali the last thing you have to do is get in the hustle and bustle of getting a taxi to take you to your hotel.

In any case wasting time waiting for a taxi could be better than having a car waiting precisely for you and driving you to your hotel; now you have more time to get in the pool or go directly to the beach. Of course, airport transfer has higher prices in comparison with regular taxis.

Several lines are currently working on the island, specifically in the southern area of Bali, if what you need is to get a ride to the northern area, your chances of getting a taxi there are very few. However, in the south their transportation works how taxi works in any part of the world: you hail one, it stops and pick you up and then you go.

Actually, they go on the main roads beeping all around where tourists are. An important thing you may know about taxis in Bali is the fact that they have gained reputation about not being very honest; some of them may argue the meter is broken just to ask for higher prices, be careful if one of these is your case. Gently ask them to put the meter on, they also can take a longer way to your destination just for augmenting the final price.

What you should do when taking a taxi is setting the price with the driver before getting in, bargain is totally fair here. In addition, there is a taxi line called “Bali Taxi”, also known as Blue Birds given the fact that all cars are blue painted; they are, by far, the most reliable option when speaking about taxis.

About costs, paying a taxi is a good option as prices are not high at all; it all depends on the distances between you and your destination. Nevertheless, by using the meter you can be sure what you get is the fairest price, the initial one is Rp5000 per kilometer in the first two km, then an additional Rp2500 per extra kilometer; an hour may cost around Rp20000.

briefly, taxis are a very acute option to move around southern Bali without any concerns. Acceptable budgets can easily afford this way of transportation.

By motorcycle

Undoubtedly, the most common way of transportation used on the island. Both locals and tourists move freely around Bali by using motorcycles. However, it does not mean it is considered the best way to do it; several pros and cons should be taken into consideration in order to pick or reject using motorbikes on your stay in this gorgeous island.

If you are environment conscious yet do not want to refuse motorized vehicles, motorbikes are your very best option (eco-friendly speaking). Motorbikes can drive in both paved roads and off-road tracks too. However, this way of transportation is one of the most dangerous ones, tourists get involved in bike accidents more frequently than we think and some of them can bring serious injuries to travelers and locals.

If you really want to ride a bike in Bali, be aware that your driver’s license must include motorbikes; if not, you can ask for a 3-month provisional permission in Bali. Nevertheless, Bali is far from being the very best place to begin driving bikes, as the traffic there is really chaotic and the signs are rarely respected.

The easiest, cheapest, and fastest way to move around the island is by several rentals dotted around the main streets, it can cost up to Rp25000 per day, a helmet should be provided by renters without any charge, yet you will need extra money for some features like insurance; both of them are absolutely necessary to consider motorbikes an option.

Wearing helmets can protect you from serious injuries in case you suffer an accident and insurance may be really helpful if something bad happens and you have to be taken to a local hospital; where tourists are extremely well cared. Also, carry personal documents with you such as ID or passport and driver’s license should always be with you.

Be careful when renting the bike that is going to accompany you during your vacations in Bali, make sure everything is working properly and the bike is in good conditions; if you do not pay enough attention to details, dishonest renters may argue for extra charges by saying the vehicle has suffered some damages.

Another advantage of using this transportation is the fact that traffic is not going to be as heavy as it is for cars but bikes can easily go between cars and get away from chaos really easy, it will give you extra time to get to know the island.

In contrast, a negative feature of renting motorbikes is again about gas, it could be difficult to find gas stations and proper gas to fill the tank, if buying through ambulant vendors, be aware that costs are coming from you and not provided by the rental office.

Moreover, driving in speedways or roads that connect a village with another one is not recommended as it can put the driver in danger; many trucks frequently use these roads, and bad weather can affect the driving too. Best thing you can do is renting a different bike in every town you visit and using a different transportation way to get from town to town.

Be aware of backpacker thieves that work in their motorcycles around the street, they can attack both pedestrians and bike drivers; as they pass by your side, often two men and one of them pulls your bag from you to get easily lost into the multitude.

In Bali, there is an iconic thing called Ojek, which is a Balinese driver in a motorcycle that offers taking you as a passenger by an agreed amount of money. They are always around town and along roads offering their services. It can cost up to RP30.000, it will all depend on the distance.

By bicycle

Without any doubts, the most and best eco-friendly option available on the entire island is bicycles. Some bike rentals are dotted around the main villages for you to pick the one that fits the most with you.

Using bikes will bring you several benefits, working out as you get to know all the landscapes Bali has. Even you can get to certain places that you may not be able to by using cars or taxis for example. Certain beaches of Bali, especially the ones in the northern area of the island may be really difficult to get in because of bad or non-existent roads, big rocks can be found in the way; yet, none of these facts are a problem for bikers.

By getting to these amazing places, you will feel like you are part of the hidden secrets of the island, where very few have access, including you. Renting a bike can cost you up to Rp 25.000, more or less than 2-3 USD, which is really affordable.

However, several considerations must be taken, weather can be unbearable for bikers, same happens with other drivers given the fact Bali’s roads does not count with a special cycle line.

Even if you do not want to move all the time by using bikes, some rentals organize biking tours of Bali, using different types of bikes for a wide range of ages; these plans include local guides, meals, bikes, safety equipment which includes transportation to and from your hotel.

By public transportation

Buses are easy to find in the main towns of the island; there is no doubt that this is the cheapest way to move around the island, yet it is considerably slower than all the other options we have mentioned before.

They are safe to use and even some of them can be considered comfortable, unfortunately they spare a big part of your time to get from one place to another. However, they are perfect for backpackers and adventurous souls with low budgets.

Just in case you can afford any other option, trying the public transportation is something you may do at least once as it is part of the experience of being in Bali. Actually, buses are a really good option when travelling to a village or to another town, as they are safe and cheap. However, be aware that some of them don’t stop in any little village in the way, ask first in case your destination is one of these little places on the road.

On the other hand, there are Bemos which are considered like the main public transportation in Bali, even more than traditional buses. Every town county has at least one Bemo stop wherein passengers wait until the Bemo comes and pick them up.

A typical ride can cost between Rp 5000 to 10000; however, some facts should be considered: first of all, act like locals do; pay before the car departs, by doing this you avoid the driver going away with your change.

Also, you should know that Bemos has scheduled routes so you need to find the one that fits your desires according to the place you want to go. Be aware that the driver will not leave the stop until the car is completely full of passengers, it means that the wait time is unknown, sometimes it can take 5 minutes, other times up to half an hour.


Most of the time, Bemos are little buses or mini vans with seats at both sides, approximately 12 seats in each. Some drivers can ask for extra money in case you are carrying big bags with you. This method is rarely used by visitors, yet we wanted you to know it exists!

In addition, there is a private line of buses that work really well for travelers in Bali, they are called Kura-Kura Bus Shuttle Services and their main stop is located at Jalan Bypass Ngurah Rai, which has the out of the duty free DFS bus terminal; from there, they have different well-equipped buses, including air conditioning. They have several routes to different places in the island for example: Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud.

Funny fact about this particular way of transportation is the turtle alike design of the outside part of the buses.

With all that have been said, we truly hope that this article about getting around Bali helps to make your trip something unforgettable in the very best way.