Transportation in Indonesia - Ferries, Buses, Taxis, and Flights // Summer: Indonesia 3
4,826 views · Published 19 September 2018 · 8:47 · Indexed 20 September 2026
Channel: Itchy Feet · 2018 · Travel & Events
I spent the summer traveling Indonesia! One of the more difficult things when traveling a nation full of islands is getting from one place to another. Transportation in Indonesia takes more planning, and a willingness to drive, boat, or fly. After seeing the Komodo Dragons, we wanted to make our way to Lombok. Our options were: 1) To fly, but we'd have to connect somewhere (around $100) 2) To take an incredibly long boat-minbus-bus-boat-bus-taxi combo (only about $25, but it takes 24 hours) 3) Take the ferry to Bugis, Sape, a bus to Bima, and then fly from there. This is the option we chose. Cost breakdown: Ferry - 90,000 IDR Bus from Bugis port to Bima - 100,000 IDR (we bought this from a guy hanging around the ticket window in Labuan Bajo, where we bought our ferry ticket. It was good to know that we had a bus waiting for us when we got off the ferry, but it really wasn't necessary, there were lots of buses waiting, and I think we paid more) Taxi to airport - 120,000 (for 2) Flight - $35 USD Total - about $53 US Time-wise, it was about 10 hours of actual travel time. We stayed overnight in Bima, which is not a very pleasant town to stay in, but we did want to experience a place that wasn't touristy at all. Bima really opened our eyes up to what Indonesia is like when tourism isn't present to help fund the area. Ferries in Indonesia are pretty cheap and relatively pleasant. They vary from company to company, but the one that we were on had 3 levels. The bottom was for cars and cargo. The middle section is inside, has some seats and a TV, but is a bit hot and crowded. We opted for the top deck, which was breezy and had great views of the ocean. We lucked out and got a spot in the shade. Sitting in the Indonesia sun for the entire trip would have been really bad. The boat has small snacks like pot noodles, and drinks. The minibus ride from Bugis to Bima took us over a few big hills. People were vomiting. It was very crowded. Not comfy. Not all that pleasant. That being said, it was just an hour and a half, maybe 2 hours. I had to put my bag on the roof, which made me nervous, especially considering people kept climbing up there while the bus was moving. I'll pretend I was more nervous for their safety, but I also considered my unguarded camera-gear-filled bag. After a terrible night in a grungy hotel, we got a taxi to the airport. Taxis in Indonesia are often controlled by a group of people that work together to set prices. They got Uber and GrabTaxi banned (or at least frowned upon) in certain areas of Indonesia. Often taxis won't be marked. Only larger cities has official taxi companies with meters. For us to get a taxi, we asked the hotel front desk, they yelled down the street, someone in an unmarked car drove up. It cost 120,000 for the 11 km drive, which seems steep - it cost more than both a 2 hour bus ride, and a 7 hour ferry ride. There are lots of airports in Indonesia, but most of them are single rooms. Even if you're traveling on a budget, I recommend looking into flights because they aren't too expensive, and Indonesia has a lot of domestic airlines. That being said, I think 2 out of our 3 flights were delayed. One for about 2 hours, the other just 30 minutes. Compared to other places in Southeast Asia, Indonesia's transportation is about on par. Considering they have a more difficult terrain to traverse, I'd say it's pretty good. I do recommend getting GrabTaxi and using it when you can. You'll save a bunch of money. More episodes of this series can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLKDIXWmwq80ikLMhOtTU-JolMvC4Msngd But please SUBSCRIBE below to follow all my adventures. ---/// ABOUT ME \\\--- My name is Ryan. I currently live in China but I am constantly exploring and traveling. I consider myself a lifelong expat. I've lived in Vietnam, Slovakia, China, and my home country Canada. Why do I live overseas? Because I find life is more exciting in a foreign culture. My videos try and show that, they'll teach you a little something, and I always find time to have some incredible local food. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- \\ Subscribe: http://bit.ly/2e8BCZv \\ Website: http://itchyfeetonthecheap.com/ \\ Email: [email protected] \\ Instagram: http://instagram.com/itchyfeetonthecheap \\ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itchyfeetonthecheap \\ Twitter: https://twitter.com/itchyfeetcheap ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- MUSIC Intro Theme: Devil Behind your Smile (find it here: https://soundcloud.com/aroths/devil-behind-your-smile?in=aroths/sets/transitions) By Andrew Rothschild Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgkzwOlVE0Vo6Eu-O5cNSig Bandcamp: https://andrewrothschild.bandcamp.com/ Itunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/andrew-rothschild/id1095814504 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arothsmusic/