Car rental company suggestions in Bali? +

[d_aviddiver]

Three of us will be going this fall and would like to motor ourselves around a bit. The last time in Bali, twelve years ago, I rented a car and drove enough to get used to the driving there. The only "issue" was I rented it from a "company" located in our hotel in Ubud and it turned out to be a private vehicle and not available/legal for rental. At least that is the way the policeman explained it to me ;-)

He agreed it was not my "problem" so I was able to talk him out of going to the police station, and we went on our way.

I would like to avoid that scene this time, so using a more legitimate company seems to make sense.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 

[gee13]

Why rent a car in Bali and brave the hairy traffic when you can get someone to drive you round for less than $50 a day? And that's not per person. Most of the vehicles can accomodate up to 5-6 adults.

 

[Mossman]

I'll second that. It's a relatively small island, with no place being more than a few hours from anywhere else on the island, so it's not like you'll want a vehicle for long cross-country drives. Sharing the road with a gazillion scooters in the south tourist areas and dodging stray dogs, more scooters, and pedestrians in the narrower roads in the rest of the island can't be any fun, plus you have parking issues, driver's license issues, local rules of the road issues, and potential insurance issues to deal with, when a car + driver costs less per day than rental cars alone in most parts of the world.

Would anyone rent a car to drive around Manhattan?

 

[highdesert]

I recall several times being the passenger in the front seat of a car in Bali, driven by a local, repeating the mantra ... "I'm gonna die, I don't wanna die, I'm gonna die, I don't wanna die ...."

 

[Wayan]

It is quite a bit different to 12 years ago, with far more traffic than what you would remember.

Motor Bikes gallore, One way streets with motor bikes travelling in the wrong direction, two way streets with motorbikes also travelling in the wrong direction (against the natural flow), two lanes roads accommodating four lanes of traffic (peak hours) confusing streets..... would really recommend a car with a reputable driver. And then you have the parking problems . . . .


From some one who lives here and drives every day it is extremely frustrating. If you need advise for reputable drivers who obey the rules and drive calmly and sedately PM me and I will give you the contact details.

If you do decide to hire a car do forget to go to the police station in Renon (part of denpasar) and get a tourist driving licence (valid normally for 30 days). (a lot of the time the police will not accept the international driving licence)

If you have an accident and do not have a local with you will be at a great disadvantage. . . .