I would recommend that anyone traveling to South East Asia for a
short holiday does not hire a scooter or a motorbike. Especially if most
of your time is going to be spent in pubs and nightclubs or just
lounging around the beach or pool. Depending where you are in the region
taxis and tuk-tuk’s are going to be cheap and riding a bike around any
populated location in South East Asia is fraught with obstacles.
Why don’t all cops look like this? south east asia expat
Think greedy cops staring through mirrored Ray-Bans desperately
hoping for a cashed up tourist to ride past. Maniacal local scooter
riders who although they jumped on their first motorbike at five years
old, still don’t understand a thing about riding etiquette. And greedy
motorbike rental agencies that can spot a minor scratch or bent mirror
at four hundred paces. Not to mention crashing into locals, obtaining or
riding without the correct license, travel insurance and the very real
chance of injury, who needs the hassle right?
On the other hand if you’re intending to live in South East Asia for a
long period of time then I would suggest you go all the way and you buy
a little scooter/motorbike and here’s why.
Bike anyone? south east asia expat
When you live in South East Asia for long periods of time you tend to
become domesticated after a few months, or years, depending on your
personality. Dining in restaurants three times a day turns out to be a
bit of a chore and you start to crave the good old days. You long to sit
down for an evening meal in the privacy of your own home or enjoy a
hearty breakfast in front of the TV working off a Saturday Night
Hangover. Then when you start having these cravings you also realize
that you need transport to make it happen.
south east asia expat
Okay let’s use the breakfast scenario as an example and if you don’t
mind I will relate a friend of mines experience to clarify my reasoning.
Our protagonist a content little expat called Happy decided to live
abroad and he found the South East Asian Country he wanted to spend the
rest of his life in. He then sorted out all his visa crap and he made it
through six months of living in a hotel room and partying every night.
Happy was happy for a while but eventually too many nights of fun and
frivolity started to take their toll and he decided he needed to settle
down with a lady. Luckily he didn’t have to look far and Happy met a
nice local girl called Snoozy who worked in the bar down the street. (No
snide connotation just running with a dwarf theme.)
Happy and Snoozy then lived in a hotel room or for six months until
things became a little too crowded. Then when they decided it was time
to move on Happy went out and he found a bigger apartment for them to
share.
Happy little toad. south east asia expat
One day after a very big night out on the town, (for the stories sake
let’s just say it was in Walking Street Pattaya), Happy decided he
wanted Snoozy to get out of bed and to cook a hearty English breakfast.
Sadly he then realized that the cupboards were bare and that the
refrigerator was empty. But luckily Happy also remembered that he owned a
motorbike and he knew that Snoozy would be happy to ride to the local
market why he snoozed around in bed and he watched the BBC.
The perfect combination.southeastasiaexpat
Okay that should be enough back story, let’s just say that Happy and
Snoozy lived happily ever after until he discovered that she was already
married to some Thai guy and he lost all his stuff.
But my point is this; if you decide to live in S.E.A then you are
going to need some type of transport. The choice then becomes either car
or motorbike and to be honest, unless you are living in the back-blocks
of nowhere, cars suck for a number of reasons. Consider traffic and
parking but I can think of plenty of reasons that cars are more trouble
than they are worth.
Most importantly it is wise to remember that almost anyone in SEA,
including the sleepy little girl who works in the bar down the street,
is able to ride a scooter/motorbike. And one day you will wake up with a
hangover and you will need someone to go down to the market so that
they can buy you sausages, bacon and eggs.
Author’s disclaimer: I would like to assure you that despite the
title I did not write this article so that I could attract search
engines or so that I could display pictures of sexy Asian Ladies on
motorbikes.
I have nothing, awestruck maybe.south east asia expat
I wrote this blog because I believe it imparts important advice for
anyone that is thinking of living in South East Asia. The fact that it
also allows me to post sexy pictures of Asian women and Motorbikes just
happens to be a bonus.
It’s that time of
year again and Bali Schoolies is once again upon us. When I lived on the island
this time of year always worried me. Bali is the perfect place for groups of
young people to blow off steam after a year of hard studying. But this also
means that a lot of first time travellers will be hitting the bars and beaches
of Kuta and Seminyak. It is estimated that over six thousand schoolies from
Australia will be arriving in Bali over the next two weeks.And it is no stretch to imagine that these
teenagers will be partying hard and drinking way too much in their pursuit of
fun on the island. I have covered this in the past but here are a few different
tips that may help out.
Make Sure You Have Travel Insurance
A number of
Australians have accidents during their holidays in Bali. Whether it is scooter
related, nightclub related or just simply a surfing accident. No matter what
happens, it is always wise to have some level of travel insurance when heading
to Bali for holidays. Recently a Bali based Australian had to be medevac’d back
to Australia from Bali. The Australian had no travel insurance and the price
for his evacuation ranged in the forty to fifty thousand dollar range. This is
a huge amount of money for anyone so please make sure you have the appropriate
travel insurance.
Bring Condoms from Home
Condoms are available in Bali but they
tend to be of a substandard quality and they have a propensity break easily. It
is always wise to have a sufficient supply whether you think you will be
involved in this type of activity or not. Remember this is schoolies and who
knows what may happen or who you may meet.Please also be aware that there are plenty of prostitutes trawling the
Bali clubs and the beaches’ of Bali. Local men and women are involved in this
activity. It has also been well documented that there is a very high H.I.V.
infection rate on the island. If you do meet a local man or a local lady and
things graduate to a sexual level. Then please always ensure that the correct
protection is used.
Western Standard Motorbike Helmet
Firstly I wouldn’t
recommend that anyone traveling to Bali for schoolies hires a scooter. Most
things are within walking distance and transportation is inexpensive. For
around town taxis are available and the driver will wait if his customer needs to
stop. For longer travel it is wise to hire a car and driver for the day. The
driver will help with translation and they will be more than willing to share
their local knowledge. A good idea is to pool your resources and travel with
friends. Think of it as a road trip, you will have a lot more laughs and you
will see a lot more of the sights. Also remember to barter when organizing the
price and stipulate where you want to go and how long you want to take.
If you intend
hiring a scooter in Bali then please pack a western standard motorbike helmet
with your luggage. The motorbike helmets sold and supplied in Bali are cheap copies.They will not save a person’s life if they come
off a bike at speed. Also please don’t
ride if you have been drinking. More
tourists are injured or killed on motorbikes in Bali than anything else. If you
have been drinking, park and lock your scooter in a busy street. And then ask a
local working in a shop close by to watch it for you. I have done this hundreds
of times so I can promise that it will be quite safe.It may also be advisable to leave a small tip
and then promise a further tip when you return. If you do leave your scooter it is also sensible
to carry your helmet with you or to leave it behind the counter of the shop or
bar. Quality helmets that are left locked on scooters for long periods are
often stolen.
Little tip: Brand
new helmets may attract an import tax at customs so bring something second
hand. If you do bring a new helmet, cover the Australian standard sticker with
another sticker and then scuff the helmet up a little. Australian standard
motorcycle helmets are prized in Bali so they are prone to being stolen.
Avoid cheap drinks and cocktails
There have been tourists injuries
and deaths attributed to drinking cheap alcohol in Bali. The reason for this
is that a number of these drinks are methanol based.This is a dangerous chemical that can cause blindness, coma and death if consumed in large amounts.Cheap alcohol, otherwise
known as Arak, is often brewed in backyard distilleries around Bali and throughout
Indonesia. Unfortunately there is no real way for the Indonesian authorities to
completely stamp out this practice.
Some schoolies may
be attracted to the idea of getting a tattoo in Bali. I myself have had a
number of them done on the island and I have never had a problem. But, when I
did get my tattoos, I made sure that a packet of clean and sterilized needles
was opened in front of me. And that the shop where I was having the work done
was clean and sterilized looking. A good idea is to ask other tourists that
have received tattoos where they received them and if they had any problems. It
may also be wise to have the tattoo done on the closest day to your departure
as possible. Most of Bali’s water is ground water and most of Bali’s sewage
runs on a septic tank system. And with this
in mind swimming or showering in Bali with a fresh tattoo is definitely not advised.
Check the depth of your pool before diving in.
This may sound
obvious or stupid but you would be surprised at how many times I have heard
about this happening. Bali pools are not built to the same building standards as
western pools and a lot were built a long time ago. For whatever reason, a number of people dive
into their hotel pools without first checking the depth. And they end up with a
nasty injury to begin their holiday or worse. A very close friend of mine came very close to
breaking his neck doing this. It is always wise to ask the pool guy or if you’re
lucky enough the pool bar attendant. But if you happen to be too shy or no one
is available, try jumping in feet first to begin with.
Sanglah Public Hospital: (0361) 227 911 – 15 Kasih Ibu Hospital: (0361) 223 036, (0361)
237 016 Bali International Medical Center (BIMC): (0361) 761263 International
SOS: (0361) 710505
AUSTRALIAN CONSULAR OFFICE(Includes Canada and New Zealand)
Riding
a scooter in Bali and what to do if you are pulled over by a policeman
Take
your keys out of the ignition
The
first thing a policeman will do is snatch away the motorbikes ignition key. They
will supposedly do this to stop you fleeing. The real reason they take the key is
to secure a bargaining tool. The policeman
will tell his victim that their key will only be returned after they have
attended a court case. This is generally a bluff designed to create a panic
payment.
Beat
the policeman to the punch. As soon as you are pulled over take the key out of
the ignition and place it in your pocket.
Have
cash in a separate pocket to your wallet or purse
Policemen
in Bali have the eyesight of predators. They are always watching for wallets brimming
with tourist dollars. Anyone riding a scooter should always carry a small
amount of cash in a separate pocket. They should then pull this money out while telling
the policeman it is the only cash they possess. You can’t give what you don’t
have.
Only
carry small denominations of cash
Make
sure that the cash you have for fines is in small denominations. And be visible
handing it over. The policeman won’t want to be seen counting the money. And it
is easy to fool them into thinking that they are receiving a larger amount than
they are actually getting.
Smile, be polite and address the policeman with respect
It
is always wise to be polite to any policeman that stops you in Bali. Indonesians
do not like to lose face and policemen in Bali expect to be treated with a
certain level of respect. Address a Balinese policeman as Pak or sir and always
smile. It will go a long way to reducing your fine.
Do
not be bullied into paying too much
If
you are pulled over you may be threatened with court, a large fine or confiscation
of the vehicle. It is important to remember that in Bali most problems can be
solved with the transference of cash. Remain calm, non-confrontational and remember
it’s all about the money.
Wear
a motorcycle helmet
You
will see a number of locals riding without helmets. If you are a tourist in
Bali the same rules do not apply. Policemen in Bali love nothing more than pulling
over tourists without helmets.
Recognise
where the policemen are stationed
Policemen
in Bali do not move around a lot and Bali has a rabbit warren of small roads
that lead to the place you are heading. Make a mental note of where the police
are stationed. Then use the back roads and alleys to get to your destination.
Obtain
an international drivers licence
Solve
all problems by purchasing an international driver’s licence in your home
country. They are not expensive and they are recognised. An international driver’s
licence will save you a great deal of hassle and cash.
