Taxi’s Taxi’s are present in most cities. For the taxi, you negotiate your price or check if there is a meter present. Make sure that the meter is really turned on. Change is not or rarely available.
Becaks These are bike taxis. There are also a few things to keep in mind here. Of course, they try to earn as much as possible from you. Think of this as entrepreneurial spirit and not as fraud. Becak drivers belong to the least earning demographic in Indonesia. Usually, the amount requested, converted into euros, is still very reasonable for you.
However, always:
- Negotiate the price and be clear and confident about the agreed price.
- Pay only when you are sure that you have arrived at the right place. Or that you have seen everything you agreed on (if you are visiting multiple locations). At the different locations, the becak driver will wait for you.;
- Keep a close eye on your bags and other valuable items, as they can easily be snatched in busy traffic from the becak.;
- Don’t underestimate the distances in a city. What seems like a small piece on a map is often quite a considerable distance.
Train If you are traveling by train, take into account:
- Take something warm with you on the train. Often the AC (only in Executive or business) is set very high and it is icy cold in the carriage.
- DO NOT wear slippers on the train. Because of the cold but also because there is often a layer of water in the toilet. This is usually really water from the toilet sprayers, but the thought of having to stand in it with more or less ‘bare’ feet is too disgusting for many Western people to put into words.
- You can buy a meal on the train. Although we have never had customers who became sick from it, we still advise you to bring your own lunch in advance. Especially if you already have stomach issues. The hotel can prepare a lunch package or ask your driver to stop for bread the day before the train trip.