In this report, I will tell you about my personal experience of a two-month motorcycle trip around the island of Sumatra in Indonesia in the fall of 2015: useful tips, the total cost of the trip (all expenses: motorcycle, hotels, food, household, visa, flights, etc.), and See also everything about buying and selling a bike in Indonesia and my mini-guide to the secret scenic spots of Sumatra.
In September 2015, I went to Indonesia, to the island of Sumatra, to buy a motorcycle there and go on it on a solo independent trip. The main purpose of the trip was to cross the equator - my old dream, I wanted to do it on the ground in order to fully experience the crossing of this important border dividing the planet in half. I did not work out the route, as I immediately decided that I would just go south, stopping in places that I liked, as much as I wanted.
As a result, in a month and a half I did not travel very much - about 2,000 km. I repaired a motorcycle several times (which took 4-5 days) and stayed for a long time in some places: five days in Berastagi, four days in Lake Toba, four days in Tapaktuan, a week in Bukittinggi and even lived for seven whole years on Lake Maninjau - therefore I did not spend much time on the road.
My motorcycle trip in Sumatra lasted almost two months plus I spent several days in Penang (Malaysia) applying for an Indonesian visa there.
You can find my travel notes and photos from this trip through the numerous links scattered throughout the text. All the notes from this motorcycle trip can be found on my blog.
If you have any questions - ask in the comments.
Buying and selling a motorcycle in Indonesia
Purchase
It took about five days to find and buy a motorcycle for my motorcycle tour of Indonesia. Officially, a foreigner without a residence permit cannot buy transport in his own name in this country, but not all Indonesians, when buying motorcycles, reissue documents in their name. The procedure for buying a motorcycle from hands is very simple - you give the money, and in return you are given documents, keys and the motorcycle itself. It is not at all necessary to enter your name in the data sheet. Therefore, I was initially determined to buy used equipment.
In the early days in Banda Aceh, I tried to find points of sale for used bikes. I could not find those (although later I found out that they are - in the market near the main city mosque), so I turned to local residents for help. Through couchsurfing, I found a young guy, Aul, who agreed to help me find and buy a motorcycle. In three days (in the east, it is not customary to rush) we completed this task and I bought a 2011 Yamaha Byson (team search for a motorcycle). The seller handed me the documents, a key and a motorcycle, and also wrote out a receipt for the receipt of 11.7 million rupees from me - my name appeared only on this receipt (which, by the way, can serve as proof of ownership in case of a possible check of documents by the police).
We searched for sellers using the olx private classifieds site - it's in Indonesian, but you can use a google translator. A very convenient site - you can sort by city, motorcycle brand, year of manufacture and other parameters.
Motorcycle documents that you need to have:
- Buku pemilik kendaraan bermotor - T / s owner's book.
- STNK (Surat Tanda nomor kendaraan bermotor) - Certificate of registration of the t / s.
- Surat katetapan pajak daerah - Certificate of payment of annual tax.
What to look for when buying. In addition to the condition of the motorcycle, you should check if the numbers match those indicated in the documents, the validity of the registration number, the date of payment of the annual transport tax, the province in which the bike is registered.
My Bison was registered in a neighboring province - it didn't matter to me, but in the end this nuance led to additional costs. I needed to pay an annual tax, but since I was in another province, it was impossible to do this without a bribe. Aul and his friends helped to do everything in two days, but had to fork out almost 1 million rupees.
The original price of this bike was 12.5 million, Aul persuaded the seller to lower the price to 11.7 million.Now I understand that even that was a little expensive - given that the motorcycle was registered in another province, it was possible to knock down the price with confidence. at least 1 million. But I wanted so much to get the bike as soon as possible that at that moment I thought little about money.
Sale
It is not easy to do this in a short time. I launched a large-scale campaign and launched an offensive on four fronts at once:
- Accepted help in finding a buyer offered by the guys working in my home stay (one of them has a brother who sells used motorcycles);
- He offered to buy a motorcycle for the mistress of the house;
- I began to drive around the city and look for dealerships selling used bikes;
- Posted an ad on olx.
The announcements were answered by a student who came up with ridiculous stories about the fact that he lives in a mosque, he has little money, and then that his brother had an accident, treatment was required, and the student had even less money.
The hostess announced every morning that she needed more time to think.
Dealers refused to buy a bike registered in another province.
The guy whose brother is selling motorcycles was only thinking about how to make more money on his help and failed all negotiations with potential buyers.
All this mess lasted five days, I already began to think that I could not get out of this swamp (Padang made a bad impression, the hostess and her employees too, her mentally retarded son looked into my room, all the people in the city seemed rude, unpleasant, dishonest , and even the stuffiness was unbearable). I was ready to make a deal at any price, just to get out of this place as soon as possible.
As a result, Bizon was bought by the hostess for 7 million rupees. Will lease it to tourists - I think this is the best prospect for Bizon, will continue to serve travelers. It was difficult to part with the motorcycle.
Only after receiving money from the hostess, I immediately bought a ticket for the next flight to Medan with a departure in 14 hours - another night in Padang, and I was like that. The remaining three days before my flight to Penang I spent at Lake Toba, returning there a month later, but without Bison.
Indonesia travel cost
I will list here all my expenses for two months of my own travel in Indonesia and a few days on the island of Penang that went into preparation.
To control my travel expenses, I use special mobile apps, so my travel budget is detailed.
Course (fall 2015): 1 $ = 14 thousand Indonesian rupees = 4.1 Malaysian ringgit = 65 rubles.
1. Flights to Sumatra
- A ticket Moscow - Penang (via Doha and Kuala Lumpur) cost 21,000 rubles. one way.
- Penang - Banda Aceh ticket cost 4,300 rubles.
- Padang - Medan ticket cost 400 thousand rupees.
- A ticket from Medan to Penang cost $ 30.
In total, all the flights cost me 457 $... But mind you, this is without returning to Russia, however, round-trip air tickets will not cost much more than one-way tickets.
2. Visa
The cost of a visa to Indonesia for a two-month trip is 190 ringgit, or 45 $... Received in Penang, Malaysia. It is done very simply in two days, the package of documents is minimal. Read our detailed article on Indonesia visas.
3. Motorcycle
I bought a bike for 11.7 million rupees, another 850 thousand was worth paying tax (450 - tax, 400 - bribe). I sold the bike for 6.75 million.Total my spending on the bike (purchase minus sale) was 414 $.
Repairs (after purchase, after falls, and for troubleshooting during the trip) were Rs 1 million, or 71 $.
Gasoline costs: Rs 400,000, or 30 $.
Equipment (helmet, gloves, raincoat): 240 thousand rupees, or 17 $.
4. Hotels
Housing costs in Indonesia amounted to Rs 6,276,000 and hotel costs in Penang Rs 239. Total: 505 $, that is, approximately $ 8.4 per day.
5. Medicine
The cost of insurance to Indonesia and Malaysia - 10 490 rubles (included the risk of driving motor transport). The purchase of the missing medicines for my first aid kit cost 1,580 rubles. Total: 186 $.
6. Mobile Internet
How to buy a SIM card with an Internet package, read below in the tips. The cost of three SIM cards and one balance top-up was 300 thousand rupees, or 21 $.
7. Nutrition
Food expenses in the eateries: IDR 3 million + Ringgit 124 = $ 257.
The fruit cost me Rs 500,000, or $ 35.
On groceries in stores (nuts, water, chips, etc.) I spent 450 thousand ringgit, or $ 32.
In total, I spent about 330 $, which in terms of a day will be about $ 5 - very budget. I ate well: what I want and how much I want. On average, lunch (rice / noodles with additives + a glass of thick freshly squeezed juice, puree) will cost about 20-25 thousand rupees, or $ 1.5-2.
8. Transport
Ferries, buses, taxis, rickshaws, etc. cost me $ 33 + renting a motorbike in Penang for a day cost $ 8. Total: 41 $.
9. Clothes
Jeans and sneakers: 40 $.
10. Miscellaneous
70 $
Total cost of travel in Indonesia
The budget of my two-month independent travel in Sumatra, including all expenses, was 2 200 $, which at the current exchange rate is equal to 145,000 rubles.
Indonesia is a very cheap country to live and travel, but the amount in the end came out decent. However, it scares only when translated into rubles because of the bad exchange rate. This is not to say that $ 2,200 is a lot for a two-month trip, all flights and the purchase of a motorcycle.
On your own to Indonesia: tips
Be sure to buy a good raincoat and think of what you will cover your luggage with - heavy showers in Sumatra.
Russian sim cards... If you are going to make an Indonesian visa in Malaysia (this is the easiest way), then be careful - Tele2 sim cards do not work in roaming in this country! I have two of them (old and brand new) - both cannot connect to the network. It's better not to even get involved with technical support, they frankly scoff and you can't get help from them. You should be careful with this, as you can be left without the opportunity to go to the Internet bank and manage your accounts.
Internet in Indonesia... Do not have high hopes for Indonesian wi-fi in hotels - it is not always there, and if it is, it is not very good. In order to always have the Internet at hand (and you need to have it - for example, for the work of an online translator), I recommend purchasing SimPati sim cards. I bought a SIM card for mobile Internet three times with packages of 2-3.6 GB. Once in one of the villages I asked teenagers to send money to my account and connect a new package. In vain - for 60 thousand I received only 600 MB, which is more expensive than buying a new SIM card with 2 GB. So it's better to throw out the old one and buy a new one. The package connects automatically, you just need to put the sim card in the phone and everything will work. Checking the remaining Internet traffic: * 889 #.
Roads in Aceh province are excellent! The roads in West Sumatra are mostly pretty good. Roads in North Sumatra are terrible and sometimes missing. I will never forget my most difficult day of travel, when I managed to drive only 100 km on rough roads.
Language... Learn a couple of dozen basic words in Indonesian (it is very easy to pronounce and understand), which can be useful in communication and for solving any everyday issues, as well as numbers. This will make your life much easier, because very few speak English, and you will also earn the approval of the locals, who will be extremely pleased that you are trying to learn their language.
Secret places of Sumatra
About attractions, national parks, etc. you can find the information yourself. Here I will compile a small list of interesting and very picturesque places in Sumatra, which you will not read about in guidebooks.
- Veh Island (Sabang). Tourists go to the northern part of the island - there are guesthouses and beaches. I recommend taking a ride along the roads of the southern part of Veha - beautiful views, a pleasant winding road with a complete lack of transport, secluded beaches. In general, the whole island is good - here you can retire and take a break from everything.
- Lho-Nga Beach (20 km from Banda Aceh). A huge, beautiful beach, almost deserted. Beautiful!
- The road south from Banda Aceh along the western coast of Sumatra - a 150 km section is very picturesque: mountains, beaches, cafes on stilts over the cliffs overlooking the ocean.
- A road through the mountains along the northeastern shore of Lake Toba.
- The road to the mountains from the town of Pangururan on the island of Samosir in the southwest direction from Toba. A steep ascent along the serpentine to a height of almost 2000 meters along a narrow bumpy road with no fences and a bottomless cliff to your left a meter away.
- A picturesque river with a suspension bridge exactly halfway between Padang Sidempuan and Panyambungan. In general, the attraction of that place is a waterfall, but it is completely useless. The river and the bridge are more interesting.
- Sipoholon Hot Springs - half way from Toba to Padangsidempuan. Fantastic landscapes.
- Lake Maninjau is a quiet, secluded, almost unknown place 40 km from the town of Bukittinggi. I have lived on this lake for seven years - it was a great time.
Also, I cannot remain silent about three quite famous places in Sumatra that are worth visiting while traveling - they are so good that I must mention them separately:
- Lake Toba - a magical place in all respects: beautiful mountains, a huge lake, clean air, freshness and coolness, cozy guesthouses for $ 5 on the very shore, the world of spirits, the graves of the Batak kings and magic mushrooms.
- Sibayak volcano - another world.
- Marapi volcano - another world.
The volcanoes gave me a gift - on both I wandered all alone. These were some of the brightest experiences of my trip to Indonesia! Read my post on a walk among cold milky mists on the Martian surface of the summit of the Marapi volcano and a two-hour descent from it at night through the jungle.
