In Reply to: Driving To Java posted by VincentUK on Tuesday, 20. February 2007 at 12:24 Bali Time:
All the documents you have listed are fine... make sure you get the STNK (surat tanda nomor kendaraan) which is basically the rego papers... I'd suggest got photocopies of everything as well....just to be on the safe side :)
Its actually safer to drive in Bali, but that's only cuz there is less traffic than there is on Java... :)
When on the roads in Java between major towns, becareful, they are usually full of potholes... train crossings do not have boom gates.... the inter-city buses have bad drivers...stay away from them...dont get too close... and the trucks as well... be really careful overtaking... they do it without a care in the world.
Motor bikes, love to pull out of side streets without even stopping/looking for on coming traffic!! Jogja is really bad for that!!!
Yes there are some roads that have been cut off from the mud flow.....one of the main toll roads -JALAN TOL PORONG..is closed... there have been reports of a an hours trip turning into 5 hours.. :)
On the first of March my boyfriend and I are driving from Jakarta to Jogja (a 12 hour trip) and all we follow is the map in a atlas we bought at a bookstore for 20 thousand rupiah... we've done the trip about 3 times now :)
If you have a smooth trip, it takes about 6 hours to drive from Surabaya to Jogjakarta...
any questions email me
Christine