drbruce
I've done the story about the trip, but it leaves out the basics I think. Anyway, the basics that I would like to know if I was about to do this kind of long bike trip. And, I may end up doing this again (actually I will again in June, but that's kind of besides the point right now), and want to remember (which surely I will) all the little important financial and time details that make the trip much more enjoyable if you have some idea of what you are getting yourself into.I left Sekongkang, Sumbawa with a full tank of gas on a 125cc Kharisma. It took me 2 hours in the dark to get from Sekongkang to Poto Tano which is the harbor at the tip of the island where all people arrive from Lombok. The ferry took just under 2 hours to arrive. It's a basic ferry with a small bathroom and some hot coffee and a few snacks. I paid Rp.37,000 to get on the ferry. One I arrived in Lombok, I tanked up again just outside of Mataram for Rp.13,000. It took me 2+ hours to make it across the island and I was doing 90 on some stretches.I paid Rp.85.00 to get on the ferry. The trip across the straight between Lombok and Bali took 3.5 hours, but we waited for almost 1.5 hours to dock. This is the most maddening time of the trip.You will be checked for documents in Padangbai, Bail. Make sure you have proper papers. That means a license and vehicle registration.It took me 3 hours to get from Padanbai to Singaraja. The road is great for about half the trip and then gets slightly less interesting to use. A lot of it is still under construction (it seems to have been that way since I arrive here 19 years ago).Total time for the trip was 15.5 hours and the cost was Rp.135,000. Can't beat that.Warning: Don't do this unless you can drive on rocky roads at night and are comfortable in heavy and unpredictable traffic.
