Island Hoping with My Scooter - Lombok/Sumbawa

geedee

Markit wroteIf anyone is interested I'm off on my next island hoping excursion this morning and of course it's pouring with rain - maybe nature is trying to tell me something? Anyway first stretch is up towards Lovina and Permuteran in the west to see the famous white Starlings if there are any left. Last time saw none at the reserve but one in the wild flying around the pool in Lovina. Then on to Bang You Wang Me (Banyuwangy) for the ferry crossing and up the left side (north?) of East Java towards the Red Beach and Jember then Malang. Weather and traffic allowing we want to get all the way up to Jogjakarta within a week or so and fulfill the "cultural" part of the trip and then off to the fleshpots of Surabaya and possibly the Bull Races on Madura. (Can anyone confirm the story of Madura girls learning to pick up Bintang bottles without using their hands? If yes, where can this wonderful feat be seen/experienced?) Good luck all and would love to meet anyone on the way.

When are you back? Bit worried about your wife entertaining us dont really want to look at flowers and malnourished dogs. Pics required of the Madura girls

Steve Rossell

I'm planning to be up Karangasem way (you know where I mean) in 2 weeks for a week or two but don't rush on my account :) . Safe travels mate. Feeling quite jealous at the moment, if the timing had of been better I would have loved to have joined you. Maybe next trip. Keep me in mind. Hati-hati.

geedee

Steve Rossell wroteI'm planning to be up Karangasem way (you know where I mean) in 2 weeks for a week or two but don't rush on my account :) . Safe travels mate. Feeling quite jealous at the moment, if the timing had of been better I would have loved to have joined you. Maybe next trip. Keep me in mind. Hati-hati.

Don't worry it always rains when he plans anything

tintin

Luckily, there's more to Indonesia than Bali.

tel522

have a good trip mr markit , dont forget the salacious report on return ! enjoy.

bunyip

I just got back from a two week trip to Flores... I won't say to much but I will say that it is some of the best riding I have done anywhere on this planet. Most of the roads are well made and paved. Most of the dirt I went on was easier than the outback Lombok equivalents. I think it would be best to get the Ferry to Labuan Bajo... Ride the trans Flores Highway to the east and return along the northern road which is no where near as bad as I was told. Slow yes, difficulty I would rate a 4 out of ten!! Learning how to high five children on the right hand side of the road with your left hand under accelerator hand...6 out of ten difficulty :)

bunyip

Hey Mate, Am new on this forum and couldn't help but understand your experience in Lombok. I love riding motorcycles at home and have found a whole new appreciation for the Honda and Yamaha scooters. My BMW 1150 off road would be lying in a ditch within the first hour on some of the awesome tracks I have ridden in Lombok. Mimpi is absolutely correct though. It is beautiful in the S/W.. Some spectacular rides down that way if you are prepared to get on the dirt. Google maps is Ace!! Was there and Sumbawa Nov last year and with the fires in other parts of Indo and Rinjani going off and the late to non existent wet season made it not the prettiest. Definitely worth the ride when its a bit greener and clearer. Kuta makes a great base and Senggigi is a cool base as well. Hope this helps.

Markit

bunyip wroteHey Mate, Am new on this forum [COLOR=#ff0000]Welcome![/COLOR] and couldn't help but understand your experience in Lombok. I love riding motorcycles at home and have found a whole new appreciation for the Honda and Yamaha scooters. My BMW 1150 off road would be lying in a ditch within the first hour on some of the awesome tracks I have ridden in Lombok. Mimpi is absolutely correct though. It is beautiful in the S/W.. Some spectacular rides down that way if you are prepared to get on the dirt.[COLOR=#ff0000] Can't say I'm so much for dirt track riding but over Sengigi and onto the ferry to Sumbawa was brill. Next time will probably do it again just to get the good draft Bintang in Sengigi and try some other roads in down maybe even to Sumba. Actually want to ride over to Flores and jaunt around there but was thinking of taking the ferry direct from Bali if possible. [/COLOR] Google maps is Ace!! [COLOR=#ff0000]Once you figure out how to use it, yeah haha[/COLOR]Was there and Sumbawa Nov last year and with the fires in other parts of Indo and Rinjani going off and the late to non existent wet season made it not the prettiest. Definitely worth the ride when its a bit greener and clearer. Kuta makes a great base and Senggigi is a cool base as well. Hope this helps.

I expected more from Kuta and was not terribly impressed with the homies there either. Would be grateful for some tips of where is good to ride on Lombok - away from the major crowds and with some good roads - like over Sengigi. Always laugh my ass of when I see these huge bikes trying to look cool as they dodge dogs, kids, bikes, basically everything.

modelt1826

Markit I have just found this it may help? Hi Graeme, I'm currently in Kupang West Timor and thought I'd add a pic of the Ferry timetable, thought it might be of some use to you for your forward planning when you depart West Timor. I've travelled by scooter from Lombok across to the island of Sumbawa (2 hour ferry 50,000 IDR) then over to Flores (8 hour ferry 170,000 IDR). From Larantuka across to Lembata and onto Alor (24 hour ferry 264,000 IDR). From Alor across to Kupang (14 hour ferry 281,500 IDR). Looking at departing soon back over to Ende. Cheers, Dazza Bendigo Days of the week are as follows, Monday - Senin, Tuesday - Selasa, Wednesday - Rabu, Thursday - Kamis, Friday - Jumat, Saturday - Sabtu, Sunday - Minggu. upload_2016-10-18_21-5-37.png

modelt1826

Markit There's a web site called adventure Rider i just did a search for Flores Indonesia there is some very good reports even people using scooters very interesting reading

Markit

bunyip wroteI just got back from a two week trip to Flores... I won't say to much but I will say that it is some of the best riding I have done anywhere on this planet. Most of the roads are well made and paved. Most of the dirt I went on was easier than the outback Lombok equivalents. I think it would be best to get the Ferry to Labuan Bajo... Ride the trans Flores Highway to the east and return along the northern road which is no where near as bad as I was told. Slow yes, difficulty I would rate a 4 out of ten!! Learning how to high five children on the right hand side of the road with your left hand under accelerator hand...6 out of ten difficulty :)

GREAT! tell me more about the ferry to Flores - so far have not had any success finding one. I'd prob run the kids over so will be content with just waving, for now. Had a friend she did Flores on scooter and did nothing but bitch about it (surprise, right?) but one thing she did say was that during the rainy season it gets lots of rain (who would have thought?). But days and days on end without break, not like Bali with afternoon delights...

bunyip

Markit wroteGREAT! tell me more about the ferry to Flores - so far have not had any success finding one. I'd prob run the kids over so will be content with just waving, for now. Had a friend she did Flores on scooter and did nothing but bitch about it (surprise, right?) but one thing she did say was that during the rainy season it gets lots of rain (who would have thought?). But days and days on end without break, not like Bali with afternoon delights...

Hey mate thats the link to the good ol safety first Shipping co ;) Got an error code for the link!!! Go to the Pelni website or even office in Bali and have a talk to them :) Apparently a 33 hour journey potentially on a slave trader style 'ship' Ships go two or three times a month.... My last experience on a pelni ship was 23 years ago so surely they have improved. Most other things have in Indo :) I would possibly ride all the southern roads to Ende and then back on the northern roads back to Bali or further east than that and of course Timur would be awesome but it takes a lot of time. I could have easily taken 4 weeks just to get around Flores Properly. And luckily had some pretty amazing weather!! Apart from a 8 hour pissing down episode from Ruteng to Labuan Bajo. Quality rain coat and full face helmet or at least an open with a unscratched visor :) Going pretty hard would take four days from Bali to Labuan Bajo in Flores by bike. Better to organise the boat and ride back at your leisure ;)

bunyip

Hey mate... Flying/renting is probably the easiest! A vario in Labuan is 60000 a day if rented for a week. Maybe 50000 a day for two weeks. Standard price is 75-80000... 50 minute plane ride and Labuan Bajo is a pretty chilled town. Some nice bars along the harbour side , plenty of Losmen and Padang food for days ;)

Markit

modelt1826 wroteMarkit I have just found this it may help? Hi Graeme, I'm currently in Kupang West Timor and thought I'd add a pic of the Ferry timetable, thought it might be of some use to you for your forward planning when you depart West Timor. I've travelled by scooter from Lombok across to the island of Sumbawa (2 hour ferry 50,000 IDR) then over to Flores (8 hour ferry 170,000 IDR). From Larantuka across to Lembata and onto Alor (24 hour ferry 264,000 IDR). From Alor across to Kupang (14 hour ferry 281,500 IDR). Looking at departing soon back over to Ende. Cheers, Dazza Bendigo Days of the week are as follows, Monday - Senin, Tuesday - Selasa, Wednesday - Rabu, Thursday - Kamis, Friday - Jumat, Saturday - Sabtu, Sunday - Minggu. upload_2016-10-18_21-5-37.png

Thanks a lot for that but I'm trying to avoid having to go over Lombok and Sumbawa again if I can and just catch a boat straight from Benoa to Flores - I did some looking today and found a connection Benoa-Flores but only how to get there. I could not get the stupid website to give me any info on returns so it looks like a visit to the Pelni orifices in DPS is on the cards.

modelt1826 wroteMarkit There's a web site called adventure Rider i just did a search for Flores Indonesia there is some very good reports even people using scooters very interesting reading

Thanks for that. I will study it at leisure. Ok had a check thru and unfortunately most of the stuff is way out of date so will still have to visit Pelni's orifices.

Markit

bunyip wroteHey mate thats the link to the good ol safety first Shipping co ;) Got an error code for the link!!! Go to the Pelni website or even office in Bali and have a talk to them :) Apparently a 33 hour journey potentially on a slave trader style 'ship' Ships go two or three times a month.... My last experience on a pelni ship was 23 years ago so surely they have improved. Most other things have in Indo :) I would possibly ride all the southern roads to Ende and then back on the northern roads back to Bali or further east than that and of course Timur would be awesome but it takes a lot of time. I could have easily taken 4 weeks just to get around Flores Properly. And luckily had some pretty amazing weather!! Apart from a 8 hour pissing down episode from Ruteng to Labuan Bajo. Quality rain coat and full face helmet or at least an open with a unscratched visor :) Going pretty hard would take four days from Bali to Labuan Bajo in Flores by bike. Better to organise the boat and ride back at your leisure ;)

Yeah the Pelni website was built about the last time you took one of their ships I think. Time really isn't an issue for me but after a while I do miss my bed and stuff so end up going home again. After about an hour there want to go again... Oh well. May end up flying (boring!) to Flores and renting a bike/scooter there. We'll see what happens.

Markit

bunyip wroteHey mate... Flying/renting is probably the easiest! A vario in Labuan is 60000 a day if rented for a week. Maybe 50000 a day for two weeks. Standard price is 75-80000... 50 minute plane ride and Labuan Bajo is a pretty chilled town. Some nice bars along the harbour side , plenty of Losmen and Padang food for days ;)

Thanks for the info but you left out the most important feature... women!?

BestofBali

Great idea, will have to put this on my "to do list" :cupcake:

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