I would humbly suggest a car, a large swathe of unoccupied land and then venture onto the roads or seek local tuition.
In surfing I would not recommend, Padang Padang as a place to learn and therefore the hustle bustle of Balinese roads as a place to learn to drive.
Good luck Beck and be safe.
In surfing I would not recommend, Padang Padang as a place to learn and therefore the hustle bustle of Balinese roads as a place to learn to drive.
Good luck Beck and be safe.
Hi Beck
I came here to find out what a "dring" is.
Something to do with driving or diving schools near Ubud?
OK. About driving lessons for your wife.
Steve Rossell suggested a car. I would recommend a motorised chariot like the one in Ben Hur, with blades on the wheels, but without the horses.
Seriously, learning to "drive" is one thing, and being able to "drive" in Bali without being injured or killed is another.
(Or coping with damage sustained to your chariot from an "accident", and the damage to the other one, irrespective of whose "fault" it was.)
The basic skills needed, the way I see them, include good eyesight and hearing, fast reflexes, eyes in the back of your head, a highly attenuated attention span,
plus a working grasp of how Indonesians "drive", culturally speaking. (The last is learning to "go with the the flow", so to speak, without freaking out.)
I don't know how long you've been with your wife but it's important to mention that you probably should never consider yourself teaching her to drive, unless you're looking for a divorce.
I'm sorry that I can't point you to specific "driving schools" in the Ubud area. I imagine that there must be plenty of them.
Years ago I was always bemused seeing learner drivers "learning" with a bunch of family members in the same vehicle, (probably praying super hard in the back), or for "support".
Don't see that much these days where I am.
Ask yourself this. Would you take members of your family for a ride in a car when the "driver" hasn't learnt to drive yet?
I'm sure I wouldn't and that's another reason to pay a so-called instructor to teach your wife, specifying beforehand without extra passengers onboard.
Good luck.
:cheerful:
I came here to find out what a "dring" is.
Something to do with driving or diving schools near Ubud?
OK. About driving lessons for your wife.
Steve Rossell suggested a car. I would recommend a motorised chariot like the one in Ben Hur, with blades on the wheels, but without the horses.
Seriously, learning to "drive" is one thing, and being able to "drive" in Bali without being injured or killed is another.
(Or coping with damage sustained to your chariot from an "accident", and the damage to the other one, irrespective of whose "fault" it was.)
The basic skills needed, the way I see them, include good eyesight and hearing, fast reflexes, eyes in the back of your head, a highly attenuated attention span,
plus a working grasp of how Indonesians "drive", culturally speaking. (The last is learning to "go with the the flow", so to speak, without freaking out.)
I don't know how long you've been with your wife but it's important to mention that you probably should never consider yourself teaching her to drive, unless you're looking for a divorce.
I'm sorry that I can't point you to specific "driving schools" in the Ubud area. I imagine that there must be plenty of them.
Years ago I was always bemused seeing learner drivers "learning" with a bunch of family members in the same vehicle, (probably praying super hard in the back), or for "support".
Don't see that much these days where I am.
Ask yourself this. Would you take members of your family for a ride in a car when the "driver" hasn't learnt to drive yet?
I'm sure I wouldn't and that's another reason to pay a so-called instructor to teach your wife, specifying beforehand without extra passengers onboard.
Good luck.
:cheerful:
OK the joke is on me. Better at least get caption right next time eh
Maybe I need to clarify myself a bit. We live primarily in Sweden. We come to Bali two or three months a year. Plan is to get a car in Sweden in the future as the family expands. My wife will attend driving school in Sweden in due time. But because a driving lesson is 1 juta or more per 40 mins in Sweden, I thought it could be a good idea to start in Bali where it a lot cheaper just to get some basic clutch, gearbox turn the wheel experience. An Indonesian driving license is not the aim just get some basic experience so wife does not have start from absolutely scratch later.
I will make sure the lessons take place on as empty roads as possible.
Many things can be said about the driving style in Bali. My absolute favorite are the big touring busses that goes between Jawa and Bali that you encounter on Highway 1. The come on to you in your lane blipping their headlights. Right foot steady on the accelerator. Mad Max is for pussies. Darwinism in its purest form. Not that the tosser behind the wheel in the bus would comprehend anyway.
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My personal opinion is it would be a bad idea,i realize what you are trying to do but if someone is going to learn something new I feel they should learn in the proper way,driving here is a challenge and if she developed Indonesian driving habits and took them back home and practiced them there I cant imagine what would happen,spend the little extra cash and have her learn back home,i have been driving for 40 years,both in Europe and America and I still find it a challenge to drive in Indonesia,but its not just Bali,any place I have been to in Indonesia is the same,there seems to be no rules of the road other that dog eat dog,have you experienced the drivers who turn on the hazzaed warning lights at a junction,seems they think this is the way to let others know they will go straight,mind boggling,i have numerous dings and dints on my car even though thankfully I have never hit anyone or anything,
I read these kinds of articles/posts all the time and I'm frankly concerned that the writers haven't really grasped how to drive in Indonesia and probably are a danger to themselves and all that drive with them.
There are as many unwritten rules for driving here as there are written ones in the west and it's the lack of knowledge of those that will cause problems.
Some examples:
Horn honking is there to tell your fellow traffic participants what you are doing, about to do or simply that you are there.
Flashing of lights is the same.
Last minute movement from the center to the side is to allow oncoming traffic to pass and the left motorbike lane (non-existent) to carry on. Don't forget to blink for overtaking or turning - best is to turn it on when you leave home and off when you return. That way everyone will know you are dangerous and give you a wide berth.
Turn lane at the light - to allow faster traffic to pass slower at light change.
Red Stop lights - aspirational but not a must.
Amber lights - go real fast but expect other traffic to cross or impede.
Parking can be a problem - people will park their motorbikes exactly behind you in your blind spot and get really angry when you run the fecking think over.
Parking can be a problem - parking assistance which is everywhere most probably has never, ever sat in a car and will helpfully stand in your blind spot while directing and possibly get run over and then strangely angry.
I could go on and on...
There are as many unwritten rules for driving here as there are written ones in the west and it's the lack of knowledge of those that will cause problems.
Some examples:
Horn honking is there to tell your fellow traffic participants what you are doing, about to do or simply that you are there.
Flashing of lights is the same.
Last minute movement from the center to the side is to allow oncoming traffic to pass and the left motorbike lane (non-existent) to carry on. Don't forget to blink for overtaking or turning - best is to turn it on when you leave home and off when you return. That way everyone will know you are dangerous and give you a wide berth.
Turn lane at the light - to allow faster traffic to pass slower at light change.
Red Stop lights - aspirational but not a must.
Amber lights - go real fast but expect other traffic to cross or impede.
Parking can be a problem - people will park their motorbikes exactly behind you in your blind spot and get really angry when you run the fecking think over.
Parking can be a problem - parking assistance which is everywhere most probably has never, ever sat in a car and will helpfully stand in your blind spot while directing and possibly get run over and then strangely angry.
I could go on and on...