Self drive in Lombok by theo1006
Self drive in Lombok is cheap and easy. We hired a Suzuki Katana for Rp 150,000 per day only (excl. petrol of course), and drove it ourselves for nine days.However, you have to keep a few points in mind:
1. You should have an international or Indonesian driving license.
2. Insurance is virtually non-existent. If by chance they say the car is insured, it means just that: the car. Not yourself, nor the cars or lives of others.
3. Secondary roads may be on the map, but not passable without four wheel drive.
So drive carefully, never be in a hurry, and always look out for erratic motor cycles.
We hired our car from "Bintang Berlian" in Mataram. They are at Jalan Catur Warga 12C, which was close to our hotel, Lombok Garden. Actually there are several car rentals on Jalan Catur Warga, and they cooperate if the car you want is not available. We preferred a small Suzuki jeep for the two of us, and the owner of Bintang Berlian, Ir Anton, phoned around to get it for us.