DENPASAR (indo.com): Often in tourist areas you'll be offered "transport, transport", and the rates are negotiable. But many of these cars are quite old. Radio, tape and even the air-conditioning are often out of order.

Transportation in Bali has always been cheap by any standards. The metered radio taxis start with a flag fall of 4,000 Rupiah, and your journey is billed at a further 2,000 Rupiah per kilometer. Most trips cost Rp 7,000 to 30,000. You should avoid taxis that refuse to use their meter or claim it is broken - they will try to cheat you. Generally speaking, the blue taxis are the most reliable.

"Although most drivers initially seem to be very friendly, some are real con artists and waste hours of your precious vacation bringing you to shops you never wished to visit - they want to earn a commission on your purchases," said I Ketut Sutjaja from Bali Tourism Board's staff to indo.com

He added that it's much more relaxing to have someone who knows his way around behind the wheel, rather than to drive yourself through Bali's traffic. You can fully enjoy the sights, don't have to worry about getting lost, and there's always somebody to watch the car and your belongings when you get out and look around.

If you have an International Driver's License, you can rent motorbikes from Rupiah 15,000 to Rupiah 35,000 per day, and five to ten year old self-drive cars (Jimny or Toyota "Kijang") cost from 90,000 Rupiah to 250,000 Rupiah per day. Newer models are more expensive, and luxury cars such as a Volvo limousine or a new Toyota "Land Cruiser" will cost US$150 to US$200 or even more per day.

Petrol is comparatively cheap. Premium leaded gasoline fluctuates between 1,450 Rupiah and 1,750 Rupiah per liter and Diesel (Solar) between 900 Rupiah and 1,550 Rupiah per liter.