In short. Grab and Gojek work the same way: bike (GoRide, GrabBike), car (GoCar, GrabCar), food and delivery. A bike is faster and cheaper in traffic, and the driver provides a helmet. The routine: set the pickup point on a main road, not in a side lane or at the villa. The price is fixed before the ride and rises in rain and at rush hour. Toll roads and parking after pickup are paid by the passenger. Tell the driver in the chat where you are ("Saya di depan Indomaret") and get in only with the driver who accepted the order, after checking the plate number. In some villages and at some beaches the apps do not go, so walk the last stretch. Traffic drives on the left: look right before you step onto the road. A street taxi you can trust is a blue Blue Bird with a meter.
How people get around. Traffic drives on the left: the steering wheel is on the right, vehicles overtake on the right, and when turning right you cross the oncoming lane. In the first days this confuses even a passenger, so look right before you step onto the road. There are few traffic lights, and junctions are crossed on the principle "whoever starts first". Bikes flow around cars on both sides and give short beeps. That is a warning, "I am next to you", and there is no need to take offence.
Addresses. Jalan (Jl.) means street, Gang (Gg.) means lane, No. is the house number, Banjar is a village district. Street names repeat across the island, so everyone navigates by map points. To send a pin in WhatsApp: tap the paperclip icon, choose "Location", then "Send your current location". This is the main skill of the first week.
Two apps. Grab and Gojek work the same way: bike taxi (GoRide and GrabBike), car (GoCar and GrabCar), food and delivery. On a bike, getting through the traffic of Canggu is noticeably faster and cheaper than in a car, and the driver gives you a helmet. How to book:
- Step 1. Put the pickup point on the road. Not inside a lane and not inside a villa: the driver goes to the pin. If your villa is in a dead end, walk out to the main street and put the point where you stand.
- Step 2. Choose a bike or a car and look at the price. The price is fixed before the ride and rises in rain and at rush hour. Grab warns that toll roads and surcharges are not included in the price before booking. The payment method is chosen right in the order: cash, a bank card or a wallet, which in Gojek is GoPay.
- Step 3. Tell the driver where you are. In the order chat write "Saya di depan Indomaret" (I am in front of Indomaret) or just send the pin. Calling is not required.
- Step 4. Check the plate number of the bike or car in the app. Get in only with the driver who accepted the order: people at stops offer to "just ride".
Toll roads and parking. The Gojek help page on booking GoRide says that parking and toll road costs before pickup are the driver's, unless agreed otherwise in advance. After pickup the passenger pays them, but only by agreement before entering the parking area or the toll section.
What to say to the driver. Four phrases for the chat and for the road:
- Saya di depan Indomaret. I am in front of Indomaret.
- Tunggu sebentar, ya. Wait a minute, please.
- Berhenti di sini, ya. Stop here, please.
- Kiri / kanan / lurus. Left, right, straight.
Where the apps do not go. In some villages and at part of the beaches the apps do not go: local taxi drivers work there, and a Grab driver will drop you at the "border" of such a zone. This is a local rule and arguing with it is pointless, and it is usually five minutes on foot to your destination.
Blue Bird taxi. Blue Bird cars are blue, with a meter and their own app, and you can flag them down in the street. This is the street taxi the island trusts most.
If you want to drive yourself. We covered renting a bike and licences in the guides on renting a scooter and on the driving licence.
What this means for you. Make your first trips through Grab or Gojek: put the pickup point on a main street, tell the driver where you are and get in only with the one who accepted the order. Look right before you step onto the road, and where the apps do not go, walk the last stretch, usually about five minutes.