Hello all! I am trying to find out the best (less complicated) place to buy a bike that I can use to tour through Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia....and then who knows, maybe continue on up into Thailand etc.

Not looking for anything fancy, a local bike, 125-150cc would be fine.

Of course I will be on a tourist visa which can make things hard.

I have heard its easy to do this in Vietnam, I guess I could do it there then go overland to Malaysia etc. But I know Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand already and would prefer not to spend weeks making that trip.

Any ideas? Thanks!

I was in Philippines at Christmas and it was great, however, if you want to travel there on bike you'd have to buy a bike there and even then you're going to have trouble getting from island to island. It's a big place with 7,107 islands. Better to fly to the bigger islands and rent a bike there. Almost pointless renting/buying a bike on the smaller islands. Also some of the best scuba diving ever, if you don't dive learn here!

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The problem taking a bike into Indo or Malaysia if its not a bike plated in the country its taken into you will need a Carnet. And that could be a potentially expensive and time consuming affair. The other problem is that it is quite expensive to ship a bike from mainland Malaysia to Indo - unless youre travelling in Borneo/Kalimantan.

And how to get a bike bought in Malaysia or Indo to the Philippines and back? There used to be a ferry between Sandakan in malaysian Borneo to Zamboanga in southwest Mindanao region of the Philippines. But does it still run and does it take vehicles? And how do the Philippines authorities look upon a foreign plated bike in their country? And there are some security issues in the Mindanao region to consider as well.

If I were you I would rent or buy one bike on the Philippines and rent or buy one in Indonesia. And skip Malaysia - its an interesting country but doesnt have a whole lot of interesting motorbike roads. (Talkin about mainland Malaysia)

Indonesia is so huge that you could easily spend 6 months there taking in a good part of the country. I travelled 3,5 months in Indo last year and felt like I just had a glimpse of it...

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Thanks for the tips, reflects also some of what I was thinking from previous research (read more than a few of your previous posts Snakeboy).

I know Indonesia requires a Carnet so I was thinking (hoping) to try and buy the bike there...but I cant find any solid info on how possible that is with a tourist visa. I am not new to this kind of stuff. A couple years ago I bought an old Royal Enfield in India and drove it all the way to Spain. I bent some rules for sure...certain papers were "altered". I am not opposed to creative solutions. But just can't find any good info at all about buying in Indonesia.

As for getting from Indo to Phillipines the only way is the ferry you spoke of that would take me through Borneo (Sandakan / Zamboanga). Regarding Carnet in Malaysia, I have heard if you are not on a big European bike you can often slip through without them asking for one. I also heard the same can apply entering Indonesia if you are lucky.

So seems the best option (if at all possible) is to buy a bike in Indonesia. I have no idea about Philippines.... preachan...did you actually buy a bike there?

Anyone with other ideas?

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hubb/

This guy bought a motorbike in Indonesia and rode happily around on it. He wrote that the only thing the ploice wanted from him when they stopped him was the bike papers, IDP and a selfie...LOL.

About tourist visa in Indo - try to get a 60 day visa, I think its called a social visa as it gives you 60 days stay and it can be extended 4 x 30 days versus a normal tourist visa gives you only 30 days and can be extended only x 1 another 30 days.

You might be right that a small locally registrated bike can slip in and out of Indo and Malaysia without a Carnet - its only on Borneo/Kalimantan those two countries actually share a landborder.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Look at the Facebook page below. This guy has travelled all over the Philippines on his bike. Amazing stuff!

https://www.facebook.com/wildlands1/

Nope, only had 6 weeks so rented a bike in El Nido (Palawan island) and on Bohol, other than that flights, passenger ferries, small boats and public busses. I'd do the same again. Unless you have lots of time it's the way to go and even at that you could end up leaving it on the larger islands while you got boats to explore the smaller islands. While you could bring a bike on ferries between the larger islands they can be infrequent and take a long time. Flights are frequent and inexpensive.



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I have ties to PH and spend a good deal of time there, getting a motorcycle in or out is a mine field and if proper procedures are followed then it would cost more than the bike is worth.

People taking bikes out of PH is almost unheard of as many people who travel within Asia will normally purchase in Vietnam, Thailand or Malaysia. I looked at importing a motorcycle to PH and for a BMW GS valued at £3000 it would cost that again plus a bit more and since then I have been told they only accept brand new vehicles!!!..

If you want to buy a motorcycle in PH look at the Visayas region somewhere like Kalibo, there are a good amount of dealers there this will allow you to tour that region that has everything from massive cities like IloIlo to very rural and maybe even get a quick boat ride to Boracay island (well worth a trip) then from Caticlan port (same port as the Boracay boats) you can get a ferry to Manila then tour that region up to Baguio. Then sell bike on in Manila and do the same in Indo.

Motortrade (1003 Roxas Ave, Kalibo, 5600 Aklan) is a good independent dealer just minutes from Kalibo airport, Suzuki also have a dealership within walking distance.


Hope that gives you a loose plan

But what if you brought in a small motorbike plated somewhere in SE-Asia via the Sandakan - Zamboanga ferry and you intended to get it out the same way a month or two later. Would you then have to pay a lot of fees? It would be like a temporary import which normally is free or at least not expensive to arrange in other countries around the world...

Theres a Youtube clip of a spanish guy taking his huge spanish plated BMW GS on that ferry and riding it around on the Phils and he didnt mention anything about fees other than the ferry ticket. But he might have had to pay something which he didnt mention. He shipped his bike out of the Phils again btw.

Problem is also Mindanao security issues nowadays - but one could probably get a ferry from Zamboanga to Visayas somewhere, maybe Cebu?

Here is that spanish guy with his GS on the Sandakan - Zamboanga ferry:

https://youtu.be/nRIYrYB-JHY

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Hello all. Just a quick update on this, my original post,....I did indeed buy a motorcycle in Manila, easy-peasy. No problem, just walked into a Honda dealer and bought a 125cc repo bike with 1400k on it for about $700. They got the papers put in my name for me. No problem. I drove it about 5000k all over the country.

The whole thing went smooth, no problems, I would recommend anyone interested to do this.

I ditched the idea of trying to take the bike to Indonesia, it seems impossible. So I sold the bike within 3 days once I returned to Manila. I only lost about $120 on it. In indonesia I just bought another bike and did the same thing.

Not much practical/useful help here but for anyone interested my blog shows the route I took and has some pictures and stories: https://thescenicroutethroughlife.com/

Just left Indonesia and now on our way to XinXiang China to try and do this again...Don't think it will go so smooth in China though! Happy trails!

That visa you speak of is called a 'social budaya' visa.

Essentially you need an Indonesian sponsor for it, and that sponsor will send you (with copies of their I.D etc) the completed sponsor form that downloadable from the Indonesian Embassy website.

You will need to download and fill in other forms for yourself also, plus include 2 passport photos ..., then apply at an Indonesian Embassy with all the above forms from you and your sponsor.

There is a workaround, where visa agencies can act as your sponsor and send you the forms and also meet immigration staff for renewals etc (all for a large fee of course (you would need to contact them well in advance before planning a trip , and pay upfront I am guessing)

Another thing is once in Indonesia, you are required to jump through some hoops at each renewal time, as forms need to be filled , passports stamped , money paid , and at some stage you will need immigration to take your photo and fingerprints.

Maybe youre right - but I got that 60 day visa - social budaya visa at the Indo consulate in Penang without asking for it, even without knowing that it existed or applying especially for it. And I did certainly not have any indonesian sponsor at that time. I just said "visa" to the clerk behind the counter, filled out a form, paid a fee and handed over my passport with some photoes - next day picked it up. 60 days visa!
The extension process can be bit complicated indeed, but I guess its the same even though you have a normal 30 day tourist visa or this social budaya visa. And at that I needed also a indonesian sponsor.

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

Yes, you can get a pre paid 60 day tourist visa that you apply for from overseas - but it is not renewable like a 6mth social budaya visa is (ie; Social Budaya Visa gets you an initial 2 mths + 4x1 mth permissible extensions)

Otherwise there is a paid tourist visa on arrival which is renewable for 1 month only .., otherwise there is a free visa on arrival but note; that one is not renewable.

I was living here in Indonesia on a sponsored (6mth) Social budaya visa for my 1st 2 years living in Indonesia .., ie; until I eventually qualified for a kitas visa , then onto kitap visa (ie; permanent resident visa).

Travellers can arrive in Indonesia on any tourist visa ...., then while here they could apply at a visa agent for a 6 month social budaya (who for a price will act as a sponsor). The visa agent will then give you the completed necessary forms to which you will fly out to Singapore for a day(for eg) and submit the paperwork, and then fly back on the social budaya visa.

This is actually illegal for the agents to sponsor you as the contact with you is a business transaction and not 'a bonafide social visit' as would be between friends and family etc.., and this is part of the reason for the high price they charge for their service, as some of that money you pay to them also goes toward the agents greasing a few palms at the immigration dept to process the agents paperwork.
Occasionally there is a crackdown on these agents, but it never lasts to long before it goes back to their old ways

Well again - I got a 60 day visa at the Indo consulate in Penang. I went their myself and thus didnt use any agent or company. I simply said "visa" to the clerk at the consulate, got the form, filled it out, handed it back with a couple of photos passport and the payment and picked it up the next morning. The Indo consulate in Penang dont accept agents or companies and all visa seekers must go there on their own. I did not have any Indo sponsor at all. The visa was renewable 4 times, I did however only renew it two times. Whats the big fuzz? It seems that everyone can get a 60 day visa there thats extendable 4 times 30 days.
I have heard however that not all embassies and consulates hands out such visas that easily. If one comes via Penang and intend to stay in Indo for more than 30 days I certainly will recommend to get the visa I got...

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In the end everything will be fine. If its not fine its not the end....

All I can say is you must have been extremely 'lucky to 'somehow' get a social budaya/ cultural visa (which is extendable as you commented) ?
.., but this certainly is not the norm and certainly something a traveller should be expecting to easily obtain 'by just rocking up' at an Embassy .

I don't even know how you managed to renew it after the initial 60 days was up, let alone obtain a Social Budaya to be stamped into your passport to begin with ?
..,, as an interview with your sponsor (which you say you didn't have) is required by the immigration dept at the 1st renewal, and sponsor details like photocopies of their I.D's) are required also with each consecutive renewal thereafter.

What I do suspect .., is you were on a non-renewable standard 60 day 'tourist visa' ..., and for your 'other extension' renewals (as you say you did 2 of) .., were just accepted by Immigration as 'under the table' payments, ie; where staff must have turned a blind eye to the fact that you did not exit the country (as normally is required) and simply stamped you through with a 30 day tourist visa (which that corruption is not uncommon , and many do that with the tourist visa)
.., otherwise if it was a social budaya status - upon your renewal you would have had to submit all the sponsor forms etc, then go though having fingerprints taken and photos taken by immigration etc that is part of the social budaya/cultural visa process.

I am not saying you 'didn't manage' to get around these requirements, as perhaps back when you obtained it staff may have overlooked such details or you may have paid a higher price for your renewals - where unbeknown to you - palms were possibly greased ..., but this certainly is not something others should expect to happen to them in such a copy book fashion.., especially these days when requirements are now more strict, crackdowns are more frequent, and greasing palms is is now getting placed more under the spotlight and harder for staff to get away with.

Regarding my earlier comments,
I certainly didnt make up the rules / requirements that I posted regarding 6 mth social Budaya Visa's (A.K.A social cultural visa), nor intended to try to be a 'know all' . I just aimed to offer to members from my knowledge of 'what is required to stay in the Country legally for as long as possible.

.., Especially when travellers are with their imported bikes - it is good to know / plan beforehand where they stand

.., the rules and requirements are also clearly stated here on the Indonesian Embassy's website ; https://www.kbri-canberra.go.id/menu...a#requirements