I would not underestimate the task of entering Indonesia without a carnet, even though I know it´s been done... you can do just about anything in Asia, if you have the patience of a saint, or it´s your lucky day!

In fact I´ve personally met other bikers there, who had had very serious trouble to get their bikes into the country at all. The bikes stayed with the customs for weeks, and they were becoming desperate. Some of them claimed, that they even HAD the carnet, and one said, that he´s currently demanded a "recommendation letter from the United Nations"!!

So I think that the place, where you are entering from, could also be important. One, for example, had his bike stuck at Jakarta airport, and another one at Surabaya seaport... both places, where may be not so many foreign vehicles are transported to. One of the reasons to go Penang to Belawan, if it´s not far away from your route, is the fact, that it´s been used quite a bit, and so the customs know how the process should go.

One would think, but not sure if that's the case. It's one thing that in Tanjung Balai they had no idea how to fill it, but even in Port Klang, a massive cargo port, the officer with many shiny things attached to his chest knew no better. He got a bit anxious a few times, but I kept feeding him some copies of random docs (passport, rego...etc) and he eased up. Then he made up sime random "serial number" and wrote it on both slip, and he got an official and a personal stamp. Then he started to ask if I have a camera and/or a laptop and if they're covered by the carnet. You just need to be confident about you doing everything right an they accept it.

As for getting into Indonesia with no carnet...I'm not even sure about leaving the country without one!

Well, I know that 4 years ago things were very smooth *both*ways* between Penang and Belawan, as there were other bikers coming from Indonesia at the same time. In Penang, I actually gave one of them a lift to the docks, to pick up his bike from Cakra Shipping´s terminal. Everyone said they passed customs without a hitch on both ends.

For us it took maybe just 10-15 minutes to clear the customs at Belawan, and we only payed some fixer maybe 5 dollars, all of which I first could not believe, after all the horror stories that I´d heard....

But that info is of course old, and some things may well have changed (apparently have already, if that passenger boat is no longer operating; the situation with those seemed ever-changing, though!)... but if Cakra Shipping still has their onion boats going, they´d be my number 1 option between Malaysia and Indo (- unless of course if there´s some proper car ferry going – in fact they´d opened such a ferry route just a short while before we were looking for a passage, but unfortunately they´d already closed it down, too!)

I used Mr Lim from Georgetown to Medan in August 2011. He did a great job and the contact he recommended in Indo also no problem. I have name somewhere if needed. John Enfield details contact info are same as I used so still current. I can recommend Mr Lim.

same goes here lim of cakra shipping did a great job even to 2 of my friends...

Hi Guys.

I made I new way of shipping from Malaysia to Indonesia in December 2011, similiar to andras.ikladi but otherway. In my case it was a bit complicated and stressfull, as I was the first one, but I am sure it'll be much smoother for any another.

I arrived at Malaysian coast on Sunday, when called Mr Limb he said they are shipping only Friday/Saturday morning and it goes over weekend in every case. The price was oscilating around 900+. I checked also Port of Melacca, Port Dickson and Port Klang with no luck, but when looking for some solution at passenger terminal in the last place I met two guys who work for travel agency. They offered me to send my bike by one of the ferries to Tamjung Balai, using their connection, next day. I paid 300 ringits for taking motorbike across and another 100 for someone to help me to sort travel and customs on the other side. I could also go on the same boat, for another 100 but as I had no visa they didn't allowed me to board and I had to fly to Medan and take minibus to Tanjung Balai instead. Everything was well organised, nonetheless I had to spend a half day with Indonesian customs. They said they had never dealt with it before, but after a few hours of calling they got familiar with procedure and said proudly that next time they will be smarter, so hopefully it takes an hour or so. The clue is to have letter from Ikatan Motor Indonesia beforehend, just email them a few days before arriving, then they send permission and instruction to customs in chosen place how to proceed.
And I hadn't paid any duty or other charges, everything was free.
After you leave the customs you have to go to police station and wait for Road Permit, that's another story, a few hours again but free too.

Before you get there good idea is to have Indonesian visa in passport, it save you money, unnecessary flights, time and stress when traveling by minibus. You can apply in Kuala Lumpur, it takes three days for them to issue one.

All operation was easy and quite well organised and when I called to the guys from other side they said I can recommend them for others, they can do it again any time. If I am to do it ones more I am sure I go this way: everyday shipping, shorter time, half price comparing to Cacra.

Contact number to Izainil is +60136367611 but, as he doesn't speak english perfectly well better email him on izainil_nazzirul at yahoo dot com

And remember to have CPD stamped when crosing border to Malaysia from Thailand. Doesn't matter that they say it's not required, they won't allowed you to leave without it later. But if you forgot ask Izainil, he's got solution for it too.

Good luck
for more details look at my blog

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http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/cimek/1/tpod.html

Great find and it's good to have another option.

> The clue is to have letter from Ikatan Motor Indonesia beforehend, just email them a few days before arriving, then they send permission and instruction to customs in chosen place how to proceed.

Who are they and how did you find out about that? Can you please post their email here? (Please encode it with scr.im or similar to prevent spam.)

There is another good reason to have a visa in advance: it's valid twice as long and can be extended.

Enjoy Indo!

__________________
Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

It's equivalent of RAC or ADAC in Europe. Their website address is:

http://www.imi.co.id/

We browsed for details with officers in Tamjung Balai to find contact details and then ringing numbers one by one to find out how to proceed.

The nice lady informed that Indonesia has different rules to deal with CPD than rest of the world. Like with everything probably. To cross the border apart of valid Carne booklet you have to register your intension to enter country with them in advance and then they email approval letter to appropriate custom office. It normaly takes 3 days, but, as I was on the border already they managed to do it same day. After that they stamped my Carne and allowed me to enter for free. It was a big struggle to sort it out, so I am sure next time they will remember the case and be more familiar with procedure.

Apart of it the guys are very kind and nice, the problem was only lack of knowledge.
At the police station - otherway, they know how to proceed but everything is taking looong time.

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http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/cimek/1/tpod.html

A bit like Singapore then. It's weird, though: you don't get any of this palaver when going through Belawan or either land border crossing.

Thanks for all the info.

__________________
Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

Looks like someone else had the same problem when was crossing from other side, from East Timor. Look at the post of brethouwer here:

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...mor-west-42723

But in the same post some other fellows went smoothly through it. It more likely depends of level of knowledge on the border, rather than where you are crossing.

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http://blog.travelpod.com/travel-blog/cimek/1/tpod.html

PENANG to MEDAN on a THAI motorbike with no CARNET.
IS IT POSSIBLE???


Hi there to all and
everyone who have done this before:

PENANG (Malaysia) to BELAWAN-MEDAN (Indonesia), what happens if one is shipping his bike without a CARNET de PASSAGE?

We are riding a motorbike with a Thai registr. plate. Unfortunately the Thai Government or any other Automobile Club of Thailand DOES NOT release any CARNET, reason being that apparently there has never been anyone who has wanted to drive or ride any vehicle with a Thai plate into Indonesia....and therefore they do not even seem to know what a CARNET is.
What they do know is a ATA Carnet, which is usually a document that is being issued by the Thai authority if one wants to go exhibit goods, (motorbikes included), etc... temporarily in another Country.

This is what the Automobile Club of Thailand told us.

We find this veryyyy strange but if true we are really struggling to understand and arrange procedures to get our motorbike onto Indonesian ground.

Does anyone know what we can do about it?

Looking forward to get your information.

Best to all.

Frank V

2 things come to mind:

contact the Indo AA for advice.

contact the Malaysian AA. they told us that they will issue it for Thai bikes.

__________________
Cheers,
Peter.

Europe to NZ 2006-10

Frank, mind sharing which next steps you took? Did you manage to get your bike into Indonesia by now?

I'm considering crossing from Penang to Belawan with my Singapore registered bike, but also don't have a carnet. Anyone did that before?

Getting a carnet is not an option for me... too much hassle with various authorities in SG.

Anyone any news the latest I hearedd is that Mr Lim and his 'onion boat' is not operatina anymore...

any idea how to cross to Malaysia?

cheers Sascha

__________________
Round the world by bike. www.RTWbyBIKE.com

As of April 2012 there will be NO MORE VEGETABLE BOATS FROM PENANG (Malaysia) TO BELAWAN (Indonesia) to ship your motorbike onto Sumatra ground. This is what we heard from Mr Lim at the end of March 2012.

Ok, our story, or better said, our attempt to enter Indonesia without Carnet has been published and discussed at length on Facebook during these past few weeks and, unfortunately, we do not have the time to go into this again right now. In short, we did not make it eventually.

In a way, today I would say "Thanks God we were not allowed to enter Indonesia" for, if we did so, on our way back to from Sumatra to Malaysia (Penang) we would have gotten stuck at Belawan port and forced to make a very unpleasant decision, .... that is, shipping our bikes back at the cost of approx. RM2000,- and plus....or, plus plus plus, (I really do not remember how much Mr Lim told me concerning the new shipping costs).

Ok, the story seems to be like this....(with reserves of possible misinformation).
So, it is neither the Malaysian authorities nor the IMI Ikatan Motor Indonesia (Automobile Club of Indonesia), nor the Custom at Belawan that would not let any motorbike (mind you, with Carnet) enter Sumatra, but apparently the Indonesian Marine Police.
This last one seems to have recently denied a motorbike, which was nicely stocked and transported in one of Mr Lim's veggy boat, from landing at Belawan port. Mr Lim (one of the funniest and nicest person we met in Penang) says that the biker himself was totally unaware of all the hassle being caused around and about his motorbike at the port of Belawan.

Eventually however, his bike was released by Custom and he could finally put his hands on it and ride away.
This is today most likely only history and the biker may as well have been the very last one to enter Indonesia in this way...for the time being, at least.

The Indonesian Marine Police, rumors say, seem to have smelled something of a growing business in this motorbikes transportation process across the two neighboring Countries and for some 'unspecific reasons' it is trying to block this clean and honest (adv-touristic) traffic. Do they see a way to make unclean money out of it? If so, how? I myself do not know.

Anyaway....shipping your bike from Penang to Belawan with Mr Lim's veggy boat used to be great fun and its cost was RM600. Seeing your bike being lifted with a crane and then put into a weird-looking wooden boat, bearing exotic names like "Golden Lestari", was one of those experience lots of us have always been looking for, I am sure. .... Unfortunately, from now on that same transportation may well cost you around RM2000 plus, ...this is always according to Mr Lim's words.
The new transportation system imposed by the Indo authorities is one which you all already know very well:
you empty your motorbike of all its liquids, you make a crate, you put your 'two-wheels angel' into it and off it goes with a regular container cargo ship on the other side of the sea.

This is the sad story about Penang/Belawan.

STILL ONE POSSIBLE OPTION:

But there is perhaps a little door that we may still try out from
Port Klang(Kuala Lumpur) to Tanjung Balai (Sumatra).
We recently got in contact by phone with a guy who goes by the name of Mr Nazz who says there is a passenger ferry boat that still operates a regular service and that can carry up to a maximum of 5 bikes (and their respective bikers) at a time, from Port Klang to Tanjung Balai.

I am in the process of talking to the guy and before I publish his contact for everyone to use it, I want to make sure that the 'operation' is really possible.

For now...thanks for reading and good luck to everyone.

Regards,

Frank VEDETT /////