From Penang, Malaysia to Medan, Indonesia - December, 2012

After the well known and above described shipping of motorbikes on onion boats from Malaysia to Indonesia has been stopped in spring 2012, it is possible again since summer 2012. It will cost you a bit more, because the shipping agency in Indonesia had to find a final solution with customs and/or the marine. But it still seems to be cheaper and less complicated then the ferry from Port Klang/KL to Tanjung Balai in Indonesia or to send it by cargo with Aseantex to Dumai.

The boat goes every week on Sunday. Loading is normally on Friday or Saturday. We were asked to come to the Cakrashipping office is in Georgetown/Penang on Tuesday to copy passport and cdp and to pay for the shipping. Mr. Lim will get the complete amount and give you a receipt for both parts of the sum. Make sure you take them with you to Indonesia to the shipping partner company in Belawan. On Wednesday you go with Mr. Lim to customs for the exit stamp. When we left there was nothing else going on the boat except our bike, so we had to load the bike already on Wednesday. But another biker was still allowed to load his bike on Saturday, even if the ship had to come back into the harbour only for his bike.

Make sure you get your cdp stamped when you come into Malaysia. It is not obligatory when you cross a landborder, just ask for it, someone will know. But if you leave sea- or airways you necessarily need a stamped cdp. 

The onion boats leave from the harbour in Butterworth on the mainland. You go there with Mr. Lim by ferry and normally he can take you back on his scooter. But it is not far to walk either to get to the passenger ferry back to Penang. To enter the loading area you need to bring a passport.

We stayed in the Pin Seng Hotel in Love Lane in Georgetown, not far from the office. They have a garage, wifi and are damn cheap! 

You yourself will probably end up taking on of the discount flights of Air Asia to Medan, which unfortunately have killed off the ferry service between the two countries with their discounted prices. There is a ferry from Port Klang/KL, where you can get by train. But there is no visa on arrival service on the other side. Only via Singapore and the Riau islands. But you probably wont make it in time (and cheaper) to Medan.

You have to be in the office of the shipping company in Belawan (30 km from Medan, ca. 120.000 ripie by taxi, dont hire one at the airport) on Monday around 10:00 AM:
PT MELDA JAYA
JL. BANGKA TIMUR NO. 49
BELAWAN
Tel No: 77671410
Mobile: +62 82166209122
It's a tiny shop house in a tiny side street in the middle of that small port town. You drive in almost until the port authorities and cross over the railway tracks to your right, then just ask for the street. But you probably have to wait. They need the receipt for the Indonesian part you paid in Georgetown, the cdp and a copy of your passport. If they are shipping bikes in the other direction, they will do the custom carnet dealing in one go. But it is a nice chance to exchange some travel information with them.