Getting Around Bali

If you want to see Bali's hidden treasures, it's best to get a driver guide. Traffic in Bali is pretty hectic at most places so a local guide will know how to swerve around traffic and take shortcuts.

When I reached the airport, the first thing I did was grab as much free travel brochures and maps I could get my hands on. That was a bad mistake. We had such a headache deciding which of the tour package to go for. We had some tips already from friends who were there before so we knew the tours that was boring so we could avoid them.

I spent about 2 hours looking through all the spots and listing down the places we wanted to go. By that time it was getting dark and we didn't even leave the hotel yet. So I got online and searched for a driver guide. I went over to tripadvisor and also google and on most of the lists I found, this driver named Kadek kept on appearing on travelers reviews.

I'm a tech savvy person and I've learnt to make my decisions based on other's recommendation. Although they can be faked but when you keep seeing the same recommendations from several different people, you can be more or less sure that it's a good choice.

I dug deeper and found his website and phone number and gave him a call .... told him all the spots I wanted to visit and asked him to customize my very own private tour. His price was reasonable and he also sounded very knowledgable. We sealed the deal for the next morning and I went out for my food and a night of partying.

He arrived early the next morning waiting for me while we had our breakfast. Got in his car still half drunk, passed him my list and slept most of the way to the first stop. After the first stop, we sobered up a bit and started to talk to Kadek who explained their culture, people and religion. Since it was quite a bit of drive to get to another spot, I was well informed about everything I asked him.

He took me to places that were off the beaten track and it was well worth what I paid for. I then asked him to bring me to the best roast pig in Bali for lunch ... some more sight seeing and then to the hot springs. On the way, we saw excellent rock formations from larva which was unique to me.

He explained the local's farming and fishing lifestyle and I could understand that life near that part of the island is very much influenced by the flow of the larva from the volcano.

We then visited some temples and even saw some religious ceremony as we went thru a small town.

All in all it was a great day and I truly enjoyed his services.

This is his contact number if you're interested.

Bali Kadek
+62 818343378
http://balidriverbali.blogspot.com/

Now I am about to share how we managed to roam around the isalnd for about a week for just USD 5! Yes, we spent only five bucks, or less, for transportation. And we traveled as far as Uluwatu temple in the South, Ubud in the center, Jimbaran beach on the west coast on Sanur in the esat!

So, feel lucky if you know how to ride a motorbike. And feel luckier if you are coming from a city, like Karachi, where motorbikes drive the daily life!

Why? Because this is what Balinese do; the easiest and the most economical way of traversing around the island.

Motorbikes are easily available, on rent, from abundantly spread outlets or even from some hotels/guesthouses. Daily charges shall not be more than USD 5 for a smart looking transmission less bike. Add an extra USD 2 per day for the petrol! Luckily we got the 'free motorbike use' from our guesthouse. Result: week long sightseeing for just 7-8 litres of petrol!

Btw, it would be better to get an international driving permit before you leave to avoid ending up bribing the policeman. In case, you could not arrange one and have reached Bali, then don't be disappointed, you can get one from Bali Police too for around USD 15.

Click here to know more about our motorbike experience in Bali

If you are coming to Bali from South Asia (India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka) or from Middle East (or from other destinations for that matter) then you may not find a direct flight to the island easily.

So, one tested method is to make a route through Singapore/Kuala Lumpur which are well connected to the isalnd on one hand and to the outside world on the other. This will be ideal for those who want to visit more than one place in a single trip.

Good news is that there are frequent budget flights from Singapore/Kuala Lumpur which offer tickets on throw away prices on advanced booking. Among a few, Air Asia tops the list with most number of flights. We booked Singapore-Bali for a total of USD 135 for two adults, one baby, and one piece of luggage and Bali-Kuala Lumpur for USD 125.

The major downside of breaking the journey in Singapore/Kuala Lumpur and then taking the onward budget flight is that you have to book two seperate tickets rather than one connecting ticket. This is because budget airlines usually run on one-way basis and does not allow combinging one ticket to the other. Effectively, this means that the airline will not be responsible at all if your previous flight gets delayed/cancelled and you consequently miss the onward flight. So, it is highly recommended to keep a decent lag between two flights while booking; atleast of 5-6 hours. We kept a couple of days stay in Singapore which allowed us to explore the modern city state also.

Also keep in mind that budger airlines do not provide luggage facility by default and it is recommended to book your bags while booking the flight on one hand and to keep yourself as light as possible on the other.

Click here to know more about our first Air Asia experience

During our trip to Bali in may 2011 we had Bali Kadek as driver and guide. He picked us up from the airport and drove us several days safely around the Island and proved to be a reliable and valuable guide on and off the beaten track. He was as good as, or maybe better than, the comments on the various fora on the internet. We had a great time on the Island and Kadek played a great role in it. We had great fun together, Kadek was always ontime and drove a good and comfortable car. So Kadek many thanks for your contribution to our great holiday. We'll meet again ;-)

Visited May 2011

I have my airport return transport and ground tour arranged by a guy named Kadek.
English medium speaking tour guide, and will always brought a smiley face to you! He will bring you anywhere you like to go in Bali. A very good driver indeed flexible timing arrangement for your tour. The price for a single day tour is about 400k rupiahs, and the single airport transfer is 150k rupiah.

if you would like to reach him, this is his contact number :

+62 62818343378
+62 87862203020

or simply look at his blog at

http://balidriverbali.blogspot.com/

Our Australian family use Aaron Michael every time holidaying in Bali - most recently was in February 2010.
AARON PUTU MICHAEL - DRIVER
Reliable, punctual and provides travel all over Bali. Airconditioned 7 seater Kijang van. Speaks good English.
Explore Bali at your own pace with an English speaking driver.
Fully flexible touring - design your own tour or take his recommended tours. Airport pickup available.
Aaron Michael is a SAFE driver and informative tour guide.

If you require confirmation - please email rod_ders88@hotmail.com

Contact Aaron Putu Michael on +6281 338 787 863 or when in Bali or email - mikeputubalitour@hotmail.com

There are two things you should decide on when touring Bali. If you want specific tours, you cannot go wrong with Floressa Tours. They have some set tours and will also take you where ever you want to go. We have used them twice and found them to be reasonable and very knowledgeable about the area. They are a local tour agency. If you are just looking for a driver, well first of all you really need a driver/guide. Just a driver is not the way to go. We have used Merta three times over the last 5 years. Speaks excellent English, knows all about the places you want to see and gives an excellent tour. Also will help you decide where and what you should see. mertagct@telkom.net. Don;t get stuck with someone who doesn't speak English and just drops you off and waits for you. John and Barb

Hi,
You can go to Yogya from Bali by bus. One bus company I know serve that route is Safari Dharma Raya, you can find it at Ubung bus station or buy the ticket at Jalan Diponegoro and Jalan Puputan. Its fare is including ferry trip from Gilimanuk (Bali) to Banyuwangi (East Java).
Off course there are other bus company do that route as well, but I dont know its name.
I dont know exactly how long the journey will be taken to Yogya, but since the journey from Denpasar to Jakarta took 24 hours by bus, maybe it take only 12 hours to Yogya.
Another option is taking train to Yogya. But you have to go Banyuwangi first by bus, then continue the journey by train. Or you can go to PT Kereta Api (train company) representative at Denpasar, and they will escort you to Banyuwangi by bus.