Hiring A Private Driver In Bali (The Ultimate Guide To A Private Tour In Bali)
Last Updated: August 16 2021
Bali is at the top of most bucket lists and so it should be. From incredible volcanoes to beautiful beaches, this island has a lot to offer. Hiring a private driver in Bali is one of the best ways to get around. It gives you the chance to see lots of incredible sights within a short amount of time and is extremely cheap.
There is just something about Bali, that makes it a hotspot for tourists. Whether you are after tropical beaches, towering volcanoes or beautiful rice terraces, this island has everything. We stayed in Bali for a month, and in all honesty, we barely scratched the surface.
Getting a private driver in Bali is incredibly easy, and a great way to see the island. In this post, we will explain how to find drivers in Bali, who is the best person to book and how much it will cost.
Hopefully, this post will encourage you to at least think about hiring a driver in Bali. Normally we don’t book tours as we prefer to travel and visit places of our own accord.
We weren’t brave enough to hire a scooter as we had only been travelling for four weeks by this point. For this reason, hiring a Bali driver for a day was the best and safest option. We got to see so many incredible places, and all in such a short amount of time.
Why you should hire a private driver in Bali
There are so many reasons to hire a driver for the day. The main one is that you don’t have to worry about getting to the sites, and can relax in the back of an air-conditioned car!
By hiring a private driver in Bali, not only do you get to see lots of places you will also learn more about life on the island.
Our driver was incredibly friendly, and we are still in contact with him today. He told us all we needed to know about Bali, the culture and he even shared some life stories with us. He went out of his way to make our day entertaining and we had such an incredible time.
There are so many people offering this service in Bali, that it can be hard to choose who to go with. We eventually found a driver who came highly recommended on both Facebook and Tripadvisor and that is who we chose.
How much to pay a driver in Bali?
The prices of private tours in Bali will depend on how far you want to go during the tour. We went on two tours, one in Ubud and one to the famous Pura Lempuyang Luhur.
The Ubud tour cost 500,000 IDR (around £25) and the tour up to Pura Lempuyang cost 700,000 IDR (around £35).
For this price, you get a full day tour which takes around 10 hours as well as drinks and snacks. You get taken to each tourist attraction, told information about the area and often the drivers will even give you some suggestions of where to visit.
This gives you a chance to see some local spots that you may never have heard of. The Pura Lempuyang tour cost more because it was a much longer drive, but £25-£35 is the rough price you will pay for a local tour in Bali. If you are travelling in a group, that means the cost will be even lower.
How to book a private driver in Bali
Hiring a private driver in Bali is easy, and there are many to choose from. Tripadvisor, Google and Facebook are great places to start.
Our driver lived near Kuta, but we did both our tours from Ubud. If you let them know where you are staying, they will do their best to accommodate you. If you are staying too far away it is best to pick a driver who lives nearby.
In our opinion, Ubud is one of the best places to get your driver to pick you up. There is so much to do and it is a prime location for tourist hotspots including temples, waterfalls and rice terraces.
Often you can arrange a private transfer to or from the airport as well as a tour.
Our Bali tour driver
Our Bali private driver was incredible, and we consider him a friend. His name is Tama, and he is a very popular tour guide.
We found him on Tripadvisor under ‘Bali Driver and Tour Guide’. The reviews praised Tama and his cousin Gede for their friendliness, which was a big selling point for us! After reading all the incredible reviews we decided to drop him a message.
First of all, we organised a tour of Ubud. Unfortunately, Tama wasn’t available on the day we needed but his cousin Gede was happy to do it. We had such a great experience, that we decided to book another tour.
The second time we went on a trip to Pura Lempuyang and Tama took us. It was a long drive but he was more than happy to pick us up at 5 am. It was quite a drive to the temple so he packed blankets and pillows for us to have a snooze on the way.
We got there before sunrise, and he took some great photos for us. He then showed us around the sites near Pura Lempuyang; some we had never even heard of before. Tama is an outstanding guide and driver and is the only person we would ever use when hiring a private driver in Bali.
Why you should book with Tama
If you are wanting to hire a driver, then we will always recommend Tama and his cousin Gede. They are reliable and trustworthy, but also want you to have an amazing time in Bali.
They love what they do, and they aren’t just there to drive you around. Having somebody who knows all about Bali is great and you get to learn it from someone with a great sense of humour.
How to book a private tour in Bali with Tama
We found Tama on Tripadvisor HERE. He does answer questions here but the best place to get in touch with him is on his Facebook page. If you want to message him directly, you can find his Facebook HERE.
Our Ubud tour with a private Bali driver
Here is a summary of the places we visited throughout our Ubud tour.
The Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary
The Ubud monkey forest is a large natural forest and is home to around 1,000 long-tailed macaques. It is a very popular tourist attraction and a must-see if you are visiting Ubud.
Be careful when you walk through the forest as the monkeys are naughty! They like to jump on you, steal your food and steal your belongings out of your bag. Food isn’t allowed here and make sure you give them some space.
Tegallalang Rice Terrace
Tegallalang Rice Terrace is one of the most beautiful places in Bali. The walk is beautiful with lush green terraces everywhere you look. It is the perfect place to get incredible photographs!
At the top of the terrace, there are a few different viewpoints you should visit. There are also plenty of spots to get some shade from the intense sun and admire the views.
Alas Harum
Alas Harum is another beautiful rice terrace but also has some other spots to visit. There is a coffee plantation here for Luwak coffee, where you can learn about how the coffee is made. You can also get to try it and have a tasting session!
Alas Harum also has plenty of trails to explore, and some of the famous swings can be found here too. We tried the couple swing and it was such a fun experience!
Mount Batur viewpoint
Mount Batur is one of two active volcanoes in Bali. It is found to the northwest of the more active and larger Mount Agung.
There is a restaurant called Kintamani that offers insane viewpoints of Mount Batur. We took in the views and had a nice cool Bintang whilst we were there.
Goa Gajah temple
Goa Gajah is a religious site where many Balinese people come to worship. The complex has a number of religious sites for people to look at and worship. The architecture is impressive, and the most popular site is the Goa Gajah temple itself!
Goa Gajah temple is also known as the ‘elephant cave’. It comes from the belief that the figure of an elephant once warned off evil spirits from the area. Another belief is that it is named after the Hindu God Ganesh.
The architecture is amazing here, with the entrance to the cave being made up of intricate faces.
Tegenungan Waterfall
Bali is known for its beautiful waterfalls, and Tegenungann waterfall is one of the most well known. This isolated waterfall has become a big hit with tourists making it a very busy spot.
It is one of the only waterfalls in Bali that isn’t found in the highland or mountainous regions. Once you get to the waterfall, you can have a swim and take some great photos.
Our Pura Lempuyang Luhur tour
If we hadn’t booked a private driver in Bali, we would never have got the chance to see this amazing temple. We didn’t hire a scooter in Bali, and a taxi just to get there would have been so expensive.
Pura Lempuyang Luhur
This spot is one of the most visited places in Bali, and people queue for hours just to take the ‘perfect photo’.
Pura Lempuyang is a Balinese Hindu temple found on Mount Lempuyang and is one of the most highly regarded temples in Bali.
The architecture here is beautiful, and the gateway is what attracts flocks of tourists every year. On a clear day, through the gate, you can see the famous Mount Agung. It is unlike anything you’ve ever seen, and is a must when travelling through Bali!
We were thankful that Tama took us there early because we had plenty of time to take great photos as the sun rose.
Taman Soekasada Ujung
Taman Soekasada Ujung was once a palace and is one of the most beautiful places we visited during our trip to Bali.
The palace is made up of ponds, large pools, and stunning gardens which offer great views of the mountains and the ocean. It is a really tranquil and picturesque spot, and we had never even heard of it. This is one of the benefits you get when you hire a driver in Bali.
Tirta Gangga
Tirta Gangga is a water palace located not from Pura Lempuyang.
The stepping stones are the most popular part, as they take you out into the pools where you will find lots of huge Koi in the water. You can even buy fish food here if you want them to get really close!
Tirta Gangga is a wonderful spot, and it is a great opportunity to take stunning photographs. However, it gets busy early so you will want to be here before 9:30 am.
Where to stay
As we mentioned before you can stay almost anywhere in Bali and hire a car with a driver. Ubud is a great place to stay as the tour here is full of incredible places to see.
We stayed at Merthayasa Bungalows and paid £12 a night for a huge double room, alongside the pool. The room also came with a tasty breakfast every morning on our balcony that consisted of tea/coffee, fresh fruit and then a choice of omelette, pancakes or toast.
This place was one of the best places we stayed the whole time we travelled through Asia and we can’t recommend it enough!
If you are travelling through Bali we hope we have convinced you that hiring a private driver in Bali can be a great way to get around. We had a great time, and wouldn’t have seen half the places that we did on our own.
Have you ever used a private Bali driver? what was your experience like?
P.S If you want more travel tips, you can find our Pinterest HERE.
Thanks for reading,
Jack & Abbie
MORE BALI BLOG POSTS
Ultimate Ubud Itinerary (The 8 Best Things To Do In Ubud, Bali)
Visiting Kuta In Bali – The Ultimate Guide
A Months Budget Travel Breakdown For Bali
The 10 Places In Bali That You Have To Visit
All You Need To Know About Pura Lempuyang Temple, Bali
The Ultimate Guide To The Ubud Monkey Forest In Bali
10 Things You Need To Know Before Going To Bali
Where To Release Baby Sea Turtles In Bali, Indonesia
How To Hire A Private Driver In Bali – The Cheapest Way To Get Around
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I’m one half of Acouplescalling. I'm passionate about all things travel and photography and I love sharing my experiences with others. I've seen a lot of the world already and I want to help as many people as I can do the same thing!
