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Private Tours from Benoa Bali


Tara Jane
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Hi, I'm quite interested in your feedback on taking a private tour of Bali on New Year's Day. We will be tendered from 7:00-17:00 this year. I've recently joined our roll-call thread, and there are a few scary stories about the traffic there and getting back to the ship. This in turn is making me re-think the excursions we have arranged for ourselves.

Was returning on time a nail-biter in your experience?

Currently my spouse and I are planning two different excursions - he'll be scuba diving, and they intend to pick him up at 7:30 for a 15:30-16:00 return... I've got a private tour, which picks up at 8:00 to visit per the driver's recommended itinerary: Batubulan @To watch traditional Barong and keris dance

- ubud art village @ celuk for their silver smith. Wood art and painting

- Susut village visiting agro tourism for famous coffee luwak

- Tampak siring @ Holy spring temple named Tirta Empul

- Tegalalang @ Ceking rice terrace*

- Ubud Monkey Forest*

 

 

Does this seem doable in your experience with the traffic to be expected on New Year's Day? Cheers, Jessica

We were in Bali on New Years day but didn't go to Ubud or most of the other places you intend to visit. Our driver amended our itinerary according to the traffic on the day and we trusted him so it's really up to you to insist you get back to the ship in plenty of time which may mean you need to adjust your itinerary. Their reputation and livelihood depends on recommendations from sites such as this.

 

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Hello All,

We cruised Asia in Jan-Feb 2015 but did not cruise Indonesia. However, we did a post-cruise in Bali. We spend 7 days in Ubud and 10 days in Seminyak.

As it was our first time in that beautiful part of ...

 

Dewa became a dear friend to us. His passion for his country and his religion was addictive. Their community is really important for them and they are selfless people. Everyday, he would give us all he got; his passion for his work. So it was easy to become close friend. After 7 days, he drove us from Ubud to Seminyak (60 min). We thought, we would not see Dewa anymore. We were wrong! My DH became seriously ill and almost died! He spent 2 weeks at the international hospital. I emailed Dewa to let him know what was happening... Who did we see at the hospital? Dewa. He drove twice an hour away to visit DH. And he felt bad he could not come more often! We were blown away by his generosity and care.

 

Dewa's email is dgrock1140 at yahoo.com

 

Believe me, if you hire him, you will know you have been touched by someone really special.

The Canadians!:D

 

Hello there,

As mentioned above, we were in Ubud and Semyniak for several days. I would not be afraid with the traffic. However, to be able to see as much as possible, I would not take a tour with several people. Ubud is about 60 min from the port due to traffic, so leave the ship as early as possible (hopefully 7am) and come back for 4 pm.

After about 8 hours of touring, you will be extremely tired.

 

The driver we used on several occasions, Dewa, has toured people around for several years and he is extremely knowledgeable. I had research the area before arriving in Bali and knew a bit what I wanted to see. However, there is no need to research much as he will ask about you and will know what is right for you (can you walk down to see a temple, if not he will bring you to another one).

I visited all the places your wife wants to see and it is much faster to get around in a car with your private driver (Dewa can take up to 3 people in his employer's car) then with a tour and wait for everyone. Inquiry about his price and you will happily surprise by his answer.

 

If it's her first time in Bali, I would visit for sure (by priority)

1-) Terraces Fields (candies for the eyes)

2-) Downtown Ubud (for the market and the energy of Ubud)

3-) Monkey Forest in Ubud (extremely entertaining, we could have spent a few hours there)

4-) Different Temples: Gunung Kawi - Tirta Empul (Holy Water from the Earth) - Ulun Danu Beratan ...

5-) Coffee plantation (more to try different type of coffee, tea and hot chocolate). We tried the Luwak Coffee. Keep in mind you will not see the process of coffee harvesting. We had seen it in Boquete, Panama so we were not disappointed not to see it in Ubud area. I would skip it if I was your wife.

7-) Saw several HUGE bats (2 feet tall). The Australian friends we met in Bali were not as surprised as us Canadians as they see these type of bats all the time in their country.

8-) Munduk waterfall (15 min steep walk down but well worth it)

9-) Pura Tanah Lot (not in Ubud area but west of Semyniak). She will not have time to see this but it is great.

 

She will not have time to visit small villages but in your future trip, you can visit a small store demonstrating wood carving, Batik store (showing the Batik Processing: wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth), a typical Balinese house (Dewa explained everything to us, extremely interesting) and a "Kekak & Fire Dance".

 

We were there during Nyepi (Day of Silence). It is a Hindu celebration mainly celebrated in Bali, Indonesia. It will be on March 9. Google it and ask Dewa about it. It is extremely interesting. The International airport even shut down for that day. NO ONE is allowed on the streets. I could not visit my husband at the hospital. All workers had to sleep at the work place... Can you imagine a UK International airport closed for one day????

 

I really hope your wife hires Dewa as she will not be disappointed. He will treat her very well. Don't forget people (and Dewa) are paid about $7-8 USD/day. He uses his employer vehicle and he is paid by his employer. We now feel he is a member of our family. We have met a couple from Australia last year while cruising the Mediterranean. They will be using Dewa on Nov 2. I am really looking forward to hear from them and Dewa...

 

If you have more questions, please leave your email and I will reply directly to you.

 

Good luck and I really hope you fall in love with Bali as much as we did. However, the ocean is not the best. We visited Perth, Australia just before visiting Bali and LOVED the ocean in Perth.

 

Again, good luck and have a great cruise.

The Canadians!:D

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HI, I am starting to look into private tours for our time in Benoa 9am to 5pm.

Have looked here and at trip advisor and googled. The company that seem to get a good report are dean at bali distinction team. I have emailed but the reply was very lacking in any sort of information or itinerary just a few photos of places in bali. I asked again but still a vague reply, not particularly encouraging to book with him.

Does anyone know of bali-marine-sport.com ? their website is impressive with 10 tours to choose from but cant seen anything on trip advisor.

Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

We are 4 adults, not into museums or shopping and not able to do anything too physical, a cancer survivor and 2 knee replacements in our group.

We would prefer to see the countryside, a traditional village, perhaps the lake, volcano, rice terraces. Just want to be away from the busy "tourist" parts of bali. I have no idea if my wants are even possible in the short time 9am to 5pm that we will be in Benoa, first trip to Bali. I am very much an over organiser so am finding it rather frustrating at this stage. We would want to be back on board by 3.30pm to allow for any hiccups. We will not be wanting to stop for lunch.

Thanks heaps

 

 

We have the same idea than you. I contacted a guide. If you want I can mail you his direction. We will be there in February.

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HI, I am starting to look into private tours for our time in Benoa 9am to 5pm.

Have looked here and at trip advisor and googled. The company that seem to get a good report are dean at bali distinction team. I have emailed but the reply was very lacking in any sort of information or itinerary just a few photos of places in bali. I asked again but still a vague reply, not particularly encouraging to book with him.

Does anyone know of bali-marine-sport.com ? their website is impressive with 10 tours to choose from but cant seen anything on trip advisor.

Any other recommendations would be appreciated.

We are 4 adults, not into museums or shopping and not able to do anything too physical, a cancer survivor and 2 knee replacements in our group.

We would prefer to see the countryside, a traditional village, perhaps the lake, volcano, rice terraces. Just want to be away from the busy "tourist" parts of bali. I have no idea if my wants are even possible in the short time 9am to 5pm that we will be in Benoa, first trip to Bali. I am very much an over organiser so am finding it rather frustrating at this stage. We would want to be back on board by 3.30pm to allow for any hiccups. We will not be wanting to stop for lunch.

Thanks heaps

 

 

I have seen some guides ask for 50$ a day per person. Sure you can get it much cheaper once you are there

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  • 2 months later...
  • 2 weeks later...

We were part of a big group who used Dean in November last year. Our driver was Webee. He was great, took us to temples, beach a lovely lunch stop in the mountains overlooking rice terraces.

You can contact Webee direct on webee@dps.centrin.net.id

 

He is a quiet guy, but is a good driver with lots of local knowledge. He will give you a tour to suit your preferences. I'm sure he will rep,y to emails. With your time ashore you could get to Ulu Watu temple and a beach for sure.

 

Enjoy Bali, it is lovely.

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  • 1 year later...

We used Dean from Drivers of Distinction over two days that out HAL cruise stopped in Bali. Dean was brilliant and we highly recommend him. We saw everything that we wanted away from the tourist areas and Dean was happy accommodate all our requests. As we wanted to photograph real Bali and agreed this over email prior to arrival and also when we met him. Dean, who is also in photography, also suggested sites and locations for to us and these locations proved great and different from the usual pictures we would normally take. He also, at our request, took us to some very authentic local restaurants of the beaten track. We were not disappointed and got to eat with locals and like locals. When we next return to Bali we will use him again. Possibly the best guide we have ever hired in a private basis as he did not try and push us to the usual tourist traps. He was also great value for money compared to the cruise tour and ensured to get us back to our ship on time.

Edited by 1JsyBean
typo
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  • 1 month later...

I would like to recommend an excellent driver/tour guide in Bali. I was picked up at the airport by my prearranged driver Putu Supartana who was excellent and his price much lower than most of the others. Please email him and he will put together an excellent itinerary for you. His English is great and he is conscientious and will work with you and outline everything specifically so you can finalize your plans before leaving home. You need to nail down an itinerary with someone you can trust, in order to get back to the ship on time. I used him for 5 days as I found him to be awesome. His English was excellent, his knowledge of Bali and the local culture and religion was extensive, his van was nice and it had great A/C. He was flexible and worked with me both before I left home, and after I arrived, to make sure my itinerary was the best possible. We often spent 10 hours a day exploring all areas in Bali and he made suggestions about additional things to see or hotels I might like. He was very friendly and is a good family man. I went to Lombok for a while but made sure I could have him again as my driver when I returned again to Bali. We have actually become friends and I will use him when I make a return visit to Bali and he has offered to do anything for me that I might need, both while at home and when I return to Bali. He always had an umbrella available, and a sarong and sash in order for me to visit the temples. Sometimes he would be arranging my sarong and sash outside the van, before I went in the temple, while local women supervised. :) I was able to see all of Bali and its temples, amazingly beautiful rice terraces, lakes, mountains, beaches, and small traditional towns. I would not have been able to see as much without having Putu as my driver. He was always great to respond promptly to my emails. He has a lot of experience picking up cruise ship passengers and making sure they get back to the ship on time.

 

If you need a good driver his contact info is: http://www.putudriverinbali.wordpress.com

call/sms: +62 81 805 671 005

putu.supartana@yahoo.com

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  • 10 months later...
Hello there,

As mentioned above, we were in Ubud and Semyniak for several days. I would not be afraid with the traffic. However, to be able to see as much as possible, I would not take a tour with several people. Ubud is about 60 min from the port due to traffic, so leave the ship as early as possible (hopefully 7am) and come back for 4 pm.

After about 8 hours of touring, you will be extremely tired.

 

The driver we used on several occasions, Dewa, has toured people around for several years and he is extremely knowledgeable. I had research the area before arriving in Bali and knew a bit what I wanted to see. However, there is no need to research much as he will ask about you and will know what is right for you (can you walk down to see a temple, if not he will bring you to another one).

I visited all the places your wife wants to see and it is much faster to get around in a car with your private driver (Dewa can take up to 3 people in his employer's car) then with a tour and wait for everyone. Inquiry about his price and you will happily surprise by his answer.

 

If it's her first time in Bali, I would visit for sure (by priority)

1-) Terraces Fields (candies for the eyes)

2-) Downtown Ubud (for the market and the energy of Ubud)

3-) Monkey Forest in Ubud (extremely entertaining, we could have spent a few hours there)

4-) Different Temples: Gunung Kawi - Tirta Empul (Holy Water from the Earth) - Ulun Danu Beratan ...

5-) Coffee plantation (more to try different type of coffee, tea and hot chocolate). We tried the Luwak Coffee. Keep in mind you will not see the process of coffee harvesting. We had seen it in Boquete, Panama so we were not disappointed not to see it in Ubud area. I would skip it if I was your wife.

7-) Saw several HUGE bats (2 feet tall). The Australian friends we met in Bali were not as surprised as us Canadians as they see these type of bats all the time in their country.

8-) Munduk waterfall (15 min steep walk down but well worth it)

9-) Pura Tanah Lot (not in Ubud area but west of Semyniak). She will not have time to see this but it is great.

 

She will not have time to visit small villages but in your future trip, you can visit a small store demonstrating wood carving, Batik store (showing the Batik Processing: wax-resist dyeing applied to whole cloth), a typical Balinese house (Dewa explained everything to us, extremely interesting) and a "Kekak & Fire Dance".

 

We were there during Nyepi (Day of Silence). It is a Hindu celebration mainly celebrated in Bali, Indonesia. It will be on March 9. Google it and ask Dewa about it. It is extremely interesting. The International airport even shut down for that day. NO ONE is allowed on the streets. I could not visit my husband at the hospital. All workers had to sleep at the work place... Can you imagine a UK International airport closed for one day????

 

I really hope your wife hires Dewa as she will not be disappointed. He will treat her very well. Don't forget people (and Dewa) are paid about $7-8 USD/day. He uses his employer vehicle and he is paid by his employer. We now feel he is a member of our family. We have met a couple from Australia last year while cruising the Mediterranean. They will be using Dewa on Nov 2. I am really looking forward to hear from them and Dewa...

 

If you have more questions, please leave your email and I will reply directly to you.

 

Good luck and I really hope you fall in love with Bali as much as we did. However, the ocean is not the best. We visited Perth, Australia just before visiting Bali and LOVED the ocean in Perth.

 

Again, good luck and have a great cruise.

The Canadians!:D

So, we have been steered to Dewa. Great recommenation. It is for our Nov 2018 Cruise. Can he take 2 couples? The husbands are both 6 ft and ladies small but don't want to be over crowded. I've emailed him to inquire as well.

Caryn in USA

 

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Hi Marilyn

 

Reading your review, we have booked Putu for our upcoming trip to Bali in January. We are interested in your itinerary as we seem to enjoy the same sort of tour and would like further details but can't see your email address. It would be great if you could put a list of where you went on here - we have booked Putu for 2 days.

 

Many thanks.

 

Brenda

Patu sounds great. I've emailed one but after reading reviews on here, not sure he can fit 2 couples. Can Patu accommodate 2 couples? Vehicle have AC? We want to see waterfall, monkeys and Tannah lot in a day.

Caryn

 

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So, we have been steered to Dewa. Great recommenation. It is for our Nov 2018 Cruise. Can he take 2 couples? The husbands are both 6 ft and ladies small but don't want to be over crowded. I've emailed him to inquire as well.

Caryn in USA

 

Sent from my VS990 using Forums mobile app

Hello Caryn,

Ask Dewa to email you a photo of his vehicle. He could take 2 couples but I am not sure how big is his vehicle. He will reply very quickly.

Good luck and you will not disappointed. He was a real angel for us when my husband almost died in March 2015 and spent 2 weeks at the international hospital...

Let me know if you need more info.

The Canadians!:cool:

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Hello Caryn,

Ask Dewa to email you a photo of his vehicle. He could take 2 couples but I am not sure how big is his vehicle. He will reply very quickly.

Good luck and you will not disappointed. He was a real angel for us when my husband almost died in March 2015 and spent 2 weeks at the international hospital...

Let me know if you need more info.

The Canadians!:cool:

We booked it with Dewa...I think he's the best choice [emoji7][emoji41]

 

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  • 1 month later...

I am sure there are many good guides and drivers in Bali and I just wanted to add another to the list of those already mentioned in this thread

 

Kadek from Bali Essential Tours has taken a number of Crystal cruises on tours around Bali over the last 5 years - he is able to tailor his tours to suit interests - including arranging an elephant ride for one 80 year old guest 

 

We have found him to be very customer focussed and he has an infectious sense of humour that makes spending the day with him a lot of fun

 

You can check out some of the options for tours and get his contact details from his website @ http://www.baliessentialtours.com/

 

 

 

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