Hi sifu-sifu, I am going to Bali soon and have not decide to pre book a driver.
As I plan to visit 2 to 3 places per day, maybe can cover them within 4 to 5 hours and I don't think need to hire a driver for a full day, right?
Is it convenient to get a ad hoc driver on location like Tanah Lot/ Uluwatu?

use telkomsel. very good coverage for 3G and cheap! for IDR 20k u get 340mb for 1 week

Do not underestimate the Bali traffic jam. I used to think same like you until i experience it myself.

By right can cover within 4 to 5 hours per day, if got no jam. The distance from one place to another can be very near via google map but jam can take up to 30mins to 1hour.

Furthermore driver will ask you for the schedule/itinerary so if they see u tried to cramp all in they will quote you expensive even if it is half day.

Just got back from bali last nights for 6 days..got sun burn hahahahhah...overall I love lovina and ubud...managed to get some nice pictures of wild dolphins...nice!

Day 1
Reach airport around 2pm. Went to malioboro pressurized chicken in kuta...tasty but expensive 1.2 milion IDR for 10pple..but I like their avocado juice..very kaw...
To tanah lot for sunset..reach there around 5pm...bad traffic jam
Went to warung made for dinner to krishna oleh oleh and back to hotel in kuta check in..

Day 2
9am to tanjung benua for water sports...expensive..Mabel, flying fish and turtle island tour cost 400kperpax after hard bargaining
Lunch at mcD
Pandawa beach for sightseeing...nice clear blue sea!
5pm to uluwatu for sunset..got chased by monkeys lol
Back to kuta poppies lane for dinner
Walkaround legian seminyak area
Back to hotel

Day3
Check out and head to bedugul route
Candi kuning ,lake bratan and reach lovina beach
Check in hotel Had dinner At warung rasta...

Day 4
6am took boat for dolphin watching ..85k per pax recommended by driver...hotel offer 70k...din know that..but the service was good..managed to catch 7or8 dolphins..nice
8amback to hotel lazing around and check out
Head to kintamani for buffet lunch at puncak sari 90k per pax incl tax
Mengwi temple and coffee luwak farm..
Tegallalang
Check in hotel in ubud
Head to ubud town for bebek Bengil dirty duck
Back to hotel

Day 5
Head to town for Balinese spa
Full package foot massage, mandi lulur, full body spa, scrub for 195k IDR around 2.5 hr...superb service got wifi sumore
Goa gajah
Dinner at pizza bagus...tasty and price reasonable!
Walk around ubud street and had pool party at private villa Hahah

Day 6
Check out from villa
To sukawati market...got a nice beaded sandal for IDR 20k around rm6..must bargain kaw kaw there
To Krishna again and to discovery mall kuta for lunch
Back to kl

This post has been edited by wyen: Sep 7 2013, 11:42 PM

Wyen, nice sharing

There will be many agencies selling the water sports activities package at Tanjong Benoa, am I right? Which agency is recommended?

I've only planned mostly for day time only - Unsure what do to at night yet, if any, please advice. Thanks all

Day 1

Arrive at Bali airport at 12.30pm-1pm (bali time)

Check in hotel at Kuta and ready up by 2.30pm

Head on to Ubud for Bali Pulina agro tour, telaggang rice terrace, empul tirta (not sure until what time)

Tanah lot at evening???

Day 2

8.30am head to Waterbom water themepark. (about 5-6 hours of time in there should be more than enough I reckon)


Jimbaran Bay for dinner / ulutwatu?


Day 3
Marine walk at lembongang island (morning to afternoon?) how many hours should I reserve for this?

Spa at evening to night time

Day 4
Just shop/walk around in Kuta then departure at afternoon

Not sure about this but we took the package from the agency at tanjung benua beach instead. Actually there's a lot of agencies offer water sports...just take the brochures upon arrival at Denpasar airport theres plenty of it but all in USD..kinda expensive for us.

I spent around rm1500 everything...the food there bloody expensive with tax15%
air asia return tic rm200++
Hotels for 5nights rm400++
Expense including airport tax, water sports, driver fees, food, souvenir etc rm800. I changed rm750 and changed another rm50 for rupiah. Overall rm1500.

For day 1, there's no time for u to visit ubud as u arrived quite late at airport. I had the same arrival time as yours around 2pm. We just straight away went for lunch and to tanah lot at 4pm. Big traffic jam there. Then walk around kuta for dinner and only check in after that

Didn't stay at ubud? Nice to stay in villa overlooking paddy field u know

Yea i was quite worried about that.

Been asking on tripadvisor as well & most of them say the same thing as you did.

Guess I'll have to shift ubud to day 2.

But i'm quite worried where should I place the waterbom park

Yea.. The traffic is really bad. So you should schedule maybe 3 places a day at most, worst case is you should have a backup plan incase if you can't make it due to traffic atleast you know what to scrap.

Hi everyone! Would appreciate some comments on my tentative itinerary below, especially for Day 2. Will be going to Bali for 4D/3N next month and would prefer a more relaxing trip but after drawing up the itinerary, it doesn't look relaxing at all .

Day 1:
• ETA 6.45 pm at Ngurah Rai International Airport. Clear immigration & reach driver.
• Dinner at Bamboo Corner, Legian
• Transfer to Ubud Hotel, check in about 10.30 pm.

Day 2:
• Ubud Royal Palace
• Sukawati Art Market: Paintings & Handicraft
• Kintamani: Volcano & Lake Batur + lunch

* Any suggestions on how to fit in Ibu Oka babi guling??

• Pura Tirta Empul, Tampak Siring: Holy spring water temple
• Bedugul: Pura Ulun Danu + Lake Beratan
• Check in Kuta hotel & dinner

Day 3:
• Uluwatu Cliff Temple (sunset) OR
• Tanah Lot - Sunset?
• Jimbaran Bay: Dinner
• Krishna Souvenir Shop
• Walk around Kuta: Matahari Shopping Mall, Massage, Ground Zero Memorial, Hard Rock Hotel

Day 4:
• Free & Easy, Kuta beach
• Check out hotel
• Lunch at ?
• Transfer to airport at about noon.

This post has been edited by SilverSurfer123: Sep 10 2013, 02:51 AM

Hi, is end of October a good season to go Bali? How is the weather there?

Day 2 - you can slot in Ibu Oka after Ubud Royal palace, its just few blocks away but the problem u didnt state time. The "piggy" will only arrive around 10:30 - 11am.

I suggest,

8:30am - depart to kintamani
10:30am - Tampak Siring
11:30 - go back to Ubud for ibu oka
12:00pm - Ubud Palace
12:30am - Sukawati
2pm - Depart to Bedugul.
5pm - Check in Kuta
7pm - Dinner at Kuta

But i think the driver will charge you more. Coz its a long drive. I actually did something like this back in May. Kintamani and Lake Bratan in a day. Fuuu my driver drive 8hours with just only accumulated 1hour stop . They charge me 500k per day.

This post has been edited by mugenz: Sep 10 2013, 08:52 AM

Any good SPA recommendations?

8 hours OTR driving?! Err...thought Kintamani/Ubud and Lake Beratan were close by each other. Thanks for your info above.

Okie, will use your suggested Day 2 programme above but will take out Lake Beratan from Day 2 and bump it to Day 3. For Day 3, will cut out 'walk around Kuta' at the end of the day and go back to hotel to laze around and sleep .

Depending on how exhausted we are on Day 3, might give Uluwatu a miss in Day 3 as am not fond of monkeys at all .

Haha, seeing some semblance of 'relaxing' in my trip now, LOL.

Thanks once again Mugenz bro for your invaluable help and advice in this tread .

yea from morning till late evening, he have been driving us from kuta to kintamani then back to ubud then lake bratan to tanah lot back to ubud


No problem if you bump it to Day 3 but only thing is the distance from kuta is further compared to Ubud. If distance and cost is not a problem then its ok.

Uluwatu beauty part is the scenery. About the monkeys, i went in without a guide but a stick in my hand (highly recommended). But do not provoke or kacau them then its ok. Do not even buy bananas and carry it if you do not really intend to "play" with them.

I saw it with my own eyes that one monkey snatch a tourist's sunglasses then run to the entrance to pass to the staff there. Then the staff demand money from the tourist only return back the sunglasses. So imagine your Prada or Chanel glasses hahhahaha

Is the nightlife in Bali any good?

Haha yeah..we just carried the stick around to shoo those monkeys away...my friends slipper got snatched and he paid 2000 to the staff to get back the slipper or else he will berkaki ayam then

Thank you for the advise. Seems there were some pack iteneries before but would not like to travel in haste.
Would it be boring if I stay 3 to 4 hours in a single place like Uluwatu, Tanah Lot, Kintamani, Bedugul?
Thanks again.