In Reply to: Help: hiring a driver vs. renting a car posted by jerdeg on Wednesday, 10. August 2005 at 02:12 Bali Time:
Hiring a car yourself can be great fun and you do have the freedom to cruise around wherever you want. There are no pressures to possibly buy in certain shops where a driver may receive commission. The downside is that you may get hopelessly lost, the traffic can be horrendous, the polisi may stop you for a very minor infringement and require payment to avoid a trip to the station.
However, hiring a driver can be a great experience too. They know their around, they are often able to take you to places you dont know about. You can learn a lot from a driver, learn about them and the area they may come from if you are travelling around there. If you have concerns about being taken to shops etc that you arent interested in, then just tell the driver to stop and meet you at the end of the street, then get out and walk down the road from shop to shop. If you find someone who is really good you may end up with a new friend you can visit upon your return. The other thing about hiring a driver is that you are helping them earn a living....
There are so many drivers in Bali it really is not necessary to book in advance. Recently there have been a couple of reports on BTF where people have researched recommended drivers and dont appear to have been very pleased with the result.
The best advice I can give is if you can, use a driver who your friends may have used. With friends you can generally gauge from their experience if you will be satisfied. cheers and good luck :-)