In Reply to: Guided Tour or Driver? posted by Pieboy on Friday, 26. May 2006 at 19:21 Bali Time:
I would suggest you call a driver and book him for a day. Show him the list of place you would like to see and work out an itinerary for the day. He knows the distances between places, and the best times to visit, and will be able to sort out an itinerary with you for that day, plus suggest what you could combine for other day trips. We had gone to Bali many years before finally getting to the Bali Bird Park and the Reptile Park right next door to it and, although it costs a bit to get in, we thought them well worth the visit.(Plan a quiet day between busy travelling days or you will wear yourselves out, and take a bag with water, wipes, sunblock, tissues etc with you-and camera!). A whole day from after breakfast to sundown would be about 400,000 rupiah. (It used to be 300,000 but since petrol prices have risen I notice others are reporting 400,000 as a day trip cost). You could possibly negotiate a lesser amount but you would be giving the driver the bare minimum profit if you did so. We tend to tip a bit over and above the negotiated amount at the end of the day if we are delighted with the service.
After many trips we have now found our perfect driver and of course I would like to recommend him.
Made (full name Made Wira Sanjaya) is a young man about 25 yrs of age. He is an excellent driver with great English. He will help you choose trips and outings based on what you want to do, and he is great with children. He is punctual, and excellent with communication. He knows Bali well, and is happy to answer questions about the culture and Balinese way of life. He has a warm sense of humour, and a good heart. Email address: madebagus2002@yahoo.com
Cellphone number in Bali is 081-3387-63718.