Let’s get this out of the way immediately: we don’t drive. No scooters, no motorbikes, no renting a car in a country where we don’t know the roads. It’s just not how we travel. And if you’ve spent more than five minutes researching Bali, you’ll know that approximately 100% of travel content tells you the same thing: get a scooter, it’s the only way to see the island.
We spent 10 days in Bali across four completely different areas – Ubud, Sidemen, Munduk and the north, and Uluwatu. Waterfalls in the jungle with nobody else there. A mountain campsite above the clouds. Villages so quiet you can hear offerings being placed at dawn. All of it without a single scooter.
The decision that made it possible: hiring a private driver and exploring Bali without a scooter. Here’s everything – how we found him, what we actually paid, and the part of the experience nobody else writes about.
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Why We Chose a Private Driver Over a Scooter in Bali
The honest answer is we don’t ride scooters and weren’t about to start in Bali traffic. But even setting that aside, we’re not sure we’d have done it differently.
Bali looks small on a map. It genuinely isn’t. Getting from Ubud to Munduk in the north takes nearly two hours on winding mountain roads. Sidemen in the east adds another hour. Uluwatu in the south is a world apart from everywhere else. Covering this kind of distance on a scooter – unfamiliar roads, August heat, after already walking 15,000 steps – isn’t freedom. It’s exhausting and, honestly, risky if you’re not experienced.
With a driver, we got in the car. We looked out the window at rice paddies and volcanic slopes. We planned the next day. We arrived somewhere beautiful without the stress.
If you’re visiting Bali for the first time, don’t drive, or want to actually see the whole island rather than just the south – a private driver isn’t a compromise. It’s the better choice.
How We Found Our Bali Private Driver (The Reddit Method)
We found our driver the way we find the best things when travelling: Reddit.
We searched recent posts in Bali travel communities asking for driver recommendations, and his contact details came up multiple times with genuine reviews from real travellers – people who’d actually been in the car with him. Not a TripAdvisor listing. Not a hotel concierge referral. Real people saying real things.
Leave a comment below and we’ll send you his contact details. We don’t post them publicly out of respect for his privacy, but if you ask, you’ll have it within a day.
This matters more than it sounds. There’s no shortage of drivers in Bali – hotels will offer them, tourist agencies push them, you’ll see signs everywhere. The difference with a Reddit recommendation is accountability. We landed in Bali already knowing he was reliable and good company.
How Much Does a Private Driver Cost in Bali? Our Real Numbers
This is the section everyone wants and nobody publishes honestly, so here it is:
We paid $420 total for 8 days of private driving. We sent a $60 deposit upfront to confirm the booking.
That’s $52 per day – or $26 each as a couple. For a private driver who picked us up every morning (sometimes at 6am), drove us across the entire island, waited at every waterfall and temple, adjusted the route daily based on what we wanted, and had us back at our accommodation every evening.
For context: a tourist shuttle from Ubud to the north coast runs around $25 per person one way. Our driver cost us less than that per person for a full day.
A few things to know about Bali private driver pricing:
Overnight accommodation allowance. Drivers are usually based in Ubud or Denpasar. If you’re staying somewhere remote – like we were in Munduk – there’s typically an extra $10–15 per night for their accommodation. This was included in our agreed price. Always clarify this when booking.
Our driver slept in his car one night. We found out the next morning and were horrified. He’d refused our offer to book him a room, but after that we insisted – rooms in the areas we were staying cost $15–20 a night. Please just book a room for your driver. It costs almost nothing.
We tipped $50 at the end. With hindsight, we wish we’d tipped more.
How We Organised the Itinerary With Our Driver
Before arriving, we sent a rough day-by-day plan – which areas we wanted to be in, the hotels we’d booked, specific places we wanted to visit. He confirmed the timing, flagged a couple of things (some temples close early, some waterfalls are best before 9am), and we were set.
But here’s what made it actually great: the plan was a starting point, not a contract.
Every morning we’d talk through the day. More energy than expected? We’d add a stop. Loved a waterfall the day before? He’d suggest something similar nearby. He knew the island – genuinely knew it, not just the tourist version – and his suggestions were consistently better than what we’d planned ourselves.
Drivers typically work 8–10 hours a day. In practice we never felt limited. If you treat them well, they’re extraordinarily flexible.
Where We Stayed: Our Hotels Across Bali
We based ourselves in four different areas to actually cover the island. Here’s where we stayed and what we thought – with booking links if you want to follow the same route.
Ubud (3 nights + 1 extra night) – Shana Homestay by EPS for the first stay, then Suarapura Resort & Spa for a night on the way back through. Ubud is the natural base for the first few days – central, walkable, and close to most of the temples and waterfalls in the area.
Sidemen (2 nights) – Sandag Hill. East Bali, genuinely quiet, rice fields that are working fields not tourist backdrops. Almost nobody comes here. This was Rumi’s favourite area and hotel!
Munduk (3 nights across 3 different stays) – This was the highlight of the trip. We split three nights between Tegal Sari Cabin Kintamani (right across the volcano, extraordinary), Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort (coffee plantation lodge, stunning), and Santya Loka Lodge & Twin Waterfall. Three completely different experiences in the same area.
Uluwatu (3 nights) – Bingin Lodge Uluwatu. By this point we didn’t need the driver – Uluwatu is one area, cliffs and surf and sunsets, and we used Gojek (Bali’s version of Uber) to get around. Different vibe from everything else, brilliant way to end the trip.
The Areas Worth Reaching With a Driver (That Most People Miss)
This is the real argument for a private driver: access.
Munduk and the north. The part of Bali that changes how you see the rest of it. Banyumala Twin Waterfall is surrounded by real jungle, often nearly empty, and requires a mountain road that would be challenging on a scooter.
We also visited Ulun Danu Beratan Temple on a misty morning, Jatiluwih Rice Terraces (a UNESCO site with almost no one there), Tamblingan Lake, and a series of waterfalls – Munduk Waterfall, Git Git, Melanting, Leke Leke, Nungnung – most of which involved short hikes through forest. This area alone justified the entire driver cost.
Sidemen. East Bali is what people imagine Bali to be before they arrive – and then mostly don’t find because they stay in the south. Tirta Gangga Water Palace is one of the most beautiful places we’ve seen in Southeast Asia. Taman Ujung Palace, Besakih Temple on the slopes of Mount Agung, and the Sidemen rice fields are all reachable from here. We saw maybe forty other tourists across two full days.
Ubud surroundings. Even with a local base, the driver made a real difference – reaching Tukad Cepung Waterfall (where the light through the cave ceiling is unlike anything else), Tibumana, Kanto Lampo, Goa Gajah temple, and Gunung Kawi all in a day without needing to figure out routes ourselves.
For a full breakdown of what to do in each of these areas, read our 10-Day Active Bali Itinerary – it covers everything with timings and tips.
The Part Nobody Writes About
This is the section we actually wanted to write.
Most content about hiring a driver treats it like a transaction. You pay, they drive, you tip, you leave. If that’s how you approach it, that’s exactly what you’ll get.
We did it differently.
We invited him to lunch every day. This felt natural – he’d been with us since 6am, of course he should eat with us. But apparently it’s not common. The first time we asked, he seemed genuinely surprised. By day three it was just what we did.
We sat together and he’d tell us about the place we were in, his family, the village he grew up in. We learned more about Bali from those conversations than from any temple or guided experience.
We invited him to visit places with us. At most tourist sites in Bali, there are shaded waiting areas for drivers. They sit, they nap, they scroll their phones. We kept asking if he wanted to come in with us – and it turned out he hadn’t visited many of these places himself.
He came to Banyumala Twin Waterfall. He stood with us at Puncak Wanagiri above the twin lakes. He said it was the first time he’d seen it.
That detail has stayed with us. Drivers in Bali spend their days taking other people to beautiful places they rarely experience themselves. Asking them to join you costs nothing and means something real.
We taught him to fly our drone. Completely unplanned. We were setting up a shot in rice fields north of Ubud and he was watching with obvious interest. We handed it to him. He was better at it than us within ten minutes.
After that he started spotting locations we’d never have noticed – pulling over on mountain passes, pointing at gaps in the trees where the light was perfect. Some of our best shots from the entire trip came from his suggestions.
By the end of 8 days, he wasn’t our driver. He was just someone we’d spent a week travelling with.
Practical Tips: How to Get the Most From Your Bali Driver
Find through Reddit, not a hotel concierge. The recommendations are real, prices are fair, and you’re more likely to find someone genuinely good. Leave a comment below for our driver’s contact.
Send your itinerary in advance, loosely. Give them the areas, hotels and key places. Let them flag anything unrealistic. Then be flexible on the day – the best moments often come from last-minute decisions.
Book accommodation for them in remote areas. Especially places like Munduk. A room costs $15–20. Just do it. Don’t let them sleep in their car.
Invite them to eat with you. Every day if you can. The conversations are worth more than any guide.
Invite them to visit places with you. They almost always say yes if genuinely asked. And you’ll both experience it differently for it.
Tip properly at the end. We did $50. In retrospect, more. These are people giving a week of their lives to make your holiday extraordinary. Be generous.
The last days in Uluwatu – switch to Gojek. Once you’re based in one concentrated area, Gojek (Bali’s Uber equivalent) works perfectly and costs almost nothing for short trips. We used it for all three days in Uluwatu and it was seamless.
Is Hiring a Private Driver in Bali Worth It?
$420 for 8 days, split between two people, worked out to $26 each per day. For completely private transport across the whole island, full flexibility, and the company of someone who became a genuine highlight of the trip.
Not worth it? We can’t imagine the trip any other way.
If you don’t drive, stop worrying. This is better. And if you do drive – consider it anyway. The best parts of our Bali trip happened because we had someone with us who knew where to stop, which road to take, and when to pull over so we could fly the drone over a valley we’d have otherwise driven straight past.
Leave a comment if you want our driver’s contact. We’ll send it over.
More of Our Bali Guides
Planning your trip? Here’s everything else we’ve written to help you put it together:
- 🗺️ Active 10-Day Bali Itinerary: Nature, Culture & Adventure – the full day-by-day breakdown of exactly what we did
- 🏡 Where to Stay in Bali: A Simple Guide to the Island’s Best Areas – which area suits your trip
- 🏖️ Best Beaches in Uluwatu: Our Honest Guide – for the final few days
- 🍜 The Ultimate Guide to Food in Bali: What & Where to Eat – eat well, eat locally
- 💡 Bali Tips You’ll Be Glad You Knew Before Your Trip – the practical stuff
- 🏨 10 Truly Unique Places to Stay in Bali – if you want something beyond a standard hotel
Book Your Bali Trip
Ready to plan? Here’s what you’ll need:
- 🏨 Accommodation in Ubud
- 🏨 Accommodation in Munduk
- 🏨 Accommodation in Uluwatu
- 🎟️ Tirta Empul Temple entry & guided experience
- 🎟️ Besakih Temple guided tour
- 🎟️ Bali cooking class with market visit
FAQs
Is it possible to visit Bali without a scooter?
Yes, completely. We spent 10 days covering Ubud, Sidemen, Munduk and Uluwatu without ever getting on a scooter. A private driver gives you more flexibility, less stress, and access to areas that are genuinely difficult to reach on a scooter anyway. In Uluwatu, Gojek (Bali’s Uber) works perfectly for getting around one concentrated area.
How much does a private driver cost in Bali per day?
We paid $420 for 8 full days, which works out to $52 per day or $26 each as a couple. This included all driving across the island, flexibility to adjust the route daily, and overnight accommodation allowance for remote areas like Munduk. Budget an extra $10–15 per night if your driver needs to stay somewhere far from Ubud or Denpasar, and always tip — we added $50 at the end and wish we’d given more.
Where can I find a reliable private driver in Bali?
Reddit is genuinely the best place — search recent posts in Bali travel communities asking for driver recommendations. You’ll find real reviews from real travellers, not agency listings. Leave a comment on this post and we’ll send you our driver’s contact directly.
How do I organise a private driver in Bali?
Send your rough itinerary — areas, hotels, and key places you want to visit — before you arrive. A good driver will flag anything unrealistic and suggest alternatives. Once you’re there, treat it as a flexible starting point rather than a fixed plan. Every morning you discuss the day and adjust based on energy, weather and what you’ve already seen.
Do I need to tip a private driver in Bali?
Yes — please do. Drivers work long days, often far from home, for prices that are already very reasonable. We tipped $50 on top of our $420 for 8 days. Also invite them to eat lunch with you, and if you’re staying somewhere remote, book a hotel room for them rather than letting them sleep in the car.
What’s the best area to base yourself in Bali without a car?
Ubud is the best starting base — it’s central, walkable, and close to most temples, rice terraces and waterfalls in the cultural heartland. For the north (Munduk, the waterfalls, the lakes) you need a driver regardless of whether you ride a scooter, as the distances are real. Uluwatu in the south is compact enough to manage entirely with Gojek once you’re there.
Written by Ru & Tiago
We spent 10 days exploring Bali without a scooter — covering Ubud, Sidemen, Munduk and Uluwatu with a private driver we found on Reddit. Based in Geneva, we specialise in active travel guides built around walking, eating local, and getting off the tourist trail.