Getting Around

A private driver

The standard way to cover any distance here, and what we do. You get an air-conditioned car, a driver who waits while you are inside, and a fixed price for the day including fuel and parking. It is not a luxury option in Bali — for two or more people it is usually cheaper than a string of separate taxis, and vastly less tiring. Child and booster seats are free; tell us ages and weights when you book so we fit them before we collect you.

Ride apps and taxis

Grab and Gojek work in most of south Bali and show the fare before you accept. Some areas — parts of Ubud, some beach car parks and market frontages — have local transport co-operatives that do not allow app pickups; walk a street or two away rather than arguing. Among street taxis, the metered blue Bluebird cars are the reliable ones; ask for the meter as you get in.

On the road

Traffic drives on the left. The horn here is a friendly "I am beside you", not an insult. Lanes are advisory, scooters fill every gap, and the general rule is that whoever is in front has right of way. Pavements are patchy and often have open drains — walk facing the traffic where there is no footpath, and carry a torch after dark.

Asked often

Is there a train in Bali?

Bali has no rail network, and distances that look small on a map are not small in practice — 45 kilometres to Ubud is a two-hour drive in the middle of the day. Plan around driving time rather than kilometres, and put the long drives at the start and end of the day rather than across the middle of it.