WELCOME TO BALI!

2007-10-11T16:53:00.055+08:00

May I introduce myself? My name is Kadek Ariawan. In Bali, most people have a nickname, and my friends call me Ari. I am a 30 year old Balinese and I live with my family in a traditional village near Ubud, the famous and spectacular hilly area about 40 minutes from Denpasar, the capital city of Bali. In our village we have one of Bali's oldest temples. It is well worth visiting and I can take you there too while we are touring the area together.I am a ubud driver and can be your personal Bali driver.Things have been pretty difficult for the Bali people these past few years. Every time my country recovers from one disaster, natural or otherwise, something else seems to come along! We are so grateful to the many tourists who still want to visit Bali. We believe our island is unique, not just in Indonesia, but the whole world!Before I tell you why I would like to be of service to you during your stay in Bali, first I want to tell you a little about myself and my family.

As you can see I have a lovely wife,young daughter and a son.

My father is the bandesa adat (head-man) of our village. He is responsible for organising many of our regular community activities centred around our unique religion and culture. This is an elected position and a great honour for our family, but it also prevents him from carrying out his normal work (he is a builder). The responsibility of taking care of my family's financial needs falls mainly on me, the middle of his three sons.

I realise that there are many other drivers and guides you could choose or be offered by a tour company, so I would like to tell you why I think you will enjoy meeting me and using me as your personal guide and Driver during your stay here in Bali. I always do my best to take care of my customers, taking them wherever they want to go. Some of them are also looking for Balinese products to take or send back home. I can assist with that too. I will help make your visit to Bali relaxing, pleasant and enjoyable as possible.

I drive a modern, double-air-conditioned Toyota Innova, which can carry up to seven passengers in comfort. Bali's roads (and some of the drivers) can seem a little dangerous for first time visitors, which is why it is much safer and better to have an experienced driver and guide show you around the island, rather than do the driving yourself. You will be able to relax and enjoy your tour, as well as see much more instead of worrying about being on the wrong road, breaking down and other problems of driving in a foreign country.

Another thing, like most of South East Asia, in Indonesia and Bali we drive on the left side of the road in right hand drive vehicles. If you are from the USA, Canada or Europe, this may feel strange to you. If you're driving yourself, you have to be careful to stay on the correct side of the road, especially when turning at intersections!

Many Drivers on the island are not Balinese; they come from other Indonesian islands like Java to find work here. I am a native of Bali and I know my island well, and I have been a Driver and tour guide for people from many different countries, including the USA, UK and Europe, Scandinavia, other Asian countries, as well as other parts of Indonesia of course! At the end of the page you can read comments left by some of my happy customers.

Fortunately most visitors to Bali have English-speakers among their group. Although it's not my first language, my English is good enough for all your questions and needs. I can use a computer for email and other writing, but I don't know enough about websites, which is why I have asked a couple of my friends to help me.
I can be your licensed Driver and tour guide from the time you arrive at the airport, and take you to your chosen hotel. If you have not already made bookings for all your accommodation, I can also assist with that and make recommendations to suit your tastes and budget.

We can make an itinerary together for some day trips to or stopovers in different parts of the island. You may want to spend a few days just relaxing somewhere. Before you come to Bali, may I suggest you get one of the popular travel guides such as Lonely Planet? This will enable you to get an idea of what there is to see and do while you are in Bali.
When it's time for you to say goodbye to Bali, I can take you from your hotel or guest house back to the airport and help you check in for your outbound flight.

By the way, you can learn more about Bali and other South East Asian destinations, including those suitable for retirement, by visiting my friend's website: http://www.retire-asia.com/.

Or, if you are interested in joining a small group or custom tour of Bali, check out Jalan Jalan Asia's website,http://www.jalan2asia.com/

Please add your comments below. You can contact me direct by email: ubuddriver@gmail.com
My Indonesia hand phone number is +62 813 3861 6183 and you can also send text messages (SMS).

Comments since November 2005

2005-11-06T14:07:00.001+08:00

My site was launched two years ago, and I have recently updated it, but below you can read comments from some of my previous customers.

I hope to meet you when you arrive in Bali!

Ariawan

Bali driver and tour guide-ariawan

WELCOME TO BALI!

Comments since November 2005