THE GUIDE - The Rough Guide to Bali and Lombok - page 198

By taxi There are no metered taxis in Ubud, so you have to bargain with the transport touts
who hang around on every corner; typically, you can expect to pay around Rp30,000-50,000
from the Perama office to the central Ubud hotels/market in a car (less by motorbike). Most
outlying hotels provide free transport in and out of central Ubud.
By car or motorbike Most transport touts and tour agencies in central Ubud offer car and
motorbike rental. A reputable and efficient place is Ary's Business and Travel Service (
0361 973130, [e-mail] ), near Ary's Bookshop on Jl Raya Ubud. Note that
if you're driving northwards, ie uphill, to Kintamani or to the north coast, it's worth getting
something more powerful than the cheapest Jimny.
By bike Bicycles are an excellent way to get around, too, if you avoid the busier roads; they
can be rented from numerous outlets along Jl Raya Ubud, Jl Monkey Forest and Jl Hanoman
(from Rp20,000/day). There are countless possibilities for interesting bike rides in the area.
On foot The most enjoyable way of seeing Ubud and its immediate environs is on foot via
the tracks through the rice paddies and the narrow gang that weave through the more tradi-
tional banjar .
INFORMATION
Tourist information Ubud's tourist office (daily 8am-8pm; 0361 973285) is centrally loc-
ated just west of the Jl Raya Ubud/Jl Monkey Forest intersection. Staff provide schedules of
dance performances and festivals, sell tickets for dance shows, run inexpensive day-trips to
local sights and sell shuttle-bus tickets for Perama and their competitors. The tourist office
dishes out copies of the excellent free Ubud Community booklet. Other useful publications
are the quarterlies Ubud and The Bud (free in selected hotels and restaurants; also on sale;
thebudmag.com ) .
Maps and specialist guides If you're planning to do any serious walking or cycling around
the area, buy the worthwhile Bali Pathfinder map from any local bookstore or the widely
available Bali Street Atlas (Periplus). Another good investment, though less widely available,
is the slim volume, Bali Bird Walks , written by the local expat ornithologist Victor Mason,
who also runs tours .
TOURS
Although the Ubud tourist office and all travel agencies offer programmes of standard tours
(generally from Rp200,000/person; two people minimum), it's usually more rewarding (and
no more expensive if there's at least a couple of you) to hire your own driver and design
your own itinerary , something that generally costs around Rp350,000-450,000/day. Re-
commended freelance drivers include Nyoman Suastika ( 0813 3870 1962, nyoman-
suastika.tripod.com ) , or you can arrange one through almost any car-rental outlet or hotel.
Most tour agencies advertise inclusive trips to local festivals and cremations although you
can simply check the details at the tourist office and attend independently. Note that whether