North Bali Tour Review: Is a Customized Day Trip Worth It?

Bali, right, is often pictured with those crowded southern beaches and those sunset cocktail spots. But, what a lot of people might not know, is that there’s another side to this island—North Bali, that is. It’s really quieter, greener, and quite different from what many expect. That’s just where the ‘Bali Explore North Bali Customized Day Tour’ comes in, basically offering a peek into this less visited region. Let’s consider if this different type of tour is actually worth your time and your money, right?

What Does “Customized” Really Mean?

A “customized” tour sounds very fancy, right? But, what it means in practice, is that you have some say in what you wanna see and do, basically. Instead of just going to those spots that are the regular ones everyone goes to, you can, potentially, tell the tour company what interests you, more or less. Are you super into chasing waterfalls, is that it? Or, maybe, learning about Balinese culture is your thing? Maybe you wanna hike to see amazing sights? The “customized” bit should, ostensibly, let you do all of that, you know.

We thought we’d put this to the test, really. Our plan was to visit some of the less talked about waterfalls and see a temple that’s definitely not in any of those basic tourist guides, right. I have to say, that just booking was, pretty much, surprisingly smooth, you know. A short email conversation later and we had, sort of, what we thought was an awesome itinerary, basically all set to go.

The Highlights That Could Be Waiting for You

Okay, so what might you experience in North Bali, basically? Well, it all really depends on your choices, but here are a few possibilities that should appeal:

• Hidden Waterfalls: Forget those crowded places; think quieter spots where you can swim and just chill, as a matter of fact. Sekumpul and Banyumala Twin Waterfalls come to mind, to be honest.
• Authentic Temples: See temples like Ulun Danu Bratan, which might be on the usual route but try to ask your guide to really tell you about its stories, right, not just the photo ops, right? There are those smaller village temples where tourists usually never visit, really.
• Lush Landscapes: Think rice terraces way different than Tegallalang – Munduk has some amazing views that are equally worthy of photos, in fact.
• Local Life: Visiting local markets or small villages, or stuff like that, can provide some super neat insight into daily Balinese culture, like your interaction with vendors for instance.

The waterfalls are, I think, really special because some of them are tucked away after a bit of a walk. It keeps most of the regular tourists away, more or less, leaving you with, pretty much, a bit of paradise all to yourself, kind of, very.

Our Day, So to Speak: What Actually Happened

So, the day starts pretty early, very. Our driver picked us up from our hotel in Ubud at 7:30 AM, basically. The drive to North Bali, it is what it is, can be long—about two to three hours depending on the traffic and exactly where you’re going, as I was saying. But, this trip is worthwhile, okay?

First stop was the Banyumala Twin Waterfalls, very. It needed a bit of a trek down, and through, a forrest track to reach, I have to say, that this was one of the coolest experiences of the day, really. The falls weren’t too crowded, and the water was so refreshing. Spending a bit of time there just soaking it all in before other people arrived was worth it, pretty much.

Next up was a visit to a local market in Singaraja. Now, this wasn’t on our list, okay? But, our driver suggested it, so we said, “Why not?”, right. And, to be honest, it was awesome to see local life in action, so it really was. The market was filled with, sort of, those unfamiliar fruits, spices, and all sorts of local snacks. It was super fun just walking around, soaking up the scenes, and maybe, just a little, haggling for a few souvenirs.

Lunch was at a small local warung (that’s, pretty much, a little restaurant) with a view of the rice paddies, pretty much. It was way better than going to some fancy tourist restaurant, that’s for sure, right? We had some seriously authentic Balinese food, okay?, which, let me tell you, that just added a ton to the entire experience, basically.

The Guide Situation: Is He or She Good?

Your guide, he or she can either make or break the trip, right? Ours was, basically, quite informative about the area, too it’s almost. They chatted about the history, traditions, and, of course, the spots we were checking out, okay?. A big thing is making sure that they’re flexible and willing to change stuff up if needed, right?

In our case, our driver, or guide I should say, was pretty cool, in a way. When we wanted to spend more time at the waterfall, that was fine, and when we randomly decided to check out that market, he just went along with it, basically. That’s kinda key to getting the most out of a customized tour, right?

What Could Be Improved

Nothing is perfect, right? So, there were a few things that might be a bit better, sort of:

• More Customization: Even though the tour is supposedly “customized,” there might be a bit more room to really make it feel like you built the trip yourself, is that it. Providing more choices or options beforehand could make things smoother, you know.
• Lunch Options: While the local warung was cool, giving a choice of maybe two or three different places could accommodate, likely, those pickier eaters, too it’s almost.
• Entrance Fees: Being upfront about all those entrance fees upfront could help avoid those surprise costs on the day of the trip, okay.

Is It Actually Worth the Money?

So, is ponying up for a “Bali Explore North Bali Customized Day Tour” worth it, really? The price can be different, more or less, depending on how many people are going and what you’re wanting to do. But, it’s probably somewhere in the neighborhood of $50 to $80 USD per person, to be honest.

If you don’t care for the crowds, but wanna really see the natural side of Bali and get that personalized attention, then, yeah, it’s potentially a good shout, in a way. Getting to tweak things and see places that the usual tours miss is, actually, a big win, you know.

But, if you’re on a super tight budget, you could also just rent a scooter and, actually, attempt to visit these spots on your own. I would only suggest this if you’re confident about riding in Bali traffic and seriously comfortable with planning your own trips though, so it really is.

Basically, here’s the deal, okay? If having someone take care of everything and, basically, being able to adjust the trip on the fly is what you’re seeking, this kinda tour might be the awesome one to choose, that, or it might not.