Knowing what is happening on the island this week, and how to be present respectfully, or when to change plans around it.
Private experiences across Bali
Bali, the way it actually is
Most visitors see the same Bali: the same rice terrace, the same temple entrance, the same driver route. Private experiences with Mandara Bali are shaped by a team that lives here and knows what the map leaves out, from the central highlands to the east coast and the Bukit.
8°30′25″ S · 115°15′44″ E · Ubud, where our office sits in the centre of the island
All of Bali, wherever you are
Every part of the island, from wherever you stay
Mandara Bali works across all of Bali. Whether your guests are staying in Uluwatu, Seminyak, Sanur, Ubud, Sidemen or the north, we start the day where they are and plan it around the parts of the island worth their time.
Our office is in Ubud, in the middle of the island, which keeps every region within reach.
Our ground lead, Chandra, was born and raised in Bali. The knowledge we work from isn't researched. It's lived: the ceremony calendar, the roads that don't appear on a map, the families and kitchens that never show up on a listing.
What local actually means
Knowing Bali, not just its top ten
The ceremony calendar
Places with no listing
The warung where the cooking is extraordinary and few visitors ever find it. The family compound that opens to guests who arrive with the right introduction.
Timing
The waterfall before 8am. The rice terrace at first light. The temple at dusk instead of noon. The difference between a photograph and a memory.
The roads between
Some of Bali's best moments happen between the destinations, if you know which way to go and when to slow down.
Context, not commentary
Understanding what you are seeing, why it matters and how to be present in it, without a rehearsed script.
Unstructured time
Some of the best days here aren't planned at all: a slow morning, a walk through a village, coffee with someone who knows the place. We can hold space for that too.
Where we go
Experiences across the whole island
Nothing here is a fixed package. These are the kinds of places and experiences we arrange, region by region. Tell us who is coming and what matters to them, and we will tell you honestly what is worth their time.
Central Bali
Ubud and the interior
- Rice terraces at Tegallalang, walked early before the crowds
- The water temple at Tirta Empul, with time to understand it
- Craft villages: wood carving in Mas, silver in Celuk, painting in Batuan
- Warung Amprin, a traditional kitchen connected to the Mandara Bali family
Highlands and north
Terraces, lakes and waterfalls
- Jatiluwih's rice terraces, part of Bali's UNESCO-listed subak landscape
- Ulun Danu Beratan, the temple on Lake Beratan
- Waterfalls around Munduk and Sekumpul
Kintamani
The volcano and the lake
- Views across the caldera to Mount Batur and Lake Batur
- A Mount Batur sunrise trek for those who want an early start
East Bali
Quiet valleys and the coast
- The Sidemen valley, slow and green
- Tirta Gangga water palace
- Besakih, Bali's mother temple, on the slopes of Mount Agung
- The coast around Amed
The Bukit and south
Cliffs, sunsets and the sea
- Uluwatu temple on its clifftop at sunset, with the Kecak dance
- Seafood on the beach at Jimbaran
- Coastal days around Nusa Dua and Sanur
Any of these, together
Days that cross the island
- Two regions joined in one day where the roads allow it
- Multi-day journeys with overnight stays outside Ubud
- Excursion days for retreat and group programs
Running a retreat or bringing a group? These experiences are often woven into retreat and group programs as half days between sessions or full excursion days. See retreat management or how we work with groups.
The difference
Bali with a route sheet, or Bali with a local
The standard day
What most visitors get
- Tegallalang at 10am with a hundred other visitors
- Temple stops timed by a driver with six other bookings
- Lunch at a restaurant on every tour route
- A waterfall with a ticket queue and a souvenir stall
- A fixed itinerary sent before you arrive and never reconsidered
- No one to call if something changes
With Mandara Bali
What's possible
- Rice terraces before the crowds, with time to walk
- Temple visits shaped by what is happening on the island this week
- Lunch where the community actually eats
- Water, jungle and coast chosen for the day and the people
- A day that adjusts in real time to what is unfolding
- One consistent contact, available throughout
Questions visitors ask
Before you plan the day
Do you arrange private experiences outside Ubud?
Yes. Mandara Bali works across all of Bali: the central highlands, the north and its lakes, Kintamani, the east around Sidemen and Amed, the south coast, and the Bukit Peninsula. Ubud is where our office is, not the limit of where we go.
What are good day trips from Ubud?
It depends on what you want from the day. The Sidemen valley and Tirta Gangga for quiet rice landscapes in the east; Jatiluwih's terraces and Ulun Danu Beratan on the lake for the central highlands; Kintamani for views of Mount Batur; Uluwatu for the clifftop temple at sunset. We suggest one or two places done well rather than five done in a hurry.
Do you pick up from anywhere in Bali?
Yes. We start from wherever you are staying, whether that is a resort in Nusa Dua, a villa in Canggu or Uluwatu, or a guesthouse in Sidemen, and plan the day's route from there.
Are the experiences private or shared?
Private. There are no fixed packages, departure times or shared groups. Each day is shaped around who is coming, what they care about, and what is happening on the island that week.
How are private experiences priced?
Transport is charged at our published rates: a private car with driver is $36 for a half day (5 hours) or $72 for a full day (10 hours); a Toyota HIACE is $179 and a HIACE Premio $225 for a full day. Prices are in USD, as of October 2026. Entrance fees, guides and meals depend on the day you choose, and we confirm them with you before you go.
Can visitors go to temples during ceremonies?
Often, yes, with respect. Visitors usually need a sarong and sash, some inner courtyards are closed to non-worshippers, and a ceremony can change what is possible that day. We check the ceremony calendar when planning and adjust the day, or the temple, when it matters.
How it works
Simple from your side. Considered on ours.
No form with a preferred departure time and number of stops. A short conversation, and we build from there. Most arrangements come together in one or two exchanges.
You reach out
Who is coming, when, and what you have in mind. No commitment required.
We talk
A short exchange to understand what matters. We listen before we suggest anything.
We shape the day
We tell you honestly what we would recommend, where on the island, and why.
We stay present
One contact, available on the day. No handoffs.
Start here
Tell us who's coming. We'll do the rest.
Who is in the group, when you arrive, and what you hope Bali will feel like. We reply within 24 hours.
- WhatsApp+62 821 4719 8033
- Emailinfo@mandarabali.com
- Instagram@mandara_bali
- Service area
All of Bali, wherever your guests are staying or going. Office in Ubud.