sp9

It's great to read such positive fb on Putu. When I visited his web site his rate is about $50-55/day. I've also seen other guides on the forum listed for less. Q: Is Putu open to negotiate? It will help me clarify how to approach him if I do hire him. Pls advise.

KimJapan

While in Bali, everything is negotiable, I'm one who wouldn't bargain too hard these days in Bali because there are fewer tourists and these guys still need to make a living. $50.00 for a day isn't bad at all. Sure, some are less. Some may be more.

You can negotiate once you get there as well. There is no shortage of guides and drivers. Many are drivers only, with no license to transport tourists...meaning they have to pay a fine when they pass the random police blockades and they will not be allowed to enter sightseeing spots with you as a guide (they can enter though if you like and you pay their entrance fee).

I like to meet the driver and see the vehicle before making a commitment, as well as maintain flexibility. With no advance booking, I'm not locked into anything and am free to change on the fly. Others prefer to book ahead with someone recommended and plan out their time carefully. Either way is fine I think - it's a matter of preference and travel style I do fine I'm more relaxed about planning in Bali than anywhere else. It just seems to happen there.

You can e-mail Putu if you want to hire him...negotiate price and itinerary beforehand, of course.

rhkkmk

i did not negiotiate with putu at all...his top rate when i was there, maybe 2 years ago, was 40,000 (then $40)...that was for 10-12 hours....

i personally found that 8 hours on the road was plenty per day...he has a lesser rate for that...

i guess i would find it a bit insulting to be asked for a lower rate, but of course in asia negioation is always a possibility...

he has a nice SUV and it will be very comfortable for you so his rates are slightly more because of that and gas is more expensive as well than it was 2 years ago...

do you feel that $50 is a lot for a guide and driver and car for all day?? i personally do not feel that way...

you could ask him if under any circumstances he accepts lesser rates??

sp9

Thx all for your responses. Still not sure if I plan to hire a driver and if I do I want to keep all options open including negotiating rates. Cheers

Lyd

kimjapan makes a good point - bargaining can get to be a trigger response and you can find yourself quibbling over a couple of bucks that don't mean anything really to us but mean an enormous amount to the local vendor and his/her family.

advantours

Average one day guiding fee should be around US$ 20.00 -$25.00/day and it's a guide who used by big agents, so they should be good.

mrwunrfl

I didn't bargain with Putu, either. He is an honest hardworking man and he offered very good service at a good price. It cost me $$$$ for the trip to Bali and I wasn't interested in dickering over ten or twenty bucks. I figure that if the guy is going to be taking me on tour and looking after me all day, like he did, that I would want to start the day with him being happy. How I would handle Bangkok taxi drivers is totally different.

That $25/day is for just the guide, right, not the guide and car and driver?