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VW Safari tour from Bali to Ubud

VolksWagen. VW
Safari Tour.
Bali.

These words didn’t make any sense to me. Separately they did, but not together in one sentence. I was waiting in the lobby of Mercure hotel at Kuta Beach for my day’s expedition. I was told, we were to go on a VW Safari tour in Bali! Safari in a city overloaded with temples, dances and art & culture? How does that sound? To be honest, I couldn’t really digest it.

vw safari tour bali ubud

After sometime I was informed it was time to leave. In the compound of the hotel, 13 brightly coloured vintage VW convertibles waited for the 40 of us. A VW Safari to take us to Ubud? We all jumped with joy and then jumped into our chosen jeeps! Blue, green, red, yellow dominated over sober shades of browns and khakis.

VW Safari tour Bali Ubud
vw safari tour bali ubud

Equipped with our cameras, selfie sticks and GoPros, we started maneuvering through the busy streets of Bali. We drove past many big shops, boutique stores, massage parlors and some temples along the route. I could notice, the daily routine of locals had started. Office goers on their bikes or cars were also on the road.

Excited as small kids, we all teased and cheered each other whenever anyone overtook another vehicle. But mostly we drove in a train like disciplined bunch. Every car seated 3 persons with an allocated driver.

Today I was in the coolest mode of transport on this island. I had a constant smile on my face. I let the wind blow through my hair. Soon the busy city roads gave way to less crowded ones and we were meandering through sleepy villages, rice paddy fields. And yes, frangipani trees were lined up on both sides welcoming us.

vw safari tour bali ubud
It was fun all the way!
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vw safari tour bali ubud
Make a train, make a train!

As we neared Ubud, we saw more appealing cafes, furniture stores and art shops. We made a pit stop at one of the paddy fields where we also saw a man made waterfall. I saw dogs guarding the fields from strangers like us.

Another place that we stopped at before moving to the river rafting site was, the Bukit Sari Temple, located within the Monkey Forest. The forest is a quiet place to spend your time. Be careful about your belongings as this is a playground for the monkeys. You can also see devotees coming to pay respect in temples and I guess that also attracts monkeys.

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A dog guarding the fields.
A dog guarding the fields.
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vw safari tour bali ubud

What a day we were in for! It was definitely an exciting way to have a feel of Bali with these vintage VW convertibles ! And it became one of my memorable moments of Bali. I totally recommend you rent a VW convertible and enjoy the trip.

Something about the VW Safari Tours.

They have half day and full day tours. The places that are generally covered in the tours are:
1. Ubud Market
2. Ubud Monkey Forest
3. Ubud Royal Palace
4. Barong Dance Performance.

There are several tour operators providing similar services at around USD 55 per adult which includes pick up and drop from your hotel, English speaking driver cum guide, entrance tickets, lunch etc.

Recommended reads:

Check here, if you are looking for some more things to do in Bali.
If you plan to visit Ubud, don’t forget to read this guide on Ubud.

Getting there: There are many flights operating daily to Bali, an international destination. Try Garuda, Indonesia or Singapore Airlines.
Stay: There is no dearth of accommodation in Bali for every budgets. We stayed in Mercure hotel at Kuta Beach.

Disclaimer: My visit to Bali was made possible by Tourism Indonesia. However, opinions are mine as always and are based on my own personal experience.

You may want to read more on Indonesia.

Staying in a luxury Phinisi boat
Exploring Jakarta in 48 hours
Senggarang, the Chinese village in Bintan
Indonesia in Pictures
A Dance Drama called Barong
Top things to do in Indonesia
Evocative Bali Craft
Tangkuban Perahu – Arising out of a legend
Indonesia from Above
Kawah Putih, the white crater
Indonesia : Beyond Bali & Jakarta
Asian African Carnival 2015

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37 thoughts on “VW Safari tour from Bali to Ubud”

  1. I just got back from Bali recently and I agree that you MUST be careful of the monkeys as they will steal everything! Sounds like you had a great time on your VW safari tour. It certainly is a unique way of exploring the island!

  2. Hooning around in a brightly coloured VW sounds like a fun way to explore Bali. Actually, it sounds like much more fun than catching a taxi and I’m sure it would be cheaper too.

  3. Hey Nisha!! What an awesome day!
    I saw those Volkswagen around Bali but didn’t know we could go on a tour with them. Love it!!
    It makes the whole experience much more enjoyable with the 360º view you get from your seat!
    Happy travels baby!!
    Nat

  4. Sounds like a great way to spend a day – definitely the coolest transport I’ve heard of from around the island! I agree, I hadn’t previously associated the words VolksWagen, safari and Bali as possible of being in the same sentence, but now that’s obviously changed!

  5. This really looks like a great time. I will be heading to Bali later this year and can’t wait to check the tour. Love the mode of transportation, that’s not what I was expecting when I first read your introduction – VolksWagen, safari and Bali.

  6. The vintage cars are so cool!! Can imagine the excitement of everyone when they realised the mode of transport was a convertible vintage. Definitely looking this up while planning for Bali in future.

  7. I was just in Bali last month! Such a magical place! I wish I was able to tour around town in one of these awesome VW convertibles. I plan on going back to Bali soon. I’ll have to check this out.

  8. I had the same reaction at the beginning of your post… definitely 3 words that usually dont go together but somehow they turned out to be a great combo. Love all the colors too. I wouldnt know which to choose

  9. This looks like my kinda day, riding in a classic VW convertible while taking in the sites! I love the tranquility of the paddy fields. I’ve never been to Indonesia, and wouldn’t hesitate to do this safari tour if I have an opportunity to visit. Thanks for putting this awesome tour on my radar!

  10. What a fun way to explore — more like an adventure, really. Whenever I visit a place for the first time, I like to take a guided tour; it’s such a great way to learn about the history and culture.

  11. What a fun and interesting way to see Bali! I always love tours like this that are a bit different 🙂 The VW’s are adorable and it looks like you made some fantastic stops. I would love to give this a try when we make it to Bali–hopefully soon!

  12. I totally like those taxis…like toy cars for adults 🙂 In a way it’s nice to see the city in a new way…brings out new facets as well.

    p.s. I am glad you didn’t forget the selfie stick else you would have added another one to your arsenal 🙂

  13. That is such an interesting a fun tour. I love how you get t see all the main attractions in a great way with these colourful cars.

  14. Viajar pela história - Catarina Leonardo

    What a great day that you have 🙂 It looks very funny this tour. I will remember when i go to Bali.

  15. I’ve been to Bali, so when I read “safari” I was a little confused. But what a cool way to see the island! And yes, always be weary of the monkeys. One tried to steal my purse!

  16. This is such a fun way to tour Bali! I remember seeing those vintage VW convertibles when we were in Bali. It is definitely what I’d consider doing with friends!

  17. respect, I am interested in whether it is possible to rent a vw safari vehicle with a driver for a short period. say for 3-4 hours. we are located in Ubud. it would be 2 passengers and it wouldn’t need any special tour maybe to the rice fields or some similar nice photo spot. of course I’m interested in the price for it. thank you in advance.

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