During a recent staying in Ubud Bali, we decided to hire a private driver for the day. While in Bali we were traveling with our friends Brendan and Molly from The Endless Honeymoon. With there being four of us, hiring a private driver was the cheapest way for us to explore the island.
Having already explored the local surroundings by moped we wanted to venture a little further into Bali. We booked our driver for 10 hours with Bali Cabs for 700,000IDR (250,000IDR surcharge for early pick up).
We began our day with a 4:30am pick up. First stop was the Instagram famous “Heavens Gate” or as the locals know it Lumpuyang Temple. Heavens Gate has become a popular spot to strike an Instagram worthy pose.
We wanted to go see what all the fuss was about. We were informed that in order to get a photo at this iconic landmark we would have to arrive early, hence the 4:30am pick up. Heavens Gate is located two hours from Ubud. We arrived at 6:30am where we got our ticket number and queued for that famous photo.
If you look at the above photos it will appear that there is a pristine lake mirroring our reflection…WRONG! The locals who take the photos (in return for a small tip) use a mirror strategically placed below the camera in order to create this illusion.
The photos did look impressive, however not sure if it was worth the early start, a 2 hour drive and an hour hanging around waiting for the “photoshoot”.
Photoshoot over, it was time to get back into the car and make our way to “The Water Palace” or as the locals know it, Taman Tirtagangga. The Water Palace is home to lavish water gardens featuring pools, ponds and fountains.
The ponds are filled with giant koi fish and stepping stones which provided us with our second Insta-worthy photo of the day. It was a beautiful and relaxing spot to spend an hour exploring.
Next on our itinerary was a visit to Tegenungan Waterfall, one of the most popular waterfalls in Bali. Located within a tropical jungle, Tegenungan Waterfall offers a picturesque view. There is a 15,000IDR entrance fee to enter. For this small fee you do have access to very clean toilets and changing rooms.
Tengenungan Waterfall was quite touristy, but none the less very beautiful and with a visit. As beautiful as Tengenungan waterfall is, it was not our favourite waterfall we came across in Bali. If you are visiting Bali and are looking for an off the beaten track waterfall we recommend Tangkup Waterfall which we mentioned in a previous blog.
After taking a cooling off in the fresh water pond below the waterfall it was time to stop off at our final destination of the day, Santi Coffee Plantation. We got a guided tour of the grounds, received a detailed description about the production kopi luwak coffee and later we were treated to a free coffee and tea tasting.
If you have never heard of kopi luwak, here is a brief summary. Kopi luwak is the worlds most expensive coffee and is made from poop! Yup, you read correct poop! It’s made from partially digested coffee beans that have been eaten and defected by the civet cat. As the beans pass through the civet they ferment. Then they are pooped out and the coffee beans are collected.
If you have never heard of kopi luwak, here is a brief summary. Kopi luwak is the worlds most expensive coffee and is made from poop! Yup, you read correct poop! It’s made from partially digested coffee beans that have been eaten and defected by the civet cat. As the beans pass through the civet they ferment. Then they are pooped out and the coffee beans are collected.
Sounds kind of gross, however the outer layer of the coffee bean is removed during processing and the remaining beans are cleaned before being roasted. We tried a cup of this exclusive coffee during our tour. It has a complex flavour profile, bitter, smooth and earthy.
We highly recommend hiring a private driver for the day to explore Bali. Your itinerary is completely up to you. It provided us with great flexibility for a very reasonable price.
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To The Airport...And Beyond 
We have a fancy schmancy tea and coffee roaster near where we live and one day we went there and had kopi luwak. It was $10 for a small cup. The husband and I shared it. We thought it was ok, but would never shell out the money for it, other than that one little experiment. Still, if we found ourselves in Bali we’d definitely take the tour like you did. Cool!
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Always had questions about this so it’s awesome reading this post!
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