A tailor-made trip
through the real Bali
Rice fields in the morning mist
Michèle designs your trip.
Dek Leonk drives you around the island.
Michèle knows Bali inside out and designs your trip entirely around what you want: the route, the places to stay and the daily plan. On the island you travel with Dek Leonk and other local people, and you pay them directly.
Real people, not a chatbot. You usually get an answer within a few hours.
Bali is morethan the south
Bali had almost 7 million foreign visitors in 2025. Most of them stay in the south and southwest. There you spend hours in traffic, between villas under construction, beach clubs and coffee bars full of digital nomads. That is the Bali you see on Instagram, and the Bali many people come home disappointed from.
But the east and the north are still largely the way Bali has always been. Rice terraces worked by hand, villages with little offerings on the pavement every morning, fishermen heading out to sea in their jukung at sunrise. Dek Leonk knows those places. And when we do go to the famous spots, we go before the coaches arrive.
Instead ofThe swing at Tegallalang
JatiluwihUNESCO World Heritage rice terraces, with walking paths where you meet almost no one.
Instead ofThe centre of Ubud
SidemenA green valley at the foot of Mount Agung, with weavers and homestays.
Instead ofBeach clubs in Seminyak
AmedBlack beaches, fishing boats and snorkelling straight from the shore.
Instead ofDay-trip crowds on Nusa Penida
Pemuteran and MenjanganQuiet snorkelling in a national park.
Instead ofTanah Lot at sunset
Tirta GanggaAt eight in the morning, before the first groups.
How it works
You do not have to figure anything out. You tell us what you are looking for, we design your trip and local people show you their Bali.
You tell us what you are looking for
In a free 15-minute introduction, through the trip planner or in the chat: when, who with, how long and what you enjoy.
We design your trip
Within five working days you have your trip plan: route, daily plan and, if you want, hand-picked places to stay. One round of changes is included.
You travel with local people
Dek Leonk picks you up at the airport. You book and pay him and the places you stay directly, or let us book everything for you.
Choose how much you hand over
You only pay us for your trip plan, at a fixed price. We earn nothing on your driver or your places to stay.
Direct contact
We put you in touch with Dek Leonk. You put the trip together with him.
Free
Trip plan
Route and daily plan made to measure, with driving times and tips per place. You book yourself.
€250
Trip plan with stays
The trip plan, plus two or three places to stay per stop that suit you. You book yourself.
€350
All arranged
The trip plan, and we book everything in your name: places to stay, Dek Leonk, activities.
€500
In every case you pay for the trip itself locally or directly to Dek Leonk and the accommodation. You only pay us for your trip plan.
Choose your personal trip plan
Dek Leonk
- Full name
- I Made Partha Wijaya
- Age
- 48
- Born
- Karangasem, on the eastern tip of Bali
- Driver
- For twenty years
He knows what time to be at which temple, which warung makes the best nasi campur and which family you can join when there is a ceremony. He happily stops for a local snack by the road, and when it suits he shows you the village where he was born.
and Michèle
She designs your trip. Michèle travels whenever she can, mostly alone, and knows what it feels like to arrive in a country you do not know yet. She comes from the hotel world, has lived abroad and has a large network on Bali. In the chat you talk to her in Dutch or English.
Read more about usOn the road with Dek Leonk
Photos from trips with Dek Leonk
By boat to the islands 
On the road inland 
At the table in a warung 
Dusk by the lake
± 80%
of what you spend goes to the people on Bali. On an average twelve-day trip, excluding flights.
Where your money goes
With a big travel company, a large part of your travel money stays in Europe. Not with us. You pay us a fixed amount for your trip plan. The rest you pay directly to Dek Leonk, the homestays, the guides and the cooking teacher.
- To the people on BaliDek Leonk, homestays, guides, the cooking teacher
- ± 80%
- Your personal trip planFixed fee, for example €350
- ± 20%
Worked example: twelve days on Bali for two. Such a trip costs roughly €1,200–2,000 locally; you pay that directly to the people who provide it.
From the airport to the quiet north
The trip starts at the airport in the south. From there you drive to the volcanoes, the rice fields, the east coast and the quiet north.
Airport
Dek Leonk waits in the arrivals hall
- Sidemen
About 2 hours from the airport
- Amed and Tirta Gangga
About 2.5 to 3 hours from the airport
- Munduk and the mountain lakes
About 2.5 to 3 hours from the airport
- Jatiluwih
About 2 hours from the airport
Practical: what you want to know before you go
All practical guidesBest time to visit Bali, by month
Rain, temperature, crowds and holidays month by month, with Nyepi and Galungan in 2027: when to go to Bali, including the east and the mountains.
Is Bali safe? Traffic, the sea, rabies and more
Bali is safe, but watch out for the traffic, the currents and the monkeys. What you need to know before you go.
Health in Bali: vaccinations, Bali belly, dengue and rabies
Which jabs you need, what helps with Bali belly, how to avoid mosquito bites and rabies, and where to go if you fall ill in Bali.
Travelling solo in Bali as a woman: safety, transport and where to stay
Is Bali safe for women travelling alone? Yes, with a few habits. On getting around, drinks, evenings, clothing, homestays and the quiet east and north.
Visiting temples in Bali and what to wear
In a Balinese temple you wear a sarong and a sash, men and women alike. Cover your shoulders and knees, and don't step on the offerings on the pavement.
Money and payments in Bali
In Bali you pay in rupiah: €1 is about IDR 20,000. About cards and cash machines, cash, bargaining, tips and the costs you should budget for.
Frequently asked questions
Is your question not listed? See all questions or send a message.
What exactly do you do?
We design your trip: the route, the day-by-day plan and, if you like, the places to stay. For that you pay a fixed fee of €250 to €500. If you only want a reliable driver, we put you in touch with Dek Leonk for free.
Why don't I pay you for the trip?
Because we want your money to end up with the people in Bali. You pay Dek Leonk, the homestays and the guides directly. We only earn from your trip plan.
Who is responsible for the trip itself?
The partners you make the arrangement with: Dek Leonk for the transport, the accommodations for your stay. We are responsible for our advice, and we only recommend people we know personally.
What is the difference between the three options?
With Trip plan you get the route and the day-by-day plan, and you book yourself. With Trip plan with stays we also pick out two or three places to stay for you in each location. With All arranged we reserve everything in your name; you pay the partners yourself.
How soon do I get my trip plan?
Within five working days of the intake call. One round of changes is part of it.
From the blog
All articles
· Michèle
Instagram Bali versus the real Bali
The swing, the gate, the cliffs: five famous Instagram spots in Bali, what they are really like, and a quiet alternative for each one.
· Michèle
Ubud or Sidemen? An honest comparison for choosing your base
Ubud or Sidemen as your base? How busy each is, what you do there, where you stay and eat, how you get there, and why most routes include both.
· Bas
What you get for €250: this is what a trip plan looks like
What is in a My Bali Tour Guide trip plan, how soon do you get it and what happens next? The difference between the three packages, short and honest.
My Bali Tour Guide in short
- What
- Tailor-made personal trip plans for Bali, with local drivers, places to stay and guides you pay directly
- With whom
- Michèle designs your trip from the Netherlands. Dek Leonk, a driver on Bali for twenty years, and other local partners show you their Bali.
- For whom
- Couples, families, friends and solo travellers who want to see Bali without the crowds and without figuring everything out themselves
- Destinations
- Ubud and around, Sidemen, Amed and Tirta Gangga, Munduk and the mountain lakes, Jatiluwih, Pemuteran and Menjangan, Sanur, Nusa Lembongan, The south: Canggu, Seminyak and Uluwatu, Karangasem and the eastern tip, Lovina and the north coast.
- Price
- Personal trip plan €250 to €500, contact with Dek Leonk free. You pay for the trip itself locally: a driver costs from about €45 a day.
- Contact
- Through the chat on this site, with Michèle (Dutch or English) or Dek Leonk (English)
Shall we think up your trip together?
Book a free 15-minute introduction, or send a message with when you want to go and what you are looking for. You are not committed to anything.
You chat with Michèle (Dutch or English) or with Dek Leonk (English). Real people, not a chatbot. During the day in Europe you usually get an answer within a few hours.