Driver in Bali

During three wonderful weeks that my wife and I spent in Bali in September-October ’11, our vacation was made easy and enjoyable thanks, in large part, to our driver, Billy Dewa (e-mail billybaliman0908@yahoo.com), whose services we used on six occasions. For $40 per day, Billy — in his clean, air-conditioned SUV — would meet us promptly at our hotel in whatever part of the island we were staying. We would tell him where we wanted to go and he would take us there using routes that afforded us opportunities to stop at scenic vistas, sacred temples and luxurious waterfalls as well as places to shop. He knew where to change money at the best rates. (Beware of the money changers who advertise the highest rates; many are scam artists who will count out the money and slyly skim a bill or two off the top before handing it over to you.) Billy speaks excellent English and was able to answer all of our questions and give us an overview of Balinese life, adding to our appreciation of what we were seeing. He also has a wonderful sense of playfulness, which gave us an excuse to laugh together on many occasions. MICHAEL GROSS San Marcos, CA