Originally Posted by MegatopLover

Ubud is about an hour and twenty minutes from Ngurah Rai Airport by car, depending on traffic conditions. You pass by the city of Denpasar on the way, which is about twenty minutes from the airport.

On my most recent trip, over Christmas, we booked in with Dewa Marco for just one day. He sent one of his co-drivers, Pedro, to take care of us. We knew where we wanted to go, and Pedro was able to take us there. He came along with us into the Goa Gajah temple and explained some of the history, design, and religious significance of it. He took us to the village we wanted to go to for stone carvings and waited patiently while we spent a couple of hours going through many of the shops (if you can call them that) looking for just the right thing. Pedro was very pleasant and spoke good English. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend him, or to book with/through Dewa Marco again.

As for new discoveries, I'd say two things: amankila and the joy of cycling in Bali. Amankila was spectacular, even if it was the most expensive hotel/resort room we've ever had. Our cycling trips out from amandari and amankila were all thoroughly enjoyable. amankila has a recommended 10-km loop that goes through several nearby villages and stays off the main coast road for most of the ride. It was somewhat hilly but didn't have too many super-steep parts. From amandari, we went through or around Ubud and over toward Goa Gajah; that trip had some hilly bits but nothing too daunting. Both of them were done with nothing but a map and my sense of direction. Mr. Megatop called amandari to pick up him and his bike while I finished my ride, once from Ubud town and once from the Chedi Club, both times with no problem, though I did beat him back to the hotel once.

Spending time cycling is definitely on my list for our next visit. You get more in touch with the island and its people than if you're in the comfort of a car. And you can stop and smell the burning palm fronds whenever you want. Just be careful on the roads. Traffic can be thick at times and motos can stop, go, and decelerate unpredictably.