North Bali Tour: Banyumala Waterfall & Wanagiri Hidden Hills

Ari was our guide and he was friendly and helpful. The waterfall was actually multiple waterfalls and it was incredibly beautiful. The temples were cool as well but the waterfalls were the highlight. Also, lunch was awesome!

Budi was great! He was flexible and accommodating as our schedule was ever changing. He suggested alternative destinations to meet our timelines. The cultural sights were beautiful and enlightening and the nature venues awe inspiring. The encounters with local wildlife (python, monkeys, bats, iguanas) was a terrific addition to the tour. Highly recommend!

I had an amazing trip to the north of Bali! My driver, Naya, was absolutely fantastic. I was traveling solo because I visited in December, and it turned out to be the perfect time — at most of the places he took me, there were almost no other people since it was outside the main season. On the way, Naya told me lots of interesting things about the island, its culture, and the places we visited. He was incredibly kind, thoughtful, and patient. He even tried to take photos of me at every stop so I would have memories from the trip, which I really appreciated as a solo traveler. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I can only recommend it!

This was the third day of our 5-day tour in Bali, starting from Ubud. As I mentioned in my reviews of Day 1 and Day 2, I’ve already described our guide Wayan in detail, but I want to repeat everything here for anyone who might be interested only in this specific day. Once again, Wayan was outstanding: incredibly kind, patient, and knowledgeable, always knowing when to give us space and when to step in with explanations or cultural insights. His ability to drive all around Bali without using GPS, his calmness, and his constant smile made every day feel effortless. Most importantly, he remained extremely flexible with the schedule: we left at 8:00 AM and returned late in the afternoon (well past the planned time), yet he never rushed us or hinted that we were taking too long. Because the previous day was affected by bad weather, Wayan suggested reorganizing several stops between Day 2 and Day 3. Some locations originally planned for this day were visited the day before, and some we missed yesterday were added today. Thanks to his planning, we didn’t lose anything, everything was simply rearranged in the best possible way considering the weather. We started the day by visiting Leke Leke Waterfall, originally planned for another day but moved here. The hike to reach the waterfall was incredible, fully immersed in nature, with narrow paths, wooden bridges and a jungle atmosphere that honestly felt like something out of Indiana Jones. However, it’s important to note that the trail can be challenging. It’s steep at times, and not ideal for people who struggle with climbing or uneven terrain. Still, once you reach the bottom, the view is spectacular. The waterfall is tall and elegant, surrounded by dense vegetation. At the base, a local “guardian” was present, not a strict guard, but more like someone ensuring people stayed safe and, surprisingly, offering to take photos for everyone without expecting anything in return. He was incredibly kind. Next, we were supposed to visit Sekumpul Waterfall, but during the hike Wayan received a message from one of his contacts informing him that visiting Sekumpul at that moment would be problematic (likely due to water levels or safety concerns). Without hesitation, he suggested an alternative waterfall that, after checking the photos online, we can confirm was even more beautiful. The name escapes me now, but the place was absolutely stunning. The waterfall was powerful, framed by dark rocks and thick greenery, and the pool beneath it was calm enough to swim in. The water was cold but refreshing, and the setting felt incredibly natural and untouched. If Leke Leke was all about the jungle-style approach, this second waterfall was more about pure scenic beauty, taller, wider, and visually striking. Both are absolutely worth visiting and easily deserve a 10/10. After these two waterfalls, Wayan took us to Wanagiri Hidden Hills, a panoramic viewpoint overlooking a beautiful lake. This area is known for its Instagram-style photo spots (nests, swings, etc.), but even without taking staged photos, the view itself is worth the stop. It’s peaceful, breezy, and offers a beautiful look over the water and mountains. We then stopped at the Handara Iconic Gate. To be completely honest, and as Wayan himself told us, this is not a sacred site or a temple entrance. It’s simply a picturesque gate placed along a road, with the mountains behind it creating a nice background. Many people wait in long lines just to take a photo for Instagram, but we agreed with Wayan that it wasn’t worth waiting. We just took a couple of pictures from outside and moved on. There are places in Bali that deserve a lot more of your time than this, and it was refreshing to have a guide who openly said so. Our last major stop was a temple, which had originally been planned for another day but was moved to today because the weather had finally improved. If I remember correctly it was the Ulun Danu Beratan Temple, located on the edge of a beautiful lake. This place was absolutely wonderful. We walked around the temple grounds for about an hour, enjoying the cool air, the reflections on the water, and the peaceful atmosphere. The temple’s position on the lake makes it incredibly photogenic — almost surreal. It was one of the highlights of the day and a perfect way to end the tour. We returned once again late in the afternoon, and as always, Wayan never made us feel rushed or pressured by the schedule. His flexibility, patience and genuine interest in making sure we enjoyed every destination truly made the difference. Overall, this third day was another incredible experience, a mix of adventurous jungle hikes, beautiful waterfalls, serene temples and panoramic views. Once again, Wayan transformed what could have been a complicated day (due to weather changes and trail conditions) into something smooth, enjoyable and memorable. If you are planning to explore Bali, I highly recommend booking this tour — and if possible, ask for Wayan. He continues to be the best guide we could ever hope for.

Darma fun driver was a very entertaining person. He felt like part of the family because of how chill he is. He showed us great viewpoints, listened to his awesome song playlist, and took some really amazing photos for memories of the trip. You can tell he is passionate for his work. Definitely recommend!

We have spent the whole day with Darma Fun driver and it was really a lot of fun as well as sightseeing.He knows lots of hidden gems and also helped us to take the best pictures as he knows lots of tricks.Very well recomended as you as a customer is treated like family!

great views, but not very conveniently managed. but guide was generally good. handara gate was overrated

We (my husband and I)have traveled quite a bit over our 42 years together. We have been fortunate enough to meet and employ many guides during that time. Budi, our guide here in Bali, is definitely in the top five. Today was the third day of the five day tour. We drove north today and enjoyed a boat trip on a lake, luscious scenery and many opportunities for romantic photos of the two of us (a very unusual treat). Whenever we make a request of Budi, be it for a toilet stop, an atm, a fruit stand or a stop to take what we hope will be a great photo, he has accommodated us. He has answered all of our questions about the people and life of Bali. We spend over 8 hours with him every day and each day is better than the day before.

I had a wonderful experience during my tour in Bali organized through GetYourGuide. Our driver, Wayan Netra, was amazing — very professional, friendly, and knowledgeable. He made sure everything went smoothly, was always on time, and shared lots of interesting information about Balinese culture and local places. I really appreciated his kindness and patience throughout the day. Highly recommend booking with him if you want a safe, comfortable, and enjoyable trip around Bali!

Naya was great, arrived to the pick up point right on time, then we headed to the mountains straight away. On the way to Banyumala waterfall we stopped for a quick traditional market visit where I finally got to buy some mangosteen. The waterfall was such amagical place, probably the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. We also got some awesome photos at Wanagiri, then headed to Ulun Danu Beratan Temple. We had lunch there and a relaxing walk after, soaking up the calm and spiritual atmosphere. Naya sorted everything for us, from tickets, lunch & water, to stunning photos and information about each place we visited. I highly recommend booking the tour with him.