Bali Hotel - Denpasar Airport: Shared transfer with guide

4.62

(37 reviews)

What’s the experience like?

“You’re early!” I joked when our driver showed up at the Seminyak hotel lobby — he just grinned, holding a little sign with my name (spelled right, which always surprises me). The air was sticky and smelled faintly of frangipani, even at 7am. There was this quiet hum in the street outside, scooters already weaving past as we loaded our bags. Our guide, Wayan, handed me a cold bottle of water and asked if I’d slept at all. Not really — I kept thinking about the waves last night.

The drive to Denpasar Airport isn’t long from Seminyak, maybe 30 minutes if traffic’s kind (it wasn’t exactly kind today, but Wayan just shrugged and put on some soft gamelan music). He told us about his family’s temple ceremonies coming up — I tried to pronounce Galungan properly and he laughed, correcting me gently. It’s funny how even a simple airport transfer in Bali feels personal; there’s always someone ready to share a story or point out something you’d miss otherwise. The van was cool inside, which helped since my shirt was already sticking to my back from the morning heat.

I didn’t expect to feel anything about leaving on a shared transfer, but there’s something about watching the city slip by through tinted windows — the offerings on doorsteps, women in green skirts sweeping dust into neat piles — that makes you realize how much you’ll miss it. At the airport curb Wayan helped with my suitcase (he insisted), and wished us safe travels in English that sounded careful but warm. I still think about that last wave goodbye.