WakaLandCruise
WakaLandCruise
4.5
Cultural Tours • 4WD, ATV & Off-Road Tours • Day Trips
Read more
Full view
About
Drive through spectacular scenery to the secret soul of Bali. Hidden far away from the bustle and the crowds of the Bali you have seen. Travel by legendary Land Rover, on tiny country roads and tracks though terrace rice fields and lunch in Bamboo forest restaurant in the middle of rain forest on the slope of Mount Batukaru.
Similar Experiences
Travelers talk about
(8 reviews)
(2 reviews)
(2 reviews)
Contribute
Detailed Reviews: Reviews order informed by descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as cleanliness, atmosphere, general tips and location information.
Popular mentions
4.5
65 reviews
Excellent
52
Very good
7
Average
1
Poor
2
Terrible
3
Cabinluggage
Melton Mowbray, UK3 contributions
Feb 2023 • Couples
The moment you climb into the rugged luxury free land rover you suspect that your drive will take you to some out of the way places and you are not disappointed. Our first stop was a stone quarry hidden in a ravine behind a village temple. You use the same track the local workers use to access the quarry and immediately you are transported into their world watching them skilfully cutting stone bricks from the cliff face with nothing but an axe and wedges. Onwards and always upwards we stopped for refreshments at a Balinese farmhouse surrounded by terraced rice fields and a warm welcome from the three generations that lived there, where we were made fresh rice pancakes and sampled the farm produced Luwak coffee before departing to the amazing terraces at Jatiluwih with an impromptu stop at Senganan to see for ourselves a luwak or civet cat. Moving on we made our way to our lunch destination in the giant bamboo forest were we dined on authentic Balinese dishes cooked over wood fires and clay ovens in the beautifully serene setting of the giant bamboo all to soon it was time to move on to the Pura Luhar Batukara temple complex for our final stop of the day. A big thank you to “Ned” our driver and guide who was a font of knowledge and a credit to his profession making our day so memorable and pleasant
Written February 25, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Harrison W
2 contributions
Aug 2022 • Solo
Well worth a day out! My family and I booked a private charter for the Jatiluwih trip and we had the pleasure of being paired with Putu, a fantastic driver who was incredibly friendly, very informative and clearly had a passion, and the navigational skills, for showing us traditional Balinese life in it’s true light. The 4x4 Defender experience was definitely an added perk!
All in all, a well-informed, interesting and well-organised trip. Would absolutely recommend! Thank you - Harrison
All in all, a well-informed, interesting and well-organised trip. Would absolutely recommend! Thank you - Harrison
Written August 25, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
dorothealita
Bali, Indonesia1 contribution
Feb 2020
Im Totally recommend Wakaland Cruise trip to you.
The guide he is really nice, friendly, and so patient (i forgot his name). Jeep is clean, they will take you to a very very old pure Balinese Village, eat small snacks called Laklak. In the afternoon, they take u to a buffet bamboo nature restaurant. Foods are super! Will come back try another packages
Come and find the real nature of BALI!!
The guide he is really nice, friendly, and so patient (i forgot his name). Jeep is clean, they will take you to a very very old pure Balinese Village, eat small snacks called Laklak. In the afternoon, they take u to a buffet bamboo nature restaurant. Foods are super! Will come back try another packages
Come and find the real nature of BALI!!
Written March 12, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear dorothealita,
Thank you for sparing your valuable time to give us your feedback regarding your recent day trip to Jatiluwih with WakaLandCruise’s – ”Journey to the secret soul of Bali “.
We are pleased to note that all services and facilities offered during your trip by WakaLandCruise and the small snack- LakLak served at Balinese House and the buffet lunch of Balinese mountain food at Bamboo Forest Restaurant, were to your entire satisfaction.
We thank you for having chosen WakaLandCruise and look forward to the pleasure of again welcoming you in the near future.
Kind regards,
Made Putrini
Operation Manager
WakaLandCruise
Written March 17, 2020
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Parkers5
Perth, Australia399 contributions
Oct 2013 • Couples
We have visited Bali many times both as family and as a couple. This was a couple's trip and as we have been on many tours we wanted to do something different. When visiting our hotel travel desk we came across The Waka Land Cruise brochure. The photo of the land rover in the midst of the rain forest sold us, as did the photo of the water springs. We did not experience it though. We paid $117 per person US for this tour that consisted of mostly driving through Bali, mostly through egg farms. Something you can see for next to nothing travelling to Ubud.
At 8.30am we were picked up by the lovely and experienced driver "Baghus". He was one of the highlights of the trip! We were joined by 3 other travelers.
After a good hour of travel we came to the stone quarry which seemed to be just an empty river bed, not much to see...but we got to meet some gorgeous giggling children.
Climbing back into the Landrover, we traveled to the traditional Village Farm House. The "picnic" consisted of coffee & tea. The hosts of this village house were lovely!
We then went to visit the coffee farm, tasted some sugar/tea mixes and as many of these tours - we were quickly directed to the shop. We were hoping to see Luwak Cat and did...3 of them kept in these tiny wired cages.
Climbing back into the landrover through the back door up to see more rice fields and more & more caged chicken egg farms. Yes the views were spectacular but minimal!
Then onto lunch at a lovely little restaurant in the "untouched rainforest". Hmmmmm The restaurant was gorgeous, food sumptuous and plentiful. No imported wine as promised. Cognac & Bali Wine yes!
Then climbing back into the legendary landrover to the hot mineral springs. I am not sure what I was expecting, something natural perhaps. All we got was a concreted area where people were bathing, no longer natural mineral springs but a badly concreted pool area which reminded me of the old otter enclosure at the local zoo. This was a 5 minute visit at best.
Then back into the legendary landrover for 1 hour and 15 minute drive home.
Lowlight: Way too much driving but hey it is a land cruise. But the land degradation, caged animals and rubbish filled "untouched rainforest" just destroyed the tour...if this is the secret soul of Bali then something needs to be done.
Highlight: The food, our driver Baghus and the all the Village locals...especially the children.
For $117US per person, someone is making a killing and I am not sure it is the Villagers.
At 8.30am we were picked up by the lovely and experienced driver "Baghus". He was one of the highlights of the trip! We were joined by 3 other travelers.
After a good hour of travel we came to the stone quarry which seemed to be just an empty river bed, not much to see...but we got to meet some gorgeous giggling children.
Climbing back into the Landrover, we traveled to the traditional Village Farm House. The "picnic" consisted of coffee & tea. The hosts of this village house were lovely!
We then went to visit the coffee farm, tasted some sugar/tea mixes and as many of these tours - we were quickly directed to the shop. We were hoping to see Luwak Cat and did...3 of them kept in these tiny wired cages.
Climbing back into the landrover through the back door up to see more rice fields and more & more caged chicken egg farms. Yes the views were spectacular but minimal!
Then onto lunch at a lovely little restaurant in the "untouched rainforest". Hmmmmm The restaurant was gorgeous, food sumptuous and plentiful. No imported wine as promised. Cognac & Bali Wine yes!
Then climbing back into the legendary landrover to the hot mineral springs. I am not sure what I was expecting, something natural perhaps. All we got was a concreted area where people were bathing, no longer natural mineral springs but a badly concreted pool area which reminded me of the old otter enclosure at the local zoo. This was a 5 minute visit at best.
Then back into the legendary landrover for 1 hour and 15 minute drive home.
Lowlight: Way too much driving but hey it is a land cruise. But the land degradation, caged animals and rubbish filled "untouched rainforest" just destroyed the tour...if this is the secret soul of Bali then something needs to be done.
Highlight: The food, our driver Baghus and the all the Village locals...especially the children.
For $117US per person, someone is making a killing and I am not sure it is the Villagers.
Written October 12, 2013
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Mr. Parkers,
Thank you for sparing your valuable time to give us feedback regarding your excursions with WakaLandCruise.
We regret that overall the day trip had not met your expectations. Please accept our apologies for the inconvenience.
To explore Bali’s countryside away from the crowded southern beach areas, recently we have introduced a few more day trip itineraries to Kintamani Caldera, Ubud and Sangeh.
We hope to have the pleasure of again welcoming you on your next trip to Bali. Please contact me directly for your reservation.
Thank you.
Kind regards,
Made Putrini
Operation Manager
WakaLandCruise
Written December 14, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
steenkjaer
25 contributions
Sep 2014 • Couples
PUTU’ GEDE ARSANA is an extraordinary guide. Everywhere we went he knew the locals and they greeted him and were obviosly happy to see him. We whre soon to find out why. His attitude to life were more the filosofic way than the practical way. Every time we wondered about what we met on our way, he was more like a couch instead of just explaining. That way we understood better. He took us to the Heart of Bali - the most stunning view you will ever enjoy. His understanding and ability to explain the way of balinese life just made us love and respect the balinese people, nature and religion more and more for every minute wit Putu. An example: When talking about hinduism versus islam and the muslim terror attacks on Bali and if it has made a gap between muslims and hindus, he just answered: There a no bad religions, just bad people. That litle sentence gave us a lot to think about. So well said. If ouy want a guide WHO knows a lot about Bali and the balinese way of life you got him here. Oh - and remember - the number one rule on Bali traffic is: there is no rules.
Written July 4, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Steenkjaer,
Thank you for choosing WakaLandCruise for your day trip and sparing your valuable time to post your feedback on TripAdvisor.
We are pleased to note that you had a wonderful experience on your journey to the secret soul of Bali with Putu Gede Arsana our Cruise Director who had shared with you his knowledge about the Balinese way of life and philosophy.
Your appreciation of warm and friendly service will be shared with Putu Gede Arsana who made your trip unforgettable.
We thank you for having chosen WakaLandCruise. Myseklf and my team look forward to the pleasure of again welcoming you to WakaLandCruise in the near future.
With kind regards,
Ni Made Putrini
Operation Manager Waka Excursions
Written July 9, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Ron
Philadelphia, PA442 contributions
I booked the wed package for 5 people, paid with my credit card and received a confirmation email. My credit card was immediatly charged 50% with the balance due at arrival
I arrived at the required 8am time to find an empty desk. After using the phone out on the desk, I was able to get a company employee on the phone who told me my reservation was not valid since there wasnt enough people overall for the day.
I got no cancellation email, no phone call except for my confirmation email with details on when/where to meet and my receipt for payment.
We spent 90 min in a taxi getting to their office and had a confirmation booking code and my credit card was charged. We wasted our last day in Bali with these scam artists and I now have to fight the charges with Visa since the deposit is non-refundable!
Avoid at all costs!!!
I arrived at the required 8am time to find an empty desk. After using the phone out on the desk, I was able to get a company employee on the phone who told me my reservation was not valid since there wasnt enough people overall for the day.
I got no cancellation email, no phone call except for my confirmation email with details on when/where to meet and my receipt for payment.
We spent 90 min in a taxi getting to their office and had a confirmation booking code and my credit card was charged. We wasted our last day in Bali with these scam artists and I now have to fight the charges with Visa since the deposit is non-refundable!
Avoid at all costs!!!
Written April 21, 2015
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear Mr Ron H,
Thank you for posting your comments on Trip Advisor regarding your unpleasant experience on Wednesday, 22nd April 2015, when you were not able to embark for one day ocean cruising trip to Nusa Lembongan island with WakaSailing.
We have thoroughly investigated this case and would like to inform you that when you made the reservation the day before at 6pm in the evening through our website, due to a technical glitch of our online booking engine server, unfortunately your reservation notification was not relayed to our Central Reservations Office. In fact, till you called us from the Benoa Marina office on Wednesday morning, we were unaware of this unfortunate situation. Wednesday is a scheduled sailing day for WakaSailing. However, as we did not have any confirmed reservations, till Tuesday night, the catamaran had not been prepared for sailing. Please accept our deep regrets and sincere apologies for the inconvenience caused to you and your friends.
The most important information we would like to share with you is that no charge has been raised by us against your credit card. Credit card number is requested to guarantee the reservation, however, we only raise the charge against the credit card when guests arrive at Benoa Marina on the sailing day. In the case you need more clarifications on this matter please feel free to contact me directly at made.putrini@wakahotelsandresorts.com or my mobile number (62) 811396467.
Thank you for your kind understanding. We look forward to the opportunity of being of service to you and welcoming you aboard WakaSailing on your next visit to the island of Bali.
With kind regards,
Made Putrini
Operation Manager
Waka Excursions
Written April 24, 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
iankbr
Tilehurst, UK5 contributions
Mar 2018 • Couples
Puta (our guide) really explained well how a Bali family experienced life (and death!) and I can now understand how one could believe in the Hindu attitude to life, while I’ve always found Christianity at odds with my scientific background. Having said that, this tour was really about seeing the farming and the beautiful scenery, including the UNESCO area that is protecting the source of water for the irrigation of the rice terraces in the downhill villages. There is a choice(?) of a Landrover Defender or a Toyota Landcruiser, but the former can go down narrower tracks than the latter. You may find the Landrover a bit of a squeeze for 4 or 5 passengers if at least one isn’t small enough to fit in the back. The stop in the small hidden restaurant in the jungle hillside was a real treat, and was enhanced by the sound of thunder overhead. Really atmospheric.
Written March 3, 2018
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear iankbr,
Thank you for sparing your valuable time to post your feedback on TripAdvisor regarding your recent daytrip with WakaLandCruise to Jatiluwih, Tabanan, Bali.
We are pleased to note that all services and facilities offered during your trip by WakaLandCruise and at the lunch stop at Bamboo Forest Restaurant by WHM were to your entire satisfaction. We thank you for your comment regarding the seating capacity of our jeeps. Both the Land Rover Defenders and Land Cruisers are assigned for 4 adults. In addition, 2 children travelling with a family could be accommodated on the back seat in a Land Rover Defender.
Your appreciation of our Host Driver Putu Arsana’s detailed explanation about Balinese culture and satisfactory guide service during the journey, will be shared with him.
We thank you for having chosen WakaLandCruise and look forward to the pleasure of again welcoming you in the near future.
Kind regards,
Ni Made Putrini
Operation Manager
WakaLandCruise
Written March 8, 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
esmivram
West Sussex, UK154 contributions
Aug 2019 • Family
All the sites were beautiful, not crowded and worked together to make a brilliant day. The bamboo forest restaurant is a particularly special touch.
Written August 13, 2019
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear esmivram,
Thank you for sparing your valuable time to give us your feedback regarding your recent excursion with WakaLandCruise – ”Journey to the secret soul of Bali “.
We are pleased to note that all services and facilities offered during your trip by WakaLandCruise to the island’s serene country-side and Jatiluwih terraced rice fields and the lunch served at our Bamboo Forest Restaurant were to your entire satisfaction.
We thank you for having chosen WakaLandCruise and look forward to the pleasure of again welcoming you in the near future.
Kind regards,
Made Putrini
Operation Manager
WakaLandCruise
Written August 14, 2019
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
theglobegirl
Washington DC, DC33 contributions
Mar 2017
I travel monthly for leisure (have visited 38 countries) and always book excursions to truly get a feel for the destination. This trip was no exception. Stayed in Bali a week and enjoyed cooking class, town tour and a fabulous food crawl. Absolutely fell in love with the culture and the people. This Land Cruise was a huge mistake.
My mom and I experienced the most horrific trip ever. The guide of our truck arrived 20 min late to pick us up and opened the back door of the Land Rover safari style truck for my mom and i to enter. The rear seating offers very low height so I opted instead to sit in the middle next to a guest who was picked up first. Her husband chose to sit in the front alongside the driver instead of next to her.
Throughout the trip, our guide allowed the husband to control the air conditioning (once turning it off when he was cool enough) it was 97 degrees this day. The guide didn't address him when he disrespected the natives and treated them like objects by taking photos without asking, stepped onto the Balinese ancestors' steps without invitation, failed to tip any of the natives and behaved like a bully during our 4 hour ride. We pulled the guide to the side and asked him to please reprimand the guy in hopes that we could enjoy the latter half of the day. To no avail.
We stayed behind in all of the activities in order to avoid the guy's belligerence thus wasting our time and money. We were so frustrated by the end of the day, we refused to even ride back to our hotel and requested to be dropped off in the nearest town. The guide, realizing the error in his judgement and lack of control, offered to refund us fully for our trip if he had to pay out of pocket but of course FAILED to do so.
We paid $220USD to be tormented all day with the most ignorant, uncultured man you've ever met in your life in the sweltering heat. The sad thing is, our guide could've easily rectified the situation by simply addressing the guy, even ONCE.
We were contacted by mgt and offered a $22 refund. INSANE!! We left more than that in gratuities to those who assisted throughout the day. What an insult!!! Truly hate that this was our last memory of Bali.
My mom and I experienced the most horrific trip ever. The guide of our truck arrived 20 min late to pick us up and opened the back door of the Land Rover safari style truck for my mom and i to enter. The rear seating offers very low height so I opted instead to sit in the middle next to a guest who was picked up first. Her husband chose to sit in the front alongside the driver instead of next to her.
Throughout the trip, our guide allowed the husband to control the air conditioning (once turning it off when he was cool enough) it was 97 degrees this day. The guide didn't address him when he disrespected the natives and treated them like objects by taking photos without asking, stepped onto the Balinese ancestors' steps without invitation, failed to tip any of the natives and behaved like a bully during our 4 hour ride. We pulled the guide to the side and asked him to please reprimand the guy in hopes that we could enjoy the latter half of the day. To no avail.
We stayed behind in all of the activities in order to avoid the guy's belligerence thus wasting our time and money. We were so frustrated by the end of the day, we refused to even ride back to our hotel and requested to be dropped off in the nearest town. The guide, realizing the error in his judgement and lack of control, offered to refund us fully for our trip if he had to pay out of pocket but of course FAILED to do so.
We paid $220USD to be tormented all day with the most ignorant, uncultured man you've ever met in your life in the sweltering heat. The sad thing is, our guide could've easily rectified the situation by simply addressing the guy, even ONCE.
We were contacted by mgt and offered a $22 refund. INSANE!! We left more than that in gratuities to those who assisted throughout the day. What an insult!!! Truly hate that this was our last memory of Bali.
Written March 25, 2017
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear theglobegirl,
We thank you for sparing your valuable time to post your feedback on Trip Advisor regarding your recent day trip with WakalandCruise.
We sincerely regret that you and your mother were not satisfied with the trip due to your interaction with another couple, who were travelling with you in the same Land Rover Defender vehicle.
All Land Rover Defenders are suitable for carrying four adults. Guests requiring more privacy occasionally reserve them for a private charter.
Our Land Cruise hosts are well trained to act as the guests’ personal guides to explain the island’s unique Hindu rituals and cultural highlights during the journey. You will appreciate that we endeavour to extend the same courtesy and respect to all our valued guests on WakaLandCruise trips.
Reference our telephone conversation in your hotel on the same day in the evening, I had extended our apologies for any inconvenience caused to you and your mother. The next day prior to your departure from Bali, I was waiting for you at Bali’s International airport to try to personally meet you and again apologise to you prior to your departure from the island. Unfortunately, I missed meeting you despite calling you on your mobile phone.
Your Land Cruise host had informed us regarding your request for a refund. I would like to inform you that we have thoroughly investigated your comments and have also spoken with the other couple who were traveling with you in the vehicle. They were extremely satisfied with the trip. Therefore, we regret that we are unable to fulfill your request for a full refund, as all the advertised services were provided, including lunch with beverages at Bamboo Forest Restaurant.
We thank you for choosing WakaLandCruise and hope to be of service to you again on your future visit to Bali.
Thank you.
With kind regards,
Putri
Operation Manager
WakaLandCruise
Written April 6, 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Sriharsha H
Manama, Bahrain41 contributions
Apr 2016 • Family
The trip started off with a visit to the balanese family to understand the village. Good stuff. Next was a halt at the paddy fields. Wow some greenary. Lunch at the bamboo restaurant was mind blowing the last was a visit to a temple.
Written May 2, 2016
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Dear SriharshaHoysala,
Thank you for sparing your valuable time to post your feedback on TripAdvisor regarding your recent day trip with WakaLandCruise.
We are pleased to note that you thoroughly enjoyed the day trip itinerary off the beaten track and the lunch at our exclusive Bamboo Forest Restaurant in the rainforest on the slopes of Mount Batukaru met your expectations.
We thank you for having chosen WakaLandCruise and we look forward to the pleasure of again welcoming you in the near future.
Thank you.
With kind regards,
Ni Made Putrini
Operation Manager
WakaLandCruise
Written May 12, 2016
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
lianaroccon
Sydney, Australia12 contributions
We are planning to travel to Bali in late January 2018. We will be staying at the Westin. Could you please give me a price for two adults and one 10 year old.
Thanks Liana
Alex L
San Luis Potosi, Mexico
Hallo,
Meine Freundin und ich möchten gerne eine Geländewagentour auf Bali machen.
Bieten Sie das noch an?
Wir kommen am 21.9. in Despensar an und fahren am 25.9. mit Freunden zu den Gili Islands. Könnte man entsprechend vom 22.9. morgens bis 24.9. abends eine Tour buchen?
Wir würden gerne selber fahren - ist das möglich? Reicht der deutsche Führerschein aus?
Was kostet die Tour und was ist alles Inklusive? (Z.b. Geländewagen, Hotel, Verpflegung)
Vielen Dank
Alexander Lüer