Shanti Travel

We had an amazing time in Bali. We planned the trip with Ayu from KimKim and later communicated with Thomas who seamlessly continued where Ayu left off. Our driver Agun was most helpful throughout the trip, friendly and always showing us the best. And if we had any questions during the trip Thomas was available on Whatsapp, which made the experience easier as it was our first time in Indonesia. We can't wait to go back to Bali again!

Ayu was responsive and had put together a nice itinerary. She was quick to help us upgrade at our last hotel.

Some of the places that stood out were the monkey forest and sideman, and the last resort, samabe, was stunning and good value. The local day was also very nice. The best experience we had was planned from the hotel, samabe, which was paragliding. Biggest highlight of the trip.

Though it was great to see some of the main attractions like the temples, I think we would have liked... read more

Ayu was responsive and had put together a nice itinerary. She was quick to help us upgrade at our last hotel.

Some of the places that stood out were the monkey forest and sideman, and the last resort, samabe, was stunning and good value. The local day was also very nice. The best experience we had was planned from the hotel, samabe, which was paragliding. Biggest highlight of the trip.

Though it was great to see some of the main attractions like the temples, I think we would have liked to include some more off the beaten track locations if we were to do it again.

Our driver, Gustu, was kind and punctual. We’d definitely recommend him.

Ayu did a perfect job planning our 3 weeks Indonesia trip (Bali, Java, and Nusa Penida).
She was very responsive to our needs and requests, and her choices of drivers and guides were excellent. About half of the trip was in various parts of Bali, and we only had a driver in that part. Our driver's name was Agus, and in our view he did a very exceptional job with our trip. The only reason he was a driver and not a guide was, his English is a bit limited, but it was more than enough for us.... read more

Ayu did a perfect job planning our 3 weeks Indonesia trip (Bali, Java, and Nusa Penida).
She was very responsive to our needs and requests, and her choices of drivers and guides were excellent. About half of the trip was in various parts of Bali, and we only had a driver in that part. Our driver's name was Agus, and in our view he did a very exceptional job with our trip. The only reason he was a driver and not a guide was, his English is a bit limited, but it was more than enough for us. (Agus knows Japanese and is often a guide for Japanese groups). Agus was very informative and friendly, and at the end of the trip he was a dear friend to all of us. The remaining guide/driver choices of Ayu were also excellent; we had no difficulties during the entire 3 weeks(from landing to Bali to taking off). I highly recommend both Ayu as a travel specialist, and Agus as a guide/driver.

I booked a trip to Bali for my honeymoon. We found the trip was overall very enjoyable. Ayu was very responsive before and during our trip. We began our stay in Ubud at the Kayon Jungle Resort and it was most memorable. They upgraded us to a Premium Suite as a surprise. It was one of the nicest places we've ever stayed in, and the staff were so considerate to our needs. Highly recommended if you are looking for the real Bali honeymoon experience.
We decided to go more casual for the rest of... read more

I booked a trip to Bali for my honeymoon. We found the trip was overall very enjoyable. Ayu was very responsive before and during our trip. We began our stay in Ubud at the Kayon Jungle Resort and it was most memorable. They upgraded us to a Premium Suite as a surprise. It was one of the nicest places we've ever stayed in, and the staff were so considerate to our needs. Highly recommended if you are looking for the real Bali honeymoon experience.
We decided to go more casual for the rest of the trip, and all the hotels were clean and comfortable. The only complaint we had a few times was in regards to privacy. Any couple, especially a honeymooning one, values sound insulation. Unfortunately our stay in Gili Air at the Villa Karang and in Canggu at Frii Echo Hotel did not provide that. In both hotels, you could hear your neighbors as if they are next to you, which was not ideal for us.
However the Puri Lumbung Cottages in Munduk were a dream (we loved our stay in Munduk, we recommend booking a coffee roasting tour with the hotel), and my husband surprised me with a room upgrade at the Jimbaran Bay Beach hotel so the room was very nice and overlooked the water.
Our driver Gung Man was excellent and very considerate. The car was comfortable and had working A/C, perfect for napping between locations.
Our guide in our trek up Kawah Ijen, Mamu, was great. He was very patient, especially at the beginning when we were still very tired (we did the sunrise hike, so we got up at 1am). Unfortunately there was a downpour of rain that blocked our sunrise and it was freezing cold when we got to the summit, but that's just bad luck.
Overall it was a lovely and memorable honeymoon, we had a great time exploring Bali and recommend Ayu, Shanti Travel, and Kimkim to anyone who wants to go.

Awesome experience!! Ayu took care of everything.

My Bali trip has been a dream. Beautiful island, warm and friendly local people, rich culture. Our local specialist Ayu had been so wonderful throughout the consultation and booking process. She advised and helped us book everything we needed/asked for to make sure we have a wonderful vacation. Our driver Krisna Arimbawa had been above and beyond our expectation. He was so friendly, resourceful, helpful and always with a big smile. Nusa Penida is so worth the trip to visit. Highly recommend... read more

My Bali trip has been a dream. Beautiful island, warm and friendly local people, rich culture. Our local specialist Ayu had been so wonderful throughout the consultation and booking process. She advised and helped us book everything we needed/asked for to make sure we have a wonderful vacation. Our driver Krisna Arimbawa had been above and beyond our expectation. He was so friendly, resourceful, helpful and always with a big smile. Nusa Penida is so worth the trip to visit. Highly recommend the Authentic Balinese Day - you will get to meet and experience the humble and wonderful lives of a local Balinese family (they were absolutely wonderful, warm and loving).

We had a fabulous trip to India with a fantastic driver Vikram. However our whole experience has been marred by our guides need to feed us to the lions at every opportunity. We felt like they thought we were walking ATMs to be fleeced at every opportunity. Our first day we were talking to a store, our guide told us he just wanted to show us something. Then we were led to the slaughter. My husband works in the Middle East and is used to bartering but this was an all out attack that left us... read more

We had a fabulous trip to India with a fantastic driver Vikram. However our whole experience has been marred by our guides need to feed us to the lions at every opportunity. We felt like they thought we were walking ATMs to be fleeced at every opportunity. Our first day we were talking to a store, our guide told us he just wanted to show us something. Then we were led to the slaughter. My husband works in the Middle East and is used to bartering but this was an all out attack that left us feeling abused. We bought a pashmina we neither needed or wanted just to get out. After this we made it clear we did not want to shop, we don’t need stuff we travel for the experience not the tat. Another guide took us to a palace and even though we had specifically said we did not want to shop we ended up sitting infront of an artist where both the guide and artist embarrassed us into paying £100 for a picture but were quite disappointed that we didn’t buy the £450 they started with. We were made to feel mean and tight by both of them. The fact that we could neither afford or wanted the picture meant nothing to them. If this is how your guides operate I would be reluctant to use them again.

The trip was AMAZING! So great to see and explore so much of east Java in such a short amount of time; Plateau Ijen, Mt. Bromo, Yojakarta, Borobudur and more :) The landscape is breathtaking (especially the sunrise over Mt Bromo) and I found myself time and time again in awe of the lush green surroundings.

A few things to call out - 1) underestimated the amount of time you spend traveling from one spot to another due to bad traffic, a lot of time spent in a car, and 2) the travel agency was... read more

The trip was AMAZING! So great to see and explore so much of east Java in such a short amount of time; Plateau Ijen, Mt. Bromo, Yojakarta, Borobudur and more :) The landscape is breathtaking (especially the sunrise over Mt Bromo) and I found myself time and time again in awe of the lush green surroundings.

A few things to call out - 1) underestimated the amount of time you spend traveling from one spot to another due to bad traffic, a lot of time spent in a car, and 2) the travel agency was a primarily french agency, so challenges finding an english speaking guide for our group - should have more explicitly called that out from the start.

Our trip was amazing! From start to finish we were taken care of. Sharif and his crew were very friendly and their hospitality was great. Sharif was very knowledgable about the area, spotting Mantas, Dolphins and baby sharks! We had some enforced changes to our itinerary, as we were unable to see Padar island which was a disappointment, but we always had interesting places to go, snorkel and view the wildlife. The crew cooked us a banquet for every meal, so we never went hungry! The... read more

Our trip was amazing! From start to finish we were taken care of. Sharif and his crew were very friendly and their hospitality was great. Sharif was very knowledgable about the area, spotting Mantas, Dolphins and baby sharks! We had some enforced changes to our itinerary, as we were unable to see Padar island which was a disappointment, but we always had interesting places to go, snorkel and view the wildlife. The crew cooked us a banquet for every meal, so we never went hungry! The facilities were basic, but we had everything we needed.

The highlights of the trip were definitely the animals we saw. The Komodo dragons on Komodo island, swimming with Manta Rays at manta point and watching the flying foxes exodus in their millions against the backdrop of the sun setting were really special.

The 3 days on the boat were an amazing experience and we would both highly recommend it to anyone.

Was an excellent trip, the guides on the ground were great, the communication in advance was very good. There were a few issues but aren't there always.

We have Yudi for a day I Yogyakarta , then Ovan for the rest of Java with Obbie driving and lastly Merta in Bali. Jessica was the initial contact and office based organizer.

The local guides had a deeper understanding of the best order to do things, when something should be busy or quieter - so whilst the things in a day were the same,... read more

Was an excellent trip, the guides on the ground were great, the communication in advance was very good. There were a few issues but aren't there always.

We have Yudi for a day I Yogyakarta , then Ovan for the rest of Java with Obbie driving and lastly Merta in Bali. Jessica was the initial contact and office based organizer.

The local guides had a deeper understanding of the best order to do things, when something should be busy or quieter - so whilst the things in a day were the same, the sequence in the day was shuffled by the local guides.

Highlights were the Ijen trek, the Kalibaru plantations and Jatiluwih rice terraces

Thank you Kimkim and Shanti for creating the best honeymoon experience for us! It was an unforgettable experience and we have fallen in love with Bali and all its culture. Wayan was an excellent driver and we will always be grateful for him. He took us to many of his favorite local warungs and even ordered our food for us and made sure we were ok (when there was a language barrier with the staff). Our trip would not be the same without him!

Matthieu was also wonderful. During our meeting, he... read more

Thank you Kimkim and Shanti for creating the best honeymoon experience for us! It was an unforgettable experience and we have fallen in love with Bali and all its culture. Wayan was an excellent driver and we will always be grateful for him. He took us to many of his favorite local warungs and even ordered our food for us and made sure we were ok (when there was a language barrier with the staff). Our trip would not be the same without him!

Matthieu was also wonderful. During our meeting, he made sure we were comfortable with our program and reassured us that he would be there at any time if we had any issues down the road. I am highly allergic to mold, and our initial room at Abian Ayu was covered in it. My husband and I are very low maintenance when it comes to room arrangements, but there was no way I would've been able to be comfortable in that room. Alvin contacted Matthieu, and within a matter of minutes, the hotel staff apologized and made other arrangements for us.

The service at The Alena was absolutely incredible. We felt so welcome everywhere we went, and the staff even remembered our names.

Places we visited that stood out the most: our entire stay at Gili, Uluwatu Temple (used on our free day), and Tirta Gangga.

All in all a fantastic, memorable experience. Thank you for everything!