Laughing Buddha Bali Tours
Laughing Buddha Bali Tours
5
Full view
About
Welcome to Laughing Buddha Bali Tours my name is Made and I am Balinese. I have been in tourism almost as long as I have been speaking. My first job was in the magical Sangeh Monkey Forest playing Bali traditional music "The Gambalan" to tourists when I was only 6 years old. My experience as a white river rafting guide is where I learnt to speak English and Japanese from the grateful tourists who would recommend my expert customer service & fun adventures. I previously worked in a Japanese restaurant for many years where I have met and became friends with people from all over the world. I have designed a range of tours which offer a unique experience. My tours are designed to show you the "real Bali" and I wish to share the magical side of my beautiful Island home. For your comfort Our Laughing Buddha Bali Tour Car is a 7 seater Toyota Avanza 2013 model with air conditioning, air bags stereo & all modern features We have a dedicated driver so he can concentrate on driving safely and I can dedicate my time to you 100 per cent.
Revenue impacts the experiences featured on this page, learn more.
Similar Experiences
Laughing Buddha Bali Tours
Booking unavailable on Tripadvisor
Want other options you can book now?
Show optionsTravellers talk about
Contribute
Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as waiting time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
Popular mentions
We perform checks on reviews.
Tripadvisor’s approach to reviews
Before posting, each Tripadvisor review goes through an automated tracking system, which collects information, answering the following questions: how, what, where and when. If the system detects something that potentially contradicts our community guidelines, the review is not published.
When the system detects a problem, a review may be automatically rejected, sent to the reviewer for validation, or manually reviewed by our team of content specialists, who work 24/7 to maintain the quality of the reviews on our site.
Our team checks each review posted on the site disputed by our community as not meeting our community guidelines.
Learn more about our review moderation.
5.0
48 reviews
Excellent
48
Very good
0
Average
0
Poor
0
Terrible
0
Shanda W
12 contributions
Apr 2023 • Couples
This is the TRUE Bali! I am so grateful that we booked this tour. If you want to see the real Bali, you have come to the right place. My husband came to Bali for our honey/babymoon and this was the highlight of our trip. The holy purification tour is a once in a lifetime experience. Made was the perfect host, he made sure every step of the tour was perfect, he was full of information and so kind! We were the first ones to bathe in the Holy Spring Water Temple, the timing was perfect. After the temple, we went to the Tegalalang Rice Terrace and Coffee Plantation. The Rice Terrace was jaw dropping! There are so many great photo opportunities and Made was a great photographer. We really enjoyed the coffee plantation and learning about Luwak coffee. My husband and I bought a lot of goodies from the store and would like to order more coffee online. Made put so much time in effort into this trip, we can't thank him enough!
Written 1 May 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.
Michelle Gan
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia53 contributions
July 2022
The Holy Purification Tour with Made was the highlight of our Ubud trip! It was our first time and rest assured it won’t be our last. We went to Tirta Empul Holy Spring Water Temple early in the morning (this was the best arrangement as we learned and embraced the ritual at our own time) followed by visit to coffee plantation where we sampled coffee & tea beverages. The bonus was the breathtaking greenery view at the coffee plantation.
We would highlight recommend for you to at least experience this once in your lifetime. Pak Made made our day!
We would highlight recommend for you to at least experience this once in your lifetime. Pak Made made our day!
Written 23 July 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.
judy_anne777
Indonesia2 contributions
Aug 2023 • Couples
Highly recommended !
Fantastic day trip with Made!
Made was a fun, kind , caring knowledgeable guide , who clearly had years of local experience in the tourist industry .
Made gave us options for our trip, tailored perfectly to our needs !
We visited many local sights and had a fantastic day!
Made was a safe respectful driver.
Thanks Made for a wonderful day and helping make our trip to Bali very special
Judy 😀
Australia
Fantastic day trip with Made!
Made was a fun, kind , caring knowledgeable guide , who clearly had years of local experience in the tourist industry .
Made gave us options for our trip, tailored perfectly to our needs !
We visited many local sights and had a fantastic day!
Made was a safe respectful driver.
Thanks Made for a wonderful day and helping make our trip to Bali very special
Judy 😀
Australia
Written 5 September 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.
Brandon R
16 contributions
June 2024 • Couples
Made gave my girlfriend and I a wonderful tour of Pura Tirta Empur, Segara Windhu Coffee Plantation, Ceking Rice Terrace, and the Sacred Monkey Forest Sanctuary. He was very polite, very knowledgeable, funny, and an excellent guide throughout the different spots that we traveled to. He was kind enough to wait for my girlfriend and I as we wanted to kind of explore on our own some of the rice terrace. He was on the spot when we finished and I couldn’t have asked for a better time or person to take us on a tour. I can’t recommend Made enough. It was life changing and the experiences that we took part in can’t be adequately explained in a review. But trust me when I say that it will be nothing you have ever done before and you will never forget it.
Written 27 June 2024
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.
Pineapple766
Burleigh Heads, Australia304 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
Recently myself and 3 friends did the Tirta Empul tour with Made. It was an amazing day and one we will not forget. Made and his safe driver Kadek picked us up nice and early to beat the crowds. This was much appreciated once we arrived at beautiful Tirta Empul and were able to take in the scenery and tranquility almost by ourselves. Made explained everything very well regarding the traditional offerings, prayers and finally our time to bathe in the holy springs. The place itself is beautiful and the feelings there quite mystical. We all felt very refreshed and happy after the tour. Made took us to the coffee plantation where we were able to sample for free a variety of beautiful teas and coffees....suffice to say we did buy a few lovely packages to bring home. Our little group was staying at Tri Sandyha Villa which is owned by Made and his lovely Australian wife Sharon...I shall review that separately. Definitely recommend dealing with these beautiful, genuine people. Email/facebook correspondence regarding our arrangements were professional and fast. Just a wonderful experience...thank you everyone!
Written 14 March 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.
oh thank you so much for taking the time to write about your experience with Laughing Buddha Bali Tours. We are so happy and feel blessed that our visitors get to find out first hand a little bit of balinese culture and magic, kindest regards
Written 16 March 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
vtkathryn28
Alexandria, VA17 contributions
Sept 2015 • Solo
I had the opportunity to travel solo to Bali after a work trip to Singapore. I only did a minimal amount of research about potential activities while I stayed in Ubud and assumed that I could always just do lots of yoga, relaxing and reading to recharge.
This plan changed dramatically as soon as I checked into Tri Sandhya Villas and met Made, the owner of Laughing Buddha Bali Tours. Made's and his wonderful wife, Sharon, manage the villas together and prepared a gorgeous portfolio of all the tour offerings, which are all superb.
Do not let your imagination stop at Made’s portfolio if you had something else in mind. With ample notice, Made is also able to accommodate specific requests and take you to see the “authentic Bali.” In fact, Made told me about his past adventure with a photographer who was interested in getting a new perspective of the Balinese countryside. Made was able to accommodate his request by scoping out new locations and speaking to farmers ahead of time to get their approval to come onto their properties.
Made just makes everything so easy and enjoyable!! He anticipates your needs, provides a wealth of knowledge and navigates you through your outings with aplomb. One funny story…we went to Tirta Empul and outside there is a toilet. I was completely unaware that the toilet fee-for-use. To this day, I swear the attendant was not at the entrance charging until after I went in! All fine and dandy, except I had ZERO cash on me. Made stepped in and saved the day and made me feel very relieved…for the second time that day. Haha Just don’t bother with the outside toilet. Once you enter the temple, there are locker rooms included in the cost of your admission.
So, back to my adventures with Made…
- Day 1- Rafting down the Ayung River was up first. The river and the surrounding jungle are beautiful! The trip itself is generally relaxing with several rapids to get the heart pumping. Be aware that do need to be comfortable with walking up and down long sets of stairs to go on this excursion. Make sure that you bring a little bit of cash to purchase a drink at the half-way point. Also, wear clothes that you would be willing to swim in.
- Day 2- 2:30am wakeup call to get on the road to Mt. Batur. It was the super moon/full moon and we hiked up to see the sunrise. Mt. Batur is an active volcano and after watching the sunrise (with a full moon behind us) we were able to walk along the rim of the crater and see steam escaping from below. The view is beautiful from the top!! You need to be relatively fit to do this as the hike is about 2 hours up and 2 hours down. Bring warm clothes, water, supportive shoes, a backpack and your offerings for the Gods.
Later in the day, we visited the Sangeh Monkey Forest. It was a wonderful visit! Hardly any tourists and the monkeys are a hoot to watch and feed. The nutmeg trees, banyan trees and temple are stunning.
Day 3- Tirta Empul (Holy Water Temple) was my last excursion before departing Ubud (take as much time as you can!!). Made accompanied me through the temple and ensured that I experienced the temple within context and understanding of the meaning of the rituals. We presented offerings in the temple, prayed together and had blessings by the priest. Then we took to the healing waters and fountains. A truly wondrous and magical experience!
Side note…if you go to Titra Empul…bring cash. There is a huge market place outside of the temple and you will get very good values there compared to in Ubud and the beach areas.
I truly cannot express my gratitude for the experiences that Made and Laughing Buddha Bali Tours crafted for me. My Bali experience was amazing in great part due to Made’s kindness and his willingness to share his passion for Bali. And you just cannot get past that BIG smile without having one creep onto your face too!
Terima kasih Made!!
This plan changed dramatically as soon as I checked into Tri Sandhya Villas and met Made, the owner of Laughing Buddha Bali Tours. Made's and his wonderful wife, Sharon, manage the villas together and prepared a gorgeous portfolio of all the tour offerings, which are all superb.
Do not let your imagination stop at Made’s portfolio if you had something else in mind. With ample notice, Made is also able to accommodate specific requests and take you to see the “authentic Bali.” In fact, Made told me about his past adventure with a photographer who was interested in getting a new perspective of the Balinese countryside. Made was able to accommodate his request by scoping out new locations and speaking to farmers ahead of time to get their approval to come onto their properties.
Made just makes everything so easy and enjoyable!! He anticipates your needs, provides a wealth of knowledge and navigates you through your outings with aplomb. One funny story…we went to Tirta Empul and outside there is a toilet. I was completely unaware that the toilet fee-for-use. To this day, I swear the attendant was not at the entrance charging until after I went in! All fine and dandy, except I had ZERO cash on me. Made stepped in and saved the day and made me feel very relieved…for the second time that day. Haha Just don’t bother with the outside toilet. Once you enter the temple, there are locker rooms included in the cost of your admission.
So, back to my adventures with Made…
- Day 1- Rafting down the Ayung River was up first. The river and the surrounding jungle are beautiful! The trip itself is generally relaxing with several rapids to get the heart pumping. Be aware that do need to be comfortable with walking up and down long sets of stairs to go on this excursion. Make sure that you bring a little bit of cash to purchase a drink at the half-way point. Also, wear clothes that you would be willing to swim in.
- Day 2- 2:30am wakeup call to get on the road to Mt. Batur. It was the super moon/full moon and we hiked up to see the sunrise. Mt. Batur is an active volcano and after watching the sunrise (with a full moon behind us) we were able to walk along the rim of the crater and see steam escaping from below. The view is beautiful from the top!! You need to be relatively fit to do this as the hike is about 2 hours up and 2 hours down. Bring warm clothes, water, supportive shoes, a backpack and your offerings for the Gods.
Later in the day, we visited the Sangeh Monkey Forest. It was a wonderful visit! Hardly any tourists and the monkeys are a hoot to watch and feed. The nutmeg trees, banyan trees and temple are stunning.
Day 3- Tirta Empul (Holy Water Temple) was my last excursion before departing Ubud (take as much time as you can!!). Made accompanied me through the temple and ensured that I experienced the temple within context and understanding of the meaning of the rituals. We presented offerings in the temple, prayed together and had blessings by the priest. Then we took to the healing waters and fountains. A truly wondrous and magical experience!
Side note…if you go to Titra Empul…bring cash. There is a huge market place outside of the temple and you will get very good values there compared to in Ubud and the beach areas.
I truly cannot express my gratitude for the experiences that Made and Laughing Buddha Bali Tours crafted for me. My Bali experience was amazing in great part due to Made’s kindness and his willingness to share his passion for Bali. And you just cannot get past that BIG smile without having one creep onto your face too!
Terima kasih Made!!
Written 15 October 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.
Hello Kathryn, thanks very much for your beautiful review. This helps make Laughing Buddha Bali Tours famous. We always want to make our customers have fun and enjoyable. See you again one day in Bali.
Written 11 November 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
deeCentralCoast
central coast38 contributions
Mar 2015 • Friends
We took the tour to Tirta Empul Temple tour with Made and had a fantastic morning with
We took the tour to Tirta Empul Temple tour with Made and had a fantastic day starting with morning-blessing and prayers followed by a dip in the cleansing water baths. It really was wonderful our guide Made talked us through all the steps and meanings which made it so interesting. We also loved our visit to the coffee plantation ..so interesting and gorgeous teas!! It was a great day out in a super confy mini bus with expert driving too and Made is the best tour guide in Bali ..so knowledgable and affable, he has endless patience from stopping to shop to answering endless questions and random requests, he really exudes a deep and genuine desire to share the essence of Balinese people ..their deep connection to their faith, family and the earth...thanks guys!
We took the tour to Tirta Empul Temple tour with Made and had a fantastic day starting with morning-blessing and prayers followed by a dip in the cleansing water baths. It really was wonderful our guide Made talked us through all the steps and meanings which made it so interesting. We also loved our visit to the coffee plantation ..so interesting and gorgeous teas!! It was a great day out in a super confy mini bus with expert driving too and Made is the best tour guide in Bali ..so knowledgable and affable, he has endless patience from stopping to shop to answering endless questions and random requests, he really exudes a deep and genuine desire to share the essence of Balinese people ..their deep connection to their faith, family and the earth...thanks guys!
Written 23 May 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.
I really enjoy reading how you enjoyed your day at the Holy Water Temple and your request to a special shopping area. see you next time you Visit Bali
Written 28 May 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Lyndipindi
Central Coast, Australia24 contributions
Feb 2015 • Couples
I called laughing Buddha tours and talked to Sharon whomis an Aussie living in Ubud and she fit us in at 2pm that day. I wanted to go to the Tirta Empul because of the magical spiritual healing waters there and because of my health. At 2pm Sharons husband, Made picked us up. He had a driver as well so he could dedicate all his time to us. Mad'e packed a box with offerings for the the temple and took us in to pray and be blessed and give offerings in the proper way. Then Mad'e explained and showed us where the water comes up from the ground and stirs up black but ends up clearer than any water we have ever seen, it is very bewildering how this can be. We were provided a sarong for covering and went into the healing waters and having Made guide us in the proper way of going from certain gushing purifying waters to the next saying our wishes was both profound, emotional and spiritual. It meant so much having Mad'e take Gay and I through this experience as I lov e Buddhism and practise this back home. This experience is well worth having a guide like Mad'e, it was almost dark but he took us to a local coffee and tea making place in the jungle and we were the only ones there, we tried all the lovely teas benificial to health and well being and coffees and pure fresh cocoa, lovely! I bought too many but I'm sure we will enjoy them all. On our way back Mad'e invited us to their beautiful Villa for a chat with Sharon, his wife and. Felt very at home with them. They have lovely villas for accomadation and We recomend them, beautiful pool and outdoor bathroom and wonderful hosts and we were dropped off back to our Villa at 10pm. This experience is not to be missed. Thankyou Mad'e and Sharon, I will never forget this!
Written 17 February 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.
thank you for taking the time to write about your experience with Made and Laughing Buddha Bali Tours. This is one of our favourite tours as Made is proud to share the Balinese Culture with visitors to this magical place. It is important to respect through praying the cultural significance of this natural wonder.
Written 19 February 2015
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
perh1490
Toronto, Canada3 contributions
Jan 2018 • Couples
Reading the many wonderful reviews about Laughing Buddha Bali Tours, I knew we would be in good hands, and I could not have been happier with our experience. After touring through Bali for about a week and a half, we booked the half day Tirta Empul Holy Water Temple tour with Made that included a morning visit to the temple, followed by a visit to a lovely coffee plantation, beautiful waterfall and pretty much anything else we wanted to see! We were able to essentially hand craft our day and he was willing to take us wherever we wanted and make our own schedule, which was absolutely wonderful. Made, you are one of a kind and I cannot thank you enough for such an incredible experience! He is the sweetest, friendliest person and made us feel welcome from the moment he pulled up at our hotel with a giant smile and warm greeting. He provided us with lots of information about life in Bali, their culture and traditions, and taught us all about the rituals at the temple. He brought everything we needed to enter the temple compound (sarongs, towels etc.) and even made a beautiful hand crafted offering for us to bring into the temple which allowed us to pray and receive a special blessing from the priest. He walked us through how to properly make our way through the holy waters, and took hundreds of photos of us that serve as amazing memories of such a perfect day. I am not exaggerating when I say that I shed some happy tears while bathing in the holy waters, it was such an emotional spiritual experience that I will never forget made all the more special by Made. To anyone who is looking to book a tour in Bali, look no further! You will not be disappointed! Thank you Made, for making our last days in Bali so incredible!
Written 19 February 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.
Hello Kristina,
Thank you very much for your kindness for you write me such a beautiful review about your tour with Laughing Buddha Bali Tours. I appreciate so much that you take the time to write on tripadvisor. Also I feel so blessed to have you and sharing my culture and traditional Bali lifestyle and religion. See you again one day. Made.
Written 23 February 2018
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
FormerFatChick
San Diego, CA16 contributions
Oct 2017 • Couples
From the moment he arrived with a bouquet of hand picked flowers, a big smile and a full itinerary for the day, I knew we were in excellent hands with Made (pronounced maa-day) as our tour Guide in Bali. His website offers several unique adventures and we were able to combine them, plus leave time for shopping and the “un-expected”.
‘Extraordinary Service with a Story’ is how I would describe Made’s style. While other guides usher packs of tourists around the outer walls of the temple, our guide had made a special arrangements in our name. He carefully crafted a beautiful offering basket, which allowed us to go inside and participate in the ritual of prayer, leaving with blessings from the priest. Afterward, we bathed in the holy waters, making wishes while Made took photos of us to remember every color-filled moment.
Each part of our day was just as special and unique as the last and combined, it was overwhelming. I literally cried with joy at the beauty and awe of the rice patties in the pouring rain. It was so awesome!
Additionally, Made has a deep knowledge of Bali history, agriculture, music, etc. and is fluent in English, which was incredibly helpful to us. He could answer questions in detail, translate when we couldn’t understand the local dialect and we loved hearing his personal stories and anecdotes about the area, not to mention the best spots for shopping direct from local artists and authors like Sharon Karyasa.
Our experience with Laughing Buddha Tours was a true gift we will forever cherish. Thank You Made, for making it all possible. Looking forward to reading 'Scarlett Voices in the Shadows' on the flight home!
‘Extraordinary Service with a Story’ is how I would describe Made’s style. While other guides usher packs of tourists around the outer walls of the temple, our guide had made a special arrangements in our name. He carefully crafted a beautiful offering basket, which allowed us to go inside and participate in the ritual of prayer, leaving with blessings from the priest. Afterward, we bathed in the holy waters, making wishes while Made took photos of us to remember every color-filled moment.
Each part of our day was just as special and unique as the last and combined, it was overwhelming. I literally cried with joy at the beauty and awe of the rice patties in the pouring rain. It was so awesome!
Additionally, Made has a deep knowledge of Bali history, agriculture, music, etc. and is fluent in English, which was incredibly helpful to us. He could answer questions in detail, translate when we couldn’t understand the local dialect and we loved hearing his personal stories and anecdotes about the area, not to mention the best spots for shopping direct from local artists and authors like Sharon Karyasa.
Our experience with Laughing Buddha Tours was a true gift we will forever cherish. Thank You Made, for making it all possible. Looking forward to reading 'Scarlett Voices in the Shadows' on the flight home!
Written 27 October 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.
Hello Shareen and Greg,
Thank you for such a wonderful review.
I had so much fun and enjoyed talking about the Bali Culture, I am so happy when you ask questions. See you next time you are in Bali. from Made.
Written 2 November 2017
This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
No questions have been asked about this experience
*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.