Although the apparent total lack of road rules in Bali might take your breath away, Dean is a safe and careful driver. Many drivers have other jobs and drive occasional to gain a bit of quick cash. Dean is a full time driver, and loves his work.

Local Knowledge

Like I said, I am not a Bali expert however, from what I have seen, he knows the island exceptionally well. Twice on my recent trip, the local's I were going to visit told me their place was very difficult to find and my driver would have problems, but both times, Dean drove straight to the front door without any 'U' turns or back-tracking etc.

Not only does he know the various places, but seems know all the pot-holes as well. He apologized and chastised himself once for braking a bit heavily because he failed to remember a pot-hole sufficiently in advance.

Honesty & Ethics

From memory, the average unskilled worker in Bali earns about AUD$75 (US$50) per month. Quite often this has to support an entire family.

Insufficient income and no form of social security system, forces many to develop skills to milk every dollar they can from what appear to be "millionaire tourists". Dean's ethics are rock solid and, for example, he will not take you to rip-off shops to get a secret commission. If he is discretely given a commission, he gives it back to you, regardless of how large or small.

On my recent trip, even though I paid him a bit extra some days, at the end of the week, I gave him a bonus because he did 'extra' things like after a long day, he waited in Kuta till nearly dawn while I was at a party, then drove me back to Ubud (over an hour's trip) only to have to turn around to drive back to his home. Dean politely told me the bonus was "too much" and "not necessary", and offered it back. I know, like so many others in Bali, incomes are still way down since the terrorist tragedy. Only a person of true ethics would have done that. He eventually accepted the bonus, which, let's face it, would have only bought me a few drinks back home but could mean new clothes for his kids, or maybe better meals for his family for a month.

In the time I have known him, I have developed full confidence in Dean's honesty. I have no hesitation in trusting him with my valuables while I go off shopping or whatever.

Language Skills

A common problem with Bali drivers is that they assume all westerners come to Bali for the same reasons. Also, there is the oriental tendency to say "yes" to everything, in order to please, even when they don't understand. Add the two together and even simple requests can become a frustrating experience, particularly, by the time you arrive at the 25th temple.

Dean speaks English reasonably well, listens carefully and will usually let you know when he doesn't understand. Right up front, he asks what your holiday (or day's) objectives are and does his best to help you achieve them. As a result, you don't end up wasting time. Most of us get so little time for holidays, is great when you can make the most of every minute, even if it is just lazing by the pool.

Although I cannot testify to Dean's Japanese skills, I know he invested in learning the language to serve his Japanese speaking clients better.

Criticisms

I believe any truly honest review should have some criticism. I have thought about this for days and I can only find two points.

Firstly, a very minor point. As is often the case, Dean's written English is not as good as his spoken English. However, I have no trouble understanding what he is saying and to be honest, it always invokes a smile as the language difference is part of what's special about a foreign country. It wouldn't be a special if he wrote perfect Queens English, would it?

My second criticism I will openly accept some people will say is more of a criticism of me. When I travel, I go into super security conscious mode. To my defense, I have traveled to some 30 counties without incident.

Due to the heat in Bali, and Dean's desire to ensure his vehicle is cool and comfortable, he would often leave it unlocked, with the engine running. This is a credit in itself to Bali, as I don't know of any Australian who would leave their engine running while dashing into the local deli etc. My problem with it, is that my valuables are in the car.

I pointed out this concern to Dean and he said that there was "nothing to worry about, nobody take anything". I replied that "yes, maybe it's ok normally, but my concern is that somebody, seeing that he has a 'westerner passenger, with the latest cameras etc' might be tempted. I believe he understood, respected my view, and took a more cautious attitude. Can't ask for more than that.

That's it, in the whole time, I cannot recall feeling even the slightest little irritation.