Book safely
Bali tour scams to avoid, and how to book activities safely
Updated · By the Bali Activity Tours desk in Ubud
Short answer
Most Bali activity scams follow one pattern: a price that looks too low, pressure to pay a deposit before anything is written down, and a total that grows on the day. Book with someone who publishes the full price in rupiah, names where the activity runs, and lets you pay only after the seat is confirmed in writing.
The tricks travellers actually report when booking ATV rides, rafting, and Mount Batur trips in Bali, the warning sign for each, and the simple habits that make you a hard target.
The scams that hit activity bookings
Bali is a safe place to do an ATV ride, a rafting run, or a Batur sunrise. The money risk is in the booking, not the activity. These are the patterns that come up again and again in traveller reports.
| Scam | How it works | Warning sign |
|---|---|---|
| The WhatsApp deposit | A friendly “local guide” messages you, quotes a low price, and asks for a deposit to hold the seat. On the day nobody comes. | Money requested before you have a written total, a date, and a meeting point |
| The too-cheap street price | A stall or beach seller quotes half the going rate. Pickup, entrance, lunch, or insurance are then charged on the day. | A single number with no list of what is included |
| The cloned business | Someone copies a real company’s photos and name onto a new account or number, then takes payments. | A different phone number, account name, or email from the one on the official website |
| The switch | You pay for a private jeep or a named river, and get a shared car, a shorter route, or a different operator. | The venue, route, or private/shared status is never written down |
| The countdown | “Only one seat left, pay in the next ten minutes.” Urgency stops you checking. | A deadline that only applies to payment, not to the booking itself |
| The currency trick | A price quoted in dollars is converted to rupiah on the day at a poor rate, or zeros get confused (Rp 450 vs Rp 450.000). | No single written total in one currency |
Six habits that make you a hard target
- Only pay after you have a written confirmation with the date, the total, what is included, and where you meet
- Find the business yourself: type the website address, do not trust a link or number that found you first
- Check that the WhatsApp number and email in the chat match the ones printed on the official website
- Compare totals, not headline prices: add pickup, entrance, lunch, and insurance before deciding what is cheap
- Never share a card number, a bank login, or a one-time code (OTP) in a chat
- If anyone sends new bank details mid-conversation, stop and call the number on the official website before paying
How we take these risks off the table
We set up booking so each trick above is easy to spot, even if someone pretends to be us.
- Every price is published in rupiah on the tour page before you message anyone, with what is included listed underneath
- This website takes no card and no deposit. A request costs nothing
- You pay only after we confirm the seat: on the spot at the venue for the ATV, rafting, and tubing (cash, QRIS, Visa, Mastercard, or debit card; cards add 3%), or by Indonesian bank transfer or cash for the jeep
- We never ask for card numbers on the website or WhatsApp
- Each request gets a reference such as BAT-20261010-7K3Q and a rupiah total, shown on screen when you reserve. A real message from us matches both
- We name where each activity runs, for example the ATV at All New Bali Adventure on Jl. Raya Krasan, Sedang, and send the exact meeting pin with your confirmation
- The ATV, rafting, tubing, and jeep tickets include insurance for ages 6–65
- The ATV, rafting, tubing, and Batur jeep photos on this site are from our own departures
What to do if a message looks wrong
If a message claims to be from Bali Activity Tours but the number is not +62 817 7572 3663, the email is not sekarprivatebaliactivity@gmail.com, or the reference and total do not match what you saw when you reserved, do not pay. Forward it to us on WhatsApp and we will tell you whether it is real.
If you have already paid someone you now doubt, contact your bank straight away; the sooner a transfer is reported, the better the chance of stopping it.
Book safely
Get a written rupiah total before you pay anything
Tell us your date, group size, and hotel. We reply from +62 817 7572 3663 with one tour, its total in rupiah, and what is included. You pay only after we confirm the seat.
- Hotel pickup from Ubud, Canggu, Seminyak, Sanur, and Nusa Dua
- No card online: you pay in rupiah after we confirm the seat
- Change the date up to 24 hours before pickup, if the seat is free
