An idea sparked by Mount Agung’s eruption soon became one of Bali’s most loved experiences. Trip Gotik founder Nyoman shares the elements of its success and how working with GetYourGuide has played a key role.
While many guides in Bali relied on traditional travel agents and standard routes, Nyoman Gede Mahayuna took a different approach with Trip Gotik. Since 2010, he has expanded his small tour business from personally guiding guests to serving a wider range of customers, by paying close attention to emerging travel trends and his guests’ shifting needs.
The game-changer was his Bali: Full-Day Instagram Highlights Tour concept, which combined several little-known destinations into a single day trip before they became major attractions. The success hasn’t slowed down since. “That tour became our most popular pretty quickly, and we’ve gone from just one or two experiences to almost 100,” Nyoman explains, somewhat amazed at his own success.
The idea has transformed the company into one of Bali’s most prominent day-tour operators. They’re known for connecting global travelers with the island’s most picturesque landscapes and its deep spiritual heritage, always with the perfect guide.
Here, Nyoman shares standout moments from that journey and how he leverages the company’s relationship with GetYourGuide to navigate industry shifts and drive continuous growth.
How did you get started in the tourism industry?
I started in the tourism industry by offering tours in Bali through a worldwide local guide marketplace called ToursByLocals in 2011, back when most travelers still relied on guidebooks like Lonely Planet or Rough Guide. At the same time, I created a Blogspot website where I promoted my tours and experiences, which were also listed on TripAdvisor.
As I began gaining more guests and collecting positive reviews, my business grew steadily. I then invited other licensed guides in Bali to collaborate with me and eventually expanded by working with a larger Japanese travel marketplace.
When did GetYourGuide become part of the Trip Gotik story?
In 2017, as we were slowly building momentum and finding our footing, I initially joined GetYourGuide as an individual doing business rather than a formal corporate entity. Back then, GetYourGuide wasn't the global giant it is today, but we could see its immense potential.
Recognizing the unique value we could bring to the platform, the GetYourGuide team invited me to list some of our curated, off-the-beaten-path experiences. That early partnership became a crucial milestone; as the platform grew, it helped catalyze our own evolution from a passionate solo venture into what is now PT. Trip Gotik Indonesia.
Was partnering with GetYourGuide an immediate success?
It’s funny, but I was so happy to receive just two bookings in my first month. Now, in our August peak, we receive well over 3,000.
Did the demographics of your customers change after partnering with GetYourGuide?
Yes, we mainly had guests from Asia, mostly Singapore and Japan, and Australia, because the flights are short. With GetYourGuide, we started seeing many more from Europe, mainly Germany.
It changed our language needs. We have many English-, Japanese-, and Korean-speaking guides, but German-speaking guides are in short supply, so we hired them to meet this new demand.
Your Bali: Full Day Instagram Highlights Tour has been a massive hit. How did you spot that trend and create such a successful experience?
At the time, a few influencers, like TheBaliChili, were sharing hidden gems, like a waterfall that wasn’t famous at all, but people started to visit it because of them. Then there was the eruption of Mount Agung, Bali’s highest peak. Nobody really knew about the Lempuyang Gate back then, but it perfectly framed the erupting volcano in the background, and people wanted to know where it was.
I started combining these non-famous destinations into a single tour. Because we moved early, there were still hardly any lines at these locations, and the tour quickly became our most popular. It has 4.8 stars after around 7,000 reviews.
With thousands of monthly bookings, how do you ensure such high customer satisfaction?
It’s a little tricky, but it comes down to matching the right guide to the right tour. For example, our senior guides love telling stories and sharing their knowledge about local culture, but they don’t like taking pictures, which is an essential part of Bali: Full-Day Instagram Highlights Tour. So, younger guides host Instagram experiences because they know how and where to capture and edit high-quality photos.
For our Bali: Full-Day Eat Pray Love Tour with Rice Terraces & Yoga or Bali Shamanic Healing Tours, we need guides who have experienced Bali’s spiritual side firsthand. We write exactly what we do in the tour description to manage expectations. Sometimes people point out that Instagram photos don’t look exactly like real life when they visit in person, but those who book that tour usually understand the gap between a curated photo and reality.
Have any guests made a lasting impression on you?
You know the ‘Ghostbusters’ movie? I once had Dan Aykroyd in my car, not the limo his luxury resort in Canggu provided, as they just wanted a normal family tour of Monkey Forest visit.
Guiding is a unique job because you get to be close with your guests. Some have even sent me books they’ve written. I majored in cross-cultural studies, so I love connecting with people from different backgrounds. I’ll talk to guests from the United States about Mark Twain’s ‘The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,’ which they often read as kids — not what you’re expecting from a Balinese tour guide.
How has technology changed the tour landscape in Bali since you started out?
The biggest change has been the shift from traditional travel agencies to digital platforms and OTAs. In the past, most bookings came through offline agents, but today travelers discover and book experiences online within minutes, often influenced by reviews and social media.
This shift has created both opportunities and challenges for local guides in Bali. Many licensed guides belong to the older generation and have incredible knowledge of our culture and heritage, but they are not always familiar with digital tools and online platforms. That’s where we help by managing the OTA and operational side, allowing them to focus on delivering authentic experiences for travelers
How does GetYourGuide support your growth and help you develop new ideas?
Many local suppliers in Bali create products based on a feeling, but GetYourGuide gives us real data we can analyze. I can check what experiences will book more in July of next year. For example, their data shows that hands-on workshop experiences will grow in 2026. Because of that insight, we know that cooking classes and silversmithing activities are the next big opportunity.
Has working closely with GetYourGuide given you any unexpected business insights?
Yes. In 2024, I was invited to the GetYourGuide headquarters in Berlin for a summit, and someone from Bayern Munich spoke about how the football club takes care of its supporters — even when they travel away from Munich — to keep them loyal.
I realized we need to apply that to our business in Bali. We need to take care of our guests so well that when they fly back to America or Germany, they remember us and tell others.
Are there other tools you find useful on the GetYourGuide platform?
When I first joined, it wasn’t easy to create great tour descriptions because we’re not native English speakers. We had to piece things together from other websites just to write a good description for our packages.
Then, GetYourGuide introduced an AI integration to help refine a raw tour description. Our destination manager encouraged me to start using it, and I think I was the first local supplier in Bali to do so. It was incredibly helpful. It allowed us to stand out among other suppliers and made a significant difference in our content quality and conversion.
How else does GetYourGuide compare to your experience with other OTAs?
GetYourGuide is incredibly supplier-friendly. You can create a tour easily and adjust it anytime, and your destination manager is always on hand to help you immediately. They also have features like the pickup planner, which is very nice for us, and the chat system is really good.
It feels like they actively listen to both customers and suppliers to make sure we can create exceptional experiences. Any time they change something or need new pictures, they inform us directly so we can stay on top of it.
What advice would you give to other suppliers new to or considering GetYourGuide?
Stand out with positive customer feedback. If you are exceptional and provide strong service, GetYourGuide will trust you. They take care of reliable suppliers.
In the past, there was a lot of anxiety on our side as other tour operators copied whatever we created. Now we understand, as long as you create the right product and make sure you provide the best for customers, you don’t have to worry about anything else.
Key takeaways
• Use data to guide decisions. Moving away from creating tours based on “feeling,” Nyoman uses GetYourGuide’s analytics to prepare for peak season volume and identify future trends.
• Work with GetYourGuide to drive growth. By working with his destination manager, Nyoman achieved 70% growth in low-season bookings and a phenomenal increase in revenue of more than 4,000% since 2017.
• Match guides to the experience. Trip Gotik ensures positive reviews by pairing tech-savvy younger guides with their Instagram tours, and knowledgeable senior guides with spiritual and cultural tours.
• Move early on emerging trends. Nyoman spotted the potential of the Lempuyang Gate and other lesser-known spots early, creating the highly successful Bali: Full-Day Instagram Highlights Tour before the locations became crowded.
• Embrace new tools. Nyoman became an early adopter of GetYourGuide’s AI tools to overcome language barriers and make his listings stand out in a competitive market.
• Focus on exceptional service, not competitors. By delivering on promises and maintaining an almost 5-star average, Nyoman built a high-trust partnership with GetYourGuide and earned the confidence of travelers booking with Trip Gotik.
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