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The Other Bali Not far, yet worlds away from the touristy resorts of Kuta and Denpasar is a completely different Bali. This is the Bali of endless rice paddies cascading down the hills like a giant green waterfall, of people bringing offers to little prayer houses, and of water palaces and mystical temples. It’s the Bali where dolphins jump from the water beside your boat, and where the sun rises behind the high peak of the volcano. This Bali itinerary offers you culture and nature, but with plenty of time to relax and chill out by the pool or on the beach. You can do this Bali itinerary by shared minibus transfers, or by car transfer.On Bali, transfers are by shared minibus from April to October, but from November to March you’ll travel by private car with driver. |
| Duration |
12 days / 11 nights departs daily from Denpasar |
Accommodation |
Charming cottages in the rice paddies, in a valley, in the hills, on the beach. Comfort levels 3 and 4 (see accommodation). |
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Price |
£674 per person - based on 2 people sharing |
Includes |
Transport as stated, accommodation with breakfast, excursions with guide |
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Transport |
Transfers by private car with driver |
Excludes |
International flights, entrance fees |
Day 1: Arrival in Bali and transfer to UbudWhen you arrive at Denpasar airport, there will be someone waiting to whisk you away to your peaceful haven. Ubud is a peaceful Balinese hideaway surrounded by green hills, where you can enjoy a relaxing massage or cool off in the beautiful pool. The hotel is composed of a dozen cottages overlooking the waving rice fields. Each of the cottages is individually decorated. Just a couple of yards away you'll find Monkey Forest, where thousands of monkeys clamber over ornate Balinese statues.Ubud is the cultural capital of Bali which means that it attracts lot of tourists, but like Yogyakarta on Java it has bags of friendly charm with plenty of bars, good food and excellent facilities. |
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Day 2: UbudYou can take it easy this morning and enjoy your surroundings before your Bali itinerary really begins. Later today, you'll be picked up for a tour through the Bali countryside, visiting several villages home where you’ll find local artists, sculptors and silversmiths. You’ll then cross an area with beautiful bright green rice terraces. |
Day 3: Ubud - TirtaganggaFrom Ubud, you'll drive to your homestay near Tirtagangga in East Bali. You'll stay at home with a local family but you'll have your own room. Later this afternoon, you can visit the spouting fountains at the water palace, which you can reach by a path through the hills. The journey there is easy as the path leads downhill all the way. When you get to the water palace you can take a swim in the cool waters.When you arrive at your homestay your friendly hosts will show you to your room and prepare a traditional Indonesian dinner. Tucking into a home-cooked meal and looking out across the flower-filled valley, you’ll quickly fall in love with this place. |
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Day 4: TirtaganggaToday, you’ll head out into the vast rice paddies with a local guide, passing farmers working in the fields. The terrain here is pretty steep so you’ll need to do some vigorous climbing at times. You’ll come across the odd village where the chickens are usually the first ones to run out to greet you and you'll find the villagers very friendly. If you look up into the tall palm trees you can see people picking coconut and ‘pumping’ wine with a flexible twig.Your homestay may not be the epitome of luxury, but it's clean and tidy with a small bathroom and its an unforgettable part of this Bali itinerary. There's no air-conditioning, but the nights aren't so hot and sticky up in the hills. Sitting out on the veranda, sipping on your palm wine and looking out across the valley, you'll quickly realise why Tirtagangga is the destination of choice for artists and 'long-stayers'. |
Day 5: Tirtagangga - LovinaThe next stop on your Bali itinerary is Lovina, where you'll stay in a comfortable resort with a large pool, within walking distance of all the tourist attractions. You can spend your first day here lazing in a deckchair or chilling out in one of the beach bars. |
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Day 6: LovinaEarly this morning you’ll set off on a dolphin-spotting boat trip. The water is as smooth as a mirror this time of day. Luckily, the fishermen know where the shrimp are hiding in the currents and, with luck, it won't be long before the first group of dolphins appear, splashing and jumping alongside your boat.After your dolphin trip, you can enjoy breakfast back at the hotel and spend the rest of the morning relaxing. In the afternoon you can choose to visit the hot springs (optional) where you can take a dip in the hot sulphuric waters. You'll return to Lovina later that afternoon. |
Day 7: LovinaYou won't need to set your alarm clock this morning, because there's nothing planned for today. You can spend the day reading a book by the pool, sipping a nice cold drink and cooling off with a dip in the water. Your exercise for today is little more than walking barefoot along the soft white beach and stopping off for a fresh fruit shake at one of the restaurants along the shore. |
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Day 8: Lovina - MundukIn the morning you’ll transfer to Munduk, the next destination on your Bali itinerary, high in the cool hills south of Lovina.Once you’ve settled into your charming cottage in Munduk, you’ll head out on a guided walk. As you trek into the countryside your enthusiastic guide will show you all kinds of edible goods from the trees and bushes. Along the way you'll pass a couple of beautiful lakes and a waterfall, as well as more magnificent green rice paddies. The trek takes around 3-4 hours. |
Day 9: MundukThe cottages in Munduk are hidden away amongst flowers and ponds with breathtaking views of the valley below.Today, you’ll take a trip to explore a temple perched on a kind of island in the middle of a blue mountain lake. As you wander around the temple admiring the lovely views, you might be lucky enough to see a procession of Balinese people in colourful robes carrying piles of fruit offerings. You'll often see religious ceremonies taking place here, which you can observe at a discreet distance. The temple is also easy to reach if you're travelling by rental car. |
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Day 10: Munduk - Bukit PeninsulaToday, your Bali itinerary will take you south through the beautiful green countryside to the Bukit Peninsula. The funny thing about Bali is that, although it has a reputation as a popular beach destination, most of the beaches on the island are actually made up of black volcanic sand. For this reason, most tourists congregate around the southern part of the island at Kuta near Denpasar. It’s one of the few places where you can find the travel brochure golden beaches, though with it come the crowds of tourists and high-rise hotels. Luckily, after a long search, we’ve found the best of both worlds on the Bukit Peninsula at the southernmost tip of Bali. Here you’ll find postcard-perfect quiet beaches and picturesque bungalows in a setting you’d usually only find further inland. |
Day 11: Bukit PeninsulaYour resort on the Bukit Peninsula is small, with just 9 bungalows and a restaurant - but there are several pools for a refreshing dip. All of the bungalows have wonderful seaviews, and the sea is great for swimming - just watch out for the surf boards! If you want to learn how to balance a board yourself, you can take a course here, as well as diving, sailing and other watersports. |
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Day 12: Departure Bukit Peninsula - End of itineraryYour Bali itinerary comes to an end this morning, but if you want to hang around a bit longer we can book a couple of extra days for you. The Bukit Peninsula is a great place to wander along steep cliffs and little beaches or just relax on the beach.If you decide to leave today, you'll be transferred to the airport to begin your journey home. |
