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The Water Palace and the Temple Hidden in the heart of Bali, amidst bright green rice paddies, lies the magical Tirtagangga Water Palace (literally "water from the Ganges"). During our Water Palace Bali tour, you'll sleep in the palace where you can go for a royal swim in the pool of the former sovereign. Tirtagangga is also an ideal base for trekking through the surrounding countryside.This tour will then take you to unspoilt East Bali and the peaceful town of Seraya on the rocky coast, where you'll stay in a bungalow with views across the sea. On the way, you'll stop off to taste aromatic spices like ginger and cloves in an old temple. An optional but interesting excursion is a visit to the local market and a Balinese cooking lesson, or you can visit our local charity project - a girl's school. If you want to immerse yourself in an authentic part of Bali and experience life with the locals, then our Water Palace Bali tour is for you. |
| Duration |
4 days / 3 nights starts daily in Tirtagangga |
Accommodation |
Water palace and bungalow on the coast. Comfort level 3 (see accommodation). |
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Price |
£176 per person - based on 2 people sharing |
Includes |
Accommodation with breakfast, rice paddies tour, spice tour, transport, lunch buffet. |
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Transport |
Private car |
Excludes |
Cooking lesson on Day 3 is not included. |
Day 1: Arrival TirtanganggaArriving at the entrance of Tirtagangga Water Palace, the guard will ask you for a few pence admission fee - but if you tell him you’re a guest in the palace you won’t be charged anything. Stepping through the gate you’ll find Balinese statues spouting water, immense fountains and little cobbled paths that you can hop across like stepping stones.During our Water Palace Bali tour, you’ll stay in a bungalow with a great outdoor bathroom, set in the palace gardens. The accommodation isn’t particularly luxurious or brand-spanking new but a setting like this is certainly unusual. If you prefer a bit more luxury we can arrange an upgrade to one of the villas. There’s a fantastic view across this whole waterworld from the restaurant, and the water reservoir is now used as a swimming pool. In the afternoon, you’ll take a guided walk through around Tirtagangga. Balancing along the little ridges between rice paddies you can cross over to the small, isolated villages. The home brewed palm wine in the villages is absolutely delicious and it’s interesting to see how the wine is ‘pumped’ out of the palm trees. If you want to spend more time in this beautiful area, you can add our Bali homestay tour to your trip. |
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Day 2: Tirtangangga to SerayaIt won’t be easy saying goodbye to the rural charm of Tirtagangga, but there’s a lot more to see today on your Water Palace Bali tour. You’ll head further east to the quiet coastal town of Seraya. Around 3pm you’ll take a guided tour of the area with the Dutch owner to see the aromatic spice plants like ginger, vanilla and clove being grown. You can smell the wonderful aromas just by rubbing a leaf between your fingers. The road leads up through green rice terraces and coffee plantations to an ancient Balinese temple where the local women come every day to burn small incense offerings. The view is breathtaking looking out across Bali’s highest volcano, the brilliant blue sea and the faint outline of Lombok on the horizon.In the late afternoon, you’ll return to your Balinese bungalow with views across the lapping waves and rocky coast. It’s a peaceful, serene place with a waterfall by the pool and beautiful tropical flowers in the garden. After 6pm, mouth-watering scents will waft out from the kitchen when the cook starts preparing the evening meal. It’s worth sticking around for the delicious dinner of satay and stir-fried rice. |
Day 3: SerayaThis morning, you’ll probably be woken by the soothing sound of birds and lapping waves or the smell the fresh toast. There’s nothing planned for today which means you can spend the day lazing around. The East Coast of Bali hasn’t been discovered by mass tourism yet which means you'll get a feel of real Balinese life here. You can take an optional cooking course today (cost not included). The cook will take you to the busy local market to let you taste exotic fruits like rambutan and mangosteen and gather all the ingredients for your dish. Back at your accommodation you’ll get to work slicing and stir-frying and at the end you can enjoy your very own freshly made Balinese meal. |
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Day 4: Departure Seraya - End of moduleIn the morning, it's time to leave this peaceful spot as your Water Palace Bali tour comes to an end. After breakfast, you can pack your things before the transfer to your next destination. If you want to head for the beach, you can choose our Dolphins of Lovina tour, or the quiet bays of our Forests and Islands tour. Alternatively, you can head into the green hills and valleys with our Munduk and the temple lake tour to continue your Indonesia trip. |
Accommodation images
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