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Komodos and Nemos Route: Ubud - Tirtagangga - Lovina - Maumere - Detusoko - Bajawa - Ruteng - Labuhan Bajo - Komodo - Kuta - Tetebatu - Gili Meno - SanurKomodos and Nemos is an unusual Indonesia adventure holiday for free spirits. The trip begins on Bali surrounded by rice paddies, where you’ll explore a mystical water palace. You’ll then travel to the north coast to spot dolphins before heading inland to traditional bamboo villages. You'll see a spectacular sunrise at the multi-coloured volcanic lakes on Flores and travel by boat to the only place in the world where you can come face-to-face with the giant Komodo dragon. Then finally you'll make your way to Lombok to explore the fascinating local cultures, and round off your trip barefoot on the white sands of a tropical beach. On Flores, you’ll stay in fairly basic accommodation because there are very few good hotels here, but you'll sleep in plenty of comfortable and tastefully decorated hotels on Bali. This Indonesia adventure holiday is for travellers looking for something a little bit different, whilst also seeking the hidden gems of Indonesia. |
| Duration |
21 days / 20 nights departs daily from Denpasar airport |
Accommodation |
Charming cottages in the rice paddies, in a valley, overlooking the water palace, on the beach. Basic accommodation on Flores. Comfort level 3 and 4 (see accommodation). |
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Price |
£1519 per person - based on 2 people sharing |
Includes |
Transport as described, accommodation with breakfast, guided excursions |
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Transport |
Transport by minibus and by private car with driver |
Excludes |
International flight, domestic flights, entrance fees, optional excursion in Lovina on Day 6. |
Day 1: Arrival in Bali - Transfer to UbudWhen you arrive at Denpasar, someone will be waiting to whisk you away to Ubud, a peaceful Balinese hideaway surrounded by green hills. This is a gentle start to your Indonesia adventure holiday, where you can enjoy a relaxing massage or cool off in the beautiful pool. The hotel is composed of a dozen cottages overlooking the rice paddies. Each of the cottages is individually decorated. Just a couple of yards away you'll find Monkey Forest, where thousands of monkeys clamber over the ornate Balinese statues.Ubud is the cultural capital of Bali, which means it attracts a lot of tourists, like Yogyakarta on Java. However, it has plenty of friendly charm with cheerful bars, good food and excellent facilities. |
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Day 2: UbudIn the morning, you can take it easy and then later on you’ll be collected by our enthusiastic guide for a guided walk through the surrounding area. You’ll visit a number of villages around Ubud where you’ll find several painters, sculptors and silversmiths. You can also take a look inside a local house where you might see the village women busy making small incense bowls. Balancing precariously on the rims of the paddies, you’ll see the local farmers hard at work harvesting the rice. It looks easier than it is, so give it a try if you like…At the bottom of the valley you’ll visit the mysterious royal tombs, hidden away among the dense green vegetation. You’ll arrive back at your bungalow after lunch, so you can spend the rest of the afternoon wandering round the town centre or enjoying another relaxing massage. |
Day 3: Ubud - TirtaganggaThe next stop on your Indonesia adventure holiday is Tirtagannga. Arriving at the entrance of Tirtagangga Water Palace, the guard will ask you for a small 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 see burly Balinese statues spouting water, immense fountains and little cobbled paths that you can hop across like stepping stones. The ancient Balinese rulers had a soft spot for ornamental waterworks, which also serve as an irrigation system for the surrounding rice fields. If you’ve got some time left, you can follow the main road down to the coast where you’ll find another beautiful water palace, though this one is overgrown and no longer in use.You’ll stay in a bungalow with a great outdoor bathroom in the palace gardens. The accommodation isn’t particularly luxurious but the settings are certainly remarkable. If you want to enjoy a little more luxury we can arrange an upgrade to one of the villas. There’s a fantastic view across the palace grounds from the restaurant, and the water reservoir is now used as a swimming pool. In the afternoon, you’ll take a guided hike through the rice paddies around Tirtagangga. Balancing along the little dykes between the rice paddies you can cross over to small, isolated villages. The palm wine here is 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 to you Indonesia adventure holiday. |
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Day 4: Tirtagangga - LovinaToday, you’ll be picked up by our driver and travel across the interior of Bali to Lovina on the north coast. It’s a 2 hour drive along small country roads, stopping off at one of Bali’s biggest Hindu temples - the Besakih. If you want to visit the temple just let your driver know, and keep a sarong handy as you’ll need to have your arms and legs covered when you enter the temple. In Lovina, you’ll check in to your bungalow set in a garden filled with exotic flowers and palm trees, within walking distance of the beach. |
Day 5: LovinaThis morning, you’ll get up early for a dolphin-spotting boat trip. The water is as smooth as a mirror this time of day. Luckily, the fishermen will know where the shrimp are hiding in the currents and before you know it you'll hear splashing alongside the boat as the first group of dolphins appear.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 swim in the hot sulphuric waters. You'll be picked up around midday, returning to Lovina later that afternoon. |
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Day 6: LovinaYou won't need to set your alarm clock this morning, because there's nothing planned for today. You can sit back and read a book by the pool, sip on an ice cold drink, and cool off with a dip in the water. You can spend your day walking barefoot along the soft white beach, stopping off every now and again for a fresh fruit shake at one of the restaurants along the shore. |
Day 7: Lovina - Maumere - DetusokoIn the morning you'll be picked up at the hotel for the 3 hour transfer to the airport, where you'll board the plane to Maumere in the east of Flores. At Maumere airport, you'll be met by your new driver and continue your Indonesia adventure holiday across beautiful countryside and into the hills to Detusoko where you’ll stay in a missionary post / convent community of Franciscan nuns. The nuns are incredibly welcoming, as are the orphans living in the community’s orphanage. You’ll stay in the guest quarters for one night. It’s a basic room with two single beds, each with a mosquito net. You’ll have to make do without hot water - but you won't forget the experience. |
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Day 8: Kelimutu Volcano - BajawaBefore dawn you’ll set off for the Kelimutu volcano to enjoy a spectacular sunrise across an equally spectacular panorama. On a clear day the Kelimutu volcano is one of the most amazing sights in the world.The three lakes change colour every now and then, depending on the mineral content in the water. Nowadays they range from black to dark green, although in the past the colours have been dark red, light blue and light green. No wonder the three lakes are compared to gemstones, and were once an important place for rituals. People believed (and still believe) the lakes were the final resting place of the dead; one lake for the elderly, another for young people and a third one for witches. The climb up the volcano is fairly easy and you'll do most of it by car, leaving you with just one steep flight of steps to climb to the highest point, from where you can look out across the three crater lakes. On the way to Bajawa you’ll visit a small village with traditional wooden houses and high thatched reed roofs. This is where the typical ikats are made - intricately woven fabrics made up of individually dyed threads. You can take a look inside one of the houses to see if anyone’s busy weaving a piece. After the visit to the ikat village you’ll drive on to Bajawa, arriving in the late afternoon. You’ll stay in the best hotel in town where you'll probably have hot water. |
Day 9: BajawaIn the morning you’ll be going on a walk along the foot of the Inerie volcano, visiting several small villages on the way as you walk in the shade of the towering bamboo forest. This will prove to be a real highlight of your Indonesia adventure holiday.On of the most authentic Ngada villages is Bena, where the little houses with straw roofs are built in two rows, along a line of megalithic stones. The stones are still used for sacrifice to the spirits. Traditional rituals are upheld here more than anywhere else on Flores and you can still witness rituals being carried out at the “bhaga” (ritual houses) and “ngadhu”, a carved wooden sacrifice pole, usually to honour the ancestors. In the afternoon you’ll visit the hot springs at Soa where you can wallow in the warm water. The water from the spring is 40C, and mixes with the cooler water of a mountain stream just below the waterfall - so that’s the best place to take a dip. You won’t be the only one taking a bath here, and you’ll be surrounded by lots of people washing and scrubbing. For many people, particularly the guides and drivers, this is only place on Flores where they can find hot water. Later, you’ll drive back to Bajawa where you’ll be staying another night in the basic hotel. |
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Day 10: Bajawa - RutengToday, you’ll drive from Bajawa to Ruteng, travelling through some isolated areas on the way, and if you want to see the area in more detail you can do parts of the route on foot. Your driver can drop you off and simply pick you up further down the road. Part of the journey travels along the south coast, where you could get out and take a walk along the dark, volcanic beach for a while.You’ll arrive in the cool town of Ruteng in the afternoon, which leaves you some time to explore the town on foot and visit the lively market, where you can buy colourful embroidered sarongs. You’ll stay in a simple hotel in Ruteng, which despite being one of the best in town, is still very basic. |
Day 11: Ruteng - Labuhan BajoToday you'll travel mainly downhill to Labuhan Bajo, a small fishing village in a beautiful bay. The sunsets are wonderful here, with views across the tiny islands between Flores and Komodo.You'll stay in a charming bungalow with sea views in a eco-resort just outside the town, and there's also a pool. If you want to have dinner at the resort just let them know when you check in. |
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Day 12: Labuhan Bajo - Komodo National ParkToday you’ll board a small fishing boat for an exciting boat trip to the islands of Komodo and Rinca in the Komodo National Park, a brilliant part of this Indonesia adventure holiday.Komodo Island is the popular for its main attraction - the dragons (as the locals call them) that carry the island’s name. During the trip, you’ll explore the area with a local ranger, walking through the arid area in search of the giant Komodos. They can be a bit difficult to spot in mating season but the ranger knows the area well and will do his best to find you a Komodo in its natural habitat. They’re not exactly dangerous but they’re not entirely harmless either - there are millions of bacteria in a Komodo bite - plenty enough to kill you. |
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The second largest island in the Komodo National Park is Rinca. The landscape here is greener and hillier than on Komodo, and again you can take a 2-hour walk across the island with a local guide. You’ll see some fantastic views across the sea and the island. With a bit of luck, you'll spot the odd dragon amongst the wealth of horses, deer, water buffalo and monkeys. Rinca has fewer visitors than Komodo, so your chances of spotting a dragon are much greater here. After your adventures in the Komodo National Park, ranked by many travellers as the highlight of their Indonesia adventure holiday, you'll return to Labuhan Bajo. You'll stay another night in the pleasant eco lodge hotel, where you can enjoy a bit of luxury after the relatively basic hotels on Flores. |
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Day 13: Labuhan Bajo - KutaToday, you'll fly from Labuhan Bajo via Denpasar to Mataram on Lombok, where you'll be collected at the airport by your driver and transferred to the the small town of Kuta, on Lombok's south coast. Kuta, with its beautiful wide-swept beaches, is a relatively undiscovered resort, worlds away from the hugely popular Kuta on Bali. Here, you'll find lots of small restaurants where you can try the most amazing fresh fish. The little souvenir shops are a good place to stock up on traditional pottery and sarongs.You'll stay in a comfortable hotel with a pool overlooking the beach-side green garden. The village is a short walk away or just a couple of minutes on the back of a motorbike. |
Day 14: KutaThere's nothing planned for today, which means that you can relax by the pool or try snorkelling in the clear waters. In the village, you'll meet both locals and tourists with surfboards, as Kuta is the number one spot on Lombok for surfing. If you fancy riding the waves yourself, you can rent a surfboard or arrange a surfing lesson close to the resort. |
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Day 15: Kuta - TetebatuToday, your Indonesia adventure holiday continues from Kuta to Tetebatu at around 6am. On the way, you’ll stop at the small fishing harbour Tanjung Luar, where you can see the schooners coming into the harbour with their early-morning catch. Huge rays and sharks are hauled off the boats here and traded on the market, with fishermen and traders all rushing trying to get the best deal. On the way Tetebatu, you’ll also pass traditional wooden Buginese houses and see the local fishing boats being built.Tetebatu is a small village nestled at the foot of the Rinjani volcano and surrounded by green rice paddies. In roughly 1-2 hours, you can hike to two waterfalls that come crashing down the south side of the Rinjani into the valley below. The locals believe the water has healing powers and regularly visit the waterfalls. A steep path leads down to the pools where you can go swimming - just make sure you wear sturdy boots and take a bottle of water with you. It’s a strenuous hike, though with a refreshing reward at the end. Towards the end of the day you’ll return to Tetebatu where you’ll stay in a small cottage in the amidst the rice paddies, surrounded by tall, waving trees. |
Day 16: TetebatuToday, you'll visit a number of crafts villages. You'll travel on foot along the rims of the rice paddies, by cidomo (horse and cart) and by car to a small village where you'll see the women and children weaving colourful rugs. You’ll have lunch with the local guide who will show you around the village. This is a great place to buy a real Indonesian sarong, because it’s here that they’re actually made. Next, you'll visit a ‘pottery’ village where the locals make the most beautiful vases out of black clay, which are then intricately decorated. You’ll also learn about the different things you can make from bamboo and reed. You’ll stay another night in your bungalow in Tetebatu. |
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Day 17: Tetebatu - Gili MenoFrom Tetebatu, you'll head to the tiny island of Gili Meno for a couple of days of tropical white beaches and some fantastic snorkelling. The Gilis are a cluster of little islands just off the coast of Lombok, far enough from Bali to have maintained their laid-back atmosphere, but close enough to visit on your Indonesia adventure holiday. The beaches are white, the sea is blue, the people are relaxed and the fresh fish is roasting on the barbecue...Your bungalow isn't exactly big, but it's charming, comfortable and close to the beach, with air-conditioning for some cooling relief when the winds drop in the evening. It takes just 1½ hours to walk all the way around the island, but you can also take one of the little horse-drawn carts. On the south side of the island you can buy beautiful Ikat hammocks, which may come in handy on Gili Meno. |
Day 18: Gili MenoThere are several fantastic snorkelling spots around Gili Meno, or you could take a boat trip to one of the other islands (Gili Air and Gili Trawangan) where you'll find even more coral reefs. The outer island - Gili Trawangan - has probably the best beaches of the three on its inner coast.You'll stay another night in your cosy bungalow. |
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Day 19: Gili MenoAnother day with nothing planned. Simply lie in your hammock and gaze out across the sea or spend the day exploring more of the underwater world around the island. In the evening you can lounge around on the cushions that are laid out on the beach. As the candles are lit on the beach-side tables, the sun slowly disappears beyond the horizon. |
Day 20 and 21: Gili Meno - SanurToday, it’s time to make your way back to Bali for the final day of your Indonesia adventure holiday. You’ll take the fast catamaran back to the starting point of your trip - Padangbai - where you’ll be picked up by our driver and transferred to Sanur. You’ll spend your last night in this beach resort, popular with both locals and tourists. The beaches here are beautifully golden in comparison to the black volcanic sand you’ll find in most places on Bali. There are no excursions planned for today, so you can just enjoy this friendly little town, have some dinner in one of the many restaurants and do some last-minute souvenir-shopping.On the morning of Day 21, your Indonesia adventure holiday comes to an end and you'll begin your journey home. The resort is conveniently close to the airport, which means that it won't take long to catch your flight back to the UK. |
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