No matter what you long for, you can find it in Bali. This smiling country with its amazing nature and friendly people is so much more than sandy beaches. Here you experience religion close to life with festivals and processions. The tropical nature feels close and you are never far from the sea. See a2zdirectory for history of Indonesia.
You enjoy the life of the people on Petittenget beach, live luxury life on the elegant Jimbaran beach and walk barefoot on Sanur beach. In Ubud there is always a procession, a wedding or a feast to celebrate. The adventurous can go rafting in the rapids or cycle along the rice fields and those who want to enjoy slowly take a massage or yoga on the beach. The eastern part of the island has pebble beaches and crystal clear water for diving, in the north you go on black lava beaches and look for dolphins.
Along the south coast of Bali runs a string of pearls of golden-yellow beaches; from surf waves and family picnics on Petitenget, elegant Jimbaran beach with luxury hotels and lots of small restaurants by the beach to peaceful Nusa Dua and Sanur with sand, promenade and the lively village with shops, restaurants, temples and dragons flying on the beach.
If you want to go further, we recommend three small islands; Gili Trawangan, Gili Air and Gili Meno. These offer the whitest beaches and the bluest sea imaginable. At Gili Trawangan, diving companies and restaurants are crowded together, in the evening there is a cinema on the beach and during the day you swim, snorkel and dive. On Air and Meno the pace is slower, you enjoy the sun, the sea, the beach and the tranquility.
Bali’s little captivating Muslim sister Lombok offers a completely different world away from tourists. Domestic markets, Mattaram as the simplest of capitals where horse-drawn carriages, bicycles and cars coexist on the streets. Long black, golden & white beaches to walk on and prayer euphoria in the distance.
Day 1 Departure from Scandinavia
Departure from Scandinavia to Denpasar Bali with scheduled flights, stopover with flight change on the way. Food and drink are served on board, which makes the trip short and comfortable. The flight time to Bali is a total of about 16 hours, you fly east with the constant air currents, which makes the flight time one hour shorter than on the return. Indonesia is 6 hours ahead of Sweden in summer and 7 hours before winter.
Day 2 Arrival Bali
How to land on Bali – Island of the Gods at Nguarh Rai Airport. After passport and customs formalities, you will be met by our representative and driver who will drive you to your hotel. You live in Sanur, Bali’s oldest and quietest charming seaside resort. The transfer time from the airport is only 20 minutes and you now have the rest of the day to rest and catch up with the time difference. In the vicinity of the hotel there are both shops and restaurants with a large selection of different cuisines and flavors. Why not take the opportunity to enjoy local delicacies such as satay or nasi goreng?
Day 3 Kecac and BBQ
A relaxing day by the pool or beach. In the afternoon you will be picked up at the hotel to see a suggestive performance of the dance Kecak at the Pura Luhur Uluwatu Temple – Uluwatu’s High Temple – followed by a BBQ dinner on Jimbaran Beach under the tropical night sky. The temple, perched high on a cliff that plunges steeply into the Pacific Ocean, is one of the six latitude temples that protect Bali from evil forces. The temple houses both powerful deities and long-fingered monkeys. ( F , M )
Day 4-5 Sanur
Lazy days in Sanur. Here you can also fish or take an evening trip in a “jukung” – a traditional outrigger. In the heart of the village is an old Balinese community. There are many small shops with beautiful Balinese products and crafts. The nightlife is more unpretentious than at Kuta Beach but there are plenty of restaurants as well as some pubs and cafes. ( F )
Day 6 Ubud
The journey goes towards Bali’s cultural heart point Ubud, past the village of Batabulan where the road is lined with stone sculptures and with a stop at the forging artists in the village of Maas. You also stop to see typical Balinese houses with the traditional wall “aling-aling”, which protects the house entrance. Here, on the slopes of volcanoes among dense rainforest, you will be accommodated in one of the beautiful and typically Balinese hotels in the village, why not the traditional Hotel Tjampuhan, built in 1928 and intended for the Prince of Ubud guests. The hotel offers fabulous environments, and inspired artists both from Bali and from the West. ( F )
Day 7 Ubud
You have the morning on your own to discover and explore this distinctive village with its craft shops and markets. Religion is always present in Balinese everyday life and surely you see some form of religious solemnity or procession. Early afternoon you will be picked up to make an excursion on the Ayung River. You are equipped with a helmet and life jacket and together with a skilled skipper you make a journey down the river, past rice fields, dense vegetation and jungle. After this adventure, a small meal is served as a refreshment before you drive back to the hotel in Ubud. ( F , L )
Day 8 Ubud – Gili Islands
Early morning and early breakfast for further journey to Padang Bay from where you take the boat to Gili Trawangan. The journey takes about 1.5 hours and you then dock at the main bridge on Gili Trawangan. From here you go to your hotel or take a horse-drawn carriage, there are no motor vehicles on the island. There is accommodation for all budgets and tastes, everything from ultra-luxurious villas with private pool to simple little creeps. Along the main street there are lots of dive shops, restaurants, bars and a few small shops. In the evening you can lie down at the outdoor cinema on the beach and watch a movie while eating or just having a drink. ( F )
Day 9 Gili Trawangan – Gili Meno – Gili Air
Here at Gili Trawangan you can snorkel directly from the beach, there is equipment to rent at most hotels and also at the beach. If you want, you can go on a snorkeling trip with one of the many organizers or rent your own boat with crew to explore the neighboring islands Gili Meno and Gili Air. You can also stay here, but the range of hotels is more limited, but a lunch at Scallywags on Gili Air provides pleasant memories for many cold winters ahead. ( F )
Day 10 Gili – Lombok
After breakfast in peace and quiet, the boat goes the short distance over to Lombok, here you meet and drive to your hotel. You can either choose to stay on the white beaches on the northeast side of the island, about 2 hours from the capital Mattaram or on one of the beaches closer to the ferry camp such as Senggigi Beach or Mangsit Beach. Here the water is clear and the sand black, soft lava sand. At Senggigi there are also many good restaurants and some shops. ( F )
Day 11-13 Lombok
Here at Lombok, time has not really caught up with the rest of the world. The pace is calm and pleasant, the beaches untouched and the curious and enthusiastic traveler has the opportunity to discover something completely new! The small capital Mattaram has a couple of exciting and colorful markets, here is also a small shopping center. You can also make day trips back to one of the Gili Islands or explore Lombok if you do not just choose to laze on the beach. ( F )
Day 14 – Return
There is plenty of time for a dip in the pool or the sea before you start the journey home. You fly from Lombok to Denpasar and then on to Scandinavia with stopovers just like on the departure. ( F )
Day 15 – Homecoming
Overnight stays
Four nights in Sanur
Two nights in Ubud
Two nights at Gili
Two nights at Lombok
