Bali & Java Cultural Experience

Day 1

Arrive Jogjakarta (no meal)

Today your journey to Indonesia begins. Upon your arrival at Jogjakarta’s International Airport will be met by your English speaking tour guide who is waiting outside of the arrival hall and who will escort you to the waiting area. Your private bus is waiting for you to bring you to your hotel in the city.

Day 2

Dieng Plateau & Borobudur (B/L)

Enjoy a delightful scenic drive this morning through villages and paddy field areas, firstly travel to the most spectacular scenic points and an ancient pilgrim’s retreat in Central Java. Ding, a silent mountain plateau with its eerie strangeness and proximity to the heavens is apparently called the Abode of the Gods. Some interesting natural sites can be visited such as the active volcanoes craters, sulfur spring and hot geyser and the beauty of the two-colored lake. Enjoy dramatic scenery as we drive through the tea and tobacco plantations of Sindoro-Sumbing valley, some of the most spectacular countryside you will ever see. Then proceed to Borobudur temple, on of the worlds’ most famous temples, as the largest and most complete ensemble of Buddhist reliefs in the world Buddha’s shine was built in six square platforms topped by three circular platforms, and is decorated with 1,460 stone relief panels and 504 life-size Buddha statues, each sculpted from a single stone. the monument occupies a modest plateau and from the top gallery, beautiful views of Central Java are revealed.

Day 3

Jogjakarta & Prambanan (B/L/D)

A visit of Jogjakarta, the former capital city of Indonesia and the remaining active sultanate in the country is a must. Jogjakarta is the busiest city each of Jakarta. Jogger, as it is often called, is a major university town and a royal capital complete with a functioning palace or Kraton. Like the Vatican, the palace is a city within a city. The heart of the palace remains the home of the sultan and his immediate family. Beyond the innermost sanctum, the Kraton is a public place where dance is taught and performed and festivals are commonplace. Your first stop will be made at the Sultan Palaces, and nearby Taman Sari Water Castle, once a royal park and bathing pond. Afterwards a visit of the souther outskirts of Jogjakarta will show you the center of silver and Batik fabrics home industry in Kota Gede. Local lunch will be served in a renovated part of the former family palace. Only a few will be served in a renovated part of the former family palace. Only a few kilometers east of Jogjakarta, lies an ancient Hindu complex, Prambanan, incorporating hundreds of temples strewn across the plains. Its central attraction is the elegant and romantic Loro Jonggrang temples, with its many courtyards, enclosures, shrines and sculptures. Built in the 10th century, this i the largest temple compound dedicated to Shiva in Indonesia. Rising above the center of the last of these concentric squares are three temples decorated with reliefs illustrating the epic of the Ramayana, dedicated to the three great Hindu divinities Shiva, Vishnu and Brahma and three smaller temples dedicated to the animals who serve them. In the evening you will enjoy your dinner together with the famous performance of the Ramayana Ballet with the silhouette of the temples in the background.

Day 4

Jogjakarta – Denpasar (B/D)

A last breakfast at the hotel and then it’s time to say good-bye to Java. Your tour guide will meet you at the hotel lobby for your transfer to the airport. The drive to the airport will bring back some memories of the last days and let you again experience the vibrant city of Jogjakarta and its surroundings. Board the plane from Jogjakarta to Denpasar.
Arrival in Denpasar at the domestic airport your tour guide will meet you outside of the arrival hall and escort you to your private vehicle for your short transfer to Nusa Dua. Dinner will be served in the hotel.

Day 5

Cliff Temple and Kecak Dance (B/D)

Wake up on a beautiful morning and enjoy the first half of the day on your own to relax on the beach or stroll around Nusa Dua. In the afternoon enjoy a pleasant short ride along the hills of Bali’s souther peninsula. This area, known as Bukit, offers a landscape and topography unequaled by any other region of the island. Unlike the majority lush tropical country sides which owed their fertile soils to the volcanoes that dotted the central highlands, this arid terrain-formed by millennia of coral sedimentations i a world of its own. In the corner of this peninsula, perched on a sheer cliff, is a highly venerated Uluwatu temple, also called Monkey Temple due to its large group of monkeys living around it. A performance of the Ramayana epic-based Kecak Dance with the majestic temple and sunset as its background, will give a climax to this memorable evening. The tour ends up at Jimbaran Beach to enjoy a fresh Seafood dinner, service directly on the beach.

Day 6

The Wonderland of Bali (B/L)

This fascinating full day tour will take you to the highland of Bedugul where you will visit the colorful fruit and flower market at Candi Kuning. Nearby, the 17^th century Ulun Danu Temple, on th shore of lake Beraton is worthwhile to visit. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. En-route visits will also be paid to Mengwi, where the famous Taman Ayun was built for the Price of Tabanan in the early 17^th century. This important temple is surrounded by a large boat, signifying the world of the ocean. The beautiful evening will be ended with a spectacular sunset at the famous Tanah Lot Temple, built on a volcanic out-crop on Bali’s rugged west coast. Later you will be driven back to the resort.

Day 7

Nusa Dua (B)

Enjoy this day on your own to relax on the pool of your hotel or do some shopping in one of the various and colorful boutiques and ateliers of Nusa Dua.

Day 8

Jimbaran – Ubud (B)

After breakfast, today you will be checking out from your hotel in Nusa du and enjoy a full day of a sightseeing transfer to Ubud. Leaving the south of Bali area, you will first drive to the artisan village of Batubulan where you will watch the performance of Barong Dance, a Balinese dance depicting the eternal fight of good and evil. Proceed form Batubulan, you will drive through the artisan villages of Celuk and Mas known for their artistry in silver smiths, stone & wood carving and paintings and art crafts. Drive uphill to Kintamani, here you can enjoy the magnificent view of Mount and Lake Batur. Here you will also have the chance to have lunch at a local restaurant (included). From Kintamani, drive to Ubud where you will be dropped off at your hotel.

Day 9

Colorful Bali (B/L/D)

Start your day with a delicious breakfast before you join your guide to tour around Ubud, get inside tips of all your needs and start Ubud with a visit of the famous Monkey Forest. Don’t get to close in touch with the strong characterized macaques who live here and let the atmosphere of the 3 temples within the forest impress you. Follow the Monkey Forest road with its countless colorful shops, boutique, unique cafes, art galleries, hotels and smaller villa resorts – bargain at market stalls which offers a huge variety of local goods and test your negotiation skills. Take your time to see at least one of the bigger rewarded museums in Ubud, either the Neka, the Arma or the Puri Lukisan. The Royal Palace is also worth a visit and a lot of crafts workshops are waiting for you to explore the traditional Balinese arts. Take a break after a short walk through the rice fields in the middle of Ubud at a simple bamboo cafe, the Sari Organic Cafe, have a healthy late lunch or a refreshing afternoon break before discovering more secrets of Ubud – and later let your guide organize for you a visit of a traditional Balinese Dance performance or a Wayang Shadow play- and after the performance, maybe still shown at the premises of the real palaces enjoy your dinner at the romantic Lotus restaurant with its huge lotus pond with hundreds of lotus flowers in it and a holy temple as its backdrop.

Day 10

East Bali (B/L)

Today you will drive to the East of Bali. While Bali’s roads are rarely quiet, there are some lovely out-of-the-way village streets for nature lovers. It’s not unusual to encounter at least one village festival or temple ceremony along the way. visit the royal family Hindu temple in Kehen and enjoy a refreshing lunch-stop at Mahagiri with an incredible view over rice terraces to the holiest mounting of the Balinese, the 3000 m high Gunung Agung. Drive through the most scenic and traditional rural areas and mountain villages, along snakeskin fruit plantations near the village of Selat and finally arrive at the highlight of today, the village of Tenganan. An ancient fortress village which i perhaps one of the most secluded and conservative villages on the island of Bali, protected by a strict code of isolationism, this ordinal Bali Aga village has retained its unique culture and customs over the centuries. Tenganan retains its ancient pre-Hindu customs through a strong code of non-fraternization with outside, further enforced by the protection of its surrounding walls.
The drive back to Ubud leads the main road – but before reaching the main road to Denpasar airport you will pass some picturesque coastal villages as Kusamba and will see Goa Lawah, an old temple built in front of a cave inhabit by hundreds of bats. Take all of these unique experience with you on the way back to your hotel and enjoy experiencing & discovering Bali.

Day 11

Ubud and surroundings (B/L)

After breakfast you will visit the most important temples around Ubud. Start at the Tirta Empul Temple, a Hindu temple famous for its holy water, where the Balinese go for purification. Continue to the Royal Tombs of Gunung Kawi, one of Bali’s oldest and largest ancient monuments. Gurung Kawi consists of 10 rock-cut shrines, which are memorials cut out of the rock face in imitation of actual statues. Afterwards you will visit Goa Gajah, locally known as the Elephant Cave because of its close proximity to the Elephant River. A mysterious cave, relics and ancient bathing pools set amid green rice paddies. Lunch will be served at a local restaurant. Return to Ubud in the afternoon.

Day 12

Grey Giants (B/L)

Take you time and enjoy a totally relaxed breakfast this morning. Before lunch you will be picked up to experience a special place near Ubud at the tropical rainforest in Taro, the Elephant Safari Park, often rewarded as the best Elephant Park in Asia, is a place where endangered elephants found a new home and are being trained and taken care of. Before riding on an elephant enjoy the buffet lunch provided at the park. You will ride your elephant through the lush green tropical forest, feed the elephant accompanied by their professional Mahouts (elephant trainer) and see the Elephant Talent show, during which the animals demonstrate their unbelievable strength and skills while performing the traditional work of an elephant in the forest.

This training is important to keep the animals occupied and feeling well by enabling them to live a secure and interesting life at the park. After this unforgettable impression you will be transferred back to your resort.

Day 13

Ubud (B)

Enjoy this day on your own to relax on the pool of your hotel or do some shopping in one of the various and colorful boutiques and ateliers of Ubud.

Day 14

Depart Ubud (B)

Depending on departure flight time you still might have some time at the resort for leisure. Please be prepared to be ready for your transfer to the airport 3 hour prior to your departure time. Your tour guide will await you in the lobby of your hotel and will bid farewell from the airport for you to depart to your final destination.

Hyatt Regency Yogjakarta
Yogjakarta

Melia Purosani
Yogjakarta

Nusa Dua Beach
Nusa Dua

Grand Mirage
Nusa Dua

Maya Ubud Resort & Spa
Ubud

Pertiwi Resort
Ubud