Bali and Sumba

Sunday, 02 April 2023

Fly to Bali

Depart in the evening on the overnight flight to Denpasar, via Doha.

 

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Monday, 03 April 2023

Arrive in Bali, transfer to Ubud 

After arriving early morning, you will be met by your guide and transferred to the deluxe Samsara Hotel, Ubud for a 4 night stay on a bed and breakfast basis with lunch included each day. This is also the opportunity for our guide to provide you with expert local advice, explain your programme and answer any questions you may have. The rest of the day is at leisure to relax at your hotel. 

Tuesday, 04 April 2023

Mas Village

Today you will get a true taste of local Balinese culture, traditions and lifestyles. We visit Mas, a small village  known for its wood carving tradition. You will have the chance to try your hand at carving as well as learning how to cook Balinese dishes as they prepare your included lunch.

After lunch, return to Ubud with a visit to ARMA Museum (Agung Rai Museum of Art) and enjoy one of the best permanent collections of Balinese and Indonesian paintings. We also visit the Monkey forest and local market.

Return to your hotel to freshen before witnessing a traditional dance performance and included dinner in one of Ubud’s famous restaurants, The Bridges.

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Wednesday, 05 April 2023

Taman Ayun and Bedugul

Today we explore Bedugul, an area of the central highlands famous for its stunning beauty and three lakes. Stop at the Royal Temple of Mengwi, built in 1634 to serve as the family temple of the Mengwi dynasty. Continue to the traditional market of Bedugul where a myriad of locally-grown fruits, vegetables and orchids are for sale. Visit Lake Bratan, one of Bedugul’s three natural lakes. Admire the views of the peaceful waters and snap photos of Ulun Danu, a 17^th-century temple located on the lake’s edge. 

Enjoy an included lunch on the slopes of Mount Batukaru, Bali’s second highest mountain. 

Thursday, 06 April 2023

Fly to Sumba

Transfer to Denpasar Airport and take a domestic flight to Sumba. On arrival, your guide will transfer you to the Sumba Nautil Resort for a 2-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis. The rest of the day is at leisure.

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Friday, 07 April 2023

Waikabubak, Anakalang and Lamboya

After breakfast, we drive to Waikabubak, the small capital of West Sumba where we visit the villages of Tarung and Waitabar with their unique architecture and high thatched roofs.

Enjoy an included lunch at the local restaurant 

Continue to Anakalang, an area known for its unique funeral traditions. According to anthropologists, Sumba culture is the closest approximation of a living culture to the cultures that existed during Neolithic and Bronze Ages. We explore these unique practices with visits to the Royal Tombs in Pasunga & Gogali Villages.

We also visit the remote village of Praiijing, one of the most beautiful villages in the Waikabubak area and onto the Lamboya area in the Southern part of West-Sumba. The drives passes stunning panoramas over valleys and the Indian Ocean.

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Saturday, 08 April 2023

Kodi to Tambolaka

Today we visit the local market in Waikabubak and continue to Mandorak Beach, located in the Kodi area in the northwestern end of the island. 

Kodi is a region rich in traditional villages, funeral sites and beautiful pristine beaches - some of them famous for their legendary waves. The narrow road passes through maize and cassava fields as well as cashew nuts and teak plantations. Kodi is also a stronghold of Merapu culture. The region is famous for its Pasolas. A “Pasola” is a unique and impressive ritual joust performed by Western Sumbanese where two groups of men from two clans (usually between 50 to 100 men per group) ride local horses and demonstrate their strength and warrior skills by throwing wooden spears to their opponents. Pasolas are usually held in February or March to celebrate the rice planting season. Unfortunately, exact dates are only released a few days before the event.

Enjoy the picnic lunch at the Mandorak House, a relief project from European travelers to help the Kodi tribe preserve their culture and way of life. The house overlooks a beautiful pristine beach where there is an opportunity to swim and relax. 

Continue to nearby Wainyapu, the most impressive traditional village in the Kodi region: This amazing village, built on a cliff overlooking the Indian Ocean, is notable for the height of its thatched roofs made of bamboo. Ask one of the friendly local’s permission to look inside one of their houses, they will be proud to show their unique and charming homes. 

Afterwards, drive to Tambolaka and check in to your hotel located on Pantai Kita, a 5 kilometer-long idyllic and still very virgin white sandy beach. We stay here for 3-nights on a bed and breakfast basis. 

 

Overnight at the hotel in Pantai Kita near Tambolaka. 

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Sunday, 09 April 2023

At leisure

Relax at your hotel, on the beach or explore Sumba.

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Monday, 10 April 2023

At leisure

Enjoy your last day on the island of Sumba.

Tuesday, 11 April 2023

Travel to Candidasa

Transfer to the airport and fly back to Bali. We then travel to Candidasa and check into the beachside Alila Manggis Hotel for a 3-night stay on a bed and breakfast basis. The rest of the day is at leisure. 

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Wednesday, 12 April 2023

Exploring Eastern Bali

Set off for a full day exploring eastern Bali’s many wonders. We start with a drive to Karangasem regency to visit Besakih temple. Drive into the hills. Enjoy the breeze and the views while traveling with the top down toward Mt Agung, Bali’s largest volcano. We then stop at the ancient sanctuary of Besakih. 

After taking a break for an included lunch, continue driving through mile after mile of beautiful landscapes to the sacred Tirta Gangga water palace. 

Our final visit is to Tenganan, a charming village of the Bali Aga people. Take a walk around the village to see the traditional ways of life of the people and witness weavers making complicated ikat cloths believed to have magical qualities.

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Thursday, 13 April 2023

At leisure

Enjoy a day at leisure at your hotel.

Friday, 14 April 2023

Departure for return flight

Transfer to Denpasar International airport for your daytime flight back to the UK.