Tailor-made Bali Island Travel Experiences -

Bali – Island of Myths! Set spectacularly amidst the vast expanse of the Indian Ocean, Bali boasts cultural diversity, ancient temples, lush landscapes, picturesque rice terraces, charming and luxurious hotels as well as friendly and hospital locals. Bali is a world of wonder. The fragrance from thousands of incense sticks floats on the warm air and mingles with that of exotic spices and freshly picked flowers. The landscape is like a three dimensional painting with rice terraces climbing up the hillsides and dominant green and yellow colours. Bali is paradise! Bali is the island of the gods in the Indian Ocean. Welcome! And then, of course, there are the cultural and culinary charms to enjoy: The age-old culture is known for its warm-hearted hospitality and culinary diversity as well as its artists. Many of the locals make their living working on the rice fields. However, in their time off they are often talented dancers, wood-carvers, painters or musicians. Bali’s South boasts lively and entertaining seaside towns that invite you to explore to your heart’s full content. Then again, you might just decide to kick off your shoes for a few blissful hours of daydreaming on the beach. Wonderful landscapes and romantic fishing villages invariably cast their charm on every visitor. With the passing of the years, Bali’s Southeast has become famous for a number of notable arts villages: Ubud has evolved into a painter’s hotspot, Mas is known for its talented wood-workers and Celuk for its silversmiths. These are the perfect places to pick up a portable memory or a gift for your loved ones back home. The products here are a great addition to the standard off the rack souvenirs but offer a much greater quality. Bali’s textile trade is firmly in the hands of the island’s women. More than a trade it is a form of art: The elaborate Songket textile are threaded with gold and silver and worked into a festive sarongs for special occasions. The Ikat weaving technique is esteemed a traditional and highly sophisticated technique in all of Indonesia. However, in the Balinese village Tenganan in the East, the women have gone a step further and mastered the so-called Double Ikat. In Tenganan it is not just the women that have had an original idea. The men maintain an ancient tradition: creating Lontar books. Lontar palm tree leaves are dried and pressed before they are painted with old Balinese texts and illustrations. An oil and soot solution is applied to make the images visible. Bali has a number of attractions that you should not miss. Among them is the Gitgit Waterfall, the highest in the region. The village Jatiluwih on the other hand, is famous for its marvellous look-out commanding a magnificent view out over the gently curved rice terraces. Kintamani is the departure point for hikes up to the Gunung Batur Volcano, which features two peaks rising high above the crater lake located just below the village. What will it be today? Swimming and surfing on the Southwest Coast, kite surfing on the Southeast Coast in Sanur and Nusa Dua, snorkelling, diving, volcano hiking or rafting in Gunung Agung or hiking and bird watching in the national park? Nature is as multi-facetted as the culture on the “island of gods and daemons”. A recommendation goes to the mountain lakes near Bedugul. Lakes, mountains and misty forests are the perfect backdrop for exciting hikes. Then, a change of scenery: In central Bali, rice is cultivated on terraced, wet fields implementing an intricate watering system. It is an age-old system that historians believe to have existed since the days before the birth of Jesus Christ. The two volcanoes Gunung Batur and Gunung Agung are considered holy mountains. Certainly, they are spectacular! And when will you have the chance again to get so close to the seat of the gods, as the Balinese people believe? Consequently, the mountainsides are bristling with temples open to visitors. On every road, in every town and frequently even on the fields or in the lakes you can find shrines dedicated to one of the gods. The largest and most important is the “mother temple” Besakih. Smaller but just as charming are Pura Ulun Danu Batur, the garden temple Mengwi and the sea temple Tanah Lot. Having filled the cultural cup to the brim, you may toast in honour of the beaches. In fact, the beaches are no less diverse and fascinating than the temples. Wide, long and golden – the beaches between Tuban, Kuta and Legian are legendary. These are the spots the surfers flock to. Backpackers arrive from all over the world and, of course, there is plenty of entertainment. Amlapura, in the East, is celebrated for its water palace dating back to the 17th and 18th century. To leave his own mark on history, the province’s last Raja constructed a second water palace in 1940. Unfortunately, both palaces were severely damaged in 1963 and today only the sweeping gardens are open to the public. They are very well maintained and adorned with scenic fountains and gurgling streams – perfect for a stroll among the lush vegetation. Another wonderful day out is the trip out to Lake Bratan. The scenic drive takes you through some of Bali’s most picturesque landscapes, past lush, green rice fields and endless curves up into the highlands. Here, the views out over cloud-topped volcanoes, deep valleys and the distant coastline open up. Keep driving to go past coffee, cacao and vanilla plantations before arriving on the shore of the lake. And it is here on Lake Bratan that you will find the already mentioned temple Pura Ulun Danu Batur, dedicated to the water goddess. Bali! Leave your everyday life far, far, far behind. Unplug from it all, allow yourself to be pampered, set off exploring, enjoying the island’s many marvels and natural wonders. It will be a pleasure for the experienced team of INTOSOL travel consultants to tailor a Bali holiday to your specifications and ideas. We make Indonesia dreams come true!

* price per person/week including flight