10 Days Ultimate Bali Tour Package

Duration: 10 Dys / 9 Nights
Priced From: $1,660 pp Dbl. Occ.
Dates: Apr - Mar /09

 

Itinerary

Day 1 Fly USA to Denpasar

Day 2 Cross the Dateline

Day 3 Arrive Bali
An English-speaking Amanusa representative will be holding a sign with your last name on it and greet you as you enter the public Airport Arrivals Hall. You will be taken to your vehicle nearby and transferred to the hotel.

The island's friendly people, Hindu culture, rhythmic dances, volcanoes, sculptured rice paddies, beautiful jungle and mountain scenery, and spectacular beaches-combined with a wide array of accommodations-make it one of the most fascinating places in the world. It's a magical place-despite the ever-expanding, crowded and commercialized tourist spots on the southern coast.

The best way to see the 'real' Bali is to head inland, past rice terraces and across the lush countryside. Any of the resorts can be used as a base to explore the island's sights, but bear in mind that Bali is not a small island, and unless you want to spend all day traveling, it is a good idea to limit day trips to within three hours of where you're staying.

Once you're away from the crowds of tourists, you'll have the best chance of encountering one of the islands many festivals, colorful weddings or ceremonial cremations. Much of Bali's charm is serendipitous, and many of its interesting sites and villages are somewhat off the beaten path, so a flexible, spontaneous attitude is necessary if you want to get the most out of your visit.

Bali is famous for its handicrafts, too-its own as well as those it draws from all over Indonesia. Most of the Balinese handicraft production is focused in the Ubud area and the larger Gianyar region in the south. Each village specializes in a different craft-Celuk in gold and silver, Batuan in miniature paintings and Pengosekan in larger, more boldly colored paintings of traditional village life. Most of these villages are on the way to Ubud from Denpasar.

Included in your 9 night Bali package is one activity per day specially tailored by the Resort Manager

Examples at Amanusa:

    * Guided cycling from Amandari to Ubud via small villages
    * Guided turtle release at Amanusa beach
    * Spa treatments including an Amanusa Balinese massage, Aman facial
    * Sunset tour of Uluwatu Temple
    * Souffle cooking class
    * Beach bale breakfast
    * Afternoon tea at sunset point

Day 4 Amanusa, at leisure (Beach)
This is located on the beachfront of the Bali Golf and Country Club. The Club consists of nine bales, each with two sunloungers. Refreshments, light meals, showers and washrooms are provided. The white-sand beach is one of Bali's best and is fringed by a coral reef. Snorkelling equipment and kayaks are available. The Beach Club is also the setting for candlelit barbecues, and sunrise breakfasts can be enjoyed in the privacy of the bales.

Just 20km offshore and visible from Amanusa on the horizon are the islands of Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan. There are a variety of craft, including a luxury catamaran that can be chartered to visit Nusa Lembongan, which is the more secluded of the two islands. This full-day excursion might include a lunchtime barbecue, exploration of the beach and beach volleyball.

Day 5 Amanusa, at leisure (Close at Hand)
Cooking Tours and Classes: The day starts with an early morning trip to the local vegetable and fish markets where guests can choose ingredients. Next, the cooking class takes a detour through the Jenggala glass and ceramic factory and then to see some coffee being roasted. Back at Amanusa, guests are shown how to cook their favourite Indonesian dishes. Guests can enjoy their creations over lunch.

Shopping: For shopping, the nearby beach strips and streets of Kuta, Legian, Seminyak and Sanur are full of restaurants, bars, handicrafts and antiques. Denpasar, Bali's capital and commercial centre has a major market and museum as well as antique shops and boutiques, easily reached from Amanusa.

Cycling and Touring: Nusa Dua is ideal for relaxed cycling tours on one of Amanusa's bicycles. Village and mountain cycling excursions can also be arranged for the more adventurous. A visit to the ancient Luhur Uluwatu temple, an easy drive from Amanusa, is among the resort's many popular excursions. One of Bali's sad kahyangan, 'the six temples of the heavens' - Luhur Uluwatu is perched high above the sea on an enormous limestone outcropping. Amanusa drivers and guides are available to escort guests on these and other personalised tours.

Island Cruising: About 20km offshore from Bali are the islands of Nusa Penida and Nusa Lembongan. A variety of sailing catamaran can be chartered.

Day 6 Transfer Amanusa to Amandari
Private Vehicle

An Amanusa representative will meet you in the hotel lobby at a predetermined time. You will be transferred by private vehicle to Amandari.

Amandari is perfectly nestled in the heart of Bali's cultural sanctuary, in the lush, jade green sacred valleys of the island's hinterland. It is here, next to Ubud, that one can experience the intriguing layers of Bali's unique spiritual essence.

Included in your 9 night Bali package is one activity per day specially tailored by the Resort Manager.

Examples at Amandari:

    * Guided cycling from Amandari to Ubud via small villages
    * Guided trekking tours to Ayung river, Campuhan, or rice terrace
    * Spa treatments including an Amandari massage, Aman facial
    * Guided tour of local markets
    * Balinese dance class
    * Balinese breakfast in Amandari's private hillside bale
    * Afternoon tea at sunset point

Day 7 Amandari, at leisure (Arts of Ubud)
Amandari guides are local and so they have intimate knowledge of the island and will be happy to show guests Bali's most popular attractions or introduce them to locations not on the main tourist trail. Our guides can also arrange outings to nearby villages for tailor-made guided shopping trips or to Balinese dances which are performed nightly in Ubud and the surrounding areas.

Ubud offers a wealth of arts and crafts with a myriad of small shops, art galleries, museums, painters' studios and the colourful Pasar Seni market which trades in a wide range of clothing, sarongs and gift items. The nearby villages of Tegallang and Jati are noted for their woodcarvings and the village of Celuk is home to numerous jewellers, some of whom will custom-make pieces. South of Tabanan, in Pejaten, one can find traditional pottery.

Day 8 Amandari, at leisure (Adventure)
There is no more exhilarating or scenic way to appreciate the beauty of Bali than by following a trail through the countryside on foot or by bicycle. Amandari offers several invigorating treks including a walk along the Ayung Valley past sacred shrines, rice terraces, mango, coffee and clove trees finishing at Taman Burung Bird Park for breakfast. Cycle rides venture into the mountainous backcountry areas to parts of Bali that are less crowded, more peaceful and all the more rewarding for it. If tranquility is not what you are searching for then white water rafting down the Ayung River will certainly satisfy your thirst for adventure.

Amandari guides have a thorough knowledge of the island and will be happy to show guests Bali's most popular attractions or introduce them to locations not on the main tourist trail. There are many day trips available including Lake Batur, Mount Agung and Ceking, famed for its steeply stacked rice terraces. Guides can also arrange outings to nearby villages for tailor-made guided shopping trips or to Balinese dances which are performed nightly in Ubud and the surrounding areas.

Day 9 Transfer Amandari to Amankila
Private Vehicle

An Amandari representative will meet you in the hotel lobby at a predetermined time. You will be transferred by private vehicle to Amankila.

Starting out from Amankila the 'old Bali' can be explored, uncovering an extraordinary mix of cultural, spiritual and royal heritage. Naturally creative, the Balinese have traditionally used their talents for religious purposes as is exotically evident in this rich and diverse region where villages have maintained the nuances of a lifestyle dating back centuries.

Included in your 9 night Bali package is one activity per day specially tailored by the Resort Manager

Examples at Amankila:

    * Guided East Bali cycling from Amankila to Ubud via small villages
    * Guided East Bali trekking tours to Abian Canang, Indra Kila, or Gumang Hill
    * Morning cruise on Aman XII
    * Spa treatments including an Amankila massage, Aman facial
    * Guided tour of local markets
    * Balinese dance class
    * Traditional palm sugar making
    * Balinese breakfast, lunch, or sunset canapes in Amankila's private hillside bale
    * Afternoon tea at sunset point

Day 10 Amankila, at leisure (East Bali)
A hypnotic mix of religion, royal culture and architectural splendour lie within easy reach of Amankila, in an area often referred to as 'old Bali'. Here, you will find the royal palaces of Klungkung and Karangasem. The last Raja of  Karangasem built his water palaces here: Tirtagangga, now a public bathing area, and Ujung, a grand ruin that, even today, manages to convey the extravagant sweep of kingly ambition.

Royalty aside, East Bali is packed with villages whose way of life has changed little over the centuries. None is more rooted in the past, however, than the closed, religious community of Tenganan. While most of Bali embraced and reinterpreted Hinduism over the centuries, Tenganan has tenaciously held on to its beliefs in its own divine origin. In this tiny society clothing has always been central to ritual. Today, families still painstakingly fashion geringsing or double ikat cloth, a fabric and weave found otherwise only in Gujarat, India.

Two of the island's most important temples, Lempuyang and Besakih, the islands mother temple are also located in East Bali. Luhur Lempuyang is one of Bali's sad kahyangan 'six temples of the heavens'.

Day 11 Amankila, at leisure (Close at Hand)
Cooking Classes: These begin at dawn with a guided tour around a nearby market, where guests can choose fresh ingredients for the Indonesian feast they will learn how to create back at Amankila.

Amankila Bales: Tirta Sari bale is located up in the hills of East Bali offering spectacular views of rice fields, banana trees and Amuk Bay. Bale Abian Canang ('garden of offerings') is also set high on a hill overlooking coconut plantations and Indrakila Hill where Amankila is located. The ocean and coastal views stretch to Nusa Penida and even Lombok on a clear day.

Shopping: Trips can be arranged to several Balinese villages famed for their crafts. In Sideman, textiles from Bali and all over the archipelago can be purchased in an idyllic countryside setting. In Tenganan, there's more on offer than the rare double ikat cloth. From simple wood tables set out along the main town walkway, boys sell lontar-leaf calendars colored with the resin of the macadamia nut. Painted wooden eggs, masks, bamboo hats and wayang puppets hang from shop walls. Baskets too are of the finest quality.

Tennis: Tennis is available in Candi Dasa, about five minutes from the resort.

Trekking: East Bali offers some of the island's finest trekking, ranging from walks through rural villages, tropical forest and terraced rice fields, to mountain climbs and temple visits. Amankila's guides are experts on the local terrain.

Mountain Biking: Amankila provides a number of full-suspension mountain bikes for guest use. Countryside trips can be arranged to the many villages around Amankila. The downhill route leading to Sideman is among the most popular, passing terraced rice fields and ending at one of the island's famed textile villages. Guides are available for personalized tours.

Day 12 Fly Denpasar to USA
An Amankila representative will meet you in the hotel lobby at a predetermined time. You will be transferred by private vehicle to Denpasar Airport.

• Amanusa

• Amandari

• Amankila

3/09