Tour 1 – The classic tour
This excursion takes you to some of Bali's best-known places and is the perfect introduction to the island's culture and social fabric. As a follow-up we recommend the "Hidden Bali" tour.
Participants are picked up directly from their hotel in a VW "Kübelwagen" and meet our guide at the Tanah Lot sea temple. After a stroll around this much-photographed site in the Indian Ocean, the tour continues through the district capital of Tabanan and up into the mountains, through enchanting scenery to the Pura Luhur temple in the jungle on the slopes of Mount Batu Karu. Set in the rainforest, this sanctuary is among the oldest on the island and traces back to an ancient Javanese culture.
We then follow a small country road past Bali's most beautiful rice terraces to Jatiluwih – the name means "most beautiful view" – and through remote little mountain villages to the village of Pacung. After the lunch break we visit the colourful flower, fruit and spice market of Candikuning near Bedugul. The stop at the Ulun Danu temple on Lake Bratan, 1,200 metres above sea level, is one of the special experiences of this trip.
To round off this varied day tour we visit a typical Balinese family compound in Baha, north of Mengwi, to see everyday village life "behind the walls". Then return to your hotel.
The highlights at a glance
- Tanah Lot – "land in the sea": a temple built on a coastal rock in the 15th century at the behest of the Hindu priest Danghyang Niratha to ward off demons
- Pura Luhur on Batu Karu – main temple of the western compass direction, some 800 metres up in the rainforest, dedicated to the mountain god Maha Dewa
- Jatiluwih – Bali's most impressive rice terraces, with views to the coast on clear days
- Bedugul market – trading hub for fruit, vegetables, spices and flowers from all over the island
- Pura Ulun Danu on Lake Bratan – lake temple of the water goddess Dewi Danu
- Baha village – beautifully kept compounds whose residents happily welcome visitors
Pick-up times
| Hotel area | Pick-up |
|---|---|
| Ubud, Sanur, Nusa Dua, Tanjung Benoa, Jimbaran | 7:00 am |
| Kuta, Legian, Seminyak | 7:15 am |