The Art of Bali (10 Nigtht / 11 Days)

Welcome to Bali. Upon arrival at Ngurah Rai Airport, you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Ubud. The rest of your day is at leisure to enjoy your hotel and new Bali surroundings.

Enjoy the morning at leisure to enjoy the tranquil Ubud village. In the afternoon visit two of Bali’s most green initiatives. Firstly, pay a visit to Bali’s Bamboo Factory, a busy hub located on the Agung River where the transformation of bamboo from wild grass to durable building material is showcased. On-site, traditional Balinese craftsmen work alongside a pioneering design firm, IBUKU, to craft sustainable villas, furniture and lots more.On a 1-hour bamboo factory tour, you will be able to see the manufacturing progression from start to finish. You will see how the bamboo is treated and then shaped into all kinds of products including flooring, furniture and doors. Witness the selection of freshly-harvested bamboo and see giant bamboo poles up to 20 meters tall. Learn all about the careful process of turning this abundant plant into construction materials. Observe first-hand the finished product of these master Balinese craftsmen and the advanced innovation of sustainable architecture. This is a rare opportunity to see how bamboo, a natural and plentiful product, can be used to make elegant living and commercial spaces, stylish furniture and many other products for people to live in total harmony with nature.Afterwards, visit elegant mansions made entirely of bamboo. The ideas and creativity used will literally take your breath away, as you see first-hand examples of this creative and artistic work. Set along the terraced slopes of the Ayung River, Green Village is a master-planned community of unique homes, each custom designed, rigorously engineered and hand-constructed to embody the inherent strengths and versatility of bamboo. Discover spectacular homes constructed entirely of bamboo rising up to as many as six floors and totally at one with the natural surroundings.

Your local guide will meet you at your hotel lobby, where you will depart for Celuk Village, famous for its gold and silver workshops. Explore the many cottage industry artisan workshops and galleries, where skilled artisans design and create stunningly intricate jewelry. Learn about the processes and the traditional designs from your informative guide.Balinese woodcarving is considered to be some of the finest in the world. For centuries, Balinese woodcarvers have been creating sculptures influenced by traditional beliefs and Hindu myths. Exploring the Mas Village, famous for its distinctive style of wood sculptures, you will find natural designs, as well as characters from Hindu mythology. Engage with expert carvers who still chisel by hand, making intricate designs and pieces, such as the traditional Balinese masks used in Balinese ritual ceremonies.Your final stop is the artistic heart of Bali, where many local and European artisans have set up workshops and galleries. Explore these galleries with your guide, to obtain a greater understanding of Bali’s art and crafts scene and history. View traditional Balinese paintings as well as a variety of works by contemporary artists, before returning to your vehicle for the return back to your hotel.

Ubud is well known as the artist village of painters, but is also situated in the most spectacular Balinese countryside, which you will also have the opportunity to explore. At our first stop we introduce you to the architecture of traditional Balinese houses which is quite different to that of a modern house. Then we drive up to central Ubud to visit Puri Lukisan museum, where work from famous Bali artists and sculptors is exhibited. Not far from the museum is Puri Saren Ubud, a palace of the latest King of Ubud. The palace is famous for its unique Balinese art design and is very interesting to visit. Just across the road from the palace is the Ubud art market, which sells various Balinese works of art and lots of different arts and crafts. Next we will leave central Ubud to explore the countryside and rice fields of Petulu village, home of the spectacular white herons which arrive in the afternoon around 4 PM and leave in the morning around 9 AM and are quite a sight to see.

Enjoy the morning at leisure to enjoy Ubud village.Spend an evening in Ubud, Bali’s artistic heart. There’s time to browse around the art galleries and craft shops and have dinner at one of the many restaurants before watching one of the varied cultural performances.When the Regent of Ubud, Cokorda Gede Agung, founded the painters co-operative and a dance troupe and a gamelan orchestra in the 1930s, his intention was to ensure the preservation and development of Balinese arts. Gradually, Ubud and neighboring Peliatan village became a mecca for painters, dancers, musicians and writers alike. Even today, the gentle pace of life, the village atmosphere, the wholesome cooking of the eating houses, the wealth of Balinese culture and the quality crafts all prove irresistible to the discerning visitor to Ubud.

Today, visit the John Hardy Ubud Workshop and Boutique, an oasis just outside Bali’s creative hub, Ubud. With impressive architecture made from sustainable materials set amid 400 lush acres, you can watch artisans and designers at work creating beautiful hand-crafted jewelry sold at around 700 retail locations across 27 countries, including brand boutiques in New York, Houston, Miami, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Bali. Find your next signature piece from their on-site boutique, Kapal Bamboo Boutique, a 90-foot- tall bamboo cathedral built in the shape of a ship’s hull where you can purchase jewelry and view John Hardy’s new collection as well as all the limited editions.Continue on to visit the Ubud Royal Palace, one of the most prominent places in Ubud. The palace is regarded as one of Ubud’s most famous landmarks, with its well-preserved Balinese architecture and charming garden setting and is best known among lovers of Balinese arts as one the main sites to view one of the many dramatic evening dance performances.

Today, you will transfer to Seminyak, which will take approximately 1,5 hours depending on local traffic. Begin your half-day sightseeing tour at Puputan Square, an attractive open square located in the city center. This classic urban park draws many locals and is a great place to learn about Bali’s colonial history. You’ll find a monument depicting a heroic Balinese family in the square, which commemorates the suicidal battle of the rajas of Badung against the invading Dutch militia in 1906.Next, head to the Bali Museum, located near the former royal palace of Denpasar. Spend30-40 minutes exploring its collection that ranges from prehistoric finds to early 20th century art. Four main buildings inside the museum showcases Indonesia’s rich history and cultural heritage. View displays of theatrical masks, musical instruments, sculptures, paintings and textiles. You’ll see scale models depicting ritualistic Balinese tooth filling, marriage and cremation ceremonies, which your guide will explain to you in detail.A visit to Denpasar isn’t complete without experiencing the colorful pasar (Indonesian for ‘market’), where locals sell their products and haggle over prices. Pasar Badung is Bali’s largest food market and features fruits, spices and other edible goods sourced from the entire island of Bali. After an opportunity to browse and bargain, spend approximately 1.5 hours at one of the new supermarkets, the equivalent of a department store, where you will find all sorts of different Balinese foods to buy.Your last stop is the Bali Art Center, a traditional Balinese building with a permanent exhibition of modern paintings and woodcarvings. Also known as Taman Budaya or Bali Culture Park, the vast complex is also a great example of traditional Balinese architecture. Your half-day tour ends with drop-off at your hotel.

This morning is at leisure to enjoy exploring Seminyak or perhaps enjoying a swim and sunbathe at the beach.In the afternoon, you will be transferred to the village of Batubulan to see three dances. When in Bali you simply must view three of the most famous dances in the country. Sanghyang or Trance Dance, Kecak or Monkey Dance and the Fire Dance are three performances that will not want to miss when visiting Bali.Taken from the Hindu epic Ramayana, the Kecak dance is perhaps the most dramatic. The dance tells the story of Prince Rama and his rescue of Princess Sita, kidnapped by the evil King of Lanka. The dance is performed by a troupe of over 50 bare-chested men who serve as the chorus, providing an orchestral accompaniment with complex and varied chants that accompany their swaying movements. There are literally dozens of different dances, each one part of the fascinating Balinese culture. Generally the only music to accompany the dancers are the beats of their palms hitting their chests, their thighs, or other parts of their bodies, or their claps, rhythmically accompanied by shouting and chanting. Flickering torches provide lighting and make for a dramatic atmosphere.The Fire Dance is a show where the dancer becomes entranced and is able to dance on hot coals without feeling any pain at all and the Saghyang or Trance Dance was traditionally performed as an exorcism to promote peace and health within the village.

Learn all about traditional music from Bali and how to play the Balinese instrument called the gamelan with a private teacher at the quiet and beautiful Gulingan Village. Enjoy the experience of playing traditional Balinese music and enjoy your unique lesson and the music with your local instructor.Upon arrival at the Balinese compound, a welcome drink and traditional snacks will be served. The instructor will begin teaching you the basics, introducing various different instruments and performing a demonstration. After this, you can choose which instrument you would like to play. After your music lesson, there is an opportunity for you to take a walk in the temple surrounding the Balinese compound or community hall and really get a good feel for traditional life on Bali, certain to be a great experience and one you can treasure.

Enjoy full day at leisure to pursue independent activities.

After breakfast, get ready to bid farewell to Bali. Transfer to Ngurah Rai International Airport for your onward flight.