Compare Breathtaking Bali by SmarTours vs Discover Indonesia's Eastern Islands by Explore!

Day 1-2: USA to Bali

Your unforgettable adventure to Bali begins this evening as you check-in for your flight bound for Hong Kong. You’ll cross the International Date Line and jump forward one day en route.

Passengers who did not purchase flights will join the tour on Day 3 in Ubud.

Day 3: Arrive In Ubud

Meals: Dinner

This morning, wake up in Hong Kong and board your onward flight to Bali. Upon arrival, you’ll be met and transferred to your hotel. This evening, enjoy a welcome dinner at a local restaurant.

Hotel Plataran Ubud Hotel or similar

Day 4: Ubud

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

Welcome to Bali, the Island of the Gods. After breakfast, we’ll travel to the village of Sebatu, home to a stunning collection of temples. The Balinese locals are a deeply spiritual people and here we’ll have the opportunity to explore these structures and learn how they continue to play an important role in the lives of the pious locals. After an illuminating guided tour, we’ll travel uphill and deeper into the village to visit the site of the area’s holy water. Here, our guide will help us put on a traditional Balinese sarong and lead us in how to pray to the gods. The color of each offering has a distinct significance and we’ll learn how each hue represents a different prayer. After the procession, dip into the holy water, considered an important cleansing ritual. Afterwards, we’ll enjoy a traditional lunch at a local restaurant with a view of the green valley. The afternoon is yours to explore Bali independently or relax and enjoy your hotel’s amenities.

Day 5: Ubud/Candidasa

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

After breakfast, we’ll check out of our Ubud hotel and head to a traditional Balinese kitchen for an exciting cooking class at Kayun Restaurant. Our lesson begins with a visit to the local market where we’ll handpick fresh ingredients with the guidance of our professional chef. Back in the kitchen, we’ll learn traditional Balinese cooking methods before crafting authentic local flavors from scratch. We’ll feast on the dishes we’ve created before continuing today’s journey to Candidasa. Along the way we’ll visit Kusamba, the traditional sea salt harvesting village, and Goa Lawah, a unique temple which is also home to thousands of bats.

Hotel | Ramayana Candidasa Resort & Spa or similar

Day 6: Candidasa

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

After breakfast, we’ll begin our exploration of East Bali. Our first visit will be to Tenganan Village, more commonly known as Bali Aga, the home of the original inhabitants of Bali. Continue to Tirta Gangga Water Palace where we’ll enjoy lunch at Tirta Ayu Restaurant, overlooking the many pools and gardens. This afternoon we’ll visit Besakih Temple, also known as the Mother Temple, the largest and holiest Hindu Temple in Bali. Comprised of 23 separate temples and perched nearly 1000 meters up the side of Mount Agung, the temple was designed to lead people upwards and closer to the top of the mountain which is believed to be sacred. After we’ve explored the Mother Temple, we’ll return to the hotel with time to rest and relax.

Day 7: Candidasa/Munduk

Meals: Breakfast

After a morning at leisure, we’ll check out of our hotel and travel to Munduk by car. We’ll enjoy a scenic drive before making a stop at Ulun Danu Temple, the “Goddess of the Lake” Water Temple, where we’ll enjoy the beautiful setting and soak in the crisp northern air. We’ll continue to Candi Kuning, Bali’s traditional fruit and flower market atop a picturesque hill. Here we have free time to shop for produce, just take in the local market’s sights and smells or grab a quick bite to eat before we continue onward to Munduk.

Hotel | Puri Lumbung Cottages or similar

Day 8: Munduk

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

After breakfast we’ll take a short walk into the jungle where we’ll be greeted by the rushing sounds and spectacular sight of Munduk Waterfall. Despite being one of Bali’s most popular waterfalls, our morning visit is a great way to experience the beautiful cascade without the crowds. We’ll continue to one of the island’s best-kept secrets, Bhuana Sari Waterfall. Nestled in the tropical rainforest, this unique fall is reached by a 20-minute walk and is comprised of many smaller cascades that burst over a series of cliffs and resulting in a truly magical sight. We’ll enjoy some free time to take photos and enjoy lunch independently. Next, we’ll travel to our most breathtaking waterfall of the day. After a short drive, we’ll follow a small downhill trail for about fifteen minutes to picturesque Banyumala Twin Waterfalls. Explore the two parallel falls, divided by rocks, with some time to swim and cool off and relax in the large pool. Afterwards, we’ll return to our hotel refreshed and with free time to explore independently.

Day 9: Munduk/Rumah Desa/Tanah Lot/Sanur

Meals: Breakfast & Lunch

After breakfast, we’ll check out of our hotel and journey to Rumah Desa where the discovery continues with palm readings and a hike through the rolling countryside. We’ll spend some time in the heart of a Balinese rice field, farming the crop alongside the farmers and water buffalo. After a hot and delicious lunch, we’ll bid farewell to the friendly locals at Rumah Desa and continue to Tanah Lot, one of the most photographed temples in Bali. Perched precariously on a rock just off shore, this temple is a must-see, particularly as we near sunset when the area takes on a surreal feeling. Afterwards we’ll continue to our hotel in Sanur.

Hotel | Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa

Day 10: Sanur

Meals: Breakfast

Enjoy a free day to explore Bali independently or relax and enjoy the amenities of your resort. Consider one of our optional tours including a Sunrise Cycling tour of Sanur, a full-day tour of Nusa Penida Island, or a half-day Sanur Offering Making Class!

Day 11: Sanur

Meals: Breakfast & Dinner

This morning is free to explore independently. This afternoon, we’ll visit Pura Luhur, undoubtedly one of the region’s most celebrated temples. Perched 250 feet above the water, we’ll have the perfect vantage points to view the beach below and see the huge waves rolling in from the Indian Ocean and crashing against the cliffs. During our visit we’ll see a Kecak dance, or Monkey dance, which features as many as 100 men swaying and chanting to the hypnotic music. This famous Balinese dance depicts an ancient story from the Ramayana when King Rahwana captured Sita, Rama’s wife. The dance shows the battle between Rahwana and Hanoman, leader of the apes. Before we return to our hotel, we’ll enjoy a farewell dinner at a local restaurant.

Day 12: Depart Bali

Meals: Breakfast

After breakfast this morning, we’ll check out of our hotel and transfer to the airport for our flight to Hong Kong and connecting flight back to the USA. Travelers returning to Los Angeles will arrive this evening.

The tour will end for passengers who did not purchase flights today, on Day 12, in Bali.

Day 1 Tour starts in Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali

Arrive in Ubud and check-in at the hotel. Located around 200-300 metres above sea level Ubud is surrounded by terraced paddy fields and is well known as the cultural heart of the island of Bali. The village itself is today a busy hive of artistic activity with many shops selling locally made bamboo furniture, wood and stone carvings, paintings and other arts and crafts. Traditional Hindu-Balinese dance performances take place most evenings.

Meals Provided : None

Day 2 From Ubud, visit a temple in traditional Balinese style, and walk to ancient Royal tombs

This morning we make our way to a local project, where we meet the staff who will help us create Balinese temple offerings, typically made up of small palm leaf baskets filled with flowers and rice, which we take with us to Tirta Empul temple. Here we have the opportunity to experience the ritual of entering a temple as a local Balinese would. We change into traditional dress and ask permission to enter by placing our offerings at the entrance. Here we may also bathe in the holy waters. We advise you dress in a white shirt or blouse for this day - you will be loaned a Balinese sarong for the duration of the visit to the temple. From here we continue north to Gunung Kawi, where we walk down towards the Pakarisan River, along around 100 steps, to see beautiful 11th century Royal tombs cut into a sheer cliff face. We then make our way back up the steps to re-join our bus and return to the local project where we can enjoy lunch, before returning to Ubud for some for time in the afternoon - an ideal opportunity to explore the shops and market, or simply relax at the hotel.

Meals Provided : Breakfast & Lunch

Day 3 Fly from Bali to Flores; drive through picturesque countryside to Moni

Today we take and indirect flight to Ende eastern Flores Island. On arrival we embark on a scenic 3 hour drive. Our journey takes us through a picturesque landscape of rice fields, coffee plantations and olive trees as well as small villages. We wind our way to Moni, our base from where we climb Kelimutu volcano, we drive alongside a river and see a beautiful gorge as we climb through the mountains to our destination.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 4 From Moni, climb Kelimutu volcano for views of three crater lakes

We have early start today as we make our way to the base of Kelimutu volcano. We climb to the summit for an unforgettable sunrise panorama. The walk takes around 30-40 minutes over a series of steps interspersed with flatter sections, the final 10-15 minutes covers 127 relatively steep steps. Our reward at the summit, on a clear day, is the view of three crater lakes; some of the most spectacular in the world. The names of the lakes translate to Lake of Old People, Lake of Young Men and Maidens, and Bewitched or Enchanted Lake. The latter two lakes are in close proximity and share a crater wall, but the most outstanding feature of these lakes is their differing colours, depending on the changing mineral content of the water at any given time. You may see a turquoise lake next to a black one! It is then no surprise that this area of stunning and unusual natural beauty was once an important place for spiritual rituals. After some time to enjoy this beautiful place we make the journey back down off the volcano and return to Moni. Here we have some free time to see traditional Lionese ethnic minority houses, stone seats and a sacred cemetery in the village, or simply return to the hotel to relax.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 5 Scenic drive to the hill town of Bajawa

Today we leave the mountains behind as we head to the south east coast back to Ende, from where we drive along the coast past a stunning green stone beach, before winding our way back uphill to Bajawa, surrounded by lush jungle covered slopes and volcanoes. Bajawa is the spiritual heartland of the Ngada tribal people, who are made up from five tribal groups living in the surrounding area, each with their own customs, language, beliefs and traditional dress. Please note that our tonight's hotel is a simple property with twin rooms an en-suite facilities. Both hot water and electricity can be intermittent in this rural part of Flores, as the area is prone to frequent power cuts. Overall driving time approx. 8 hours

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 6 From Bajawa, hike through traditional Ngada tribal villages

This morning we drive to Wolobobo, from where we enjoy magnificent views of Ebulobo and Inerie volcanoes. Continuing on we drive to the foot of Inerie from where we take an easy walk through several small traditional Ngada villages with a local guide. The largest village is Bena, where we find megalithic stones along with offering and meeting places in between rows of stilt houses with steep thatched grass roofs. Walking through the village gives a sense of going back in time. The Ngada retain their animist beliefs after having been essentially forced to convert to Catholicism by Dutch missionaries in the 1920s, hence images of Jesus and Mary feature amidst pig jaws, buffalo horns and tribal art! From a viewpoint we can overlook the village, the volcano and the blue waters of the Sawu Sea, before we continue on and take a short walk to another traditional village called Luba, before returning to Bajawa.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 7 Drive through the beautiful countryside of central Flores to Ruteng

We spend the day making our way through a stunning landscape, passing dense jungle, active volcanoes and the rice fields of central Flores as we make our way west across the island. Finally we reach our destination of Ruteng in the district of Mangarai. This mainly Catholic city located at an altitude of 1170 metres above sea level and surrounded by paddy fields enjoys a cooler climate. We overnight here before our boat expedition into the Komodo archipelago. Overall driving time approx. 7 hours

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 8 Cruise to Rinca Island for Komodo dragon safari walk; overnight on boat

This morning we make our way to the harbour and board our boat. All our meals for our two day cruise will be prepared and served on board, the first one being a lunch as we head off to our first port of call. We disembark on Rinca Island itself and meet with some of the national park's rangers (one ranger per group of five), who will lead us carefully along a trail into Komodo dragon territory to see if we can spot them. Komodo dragons, known locally as 'ora', are highly dangerous giant lizards reaching up to lengths of over 3.5 metres and weighing up to 150 kilos, more usually though they are around 2.5 metres in length. Hidden in the undergrowth the Komodo dragons wait patiently for their prey, such as deer and water buffalo - which we are likely to see in the national park - and when the time is right they ambush their victim and bite into them releasing a toxic venom from glands within their lower jaw causing a slow death. We walk for around two hours across a relatively flat terrain covering around 5km. Komodo dragons are likely to be seen in greater numbers after the mating season which takes place between May and August. We overnight on our private boat in simple shared accommodation, made up of double and single bunk beds in two mixed-sex cabins. Facilities include two toilets and a salt water shower, with a limited amount of fresh water for bathing. Overall driving time approx. 5 hours

Meals Provided : Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner

Day 9 Cruise to Komodo Island for Komodo dragon safari walk; snorkelling and swimming off Pink Beach

This morning we make our way to Komodo Island itself where we take another safari walk with national park rangers to spot the Komodo dragons, and learn a little more about these imposing beasts. Afterwards we make a short cruise to the beautiful Pink Beach, which take its name from the pink sand created from red coral. The beach itself is small but very picturesque and sees relatively few visitors. There are pockets of shade under some trees to chill out when not taking a dip in the shallow ocean water. Not to be missed, however, is the snorkelling on the spectacularly colourful coral reef a short swim from the beach. For those without their own snorkelling equipment this can be hired in advance from Labuan Bajo. Komodo National Park was listed by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1986 and includes the islands of Komodo, Rinca, Gili Mota, Nusa Kode and Padar. This diverse marine area boasts over a 1,000 species of fish, 260 species of reef building coral as well as a significant amount of other marine life. After lunch we return to Labuan Bajo for the night before our return to Bali.

Meals Provided : Breakfast & Lunch

Day 10 Free morning; Fly to Bali and drive to Sanur Beach

The morning is free, either to relax at the hotel or perhaps to explore the small town and market of Labuan Bajo. This afternoon we fly back to Bali and drive to the beach at Sanur where we can relax for a day before our tour ends.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 11 Free time at Sanur Beach; opportunity to visit Lembongan Island or explore East Bali

The day is free for you to choose how to spend it. You may wish to relax on the golden sand beaches of Sanur or explore the souvenir shops, cozy bars and small restaurants of the village itself. Alternatively, you can take a boat excursion to the nearby island of Lembongan, and spend the day snorkelling, taking a tour of the mangroves by canoe and relaxing on one of the island's many sandy beaches. Another option is a tour of East Bali starting with a cultural Barong dance performance, a visit to the bat cave of Goa Lawa, a walk through the traditional village of Tengagan and a visit to the water palace of Tritagangga.

Meals Provided : Breakfast

Day 12 Tour ends in Sanur

Our tour ends after breakfast.

Meals Provided : Breakfast