Bali & Komodo: Rice Terraces, Dragons & Culture

Arrival in Bali at Denpasar Airport (DPS) leads to Ubud, the island's center of art and traditional healing. The destination is the Arma Museum & Resort, a property that integrates a fine arts museum and cultural foundation directly into its grounds. Settle in and explore the museum and the cultural foundation grounds. In the evening, the hotel restaurant offers a quiet introduction to this center of art and traditional healing.

The morning is spent just outside Ubud in Desa Wisata Kenderan, a village that retains a strong connection to its agricultural and spiritual traditions. A local guide leads a walk through the community's rice paddies and past its temples, ending at a waterfall where residents still perform purification rituals. Lunch is served in the village.

The afternoon is free to explore Ubud's center. The town's palace, main market, and the well-known Monkey Forest are all within easy reach, offering a contrast to the morning's quiet pace.

Today presents a choice between two distinct Balinese experiences. The first option is a white-water rafting trip on the Ayung River, navigating class II and III rapids through the jungle gorge. The second is a hands-on cooking class that begins with a visit to a local market to source ingredients before learning to prepare a traditional Balinese meal.

In the evening, the focus shifts to Taro Village, on the outskirts of Ubud. Dinner is served in a restaurant set among the rice paddies. After dark, a short walk reveals the local firefly population, a quiet and increasingly rare spectacle.

The day is a slow overland journey northwest from Ubud into the cooler highlands of Munduk. The journey allows for several key stops, beginning with the Sangeh Monkey Forest, a protected grove of giant nutmeg trees inhabited by macaques. The route continues to the Jatiluwih Rice Terraces, a UNESCO World Heritage site where a short walk follows the subak irrigation channels. The final stop is at Pura Ulun Danu Beratan, the 17th-century temple complex that appears to float on the lake's surface. The day ends with arrival at the Munduk Moding Plantation Nature Resort, a boutique property set on a working coffee plantation.

This morning's trek explores the landscape around the twin lakes of Tamblingan and Buyan. The trail leads through the forest to the serene Ulun Danu Tamblingan temple, located on the lake's edge. From there, a traditional dugout canoe provides a quiet crossing of the lake. The afternoon is unscheduled, allowing for time at the Munduk Moding Plantation. The resort offers its own diversions, from a tour of its coffee processing facilities to yoga classes or simply time at its well-known infinity pool overlooking the hills.

The journey continues from the mountains of Munduk back toward Denpasar. En route to the airport, there is a stop to visit the Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi, a 17th-century royal temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site surrounded by a wide moat. An afternoon flight from Denpasar (DPS) covers the distance to Labuan Bajo (LBJ), the port town on the western edge of Flores island. The day ends at the beachfront Sudamala Resort Komodo, a property that serves as the base for exploring Komodo National Park.

Today is a full-day expedition into Komodo National Park by private speedboat, allowing for more ground to be covered than on a traditional vessel. The first objective is Komodo Island itself, for a guided walk with a park ranger in search of the world's largest lizard. The day also includes time on the remarkable Pink Beach, snorkeling in the clear waters of Taka Makassar, and a stop at Manta Point, a known cleaning station for giant reef manta rays. The final stop is the small island of Kanawa before returning to Labuan Bajo for the evening.

A second day is dedicated to exploring the national park, this time focusing on a different set of islands. The boat heads first to Padar Island, where a short, steep hike rewards with a panoramic view of the island's three distinct bays and multi-colored beaches. The main event is a visit to Rinca Island, which has a high density of Komodo dragons. A trek with a local ranger offers another excellent chance to see them in their savanna-like habitat. The day concludes with snorkeling stops at the vibrant reefs of Manjarite and Kelor islands before the return to the resort.

A morning flight returns you from Labuan Bajo on Flores to Denpasar on Bali. Upon arrival, the overland route to the eastern coast includes a stop at Goa Lawah, also known as the Bat Cave Temple. This is one of Bali's nine directional temples, famous for the thousands of bats that inhabit the cave behind its shrines. The final destination is Sanur, a coastal town known for its calm, swimmable waters and a long, paved beachfront promenade. The stay here is at the Sanur Resort Watujimbar.

The day's plan is a bicycle tour through Sibetan Village, a community at the foot of Mount Agung known for its unique Salak, or snake fruit, which thrived after the 1963 eruption. The ride is designed to explore the area's distinct agriculture and offers a taste of the fruit. Due to ongoing coastal works near Candidasa, the itinerary's base is currently Sanur, so today's cycling is adapted to explore the countryside and villages in this area instead, still providing a look at rural Balinese life away from the main tourist centers.

The final full day is unstructured, allowing for time to enjoy Sanur at your own pace. The town's five-kilometer beachfront path is ideal for a walk or cycle, and the calm offshore reef makes for good swimming and snorkeling. It is a day to relax before the journey home. In the evening, a farewell dinner is arranged to mark the end of the trip.

Start the departure day with breakfast at the resort, followed by one last walk along the beach. The final route runs directly from the resort to Denpasar's Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS). Plan to arrive at the airport terminal with sufficient time to complete check-in before your scheduled departure flight. This journey connects the resort and the beach with Denpasar's Ngurah Rai International Airport (DPS), ensuring a smooth transition for your departure flight on this final departure day.