Bali to Flores: Trails, Tribal Villages & Dragon Lagoons

Land in Bali, grab a ride to Ubud, and drop your bags at Pande Permai Bungalow. Settle into the hotel before meeting up with the rest of the crew in the evening. You'll head straight out for your first night out on the town in Ubud. It is a good chance to get your bearings around Ubud and figure out who you will be splitting cabs with for the next two weeks.

Today is a free-for-all in Ubud, and the options are solid. You can lean into the spiritual side with a local tour, take a cooking class at a community-run kitchen, or rent a bike and get lost in the rice terraces. It's your call. The town is walkable, but renting a scooter for the day is the fastest way to cover ground if you're feeling ambitious.

It's a travel day. The morning starts with a drive to the harbour at Padangbai to catch a speedboat across the strait to Lombok. Once you land, it’s another overland journey inland to Tempasan, a small village far from the main tourist circuit. The day ends with a group dinner hosted by the local villagers, a proper introduction to the island's culture before the trekking starts.

Get a real look at Lombok life today. The morning is spent on a village tour, trekking through the rice terraces and meeting local farmers. You'll wander through plantations growing pineapple, cassava, and coffee before heading to Pringgasela Village. Here, local women will show you their traditional weaving techniques, using looms and natural dyes, followed by an included lunch. The afternoon is yours to explore. Your best bet is to find a spot for the after-dinner campfire with the rest of the group.

Another full free day to do what you want in Lombok. The options are all over the map. You could book a snorkel trip to see the nearby coast, find a guide to take you to a local waterfall, track down some monkeys, or sign up for a cooking class. Or just find a quiet spot for a yoga session. It's a choose-your-own-adventure day before heading to the coast tomorrow.

This morning you'll head to Bonjeruk Village for a different kind of local experience. After a welcome from the villagers, you'll join a student guide from a local English program for a 45-minute cycle tour around the area. It’s a good way to work up an appetite for the home-cooked Lombok-style lunch that follows. Afterwards, it’s back in the vehicle for the final leg of the drive to the coastal town of Senggigi, where you’ll have the rest of the afternoon free to hit the beach.

Time for the Gili Islands. A short drive gets you to the harbour for the speedboat to Gili Trawangan, an island famous for having no cars or motorbikes. Drop your bags (you'll have to carry them about 300m from the boat) and head straight back out for a snorkel trip. The boat will hop between the three Gili islands, hitting spots like Turtle Point to look for turtles and rays. Tonight is a big group night out on the island, which has a reputation for its party scene.

You've got a full day on Gili T to spend however you want. You can either plant yourself on your favorite stretch of sand and do nothing, or get more active. A bike ride around the island's perimeter is a classic move and takes about an hour without stops. Otherwise, you can try stand-up paddleboard yoga or just find a bar with a good happy hour. The island is small enough that you can't really get lost.

Say goodbye to the Gilis and catch a speedboat back to Padangbai harbour in Bali. From there, it's an overland transfer to Seminyak, a town known for its packed beaches, busy shops, and a nightlife scene that's a world away from the quiet villages of Lombok. You'll get in with enough time to drop your stuff and head out to explore. The rest of the day is yours to find a good restaurant or a beachfront bar for sunset.

Today you're heading to a completely different part of Indonesia. After a short drive to the Denpasar airport, you'll catch a flight to Labuan Bajo on the island of Flores. This dusty port town is the main entry point for Komodo National Park. Arrive in the afternoon, check in, and use the rest of the day to explore the town, find a spot on the beach, and get ready for the next leg of the trip.

Venture inland this morning on a drive to Tado Village. With a local guide, you'll hike about 1.5 km uphill for a bird's-eye view of the region's famous spiderweb-shaped rice paddies—a unique agricultural system found only here. The views are worth the climb. After hiking back down for lunch, the journey continues to Dintor, a small village where you'll spend the night and get prepped for tomorrow's big trek into the jungle.

Today is the trek into the deep jungle. A short drive and a motorbike ride get you to the trailhead. From there, it's a 2-3 hour hike uphill through dense forest to the remote Waerebo Village, a UNESCO site famous for its cone-shaped Mbaru Niang houses. You'll be greeted with a formal welcome ceremony by the elders, followed by lunch. Later, you'll learn how to harvest and prepare local coffee beans. Tonight, the whole group sleeps together on mats inside one of the traditional houses—it's basic, but an incredible experience. Pack light; just an overnight bag is needed.

After a morning exploring Waerebo, it's time to hike back out. The trek downhill is a bit faster, taking around two hours. At the bottom, you'll hop on a motorbike back to the vehicle, where you'll be reunited with your main luggage. From there, it's a long 3-4 hour drive back to Labuan Bajo for a much-needed shower and rest. In the evening, you'll need to repack a small bag again, this time for the three-day boat trip through Komodo National Park.

The Komodo adventure begins. Walk to the harbour and board the liveaboard boat that will be your home for the next two nights. First stop is Kelor Island for a short hike to a viewpoint, followed by a kayak trip over to Strawberry Rock for snorkeling in the clear water. After lunch on the boat, you'll head to Rinca Island. The main event here is a trek with a park ranger to find the world's largest lizard, the Komodo dragon. As evening approaches, the boat anchors near Padar Island, where you can watch thousands of flying foxes take to the sky at sunset.

The day starts early with a sunrise hike up Padar Island for one of the most iconic views in Indonesia. Back on the boat, you’ll cruise to Long Beach for some swimming, kayaking, and relaxing on the sand. The next stop is Manta Point. Here, you'll jump in with a snorkel and hope to get a look at the giant manta rays that congregate in the currents. The day ends at Sebayur Island, where you can catch the sunset from a kayak before heading to the beach for a bonfire under the stars with the crew.

It's the last day on the boat. You'll spend the morning snorkeling through the reefs around Sebayur Island and kayaking over to the picture-perfect Kanawa Island. Soak up the last few hours of life on the water before the boat docks back in Labuan Bajo this afternoon. After saying goodbye to the boat crew and grabbing your main luggage, there's time to relax at the hotel. But not for long. Tonight is the final group night out—one last hurrah at a beach bar to celebrate the end of the trip.

After more than two weeks of island hopping, trekking, and boating, the trip comes to an end today. There are no activities planned, so you're free to pack up and head to the Labuan Bajo airport for your flight home at any time.