The Colors of Bali, Galungan Festival in a Balinese Village

📍 Denpasar Ngurah Rai international Airport – Ubud (40 km): 1 hour 15 minutes

Upon arrival at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, be met by the local guide and transferred to Ubud.

After checking in at the hotel, take some time to freshen up before heading to a nearby spa to enjoy a soothing one-hour traditional Balinese massage that will relieve the stress and strain of traveling.

Following the massage, be treated to a Balinese dance performance followed by dinner in a local restaurant.

Overnight in Ubud.

Inclusions:

🍗 Dinner

📍 Ubud –Perkedui – Petulu - Ubud (30km): 1 hour

The day starts in Ubud with a visit to the Peliatan Palace, which features very traditional Balinese architecture.

Continue to the ARMA Museum (Agung Rai Museum of Art), to view the best permanent collection of Balinese and Indonesian paintings. A visit to ARMA provides a great overview of the island’s rich artistic traditions.

A trip to the sacred Monkey Forest then offers an introduction to Ubud’s cheeky inhabitants, followed by some free time at Ubud Market where local vendors sell everything from food to clothes, souvenirs and art.

Next, drive to the area of Perkedui near Tegalalang to view some of the most beautiful terraced rice fields in Bali. Here, lunch is served in a restaurant overlooking the rice terraces.

Following lunch, head to Tampaksiring Village to explore Tirta Empul, a temple famous for its sacred spring water. All Balinese bathe here at least once a year for a ritual cleansing in these holy waters, which are dedicated to Vishnu.

Return to the hotel and have dinner at leisure.

Overnight in Ubud.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch

📍 Ubud – Marga (33 km): 1 hour Marga – Umabian (16 km): 30 minutes

After breakfast at the hotel, check out and depart to the small village of Marga. Here, experience the celebration of Galungan - the most colourful festival in Bali. It occurs once in the 210-day cycle of the Balinese calendar and marks the time of the year when the spirits of ancestors are believed to visit Earth. During this festival, Balinese families make offerings for the ancestral spirits to express their gratitude.

Upon arrival in the village, be provided a sarong to blend in with villagers. Then help prepare for a ceremony and learn how to make banten, or traditional offerings. Strolling through the village with a local guide, will learn about the history of this important celebration. Witness the ritual performance of village purification called ngerebeg, in which locals display penjor, an offering in front of their house.

Enjoy a typical Balinese lunch in the village.

Then head to the hotel in nearby Umabian Village for check-in. Designed to resemble a traditional house, the numerous pavilions and guestrooms are laid out in the style of a village compound. Surrounded by rice fields, and offering spectacular views and a garden swimming pool, this is an ideal place to unwind and spend the rest of the day at leisure.

Dinner and overnight at the hotel in Umabian.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch, 🍗 Dinner

📍 Umabian – Taman Ayun Mengwi (5 km): 10 minutes Taman Ayun Mengwi – Jatiluwih (31 km): 1 hour Jatiluwih – Tanah Lot (39 km): 1 hour 20 minutes Tanah Lot – South Bali or Airport (19 km): 40 minutes

After breakfast at the hotel, enjoy a morning at leisure.

Depart from the hotel at 11:00 for a trip to Bali’s UNESCO-listed Jatiluwih, which offers wide panoramic views of Bali’s most iconic rice terraces. Located on a slope near the holy mountain of Batukaru, this area is known as the ‘Rice Granary of Bali’ and provides one of the island’s best examples of subak-style rice farming. Here, take a leisurely hour-long walk through the rice fields and soak up some of its scenic ambience.

Lunch is served in a local restaurant.

After lunch, check out of the hotel and visit the Royal Taman Ayun Temple in Mengwi. This temple is known for its unique multi-roofed structures and its beautiful setting around a fish pond.

Then proceed to Tanah Lot Sea Temple to enjoy its famous sunset. This temple is set precariously on a rock in the sea, and can only be reached at low tide.

Later in the afternoon, receive a transfer to a chosen beach hotel in South Bali (not included) or to the airport for an onward flight.

Inclusions:

☕ Breakfast, 🥘 Lunch