The Paths of the Gods

Trip Description

Accomodation

Stay program

• day 1

  Denpasar – Ubud

  Welcome at Denpasar airport and transfer to Ubud. Located in the hills north of Denpasar, Ubud is renowned for its painting school. Despite the exponential tourist development it has experienced in recent years, the city has managed to preserve its tranquility and beauty. The rest of the afternoon is free. Overnight at the hotel. 1 hour transfer Meals: –

• day 2

  Ubud

  Discovery day of Ubud and its surroundings. In Ubud, elegant temples and palaces with carved facades line the streets. During your city walk, you will discover Puri Saren and the details of its wooden doors, Puri Saraswati and the finesse of its ornamentations, Puri Puseh and its splendid sculptures, as well as many other museums and galleries. Another tourist attraction in Ubud, slightly set back from the city center, is the "Monkey Forest" temple. Walks and strolls outside Ubud, meanwhile, take you to places where the view of the surroundings is breathtaking, as the rural landscapes are so well preserved. Overnight at the same hotel. Meals: Breakfast

• day 3

  Ubud – Tampaksiring – Ubud

  This morning, we begin a walk through beautiful rice fields, heading towards Tampaksiring. A family of Balinese artists welcomes us into their traditional home and offers us a meal, just as typical. Return to Ubud in the afternoon and free visit of the village. Overnight in the same hotel. 1 hour transfer – 4 hours walking Meals: Breakfast, Lunch

• day 4

  Ubud – Belimbing

  In the morning, transfer to Belimbing, a small village located in the midst of beautiful rice fields. During the journey, we cross some of the most extraordinary terraced rice fields in Bali. After checking in at the hotel, we begin a wonderful walk to discover the surrounding nature. Overnight at the hotel. 2 hours of transfer – 3 hours of walking Meals: Breakfast

• day 5

  Belimbing - Pemuteran

  Morning transfer to Pemuteran, a small seaside resort located on the northwest coast of Bali, far from tourist crowds. The rest of the day is free to fully enjoy the fine sandy beach. A true polychrome aquarium awaits you in these coral reefs! It is possible to rent a boat to observe the underwater world around Menjangan Island, where all of Bali's richest wildlife seems to have gathered. It is here, for example, that the rare Bali starling has found refuge. Overnight at a seaside hotel. 2 hours transfer Meals: Breakfast

• day 6

  Permuteran - Munduk

  In the morning, transfer to Munduk, located in a region of Bali rich in history, considered the cradle of Balinese culture. The former Dutch colonists enjoyed staying there for holidays, coming from the old colonial capital of Singaraja (on the north coast). At the beginning of the afternoon, walk around the village and discover the beauty of the surrounding nature. The surroundings of Munduk indeed form a picturesque scene with coffee and clove plantations near forests and waterfalls. Overnight in a homestay, in an amazing restored colonial house. 2 hours of transfer – 3 hours of walking Meals: Breakfast

• day 7

  Munduk – Tamblingan and Buyan volcanic lakes – Ulun Danau Temple – Bedugul

  Our walk of the day takes us to Bedugul, along the volcanic lakes Tamblingan and Buyan. These two lakes were once a single body of water, until the huge landslide of 1818 separated them for good. This magnificent walk is a pretext to discover the local agricultural and cultural life, as we skirt and cross the beautiful tropical forests of the island. Our trek takes us to the peaceful waters of Lake Bratan, the source of life for all the rivers, rice fields, virgin forests, and streams of southern Bali. In the afternoon, we visit the superb Hindu-Buddhist temple of Ulun Danau. This place is enchanting, with its immense banyan tree at the entrance and its beautiful gardens. One of the temples is set on a small island, and its 11-tiered roof is elegantly reflected in the waters of the lake. We then soak up the atmosphere of the picturesque Bedugul market, before settling into our hotel. 1 hour transfer – 5 hours walking Elevation gain: 500 m / Elevation loss: 100 m Meals: Breakfast Pura Ulun Danau Bratan This place is enchanting, with its immense "banyan" at its entrance and its gardens. One of the temples is set on a small island, and its 11-tiered roof is elegantly reflected in the waters of Lake Bratan. This temple is dedicated to the deity of this place, the goddess of the lake, worshipped for her fertility, spreading her life-giving power to all the surrounding lands. A phallic symbol accompanied by a spring represents here the reproductive powers of the god of fertility: Siwa.

• day 8

  Bedugul – Botanical Gardens – Toyabungkah Mt Batur – Hot Springs

  This morning, we visit the magnificent Bedugul botanical gardens, which, at 1300 m altitude, reveal to us an astonishing diversity of orchids. Then, we take the road to the caldera of Mt Batur, through a region renowned for its coffee plantations. We then descend to the bottom of the immense caldera of Mt Batur and settle into our guesthouse, near the lake. We rest in anticipation of the early wake-up the next morning and enjoy the pleasant hot springs on the shores of the lake. 1 hour 30 minutes transfer Meals: Breakfast

• day 9

  Toyabungkah – Mt Batur – Toyabungkah – Kehen Temple – Tirtagangga

  At the end of the night, we begin the ascent of Mount Batur. A little before sunrise, we first reach the summit of the oldest crater, then start our descent by going around the adjacent craters and taking a break near (but at a safe distance from) the most recent and most active crater. In the afternoon, transfer to the Kehen temple, located in the surroundings of Bangli and considered one of the most aesthetic in Bali. Short transfer to the royal baths of Tirtagangga (whose exact translation means "The waters of the Ganges"), on the southeastern slopes of Agung. Officially known as Tirta Ayu, this complex of freshwater pools was one of the many water palaces built by a king of Karangasem. This place, surrounded by magnificent terraced rice fields, is the ideal spot to relax after our hours of walking. Night in a guesthouse. 2 hours of transfer – 5 hours of walking Positive elevation gain: 600m / Negative elevation gain: 600m Meals: Breakfast

• day 10

  Tirtagangga – Tenganan – Sidemen

  We resume our journey, through fields and rice paddies, towards the Bali Aga village of Tenganan, which has preserved Balinese culture prior to the Javanese influence of the Hindu Majapahit dynasty. To protect their village from the harmful effects of the intrusion of non-initiates into the Batara Indra cult, every visitor, foreigner or Balinese, is welcomed in the village from noon until nightfall, after which everyone is asked to continue on their way. There was a time when the villagers of Tenganan would even sweep away the footprints of these visitors to completely erase their presence. In the afternoon, short transfer to Sidemen. Overnight in bungalows. 1 hour transfer – 4 hours walking Elevation gain: 200 m / Elevation loss: 200 m Meals: Breakfast, Lunch (picnic)

• day 11

  Sidemen – Sanur

  The ultimate walk across Bali is a true highlight, as it takes us along the slopes of the island's southeast hills, which offer a superb view of both the Agung volcano and the Indian Ocean. In the early afternoon, transfer to the beautiful beaches of Sanur, on the south coast. Overnight at the hotel. 2 hours of transfer – 3 hours of walking Meals: Breakfast

• day 12

  Sanur

  Free day to enjoy the beach or the hotel facilities. Night at the same hotel. Meals: Breakfast.

• day 13

  Sanur - Airport

  The day is free until the transfer to the airport. 30 minutes transfer. Meals: Breakfast Copyright thumbnail: pixabay (c) valerie-laurence