Only 540€ per week!
Bali Experience
Bali - Indonesia
Get to see the best Bali has to offer through this three week action-packed combo that merges adventure, relaxation, culture, sightseeing, teaching and more!
Our Bali experience program is designed to get our participants fully immersed in Balinese culture. Through language lessons, cooking workshops, exploring the main sights as well as the ones off-the-beaten path, meeting the local people, lending a hand at one of our projects and many more activities, you would be able to experience Bali.
Program
Living
Bali
Indonesia
Program Description
Our Bali experience project/road trip is one of our most popular programs and it consists of three action-packed weeks of adventure and experiences that will immerse you deeply into Balinese culture. Each week has a different theme and own charm that will help you get the most out of your time in Bali.
You will start and finish your holiday at our center in Ubud enjoying the town, wandering around the markets, trekking in the stunning area with a relaxing Balinese massage to ease tired muscles, indulging in the best Bali offers through cultural visits, meeting locals and giving back to the community by helping out in some of our projects.
On your second week during the project phase you will have the opportunity to either work at the local kindergarten, on the environmental project, or at the health care project.
Aims & Objectives
To show the best Bali has to offer through fun and varied activities.
Schedule
Week 1: Orientation
Day 1: Monday
On Monday, you will start your program with an early morning breakfast and then get an introduction about the Bali’s traditions and culture. This would include a walking tour on the popular Monkey Street and Ubud market through which you will be able to learn a lot about the locals and their culture just by observing them. After lunch you will have a proper introduction about Balinese culture. This would support you later on throughout your program as you will learn about the lifestyle of the people and how they interact. Later, you will have dinner early as a traditional Balinese dance show awaits you which would be the last segment of your first day’s program.
Day 2: Tuesday
On Tuesday, after breakfast, you will have a language class. This class will come in handy especially when you are communicating with the local people. In fact, learning the basics of another language will get you closer to the culture. After you complete the language lessons, and after lunch, you will get to go on a three to four hour long walking tour amidst the rice terraces. This is amazing an experience as you would get a chance to experience nature.
Day 3: Wednesday
On Wednesday, after breakfast, you will able to strengthen your language skills by attending the language class. After the lessons and lunch, a Batik painting class will entice you. Once you come back from the painting class, you will be able to enjoy the delicious dinner prepared for you.
Day 4: Thursday
On Thursday, after having breakfast, you will learn to cook traditional Balinese food in our cooking class. After learning to cook delicious Balinese meals, you will then have lunch and attend a Balinese flower offering class where you will learn to make a flower offering for the Gods.
Day 5: Friday
After having breakfast, you will leave for the spiritual tour where you will visit the popular Pura Tirta Empul which is also known as the holy water temple where you can enjoy a bath in the holy waters. After the visit and lunch you will attend the project meeting where you can share your thoughts on the program.
Day 6: Saturday
On Saturday you will visit Jatiluwih and the hot springs after breakfast. After your visit, you will have lunch and go to another beautiful location named, Bedugul Lake Bratan. After you have enjoyed the beauty of the surroundings, you will head to the Gitgit Waterfalls. At the end of the visit, you will return to the accommodation, have dinner and call it a day!
Day 7: Sunday
On Sunday, after breakfast, you can enjoy a massage to relax and untie the knots in your tired muscles and spend the rest of the entire day at leisure.
Week 2: Cultural Immersion
Day 8-12: Monday to Friday
Since this is the cultural immersion week, you will be contributing in one of the community projects and thus get an in depth understanding of Balinese culture. Every morning, after breakfast, you will start preparing lessons as you would be teaching a local school. After lunch, you would go to the allocated local school and spend time with the children, teaching them basic communication in English. In total you’ll be contributing about 4 hours of your time per day in this activity. However, this may change depending on the school’s needs. In order to make teaching more interesting, you can come up with your own creative methods.
Day 13-14: Saturday to Sunday
These two days would be free for you to relax or to explore the surroundings even a bit more.
Week 3: Adventure
Day 15: Monday
Welcome to the week of adventure! On Monday, you will go on a cycling tour to visit the volcanic area of Kintamani, where you can enjoy the gorgeous landscapes of the Batur Mountain and spice plantations. Afterwards, we’ll set off to explore the rice fields by bike. Breakfast and lunch will happen during the tour.
Day 16: Tuesday
You will start your day with breakfast and thereafter leave on a tour to Southern Bali, visiting Jimbaran Beach and the Turtle conservation site in Sanur. After the visit and lunch you can spend the rest of day at leisure.
Day 17: Wednesday
Wednesday would be even more exciting as you will be rafting at Ayung River after breakfast. You will have lunch the break you get in between. You will then return to the accommodation for the farewell dinner.
Day 18: Thursday
On Thursday, you will wake up before dawn and trek up the volcano to see the sunrise and have breakfast there. Then you come back for lunch and relax for the rest of the day.
Day 19: Friday
On Friday, after breakfast you can enjoy a Balinese massage. You will be able to spend rest of the day at leisure.
Note: This schedule can be changed and/or amended depending on weather conditions, local conditions and unforeseen circumstances.
Participant Criteria & Requirements
Standard Requirements
Minimum age: 18
Maximum age: –
Minimum English level: Basic
CRB required: On Signup
Passport copy required: On Signup
Resume copy required: No
Required qualification: None
Additional Requirements
Due to the length and active nature of this program, a decent level of fitness is required.
Additional Equipment
- Trekking shoes
Location
Dubbed the Island of the Gods, Bali is one of the more than 17,000 islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago. Due to its location off the coast from the mainland and unique culture and religion from the rest of the country, Bali is often treated as a destination of its own, “if you’ve only been to Bali, you’ve never been to Indonesia”.
With its pristine beaches, its unspoilt waters ideal for surfing and diving, its lush mountains, its never-ending rice terrace and volcanic hillsides, its spiritually-infused culture and more, Bali has quickly become a must-visit and it often makes its way on everyone’s bucket list.
About the Accommodation
The Balinese place great importance on family and our houses are located amongst Balinese compounds, where you will get the chance to interact with local families and practice your newfound language skills. You can expect to share a room on single-gender basis with an attached bathroom and study area.
Food Arrangements
The meals are provided in buffet style at the canteen.
Facilities
At the house, there is also a refrigerator for you to keep your food and drinks. There are two cafes nearby the accommodation which will take around 5 minutes walk. There are also ATMs, mini marts, some shops and restaurants in the city center.
Shopping
There are good grocery stores in Ubud, 24 hour stores and small, family run shops where you will be able to find everything that you need.
Restaurants and Cafes
If you want to eat out occasionally, there is a wide selection of restaurants with high standards of both international and local cuisine. There are several cafes in the village, where you can relax and hang out with other participants on your spare time.
Swimming Pools
There are two swimming pools, both located a five minute walk from our center.
Gym
There are several gyms in Ubud Center.
Activities & Events
No scheduled activities outside the program.
Sights & Surroundings
Since the weekends are free, you can go wherever you please. Several popular destinations that you can reach by taxi are:
The Gili Islands, where you will find small resorts and huts for tourists looking to get away from the bustle of Ubud. The islands are a popular destination for snorkelling and diving due to its abundant marine life.
Nusa Lembongan, an island paradise with one of the most clear waters that you will ever see and it is also a place where you can find peace and completely relax. Surfing, diving and snorkeling are amongst the most popular activities that visitors can enjoy.
Lovina, located between the Bedugul mountains and the sea, is popular for dolphin watching, trekking, hot springs and its gorgeous coral reefs.
Sanur, a stretch of beach in Southeast Bali that contains villa resorts and Zen Villas. Historically, it was used as the landing site for the Dutch invasion troops during the Dutch invasion in 1906 as well as being the entry point into Bali for the Japanese during WWII.
Kuta, a beach known of its surfing opportunities and party atmosphere.
Uluwatu, a temple built at the edge of a 70 meter high cliff at the edge of the sea and inhabited by monkeys.
Transportation
From this location we do not provide free transport to other locations.
Quick Facts
Name: Republic of Indonesia
Population: 255,461,700 (2015)
Capital: Jakarta
Language: Indonesian (official)
Currency: Indonesian rupiah (IDR)
Time zone: UTC +8
Country Information
Indonesia, a Southeast Asian nation made up of thousands of volcanic islands, is home to hundreds of ethnic groups speaking many different languages. It is known for its beaches, volcanoes and jungles sheltering elephants, tigers and Komodo dragons. On the island of Java lies Indonesia's vibrant, sprawling capital, Jakarta, and the city of Yogyakarta, known for gamelan music and traditional puppetry.
Bali
Dubbed the Island of the Gods, Bali is one of the more than 17,000 islands that make up the Indonesian archipelago. Due to its location off the coast from the mainland and unique culture and religion from the rest of the country, Bali is often treated as a destination of its own, “if you’ve only been to Bali, you’ve never been to Indonesia”.
With its pristine beaches, its unspoilt waters ideal for surfing and diving, its lush mountains, its never-ending rice terrace and volcanic hillsides, its spiritually-infused culture and more, Bali has quickly become a must-visit and it often makes its way on everyone’s bucket list.
Flores
Flores is located in the East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia. It has adventure, eco-tours, and mountain climbing interspersed with visits to prehistoric heritage sites, traditional villages and cultural events. It has some of the world’s most exotic marine life. And if you want to see the famous Komodo Dragons alive, this is the only place in the whole world which gives you the experience. You can visit the Komodo dragons in their natural habitats in the Komodo National Park islands. Here you will witness the natural treasures still trying to survive in their purest forms.
Flores is a multi-religious and multi-cultural island where 60% of the people are Christian, 20% Islamic and 20% Hindus and Buddhists. The holidays for Flores are similar to the general Indonesian calendar.
Flores, though one of the main islands in Indonesia, is still trying to keep up with the rest of the country. Evidently, its exceptional natural treasures need more care and its warm hearted people need more support.
Climate
Temperatures are pleasant, varying from 20-33 degrees celsius year-round. The monsoon season strikes in November and makes its way until March, bringing in humidity and a significant amount of rain. However, this usually does not stop people from visiting, as the rain usually begins in the late afternoons and evenings, meaning the daytime remains sun-filled. From June to September, the weather is dry and there is not too much humidity in the air.
Culture
Indonesia is a haven for customs and this can be seen in every corner of the islands. Not to mention the fact that these islands themselves have their own traditions and customs which are different from one another.
A good example of this can be experienced in Bali, where small offerings containing flowers, rice and even cigarettes (sesajen) are found in every house, restaurants, stalls and even at the check-in desks at airports. The offerings are set with burning incense sticks and sprinkled with holy water three times a day before every meal.
There are roughly 20,000 temples spread around the island of Bali and, because the Balinese are masters of sculpture, the temples are guarded with statues of gods and goddesses.
Keep, in mind, however, that the Hinduism you will see in Bali is often different than the one seen in India.
Transportation
By bus
Perama buses are the most famous company that will transport you around Bali and other parts of Indonesia. Another popular company is Trans Sarbagita, which are comfortable and air conditioned and stop on bus stops on road curbs. We highly recommend booking at least one day in advance to make sure there is a seat for you. Moreover, there are shuttle buses (called “Bemos”) between Bali’s most popular destinations.
By Taxi
Taxis are a common way to get around. Blue Bird/Bali Taksi are regarded as one of the most reliable companies. Taxis are metered and the drivers are often able to speak good enough English to understand you. They also have a waiting service, which means they will wait for you while you go sightseeing and take you back home (for an extra charge, of course), if you wish to.
