|
"A nations
culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people"
This trip is all about the
fascinating culture of Bali and will include being a
part of…the Balinese ‘day of silence’ known as Nyepi day and
all the lead up rituals to this day including the Ogah Ogah
parade on the eve of Nyepi. We will also experience the
charm and wisdom of local life with visits to temples and
traditional markets.
Click
here for upcoming tour dates and costs
Itinerary
Day One:
Depart from Wellington on an early morning flight.
Arrive in Bali in the afternoon and travel to Ubud. Settle
into our accommodation, have a meet and greet with each
other and get a good rest.
Day Two: Relax in our new surroundings, go for
an early morning walk around Ubud then back to the hotel for
breakfast and a debrief about our next 10days. Take this day
to get used to our new environment, visit monkey forest and
an art museum or two.
Day Three: Walk the Campuhan Ridge early in the
morning before it gets too hot. Visit the Antonio Blanco
museum and the traditional markets.
Day Four: Start the day with an offering class
at the hotel, we will make our own Canang Sari to take with
us to Tirta Empul (holy spring temple) and Sebatu Holy Water
Spring, with the chance to enter the water for a blessing.
Optional visit to a Balian healer (this will be by a
prearranged appointment so I will need to know well in
advance if you want an appointment)
Day Five: We will travel to Pemuteran today,
this is a small fishing village area with the renowned coral
reef restoration program in the bay. We will spend Nyepi
here. There will be lots of scenic and cultural stops along
the way, including the Candi Kuning traditional markets, a
stop at Pura Ulun Danu temple at Lake Bratan and a walk to a
waterfall.
Day Six: An early wake up to enjoy the sunrise
over the bay. Today we will witness the Melasti purification
ceremony. Melasti is held on the edge of the beach with the
aim of purifying oneself of all the bad things in the past
and throwing that to the ocean. This ceremony involves the
carrying of sacred objects that belong to the temples to the
sea to be cleaned and purified also. Everyone is dressed in
traditional dress and looking spectacular carrying their
treasures in procession, this will provide great photo
opportunities.
Day Seven: Today we will visit and snorkel the
protected reef of Menjangen Island. A lunch stop on the
island will allow us a walk to the temple Pura Gili Kencana
with a magnificent statue of Ganesha, before we board the
longboat back to Pemuteran.
Day Eight: A morning off to snorkel and
understand the coral reef restoration programme of Pemuteran
Bay or just read and relax poolside. In the afternoon we
will see the Ogah Ogah preparations and parade down the main
street. Ogah Ogah are mythological demonic statues built by
local villagers and smaller ones are built by the children.
They are carried on bamboo platforms and at each T junction
or crossroad they are turned around 3 times counter
clockwise so as to confuse their direction in our life and
then taken to the cemetery to be burnt to ashes as a symbol
of purification and ridding of demons.
Day Nine: Nyepi Day, the day of silence and
reflection, from 6am till 6am tomorrow. Bali is in shutdown
mode for 24 hours, no flights in or out, no working, no
fires, no electricity, no leaving the home. I cannot wait to
witness the stars on this night. We will stock up on
supplies the day before as the hotel will be in minimum
operation. We will take this day and experience it like a
local with quiet reflection of our own lives.
Day Ten: Post Nyepi day is celebrated like our
first day of the New Year and families spend it together.
This is our last day in Pemuteran so we will enjoy with a
walk at sunrise along the coastline. Another snorkel over
the reef restoration, a visit to the turtle hatchery and
maybe release one if we are lucky that there are hatchlings
ready to be released.
Day Eleven: Depart Pemuteran and head to Legian
via the scenic rice terraced route of the Pupuan area. Stop
at a local Warung for lunch and pretty views along the way.
Settle into our last nights accommodation and have a debrief
over dinner about our time in Bali.
Day Twelve: Last day to play tourist and buy
some souvenirs from the local stall holders in the area,
have a relax with a spa treatment before we depart Bali on
an evening flight.
N.B We will take care to follow Bali
custom on our visits to temples, this means women on
their period cannot enter the temple areas or follow in
processions. Sarongs and sashes are to be worn in temple
areas. We will be respectful and use appropriate
behaviour in these holy places.
Click here for information about
our other itineraries
|
