Islands of Diversity

As well as visiting Selogriyo Temple on the hillside of Mount Sumbing, you’ll be seeing the largest Buddhist monument in the world: Built around the 9th century in ‘the garden of Java’, the magnificent Borobudur lies between two volcanoes, where it lay buried under volcanic ash for centuries until being rediscovered and uncovered in the early 19th century.

Visit the Sultan’s Palace and the adjacent ‘Taman Sari’ water palace and garden, continue on to Beringharjo Traditional Market for shopping and lunch, before being taken to the Prambanan temple complex. This is the largest Hindu temple site in Indonesia, with its towering 47-metre-high (154 ft) central building inside a huge complex of individual temples.

Meet Bapak Anong Ishmail, curator of the Sukarno Museum, leading expert on the ancient temples and monuments of the World Heritage listed Pakerisan River, and ‘our man in Sukarno’! He and his team of expert guides will lead you through an exclusive tour of the incredible ‘seven temples and meditation sites’, rarely seen by visitors or the Balinese.

Meet the villagers of Guliang Kawan for a simple Balinese breakfast before joining them to learn about their traditional farming and irrigation methods, and visiting a local elementary school. Then on to Kehen Temple, constructed in the 13th century and adorned with elephant sculptures, a curious addition for the time, given elephants have never been native to Bali.

A relaxing cycle through untouched rice terraces and villages dotted with traditional houses and temples. Stop to meet friendly locals, take photos of scenic spots and learn about the local culture. Afterwards you’ll be driven to Puri Taman Sari, a traditional Balinese compound belonging to the royal family of Mengwi, for a traditional Balinese lunch.

Visit the southern-most tip of Bali to visit the famous Uluwatu Temple, dramatically perched on a cliff looking out over the Indian ocean. From here you can witness the Kecak dance, a traditional display featuring up to a hundred male performers, forming a circle and swaying and chanting to hypnotic music.