Indonesia Holidays

A vintage 1970s-style VW Jeep tour is one of the coolest ways to explore central Bali. Jump on board this classic icon and travel to your first stop: the 1000-year-old Batuan Temple, which is a village and ancestral temple that’s cared for by the residents of Batuan. Your driver will then continue through local villages to artsy Ubud – the cultural heart of Bali and a hub of traditional crafts and dance. Highlights here include impressive Puri Saren Agung Palace, the arts market and famous monkey forest, where playful brown macaques dart around the ancient trees and ornate statues. A scenic drive through rice fields and sleepy mountain villages then awaits to reach imposing Mount Batur. The view of the volcano, caldera and Lake Batur is breathtakingly beautiful, so make sure you’ve got your camera ready. Next up is a drive down into the crater to the lava fields, where you’ll have time to wander through the unique rock formations. Lunch-with-a-view will be served on the edge of the crater before your journey continues to the tranquil and lesser-visited temple of Pura Gunung Kawi Sebatu – a beautiful water temple built on a natural spring and surrounded by lotus ponds and thick forest. The final stop will be Tegallalang, where giant steps have been carved into the landscape to create lush rice terraces.

• Duration: full day
• Time: 7am to 4pm
• Departing daily from South Bali, Seminyak or Central Ubud hotels
• Operates year round
• Private experience

Good to know
We recommend bringing a light jacket or jumper and long trousers as it can get cool in the mountains. A sarong will be provided to allow you to cover up for temple visits.

Watching the sun rise from the top of Bali’s Mount Batur is an unforgettable experience. A very early start awaits as we’ll need to start the climb around 4am to make sure we reach the summit in time for sunrise. Mount Batur is a 1717-metre-high active volcano to the north west of Mount Agung. The climb will take around two hours and we’ll reach the top just as the sun rises for a magical and peaceful moment high above the island. Tuck into a well-earnt breakfast and enjoy time to soak up the panoramic views over the volcanic landscape and mountain peaks and acknowledge your achievement. You’ll then head back down to base camp, where a soothing soak in hot springs will be waiting for you. This sunrise trek would be a fantastic adventure to add on to a honeymoon or beach holiday.

• Departing Monday, Thursday and Friday from South Bali, Seminyak, Ubud, Uluwatu and Candidasa hotels • Operates year round
• Group experience

Good to know
There are a number of things we recommend bringing for this trip: warm clothes, hiking shoes, long trousers, swimwear, camera and sun block. Your professional tour guide will provide a head lamp, walking sticks, gloves, hiking bag, rain coat and a small water bottle to make the climb much easier. This climb is classified as a medium level of difficulty, so a good level of fitness is required (as a guide, it’s suitable for those that enjoy hill walking).

Bali’s colourful VW 181 Safari Jeeps are a classic sight around the island. They also provide a seriously cool way to explore. Jump on board for an adventure around western Bali to see some of the island’s most famous temples and stunning diverse landscapes. Your tour begins with a trip to Bali’s most popular attraction: the ancient sea temple shrine of Pura Tanah Lot, which is perched on a rock formation offshore. A morning visit will hopefully mean you’ll have a more tranquil experience. You’ll then be driven through villages and rice fields up into the mountains to the rainforested slopes of Batukaru volcano, home to impressive Pura Luhur Batukaru, which you’ll explore on a guided tour. A drive through Bali’s most spectacular rice terraces around UNESCO World Heritage-listed Jatiluwih follows, before you arrive at Bedugul, located 1200 meters above sea level. We’ll stop at Beratan Lake to visit beautiful Ulun Danu Temple, which sits in the middle of the lake, and have a buffet lunch in the tropical gardens. On our route back, we’ll head to a colourful local market so you can experience the buzz of local life and then look around a traditional Balinese family compound, which has a distinctive design, for an insightful end to the day.

• Duration: full day
• Time: 7am to 4pm
• Departing daily from South Bali, Seminyak and Central Ubud hotels
• Operates year round
• Private experience

Good to know
We recommend bringing a light jacket or jumper and long trousers as it can get cool in the mountains.

If you’re short on time but can’t bear to miss out on Indonesia’s most idyllic tiny islands, this stunning day trip will give you a taster of what Gili Air, Gili Meno and Gili Trawangan are all about. Your first glimpse of these car-free islands, ringed with white sands and dotted with coconut palms, will be from the Malimbu Hill viewpoint on Lombok. You’ll then cross the sea by outrigger boat (be prepared to embrace your adventurous side and get a little wet!) to Gili Air. Here, you’ll have the choice to spend the day on a beautiful beach to swim, snorkel and sunbathe. Or, you can jump back on the outrigger to visit the two other Gilis: Gili Trawangan and Gili Meno. Gili Trawangan – nicknamed ‘Gili T’ – is the most popular of the three islands, but it’s still super low-key, with most of the activity centred around diving. Rustic Gili Meno is the most secluded island, perfect for lazing on coral sands and snorkelling with turtles. As each island has its own character and landscape, this is the perfect island-hopping day.

• Duration: full day
• Time: 8am to 3pm
• Departing daily from Senggigi
• Operates year round
• Private experience

Head out on a laid-back day to play castaway on Lombok’s most unique beaches: a pink-sand beach and a secret island that only appears at low tide. Your day will begin with a visit to Indonesia’s second largest fish market. At Tanjung Luar – where most of the traders are women – you’ll buy fresh fish ready for your barbecue lunch. We’ll then hop on a boat to Sand Island: a tiny white-sand speck which, at hide tide, is completely submerged apart from its Indonesian marker flag. The next boat stop will be Maringkek, where you can step ashore and wander around the fishing village, before we continue to Pink Beach, which gets its name from the pink-hued sand. The nearby islands of Pantai Semangkuk and Gili Petelu offer the chance for snorkelling, while later in the afternoon, there’s time to relax on peaceful white sands at Pantai Sebui before your beach barbecue lunch and return boat trip.

• Duration: full day
• Time: 6am to 4pm
• Departing daily from Senggigi
• Operates year round
• Private experience

There’s no better way to get back to nature on Lombok than by donning your trainers and heading for the rice terraces. You’ll begin by getting a taste of local life with a visit to a traditional market in Narmada, before driving on to Sedau for the start of your two-hour soft trek through the beautiful rice terraces. This is a leisurely trek and along the way your guide will tell you about the different tropical plants that you spot. At the end of the hike, a rest and lunch-with-a-view awaits in Suranadi. You’ll also visit Gunung Sari to explore the temple of Pura Agung Gunung Sari, which makes an impression with its three pagoda-like places of worship. Heading north, we’ll cross the Pusuk Pass where you’ll see cheeky monkeys wandering around and causing mischief. The last stop is Malimbu to take in some of Lombok's best sandy beaches.

• Duration: full day
• Time: 6am to 4pm
• Departing daily from Senggigi, Lombok
• Operates year round
• Private experience