The Ultimate Luxury Bali & Beyond Hike + Aman Resorts 9D8N, Private Guided

Walking distance: approximately 1-2hours (Easy grade)

Arrive in Bali Denpasar Airport (DPS). Your chauffeur will meet and greet you at the airport and transfer you to Amandari.

Check in your luxurious accommodation and have a rest.

Amandari, which means "peaceful spirits", is set amidst rice terraces and sacred grounds on the fringe of Ubud, Bali’s cultural capital. Perched on an escarpment high above the meandering Ayung River Gorge in the village of Kedewatan, the resort instills a real sense of connection to its natural surroundings and cultural heritage. Amandari is styled after a Balinese village and features andesite walkways, shrines, gardens and high paras-stone walls.

Depending on your arrival time, spend your afternoon as you please (We can tailor the itinerary to suit your arrival time).

Day-to-day life on the island of Bali is layered in ceremony and festival, a parade of activities rooted in the island's three-and-a-half million inhabitants. The island's complex and endlessly renewing culture offers experience from morning to evening: from temple ceremony to gamelan performance, village festival to palace theatre. This afternoon, let the friendly local guide show you the beguiling face of Bali and guide you into the island's soul. Our guides have a thorough knowledge of Bali.

Some of our suggested activities for your first afternoon in Bali:

TEMPLE VISITS AND ATTEND CEREMONIES: Depending on your arrival date, we can also tailor your itinerary to suit temple ceremonies.

UBUD ARTS AND CRAFTS TOUR: The villages around Ubud are famous for their arts and crafts. Our guides can arrange visits to galleries and artist workshops.

WATCHING BALINESE CHILDREN DANCE CLASS: daily 2:30pm - 4:00pm at the lotus pond

AFTERNOON TEA BY THE POOL: daily 4:00pm, a selection of Balinese sweets and traditional tea or coffee for you to enjoy by the main pool. The swimming pool is lined with emerald-green tiles - the curving sweep of lightly-salted water mimicking the rice terraces below.

Your welcome dinner is a private candlelit dinner at a traditional balinese bale. Watch the sunset into the lush green mountain and listen to the rushing waters of the Ayung river below.

You will stay in a Village Suite for two nights. The free­-standing Village Suites are accessed via winding pebble pathways, much like a traditional Balinese village. Beautifully envisaged over 220 square metres (2,368 square foot), each is surrounded by tropical foliage. Please contact us if you would like to upgrade to a Valley Suite, Pool Suite, Asmara Suite, Ayung Suite or Amandari Suite.

Walking distance: approximately 5-6 hours (Moderate grade)

Enjoy your breakfast at the resort restaurant. Crafted largely of teak, the restaurant overlooks the swimming pool and the verdant Ayung Valley below.

Join a morning yoga session to feel bold and empowered (Optional activity). Yoga operates every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Subject to the resort schedule.

Then you will take a challenge to summit Mount Abang today. Far from the beaten path, Mount Abang is the third highest peak (2,151 m) in Bali. Ascend the ancient jungle trail and pay homage at three holy temples along the trail. Along the trek you'll pass the green tropical forest that existed for hundreds of years. You'll be rewarded with panoramic views on the summit as the guide explains to you the history of the Balinese culture.

Along the track you could also spot various tropical plantations and see how to make Balinese coffee in a very traditional process. Sample some local herbal teas, coffees and the unusually processed Coffee Luwak, the most expensive coffee in the world.

Return to Amandari resort, you could enjoy your afternoon tea or watching Balinese dancing class if you missed the previous day.

Dinner tonight is at your own arrangement and expense. You could dine at the resort restaurant. There are also many restaurants near Amandari. We offer complimentary pickup and drop off in Ubud area.

Walking distance: approximately 1-2 hours (Easy grade)

After enjoying your breakfast, you'll be transferred to airport for a scenic seaplane flight to Moyo Island. Flying to Moyo Island in Indonesia is part of the adventure.

Moyo Island is located approximately eight degrees south of the equator, within the regency of Nusa Tenggara Barat. The island has been a nature reserve since 1976. Measuring forty kilometres by ten kilometres, Moyo's highest point is 600 meters above the Flores Sea. The total area of the island is 36,000 hectares.

Along the coastline are eight villages, with a combined population of approximately 3,500 people. Fishing, farming and trading is the subsistence of the villagers.

The vegetation on the island ranges from savannah to dense jungle. The savannah land dominates the plateaus and jungle in the remaining areas. Many varieties of trees are found on the island, such as native teak, tamarind, fig, coral and banyan. Animal species include rusa deer, banteng or wild buffalo, boar, monkeys and a wide variety of bats. The white-breasted sea eagle, barmity kite, osprey, yellow oriole, megapode and other species of wild birds can be found on the island.

The Flores Sea presents many varieties of coral. Stag horn, gorgonian fans, sponges and plate coral can all be found in Amanwana Bay and marine life is plentiful. Frequently observed are hawksbill and green turtles, moray eels, lobsters, parrot fish, blue spotted rays, lion fish, barracuda and small reef sharks. Occasionally dolphins, giant manta rays and whales can also be seen.

Check in to your island wilderness retreat and relax. In the afternoon, you'll take an adventure to Barry’s Falls, an example of nature at its finest and comprises of a series of cascading limestone pools. Located in the centre of the island, deep in the tropical forest, the spring fed water of the pools provides a refreshing swim to escape the heat of the day. Barry's Falls are named after Barry Lees, who discovered Amanwana Bay, and in turn found this beautiful waterfall.

Enjoy dinner at the resort restaurant, looking over the Flores Sea to Medang Island and the mountains of Sumbawa. The restaurant serves fresh and simple cuisine, much of it made with products grown or reared on the island. The catch of the day, direct from the fishermen’s boats, is a highlight of the daily menu, which can be tailored to individual tastes.

You will stay in a Jungle Tent for two nights. Enjoying a peaceful jungle setting beneath a canopy of tropical forest, each 58-square-metre (624 square feet) Jungle Tent offers air conditioning, Indonesian artwork and elegant furnishings. Please contact us if you would like to upgrade to an Ocean Tent.

Walking distance: approximately 3 hours walking (Moderate Grade). Optional walk: 1.5 - 2 hours

Start the morning with the Bat Cave trek. The Bat Cave trek is only available when accompanied by a guide. The track is a continuation of the Brang Sedo path and is quite a physically demanding trek. The cave is inhabited by seven species of bats. Monitor lizards and occasionally pythons may also be observed in the cave.

Return to the resort for lunch. Then spend your afternoon on the beach or enjoying water activities: AMANWANA BAY
A range of water activities are located at the boardwalk at the southern end of the beach and it is equipped with sun lounges and umbrellas for sunbathing and relaxing in comfort. The beach boys are on hand to provide refreshments and assistance, as well as instruction on sailing, wind surfing, paddle boarding, kayaking and snorkelling.

SNORKELLING
Amanwana Bay provides a wonderful underwater panorama of abundant fish and coral life. Our beach boys will direct you to the best spots and are happy to accompany you in the water, should you require a guide or lesson. Buoyancy vests are available for inexperienced swimmers. As well as the house reef off the boardwalk, Turtle Street on the north end of the bay offers a great chance to see turtles in their natural environment.

HOBIE-CAT SAILING
Try your hand at sailing on our hobie-cat. This delightful little vessel is a lot of fun and very simple to use. Cruise around the bay led by the wind, with just the natural ocean sounds and a fresh breeze running through your hair. If you have never tried sailing the beach boys will be more than happy to jump aboard and guide you through the basics.

In the late afternoon. you could do an optional walk (1.5 to 2 hours) to enjoy sunset:

COASTAL CLIFF TREK
This track follows the mountain bike trail and continues on from Crocodile Head, offering an opportunity to view the rugged coastline north of Amanwana next to the Flores Sea. Monkeys, birds, fruit bats and sometimes wild boar are observed along the track. The track eventually leads away from the coast and comes to a junction, heading right will bring you back to the top of the west jetty.

Enjoy dinner at the resort restaurant.

Walking distance: approximately 2 hours walking (Easy Grade).

After breakfast, enjoy another scenic seaplane flight to Bali. Then your chauffeur will transfer you to Amankila. Amankila means ‘peaceful hill’, but the name is a little modest - the resort occupies a breathtaking hilltop spot on Bali’s east coast, with ancient, spiritual and regal neighbours here in the historic Karangasem Regency.

Today you'll trek from Kastala to Tenganan. This beautiful trek involves several hills, rice fields and a rocky-river bed that is in full flow during the wet season. On this trek you'll have the opportunity to visit some very isolated and "time forgotten" villages. The trek ends in the village of Tenganan, home to the only two Aga villages in Bali, famous for a double woven ikat.

Dinner tonight is at your own arrangement and expense. We offer complimentary pickup and dropoff in Candidasa area.

You'll stay in a Garden Suite at Amankila for two nights. Designed to offer guests privacy and maximise spectacular sea and hillside views, the 94-square-metre (1,011 square feet) stilted Garden Suites offers an expansive outdoor terrace. Please contact us if you would like to upgrade to an Ocean Suite, Pool Suite, Kilasari Suite or Indrakila Suite.

Walking distance: approximately 4 - 5 hours walking (Moderate Grade). Challenging option is available climbing Mount Agung or Mount Batur.

After a hearty breakfast, take another trek in East Bali. Your trek begins in the ancient village of Tenganan. The traditions & ceremonies that pre-date the 16th century Majapahit Empire are unique to the village. From here you climb up to a ridge with 360 degree views of rice fields. You then navigate your way along the rice fields over a river and start the walk through many villages to the water place of Tirta Gangga.

The one hectare complex was built in 1946 by the late king of Karangasem but was destroyed almost entirely by the eruption of nearby Mount Agung in 1963. It has been lovingly re-built and restored. It has an air of authentic royal magnificence. The centre piece of the place is an eleven tiered fountain and there are many beautiful carvings and statues adorning the gardens.

If you'd like to challenge yourself and experience fabulous views, we can arrange for you to climb Mount Agung or Mount Batur on this day instead. It takes approx. 4 - 6 hours to reach the summit.

Dinner tonight is a truly magical experience up in the hills. The evening will start with a beautiful drive through the countryside arriving at bale Tirta Sari to enjoy the spectacular view over the rice fields. You will arrive to a candlelit pathway, which leads you across a peanut plantation to a bale where your own private chef and waiter will pamper you. As you relax in the bale, your chef will prepare a delicious authentic Balinese satay feast including Balinese urab, a variety of satay, followed by a delicious dessert to be savoured while the sun is setting.

Walking distance: approximately 2 hours walking (Easy Grade).

After breakfast, you will take a domestic flight and travel to Java, an extraordinary island. The heart of the nation, Java is an island of megacities, mesmerising natural beauty, magical archaeological sites and profound traditions in art, music and dance.

You will be transferred to Amanjiwo. Overlooking the world’s largest Buddhist sanctuary and surrounded by rainforest, hills and rice paddies, Amanjiwo occupies a special place in the rural heartland of central Java.

No visit to Java would be complete without a tour of Candi Borobudur, the Eighth Wonder of the Orient, and one of humanity's most imposing creations. You'll enjoy a Borobudur Intellectual Tour. Let your guide reveal the secret meanings of this masterpiece and bring to life the knowledge contained within its reliefs.

Dinner tonight is at your own arrangement and expense. We offer complimentary pickup and dropoff in Borobudur area.

You'll stay in a Garden Suite at Amanjiwo for two nights. Each 243-square-metre (2,615 square feet) Garden Suite offers a private walled garden with picturesque views of the Menoreh Hills and tiered rice paddies. Please contact us if you would like to upgrade to a Borobudur Suite, Garden Pool Suite, Borobudur Pool Suite, or Two-bedroom Dalem Jiwo Suite.

For the "Mystical Element", you'll be guided to Borobudur before the sun, and marvel at its rising from the top of the temple itself. Few are afforded this rare privilege. Dawn at Borobudur is very spiritual and truly an experience of a life-time.

Menoreh Hills are famed for their mystical power. In the 1820's, Java's charismatic hero, Prince Diponegoro, sought spiritual wisdom in the caves. Today, Javanese still come to Bukit Menoreh seeking revelation. The legend of Joko Tarub is set in the hills. The spring where Joko Tarub stole the clothes of the bathing Dewi Nawang Wulan, the Goddess of the Moon, can be visited. On Javanese New Year, pilgrims gather at the spring to dance into a trance seeking the help of the naked Goddess.

An off-road experience awaits at the top of Menoreh Hills where you'll enjoy a special picnic at a traditionally designed Javanese bale overlooking the Kedu Plans and the four surrounding volcanoes.

Dinner tonight is another romantic and once-in-a-lifetime experience. Next to Pawon temple lives an old friend Pak Bilal, who has graciously opened his doors for you to glimpse into Javanese rural life. Dinner at Pak Bilal's is not only a charming experience but also a fascinating reminder of rustic life in Java from days of old. While you absorb the atmosphere of Pak Bilal's delightful home, the authentic aromas of Java pervade the senses as your cooks prepare a simple traditional menu cooked over charcoal burners. Relax to the gentle background music of the gamelan, savour a glass of the famous ginger beer or chilled bottle of French Chardonnay and let life take its course the Javanese way.

After breakfast, we transfer you to either Yogyakarta (JOG) or Solo (SOC) airport to connect your flight home.