Bali Sacred Spirit

June 18 to July 1, 2011

Early Arrival
Each year, some members of our group will choose to arrive in Bali one day early to relax and rest from the long trans-Pacific flight. We think that’s a great idea and have reserved a number of rooms for that purpose. An extra day in Paradise? Go for it! If you want to take advantage of early arrival, let us know. Plan your departure for late on June 17 or very early on the June 18.


Day 1: Saturday and/or Sunday, June 18 and/or 19
From the States, departure for Bali usually takes place either from Los Angeles or San Francisco. Unless you live near one of these cities, you will spend the first part of the day traveling to make your departure connection. Depending on the airline and its particular schedule, you will depart for Bali either very late on June 18 or very early in the morning on June 19. Be sure and contact Sedona Soul Adventures before you finalize your reservations so we can advise you on your departure date and time and ensure that you arrive in Bali in time for the welcome dinner.


Day 2: Monday, June 20
Since there are no direct flights to Bali from the U.S., we have a stopover very early on Monday morning. Depending upon the airline, this might be in Taipei, Hong Kong, Seoul, Narita or Singapore. After the change of planes, the final leg of the journey brings us into Bali on Monday afternoon.

Upon clearing customs, we are greeted by our guide Ratih and welcomed with flowers and beautiful Balinese smiles. From the airport, we take the short drive to Nusa Dua, a beautiful town on the east coast of Bali. The beaches here are spectacular. We are staying at the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel, right on the ocean.

As we arrive, we’re greeted by the Nusa Dua Beach staff in an open, spacious lobby from which we can view the spectacular grounds and a beautiful white sand beach. The Nusa Dua Beach Hotel is our home base for the next three days while we decompress from our trip, acclimate to the energies of Bali and explore the Eastern part of the island. In the evening we share a welcome dinner together.

Included:
Welcome dinner

Lodging:

Nusa Dua Beach Hotel
Kawasan Pariwisata Nusa Dua
Denpasar 80363 Bali, Indonesia
Tel: +62 361 771210    Fax: +62 361 772617

Day 3: Tuesday, June 21
Today, we initiate what will become our daily morning routine. Before breakfast, for those who choose, there is a 45 minute yoga session followed by breakfast. After breakfast, we all gather for a morning meditation. Today is a leisurely day to rest up from the long flight and begin to tune into the vitality and spirit of this place. You may want to spend time at the pool or have a leisurely lunch. and massage on the beach.

If you’re feeling energetic, you may want to get right out and explore Nusa Dua. There are many inviting shops and exotic restaurants to be discovered. Beach activities like snorkeling and sailboating are always an option. Late in the afternoon, we have a presentation from Ratih on Balinese textiles, religion and spirituality and a demonstration on how to dress when we visit the temples.

Included:
Breakfast

Lodging:
Nusa Dua Beach Hotel


Day 4: Wednesday, June 22
After yoga, breakfast and morning meditation, we have a day of exploration of the east coast of Bali. We have an enjoyable drive as we wind along the coast toward the beautiful and peaceful water palace of Tirtagangga. On the way, sit back and soak in the sights - the lush green countryside with verdant rice fields terracing the hills, the dense rainforest and the open expanse of the sea.

'Tirta' means blessed water, and 'Gangga' derives from 'Ganges', the holy river in India. At Tirtagangga, a spring rises up from under a big banyan tree at the foot of a stony hill on which the local community built their village temple. The water here has always been regarded as holy and is often used for religious ceremonies. We will have a wonderful lunch here at a wonderful restaurant that overlooks the beautiful palace grounds.

After Tirtagangga, we make our way back to the hotel where we have a free evening to enjoy the nightlife.

Included:
Breakfast
Lunch

Lodging:
Nusa Dua Beach Hotel


Day 5: Thursday, June 23
Yoga session, breakfast and morning meditation. Today we leave the Nusa Dua Beach Hotel and wend our way toward the village of Ubud, the artistic and cultural heart of Bali.

This village is world renowned for its many artists - painters, dancers, musicians and sculptors. Three art museums have both traditional and modern paintings and sculpture on display. While we're here, you won't want to miss the Ubud market with its vast array of locally produced handicrafts. The nearby Monkey Forest has a temple in the midst of a jungle famous for its many mischievous monkeys.

On our way to Ubud from Nusa Dua, we are welcomed into the home and workshop of a family of artisans who carve masks and create costumes for the traditional Legong dance. On our final stop before Ubud, we meet with a Balian which is the Balinese term for a traditional shaman and healer. Balians use a variety of natural healing methods and remedies derived from ancient esoteric texts as well as an enormous variety of herbs and other natural materials. We are very fortunate to meet with Bapak Cokorda Rai, a very well known and well respected Balian, for a healing demonstration. Group members will have the opportunity to schedule individual sessions.

Arriving in Ubud, we make our way to the brand new, 5 star Komaneka Bisma hotel nestled along a hillside in the Campuhan River valley, with amazing views of the river, terraced rice fields and surrounding coconut groves. Only a five minute walk from the center of Ubud's bustling activity, this stunning hotel is a veritable oasis of luxury and serenity.

After settling into the Komaneka Bisma, we have the rest of the afternoon free to begin exploring Ubud. In the evening we’re off to a performance of the dramatic and highly stylized Kecak Dance.

Included:
Breakfast

Lodging:
Komaneka Bisma Hotel
Jalan Bisma, Ubud, Gianyar 80571, Bali, Indonesia
Tel : (+62} 361 971933 Fax : (+62) 361 971955


Day 6: Friday, June 24
After morning meditation, we have two wonderful experiences planned for you. Have you read Eat Pray Love, the best selling book by Elizabeth Gilbert featured on Oprah’s Book Club? If you haven’t, you may want to before you arrive in Bali. The book is a profoundly funny and spiritual memoir of a woman whose life is falling apart and how she finds herself again. It all begins and ends in Bali with her connections to her teacher and spiritual guide the balian, Ketut Liyer. We are very pleased and excited that we will be meeting with Ketut as a group and will receive a blessing from him.

After the blessing, we take a lovely drive through the countryside of central Bali for a visit to the studio and workshop campus of a world famous artist and jewelry designer. John Hardy with his wife Cynthia are the creators of an international luxury brand of designer jewelry, sold widely in America in high-end department stores such as Nordstrom’s, Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

The studio and workshop campus are also an organic farm complete with rice fields and livestock. The food grown here is used to feed their 700 employees a healthy organic lunch daily. Buildings on the campus are low-impact structures employing renewable local materials such as bamboo, thatch and adobe. Oh, and there’s also the John Hardy store where you can purchase his jewelry at prices significantly below retail prices in the U.S. It's a great deal. After lunch, we return to the hotel for a free afternoon

Included:
Breakfast

Lodging:
Komaneka Bisma Hotel


Day 7: Saturday, June 25
After our usual morning routine, we have our first completely free day. With a wide choice of exotic pampering treatments and bodywork, you may want to luxuriate in the world class spa facilities of our hotel and then spend time by the pool enjoying the amazing setting and views. Another great choice is to visit the Nur Salon, a less expensive, more traditional spa in the heart of Ubud, with an extensive choice of massage, body wraps, facials and other treatments. Other options for your free day includes visiting the Ubud market – an amazing experience in and of itself, checking out the Monkey Forest and its mischievous denizens, a visit to the Ubud Palace and the lotus pond at the Saraswati Temple. And there is always Ubud’s wonderful galleries, shops and museums.

Some members of the group may have scheduled individual sessions with the balian Bapak Cocorda Rai that will happen throughout the day. In the evening, after dinner, we attend a Legong Dance. Ratih, our guide, is a famous Legong dancer and she will be performing for us with her troupe.

Included:
Breakfast

Lodging:
Komaneka Bisma Hotel


Day 8: Sunday, June 26
After yoga, breakfast and meditation, it’s another full day of exploration and a special treat in the evening. We start with a visit to the most important and sacred ceremonial site on the entire island, the Mother Temple of Besakih. “Pura” in Baliinese means temple and Pura Besakih is a grand complex of 22 temples spread over 1 square mile rising on the flanks of the sacred volcanic mountain of Gunung Agung where the Balinese people believe the spirits of their ancestors live.

After Pura Besakih, we make our way to Pura Ulun Danu Batur, a beautiful temple dedicated to the goddess of Lake Batur and located on the rim of the huge caldera or volcanic crater of Mt. Gunung Batur. Pura Penataran Agung Batur is the principal temple, with five main courtyards. Later, traveling along the caldera's edge, we stop in Kintamani and enjoy a lunch with stunning views dominated by the still active volcano and beautiful Lake Batur.

This evening at the hotel, we have dinner together at a special feast prepared by the Komaneka Bisma chef. Included with our dinner is a Wayang Kulit - a traditional Balinese shadow puppet show. One of the oldest forms of dramatic entertainment, this is a performance of flat leather puppets in the hands of a mystic storyteller, the dalang, who casts their shadows on a backlit screen. Our puppeteer encourages his audience members to step behind the screen and take a behind-the-scenes view of his facinating performance.

Included:
Breakfast
Lunch
Dinner

Lodging:
Komaneka Bisma Hotel


Day 9: Monday, June 27
After our usual routine, we have the rest of the morning free to pursue shopping, visit the Monkey Forest, experience an extended spa treatment and massage or whatever your heart desires.

In the afternoon, Ratih honors us with a tour of the Puri Agung Peliatan, her ancestral home. “Puri” in Balinese means palace (and pura, remember, means temple) and Peliatan was one of the 8 kingdoms of Bali that existed before and during Dutch colonial rule. Ratih’s grandfather was the last king of Peliatan. After exploring Puri Agung Peliatan, we sit down together to a wonderful dinner with a dance performance accompanied by a bamboo orchestra.

Included:
Breakfast
Dinner

Lodging:
Komaneka Bisma Hotel


Day 10: Tuesday, June 28
After morning meditation we head toward Bedugul and Pura Ulun Danu Bratan, situated on the edge of serene Lake Bratan. This lovely lake is often veiled in mists and fills the ancient volcanic crater below Mt. Bratan. As we leave Ubud, the landscape changes from flowing tiers of rice to motley patches of onion, cabbage and papaya grown in the cool climate of the highlands. The road climbs and winds its way around steep cliffs hung with ferns, wild flowers and elephant grass.

At Pura Ulun Danu, on a small promontory on the lake, the people of Bedugul honor Dewi Danu, goddess of the waters. After making our offerings at the temple and visiting the Buddhist stuppa, we stop for lunch at a restaurant with beautiful vistas of mountains and rice paddies.

In the late afternoon, we visit Bali's famous seaside temple of Tanah Lot. This temple is one of the most beautiful, most visited and most photographed sites in all of Bali, with pilgrims and tourists alike attracted to its serenity and tranquility. Tanah Lot rests upon a huge sentinel rock, away from the shore, which has been carved by tides, wind and rain. If the tide is low we can walk across the exposed rocks and receive holy water from a fresh water spring and blessings from the temple’s priests.


Included:
Breakfast
Lunch

Lodging:
Komaneka Bisma Hotel


Day 11: Wednesday, June 29
Yoga, breakfast and meditation. Today you're free to enjoy a day of optional activities such as the Bali Bird Park and the Bali Elephant Camp. The Bali Bird Park is a magical oasis bursting with lush tropical plants and a profusion of exotic wildlife. It is a fascinating world filled with exotic sights and sounds. A cast of hundreds of the world's rarest and most beautiful birds greet you as you stroll through the amazing tropical gardens. Meet some new feathered friends but watch out for the Komodo dragons!

The Bali Elephant Camp is a sanctuary for the protection of the endangered Sumatran elephant. All the elephants at the park were rescued from deforestation in Central & Southern Sumatra. Not only can you get up close and personal with these beautiful creatures, you can also go on an Elephant Ride. Imagine yourself sitting high atop an elephant in a teak wood chair watching for birds and monkeys in the forest canopy as your mighty steed meanders through the cool shade of the jungle floor.

Elephant riding not your cup of tea? Then spend your day however you please. Maybe you would love to learn to play the gamelan. Take some lessons. Are you fascinated with the elegance and beauty of Balinese dance? Step to it. Does white water rafting intrique you? Paddle away! Maybe today is your day to do a total immersion spa experience, pampering yourself with an extended massage, body wrap and facial. Give yourself permission. If you're still looking for ideas, there's always... shopping! Today is your day - go for it!

Included:
Breakfast

Lodging:
Komaneka Bisma Hotel


Day 12: Thursday, June 30
Our day begins as usual with yoga, breakfast and meditation. In years past, we organized this last full day in Bali with further sightseeing and exploration of the island. Last year, however, we realized that at this point in the trip everyone was pretty well saturated and satiated with all the wonderful experiences from the previous days. What everyone wanted and needed was time and freedom to relax, soak in the energies and further bond with Bali in whatever way was calling to them.

So we have left this last day completely free for you to do whatever your heart desires. You can relax and enjoy the incredible beauty of the Komaneka, visit a local spa for some more pampering and bodywork or maybe there’s still some unfinished shopping that needs your attention. There is enough time for you to take side trips to the Bali Bird Park, the Bali Zoo or even go white water rafting. We invite you to enjoy your last day in Bali to the absolute fullest.

At the end of the day, we are celebrating the time we’ve spent together and our final evening with what we promise will be a wonderful farewell dinner surprise.

Included:
Breakfast
Dinner

Lodging:
Komaneka Bisma Hotel


Day 13: Friday, July 1
On our final morning we have a special group good-bye during our meditation. After breakfast, you will have time to finish packing and to take a final walk through the beautiful grounds of the Komaneka. On the way to the airport, you may realize that, although you are looking forward to going home, you're also very sad to say goodbye.

Bali has affected you in some deep and subtle ways that you don't, as yet, fully understand or appreciate. On the flight home, you have lots of memories, feelings and insights to explore. Because we are crossing back over the International Dateline, we regain a day and arrive in the States on the same date as our departure from Bali.