Festivals, Ceremonies and Mysticism,
Exploring the Inner Realms of Bali
A cultural tour designed for photographers with guest leader, Shmuel Thaler
Bali is only one of more than 17,000 islands in Indonesia--the fourth most populous nation in the world. But this island, currently enjoying an artistic Renaissance, must be one of the world's loveliest, rich in dramatic scenery, ancient temples, and graceful people. It is a paradise for the fortunate artist or photographer. An immense nation covering a total land area of 741,000 square miles, Indonesia is still growing. One-fourth of its 400 volcanoes (two of them in Bali) are still active, changing the country's contours to new vistas, spectacular in their contrasts. Bali remains one of the few places in the world where the traveler can explore and discover untouched places and witness exotic rituals that have not diminished with the passing of time. We will visit rituals and ceremonies far from the tourists' beaten path. This is a chance to know a fascinating and vibrant culture from the inside.
Denise Wendler
The highlight of the tour will be an intense trance ritual at the village of Paksebali on one of the most important festival days of the year; August 21 is Kuningan Day at the Pura Panti Timbrah temple in Paksebali Village, Klungkung. In the mid-afternoon, there will be procession from the village down to a sacred spring, purifying the sacred “chairs of the spirits.” The young men carrying the chairs return from the river in a heavy state of trance, accompanied by energetic walking gamelan orchestra. They dynamically crash, push, and bump the palanquins into one another in a simulated war meant to cleanse the area of negative energy and bring joy to the visiting ancestral spirits before they return to the heavens.
There will also be village temple festivals including performances of dance and gamelan, and with luck, a cremation ceremony.
Itinerary:
Departure August 14, Day 1: Most flights to Asia depart around midnight (or a little after) and arrive the next calendar day.
Day 2: August 15, Candi Dasa: Having arrived in Bali, meet your driver and transfer to East Bali and our beachfront bungalows overlooking the azure Indian Ocean. Check in and our first dinner together, where we share who you are and why you decided to travel with us.
Day 3: August 16, Candi Dasa (B): Good morning and welcome to Bali! 8:30 After breakfast, we hop on our waiting mini-bus, driving a few miles to our waiting boat, for a snorkeling excursion to a nearby coral reef preserve with hundreds of tropical fish. It’s a wonderful way to fully arrive in Bali, as well as an opportunity for those with underwater cameras to get a workout. We return to our hotel for lunch, followed by our first orientation session about basic Indonesian manners and customs. The afternoon is free. At 5 pm, we meet by the pool where Made Surya will give a background on Bali Hinduism and its relationship to traditional the cardinal directions followed by dinner together.
Day 4: August 17, Candi Dasa (B). It’s a full moon. After breakfast, there’s a second language class, a lesson in bargaining and a demonstration of how to wrap a traditional sarong. Our morning excursion is to Tenganan, a nearby aboriginal village populated by many artists, double ikat weavers and basket makers. We return to Candi Dasa for lunch and some down time. In the late afternoon, we will watch an ethnographic film on Bali’s origins, followed by our first critique of the images you captured today with Shmuel, followed by group dinner.
Day 5: August 18, Candi Dasa (B) Morning excursion to the last Raja’s “water palace” of Tirta Gangga, a photographers’ paradise, nestled under volcanos and surrounded by terraced rice fields. Swim in the pure waters of three Olympic-sized pools, and decorated by an abundance of stunning statuary, followed by for a gourmet lunch. Then it’s onward to the royal palace of Amlapura for a glimpse of colonial Bali, before independence from the Dutch. We return to the hotel for a sunset meeting and review what you captured on film today, with feedback with Shmuel. Followed by a farewell dinner at Vincent’s, arguably the best restaurant in Candi Dasa.
Day 6: August 19, Travel Day to Ubud (BL). Depart for Bali’s cultural center of Ubud, stopping on the way at Yayasan Senang Hati, (Happy Hearts), an NGO for disabled Balinese adults, where we will tour the facility and have a delicious buffet lunch prepared by the members. We arrive in Ubud and check into our hotel, followed by a brief orientation tour of the village. In the evening, we’ll see a torchlite evening performance of the Kecak dance for which Ubud is known. Photography is permitted.
Day 7: August 20, Ubud (B) We make an early departure to visit the beautiful 11th-century temples of nearby Tampaksiring and Gunung Kawi, followed by an afternoon to visit to the Agung Rai gallery and museum with its stunning collection of paintings. Finally, there’s a happy hour meeting with Shmuel to review your work.
Day 8: August 21, Ubud Dress in your ceremonial garb for the Kuningan holiday. We depart after lunch for East Bali and the Pura Panti Timbrah temple for a trance ritual in Paksebali village. This will definitely be one of the highlights of your visit.
Day 9: August 22, Ubud Manis Kuningan continues. Enjoy a free morning. In the afternoon, dress in your ceremonial clothing for a visit to Pura Taman Pule, a famous temple in the neighboring village of Mas. We will see the birthday celebration ceremony, including a performance of the Wayan Wong mask dance. Included is a late afternoon review of your work with Shmuel, before dinner at our hotel.
Day 10: August 23, Ubud We will take a tour of several home studios of arts and crafts creators for whom Bali is renowned. The first stop is a factory in Pejeng village, known for creating beautiful Batik textiles dyed by traditional organic methods. Next, we will take a tour of Tony Raka modern art gallery and have lunch in their delicious Asian fusion cafe. Then we will visit Sukawati village and the family home of a famed shadow puppeteer, where we will see puppets being tooled from buffalo hide and watch a brief performance. Our final stop is to the royal palace of Singapadu for a demonstration of carving sacred masks.
Day 11: August 24, Munduk (BD) After breakfast, we depart for an island tour of volcano country and north Bali. We’ll wind our way through stunning landscapes and Bali’s fruit and vegetable market. Our first stop will be the jaw-dropping Ogoh Ogoh museum in Mengwi, then stop at the fruit and flower market, which is fun shopping for fresh spices grown in the area. We will arrive in Munduk mountain village, check into our hotel and have lunch. Meet Made Surya in the Sunset Bar for happy hour, followed by the first of our family-style delicious group dinners.
Day 12: August 25, Munduk (BD) After a buffet breakfast, meet Surya for a walk through a coffee and clove plantation to Bali's tallest waterfall (about 1.5 miles). If you’re brave and wear a swimsuit, you can climb underneath. On the walk, you are likely to see nutmeg, cacao, salak fruit, and vanilla beans growing. The afternoon is free. We meet in Victoria Hall for a review of your work and feedback from Shmuel, followed by dinner together.
Day 13: August 26, Munduk (BD) We’ll go on a trek through the neighboring countryside through small villages, rice fields, coffee and clove plantations, culminating at the magical Growing Stone. Return to hotel for lunch and downtime. Gathering at the Sunset Bar with Made Surya to survey our photos from the day, before evening meal together.
Day 14: August 27, Munduk (BD) (Final day in Bali.) Enjoy a free day to take a workshop in making offerings, cooking, or herbal medicine. Or take another trek with a boat ride on a local volcanic lake. Book an island tour to a Buddhist monastery, or further to west Bali National Park for world-class snorkeling. You are also free to sleep in or have more spa experiences. Late afternoon farewell gathering at the Sunset Bar before our final dinner, followed by a performance by the village dance company.
Day 15: August 28, (B) Return to the US or spend more time in Bali or Indonesia.
Our Hotels:
Included in this trip:
Airport transfers for those arriving and departing on tour dates.
Four nights beachfront hotel in Candi Dasa
Five nights in Ubud, Bali’s cultural center.
Four nights in Munduk mountain village.
Breakfast each morning, lunch at an NGO, and four dinners in Munduk.
A snorkeling expedition in East Bali
Two nature treks in Munduk.
Visits to Tenganan village, royal palace of Amlapura. Tirtagangga water palace, important temples: Tampaksiring and Gunung Kawi. Agung Rai Gallery/Museum, Tony Raka art museum, traditional batik factory, home/studio of shadow puppet makers and carver of sacred masks.
Tour of School and Living Center for disabled Balinese adults with lunch created by the members.
Attendance at two traditional dance performances and a shadow puppet show.
Seminars in basic Indonesian, manners and customs, Bali-Hinduism, community and caste systems, traditional healers, bargaining, and trance.
Regular coaching sessions and critiques by celebrity professional photographer Shmuel Thaler.
Not Included:
Round trip airfare. Most meals, snorkeling equipment,
Trip Cost and Fees:
Details: Cost: $3999.00 based on two persons sharing a room with bathroom. A single supplement is available. Minimum of 8, maximum of 14.
Roommates: Single people may sign up for accommodations desired on a shared basis; roommates can be chosen from other tour members. If a roommate is unavailable, the participant will be notified of the adjusted price for a single supplement. The number of single rooms are limited and available on a first come, first serve basis.
Deposit: A deposit of $500.00 per person is due at the time of booking. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure. Deposit, minus a $300. cancellation fee, is refundable until 60 days prior to departure, after which 5O% will be charged. No refunds will be made after departure.
Passport, Visa, and Health: A passport, valid six months from date of entry with proof of onward transportation is required for entry into Indonesia. You will need to get visa on arrival, with payment of a $35 fee, which is valid for 4 weeks. . Everyone participating in this trip is expected to be in good health and able to walk at least three miles unaided. Anyone testing positive for Covid will be released from the tour.
Trip Organizer/Local guide:
Madé Surya B.S.
Madé Surya B.S. is a professional tour organizer and has been leading study tours in Bali since 1986. He has translated and worked with scholars and educational film and video crews, including National Geographic, The New York Times and CNN. He was senior research assistant for several scholarly books relating to the Balinese view of after death. He is on the advisory board for Sacred Sites International, and has been a contributor to Hinduism Today. Surya has continuously led educational tours to Bali since 1986, and is said by Lonely Planet online travel to be the “top authority on Balinese Healers.“
Shmuel Thaler
Shmuel Thaler has been the staff photographer for the Santa Cruz Sentinel since 1987. His photographs have appeared in every major newspaper in the United States. To mark his 40th year at the Santa Cruz Sentinel in 2027 the Santa Cruz Museum of Art and History will be mounting a one-person show of his work in the Solari Gallery. Shmuel has been honored with many awards through the years including being named the 2016 Santa Cruz County Artist of the Year. His photojournalism has been named best in California by the California Newspaper Publishers Association, and he has twice won awards in the prestigious Best of Photojournalism contest of the National Press Photographers Association. Shmuel, who received his BFA from the film school at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, loves teaching and mentoring and for three years taught photojournalism at Cabrillo College. His photographs illustrate numerous children's books including the classic ‘Pumpkin Circle’ which has more than 120,000 copies in print and is held by most library systems in the country. In 2027 he will be publishing a photography book highlighting his work from the past four decades.
