New Years Festival in Bali
Bali, the justly renowned diamond in the necklace of islands that makes up the world’s largest archipelago, is well-known for its inner and outer beauty. Bali Hinduism is the predominant local religion and one that nurtures and encourages the arts. Bali’s stunning geographical beauty includes majestic volcanoes surrounded by terraced rice fields that gently spill into an azure sea.
Feb. 26: USA Departure The journey begins. Depart USA around midnight, groggy but excited. Cross international dateline and lose an entire calendar day, which is made up on your return and which, if you¹ve never experienced this phenomenon, is sort of cool.
Mon. Feb. 27: Candi Dasa BL Arrive at Bali¹s only slightly insane Denpasar airport mid-afternoon, and hop a friendly minibus to our amazing beachfront bungalows at Candi (pronounced Chaan-dee) Dasa in east Bali. Check in and unpack before gathering for opening circle, followed by dinner together. Enjoy first swim in hotel¹s glorious infinity pool because obviously.
Sun. Feb. 28: Candi Dasa BD Breakfast, then venture off by minibus to our waiting boats and enjoy a snorkeling excursion in a nearby coral reef preserve with views of Bali¹s stunning and most sacred volcano Mount Agung. Back to Lotus Bungalows for lunch, and our first orientation session focusing on basic Indonesian manners & customs, including a demonstration of how to wrap your traditional sarong because that’s sort of important. At 5:00 PM gather beside the infinity pool for a talk with Made Surya on understanding Bali Hinduism.
Mon. March 1: Candi Dasa B Breakfast, and our second orientation/language session focusing on Bali’s unique religious composition and caste system. Then we take off touring to Tirtagangga, a stunning “water palace” built by the region’s last Raja. Swim in the crystal clear, olympic-sized freshwater pool, followed by lunch in the gourmet restaurant overlooking the palace grounds.
Late afternoon meet in the Yoga pavilion for a special session. an ethnographic film: on Bali: Between the Mountains and the Sea.
Tues. March 2: Candi Dasa B Breakfast. Morning talk with Surya on the upcoming holidays, followed by a visit to nearby Tenganan aboriginal village, where Bali’s finest basket making and textile weaving takes place, and where we enjoy a personal demonstration of calligraphy and weaving, Happy Hour seminar on Bali-Hindu Rites Of Passage, followed by final dinner in Candi Dasa.
Wed. March 3: Ubud B breakfast with final language session, during which Judy teaches everyone how to barter in Balinese, with appropriate amounts of drama. Depart Candi Dasa for Ubud, Bali’s “cultural center,” stopping along the way to visit
an NGO for disabled Balinese adults, and have a lunch they prepare of delicious, local food Amazing evening performance of Kecak (Ramayana) dance and fire trance dance. Dinner on your own, out and about in wonderful Ubud.
Thur. March 4: Ubud B Beakfast. Then we proceed south, stopping first for a performance of the Barong dance at Batubulan village. Then we back-track slightly, to the home/studio of one of the few master carvers of sacred masks, to watch the process of creation of the masks you just saw in performance, and hear about their role in Balinese society. Then to the home of a family of shadow puppet makers and carvers to observe the construction process, followed by a brief performance. Lunch at Tony Raka modern art Gallery and a tour of the art museum.
Evening on your own.
Fri. March 5 Ubud Hari Melasti (Purification by water) Early morning departure to visit (and perhaps receive a purification if you wish) in the elegant temple and sacred springs of Tirta Empul, believed to have healing properties. Return to Ubud for lunch. Then we travel south to Sanur beach to watch hundreds of Balinese in their finest apparel and with their sacred objects march in procession to the sea where prayer for the new year and a trance ritual are held. You may join them in prayer if you wis.
Sat, March 6: Ubud Go to Denpasar to see the finalists in the competition and interview some student creators. Evening dance performance.
Sun. March 7: Ubud B Mecaru Day: Purification By Fire. Late afternoon a trip to Denpasar, Bali’s capitol city and have an early dinner at a nearby hotel. A short distance is the main street of Denpasar, where we enjoy a wildly enthusiastic amazing Gamelan and torch lit parade of over 200 giant demonic puppets constructed in competition by the cities youth organizations from the comfort of the seats at the hotel garden. Return to Udud.
Mon. March 8: Ubud BD Hari Raya Nyepi. New Years Day. A day for meditation and contemplation. No one is allowed to work or cook or leave their compound (in your case, the spacious hotel grounds). Small meals will be served. It will be a wonderful day to submerse ourselves in Yoga.
Tue. March 9: Munduk BD we’ll have our final breakfast in Ubud and then 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 basket. Our first stop will be the Ogoh Ogoh Musem, where you can marvel at some of the best of their kind. Then a fun stop at the fruit and flower market where you can stock up on super-fresh and discount priced local spices for yourself and as gifts We will arrive in Munduk mountain village and check into our beautiful eco-friendly hotel, perched on rice fields. After lunch, a short walk through the clove plantation to the local water fall,., meeting at the sunset bar for some stunning optics. In the evening we’ll enjoy the first of our family-style delicious group dinners together.
Wed. March 10 Munduk After breakfast, we’ll go on a trek through the neighboring countryside: small villages, rice fields, coffee and clove plantations, culminating at the magical Growing Stone. Private bus back to hotel for lunch and downtime.
Thur. March 11: B Munduk After breakfast, Late afternoon, healthy eating cooking class, and then we consume our creation for final dinner..
Fri. March 12 Transit Our workshop concludes, and we head for the airport or stay on, or travel further in Indonesia.
Please note: Our daily schedule might shift and change as other unexpected opportunities arise cremation festivities or other rites of passage, temple festival and purification ceremonies. You just never know what might be happening depending on the season, the village, or the people we meet. In case any activity must be canceled, another similar activity will be substituted. Sorry, no refunds on any activities you decide not to attend, and anyone who leaves the tour itinerary at any time for any reason is on their own.
Balinese worship their deities at ceremonial festivals, held every 210 days according to the Balinese lunar calendar system. Our time in Bali is organized to attend rituals connected with Nyepi, the Balinese New Years, and one of the most important festivals in the Bali Hindu calendar year where the entire island undergoes purification.
Purification ceremonies are an important part of Bali Hindu religious cycles. Usually held during times of stress or plague, these ceremonies many times involve sacred objects and masks, and most are held within the village temples. During the rituals, those who fall into trance communicate the wishes of the high and low spirits to their attentive observers. Our trip will includes attending an authentic trance ceremony.
MelastiFestival Day (Purification with water) On this day Balinese island-wide march in procession to the sea, purifying themselves and their sacred objects—sacred masks and giant puppets. We travel to a beach where an impressive number of villagers gather, to watch the procession of hundreds worshippers, culminating with the Priests and Priestesses in trance. Those who wish may join the Balinese at prayer.
MecaruFestival Day: (Purification with fire). The daytime is spent in the family home, with preparation of non-perishable foods that will be consumed on the following day, when cooking is not permitted. As the afternoon wears on, young people congregate in the community halls to prepare for the torchlit processions with percussive Gamelan instruments and carrying giant demonic images, whose purpose is to frighten away pesky low spirits that might interrupt the tranquility of the island on the first day of the New Year (Nyepi). The dummies, called Ogoh Ogoh, are created by the Youth organizations and are quite impressive, as there is a competition to see which is the most creative. Home-made fireworks are also set off, hoping the noise will scare off demons.
Hari Raya Nyepi. A day for self-examination, meditation and contemplation. Everything must be still. Bali-Hindu’s cannot work, light a fire, cook, or leave their home. There will be limited food available at your comfortable, quiet accommodation, but you are free to use the grounds.
Our trip will bring you into three distinct regions of Bali. We will stay in small, locally owned hotels—away from the tourist scene—so you can fully immerse yourselves in this unique, evocative culture, our excursions will include rice field hikes, treks in rain forests, snorkeling expeditions among tropical coral gardens, walks through coffee and clove plantations, and lush waterfalls. Each day, your tour guides will give us an insider’s view of Balinese dance, music, art and sacred ceremonies.
We will begin our journey at the peaceful, pristinely beautiful Lotus Bungalows resort, perched right at the edge of the Indian Ocean. This small East Bali hotel is the perfect place to land and decompress from your journey. We will spend four nights in Candi Dasa, beginning our explorations of Bali, and our life together as a traveling community. This is where you will begin to learn about the Balinese people—their language, their culture, and their way of life.
During the middle portion of our trip, we will move to Ubud, the cultural center of Bali, where we will experience “urban” life and a faster pace. You will drink in many cultural riches and experience a variety of solo and group adventures. Ubud is also the place where you will be able to buy stunning artwork and other gifts to bring back home.
During the final part of our trip, we will leave the energy of the city and travel north to Munduk and the cool volcanic mountains of North Bali– stunning region of rice fields, coffee and cocoa plantations, where myriad tropical fruits and spices are grown. You will experience first-hand the unspoiled agricultural and village life that Bali has to offer.
Itinerary Feb. 26 – March 12, 2027
Included:
Airport transfers
A snorkeling excursion excluding mask and fins.
Attendance at 3 traditional dance & music performances
Tour of Ashram Candi Dasa, Tenganan aboriginal village, Tirta gangga Water Palace, Organic chocolate factory, Goa Gadjah (“Elephant Cave”), tour home/studio’s of artists and craftspeople, Ulun Danu & Mengwi temples, fruit and flower market.
3 Treks: neighboring countryside, small villages, rice fields, coffee and clove plantations, & waterfall
Breakfast each day, lunch at Senang Hati , and four, family style dinners in Munduk hotel.
Seminars on rites of passage, bargaining, history and politics, trance and sacred masks, local customs and culture, language, Hindu religion & caste system, rites of passage, etc.
A personal purification ritual at Tampaksiring temple.
Field trip to the massive purification and trance ritual at Sanur Beach.
Field trip to the parade of Ogoh Ogoh in Denpasar.
Services of Judy Slattum & Madé Surya, professional Bali specialists.
Informational booklet.
4 nights at Candi Dasa Beach.
4 nights in Ubud, Bali’s cultual center.
4 Nights in Munduk Mountain Village.
Meals except where noted in itinerary (expect $7.-$12. per meal), laundry, overweight baggage fees, additional sightseeing, and snorkeling equipment rental. “Optional “ activities such as another snorkeling excursion are not covered
Trip Cost and Fees: $3268.00 per person does not include airfare.The price is based on two people sharing a twin or double-bedded room with private bath (all hotels have western amenities). Two have swimming pools. Full breakfast, excursions listed in the itinerary, classes, services of Judy and Surya (Bali guides/ experts), along with several orientation and language sessions. The price includes hotel transfers, land arrangements but an unexpected rise in the exchange rate may influence the final price. Those arriving before the tour officially starts will be responsible for transfers from the airport to hotel and back.
Deposit: A deposit of $500.00 per person is required at the time of booking. Final payment is due 60 days prior to departure. Minimum 6 and maximum 12 participants.
Cancellations and Refunds: For the land portion, a cancellation fee of $300.00 will be collected up to 60 days prior to departure, after which half the ground portion of the final payment will be refunded. No refunds will be made from one month before departure. Trip cancellation and medical evacuation insurance is highly recommended.
Accommodations: All accommodations are based on two persons sharing a double or twin bedded room with private, western-style bath. Single supplement available for $416.00
Roommates: Single people may sign up for accommodations desired on a share basis and will be assigned a roommate as circumstances permit. If a roommate is unavailable, the participant will be notified of the adjusted price for a SINGLE SUPPLEMENT: $416.00
Passports, Visa & Health: A passport, valid six months from date of entry with proof of onward transportation. Indonesian visa for 30 days granted on arrival to US citizens. No inoculations are suggested or required.
NOT Included:
Trip Organizers/Leaders:
Judy Slattum MFA and Made Surya B.S. are professional tour organizers who have been leading study tours in Bali since 1985. Made has translated and worked with scholars and educational film and video crews, including National Geographic, and lives in Bali half the year. He was senior research assistant for several scholarly books relating to the Balinese view of the After Death. He is on the advisory board for Sacred Sites International, and has been a contributor to Hinduism Today. He has lectured frequently at the Asian Art Museum of San Francisco and performs traditional mask dance in both Bali and the US
Judy Slattum has been organizing and leading study tours to Bali continuously after first visiting the island on sabbatical to study mask dance in 1978. Six months later she returned with the first of many unique travel/learning experiences. Judy has published many articles on Balinese culture and her book, Masks of Bali; Spirits of an Ancient Drama was released by Chronicle Books in 1992, was featured in Time Magazine and sold over 17,000 copies, and was reprinted by Periplus Editions in Sept. 2003. Her museum exhibition on Balinese Masks toured the USA as part of the Festival of Indonesia for 5 years and has now relocated to Bali.