Bali Essence
- Culture & Heritage
- Beach Escapes
Overview
Day 1 - 2: Bali - Ubud
- Arrive in Bali. Drive to Ubud.
- Visit Gunung Kawi, Tirta Empul. Enjoy the spectacular views of green rice terraces and the Pakrisan river.
Day 3 - 5: Batubulan - Batur - Sanur - Departure
- Learn about the Balinese philosophy through Barong dance in Batubulan.
- Enjoy the view of Batur volcano and Lake Batur.
- Drive to Sanur and relax on the idyllic beach.
- Board the departure from Bali’s Denpasar airport.
Customizable itinerary
Discover the true spirit of Bali with our ‘Bali Essence’ tour in 5 days, carefully crafted to immerse you in the island’s most authentic experiences.
Explore Ubud, the cultural heart of Bali. Immerse yourself in Balinese culture by visiting the sacred temples of Tirta Empul and Gunung Kawi, and enjoy the traditional Barong dance, which depicts the battle between good and evil spirits. Take in the breathtaking views of Lake Batur before stopping at the Tegalalang rice terraces, one of the island’s most photogenic landmarks. No trip to Bali is complete without experiencing the ocean, so be sure to visit the beautiful seaside town of Sanur, with its idyllic beach, which makes for the perfect conclusion to your journey.
A warm greeting awaits at Bali International Airport; your private guide and driver will meet you at the arrival lounge and take you directly to your hotel. Your knowledgeable guide will be happy to answer any questions along the way and will assist you with check-in and registration at the hotel.
After a short rest, we will drive from the south of Bali to Ubud. The Balinese kings, benevolent to the arts, transformed their court seat into a true global village. Ubud shops, galleries and craft shops blend traditional arts and crafts with modern design. Visiting European artists, attracted by the lure of an untouched tropical paradise, were encouraged to stay. They gave new impetus to the existing local arts while creating some exciting new forms in the process. This atmosphere reverbs to this day. A visit to Ubud means indulging in the local arts, visiting the ancient temples and enjoying the archetypical Balinese surroundings of steep gorges and sculpted rice fields.


Ubud is the ideal basis to explore some interesting landmarks and sights of Bali’s hinterland and enjoy the enthralling Balinese landscapes. Famed for its painters and sculptors, the township and nearby villages exude an atmosphere of grace and serenity that has attracted art celebrities from all over the world. The Balinese culture is alive and well with some of the finest workings in wood, stone and silver on display.
Venture north up to Gunung Kawi. Gunung Kawi is only to be reached via a flight of stairs. You will, however, be rewarded with magnificent views over rice terraces and the Pakrisan river. Then we will move onwards to Tirta Empul, a major temple complex and holy mountain spring in the village of Manukaya.
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/_)


Today you will have the best of culture and nature in a day. First, you will attend a playful introduction to the Balinese philosophy. The gracious Barong dance in Batubulan, performed by professional actors and dancers. Proceed to the rightfully famous woodcarving center of Mas. Young artisans with amazing skills emblaze tropical woods with life.
Then we will drive further to the east and enjoy the breathtaking view over the volcano and the Lake Batur, while having lunch in Penelokan, Kintamani. This is the largest lake in Bali and can be found in the smaller, secondary caldera of the Batur volcano, right at the foot of Mount Abang. The final stop will be the photogenic Tegalalang Rice Terraces before you arrive in Sanur.
Meals: (Breakfast/Lunch/_)


Enjoy morning breakfast and day at your leisure to enjoy at the resort or self-explore the beautiful surrounding.
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)


Free at your leisure to enjoy the resort’s facilities until departure time, meet your guide at the hotel lobby for your transfer service back to Denpasar airport. End of services.
Meals: (Breakfast/_/_)
Useful Information
This tour is built upon our firsthand knowledge & experience, offering you the best choices available. The price of this trip varies depending on the number of people in your party, dates of departure, and availability of ground services. Please click on REQUEST A FREE QUOTE (above) and supply the required information, enabling us to send you your personalized quote within 24 hours!
Note: Amendments CAN be made to this tour to suit your requirements.
What’s Included?
- Accommodation with daily breakfast at selected hotels
- Private Vehicles and Drivers
- Private English Speaking Guides (Other languages if available, upon request)
- Meals as mentioned in the itinerary (B= Breakfast, L= Lunch, D= Dinner)
- Entrance fees for all mentioned sights visited
- Service Charge & Government Taxes
What’s Not Included?
- Your International Flights to and from Bali
- Indonesia entry Visa Fees (contact us for further information)
- Personal Expenses (such as laundry, telephone, drinks, etc.)
- Any bank fees or charges at your end
- Meals other than those mentioned in the itinerary
- Personal Travel Insurance
- Tips for guides and drivers
Free service. No credit card required
Reviews on Our Service
Trip to Laos, Vietnam and Cambodia.we learned a lot about the culture and the people. Fascinating and amazing trip.
Cherry and Asia Pioneer Travel did an excellent job in organizing the tour. The time, the hotel, the places selected, the tour guides, the food – all excellent. Fascinating La Pandora cruise. We enjoyed the scenery, the accommodation and the food. Interesting history of Angkor Wat. The street food tour was fun. Everything was excellent. Hotel staff were courteous and had delicious breakfast. Kudos to Cherry and Asia Pioneer. We will use them again in future trips. I highly recommend Asia Pioneer.
Family trip 6 pax private coach
Ms Lizzie Pham is my agent who help to plan 6pax family private tour for Vietnam trip (SAPA, Halong bay, Ninh Binh, Hanoi city). 8 days fully utilised base on my preferred attraction listed. Transportation and accommodation arranged smoothly and nice and comfort. Highly reccomend is SAPA. catcat village normal weekday is no crowd and suggest go in weekend because the local people will come to catcat village for shooting. makes the place lively. fansipan is 2nd choice must go. our time was -4 degree which we never experience before. 3rd choice must go is Alpine Coaster, guarantee you have heart beat drop fast moment. There have adventure activity like
self control rail coaster, sky ride bycycle, sky walk stairs etc
last but not least, tour guide they arranged for me are experienced, can speak english and helpful. We paid tips to each driver and tour guide every journey (this part up to the individual) overall service provided by APT was 👍. if first time in vietnam and in a big grp better get private arrangements. you won’t regret it. money you pay worth it
Top quality experience!
Elly Do with Asia Pioneer was amazing in organizing a 9.5 week custom trip through SE Asia for us – intelligent, super-organized, efficient, and very clear in her communications. We did a LOT of our own research and sent her extensive lists of where we wanted to go what we wanted to see – she was very patient, going through the several revisions…it was concierge service! And from the moment we arrived in Bangkok to when we left Vietnam (with Laos and Cambodia in between), everything Asia Pioneer organized went like clockwork – pickups, accommodations, flights, tickets, guides and drivers…all perfect. The accommodations all matched closely with the guidance we had given Elly on quality, facilities etc.
Most of the guides spoke excellent English (for a couple in the hinterlands, it was passably OK). All had a passion for their country’s culture and history, and spending a few days with each of them in the car allowed us to have some wonderful conversations on more personal and nuanced topics.
Then when one of us needed to be hospitalized, Elly jumped in to facilitate communications, arrange extra nights in hotels, and then recover what refunds were possible for the final 1.5 weeks that we had to eliminate from the trip. You will not find a better tour operator!!
Very best
I just had the best 2.5 weeks travelling by myself around Vietnam and Cambodia and it was all thanks to the organisation and dedication of Asia Pioneer Travel. Winston was brilliant at curating my itinerary based on what I knew I wanted to do and the things I enjoy doing. It was the perfect balance of adventure and relaxation. I’ve learnt so much about the history and culture of Vietnam and Cambodia thanks to the knowledgeable guides and enjoyed the mix of group tours and solo tour guides while I traveled around. 6 out of 5 stars! 🌟
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