AdventureSmith Explorations introduces a new sailing route in Indonesia, providing travelers with enhanced opportunities for immersive cultural experiences and wildlife encounters. Departing from Flores Island, the 9-day trip aboard traditional Indonesian sailing vessels offers a compact yet robust itinerary, featuring close encounters with Komodo dragons, whale sharks, and volcanic landscapes. A new sailing route in Indonesia offered by AdventureSmith Explorations, the leader in small-ship adventure cruising, is giving expedition travelers more opportunities to explore and immerse themselves in Indonesian culture and its distinct wildlife experiences. Aboard either the 24-guest Ombak Putih or 12-guest Katharina traditional Indonesian sailing vessels, the 9-day trip sets sail from and returns to Flores Island between April and August. The perfect introduction to Indonesia, the compact yet robust itinerary gets active travelers up close and personal with Komodo dragons, whale sharks and volcanic islands, while also connecting them with the people living and working in local villages.
How to plan a trip to Bali, Indonesia
22.02.2024 - 09:51 / nationalgeographic.com
The tropical Indonesian island of Bali has enticed travellers for over a century with its coralline seas, sacred volcanoes, mist-shrouded lakes and vibrant living heritage. A favoured holiday destination for antipodeans, Bali's irresistible beaches beckon backpackers, surfers and families alike. The south-coast areas of Seminyak, Kuta and Canggu, close to the airport, are where most visitors flock to, but it’s even better when you roam a little further.
Best for: culture
Straddling a series of river valleys at the base of Bali’s central highlands, Ubud was once a cluster of villages with an eclectic art colony that drew writers, painters and filmmakers from distant lands. Today, its museums house sprawling collections by the island’s most revered artists and dozens of small galleries exhibit contemporary works, such as Purga Artspace, attached to the endearing library cafe, Littletalks Ubud. Listen out for the exuberant polyphony of gamelan (traditional ensemble music) emanating nightly from the temples. Ubud also hosts a celebration of contemporary artists, Ubud Open Studios, and Southeast Asia’s largest annual literary event, Ubud Writers and Readers Festival.
Be sure to visit one of Bali’s best independent bookstores, Ganesha Bookshop, and one of the nation’s leading traditional textile conservationists, Threads of Life. Delve further into Ubud’s cultural past and present and see a host of archaeological treasures on a walking tour led by Ubud Story Walks. After a culture-packed day, refresh in a secluded bungalow and the natural stone pool at Rumah Semanggi. For a culturally immersive stay, Gayatri and Honeymoon Guesthouse both preserve Bali’s ornate architectural style, while an edifying introduction to Indonesia’s diverse regional cuisines can be found at Warung Pulau Kelapa, Nusantara and Hujan Locale.
Best for: nature
The crisp air of Bedugul, a horticultural district in the undulating hills of central Bali, is a welcome reprieve from the dense humidity of the south. Overlooking Lake Beratan — said to have been Bali’s largest lake until an earthquake split it into three — lies Indonesia’s biggest botanical garden, Kebun Raya Bali. Established in the late 1950s, it contains 2,400 species from across the archipelago, including a giant ficus thought to be over 100 years old whose towering, Tolkienesque roots have tangled into awe-inspiring arches. A stroll east past ancient cycads is one of the island’s most picturesque picnic spots: a grassy slope fringed by the saffron blooms of flame trees before the duck-egg blue lake beyond.
Visitors can wake to this view at Kebun Raya Bali's onsite Guesthouse Etnobotani or take a 20-minute drive along the northeastern shore of neighbouring Lake Buyan to
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